Nalayani's
Painful Rejection...
Out of darkness comes light...
Nalayani's experience of heartbreak unveils a whole new beginning to
her life.
"Well Atmaja, I have to return home to India tomorrow, so I saved my
favorite story for last," Vibha said smiling.
She sat down at Atmaja's bedside and brushed her granddaughter's hair
back from her face.
"Grandma, I am going to miss you so much." Atmaja was sad that this
might be the last time she would visit with Grandma Vibha.
"I want you to know, Atmaja, that sometimes, in life, people will let
us
down. You must always remember that the gods are watching us all the
time and out of darkness comes light. What I mean is, if anyone ever
hurts you, just remember there is something good that will come out of
it all. This will give you strength and endurance to battle every rough
patch you encounter."
Atmaja eagerly waited for her Grandmother to begin her story.
"There once was an incredibly handsome women named Nalayani who was
extremely devoted to her husband Moudgalya. She took care of him and
loved him dearly, until one day he decided to do away with her. She
grew
tiresome to him and he told her that he wanted to be alone from now on.
She was completely shattered. She didn't know what in the world she
would do. Nalayani prayed endlessly to the gods to help her. She cried
and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Help me!"
It
was then when Atmaja stepped into Nalayani's life.
"All I
want is for someone
to love me as much as I love them. I did everything there was to do in
the name of love. How could he just give up on us like that!" Nalayani
cried uncontrollably.
"I want my husband, Iwant my husband, I want my husband, I want my
husband, I want my husband!!" Nalayani shouted louder and louder.
Atmaja felt that there was not much
she could say, at this point, that
would help Nalayani.
Nalayani prayed for several hours,
calling upon the gods for sympathy. Atmaja didn't know what to say to
her then, suddenly, something appeared before Nalayani. It was Lord
Ishwara. His skin glowed as bright as the sun and his eyes were like
stars from the heavens.
Astounded that Lord Ishwara even heard her prayers, Nalayani bowed to
him in admiration.
Atmaja quickly retreated to some shrubbery near by.
"I...I cannot believe you have come here."
"Beautiful Nalayani, do not fret any longer. For I am the Lord Ishwara
and you are such a delight. You will be blessed five-fold. I have a new
life in store for you with five husbands who will love you dearly for
the rest of your days."
Atmaja peered from the bushes, still listening.
"But, can I not have my Moudgalya back? I miss him like crazy."
"No, and you will not remember this life when you traverse into the
next life."
"Five husbands? I don't really need five of them, do I?"
"Nalayani, you said you wanted a husband five times. This is what you
wished for. You should be thankful. You will be the perfect companion
for these five brothers, as they
will be to you. You will also restore righteousness by defeating the
Kauravas.Your name will be Draupadi, daughter of King Drupada."
"Well...alright. I am ready, I think."
Nalayani hesitated for a moment, confused as to what was ahead of her.
She held on to Ishwara's hand and they ascended into the heavens.
At that moment, Atmaja opened her eyes. She lay there recalling the
entire dream and thought to herself, "Nalayani's life completely
changed from heartbreak to rebirth in an instant. This must have been
what Grandma meant when she said "Out of darkness, comes light."
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Author's Note: I have emphasized the moral theme
among all
of these and I really loved the story of Draupadi's previous
incarnation as Nalayani. She
was such a great wife and deserved so much, but her lover left her
deserted. I think I have heard the saying "out of darkness, comes
light" before, or maybe I made it up. I'm not for sure, but I loved
this motto for Nalayani's story. Plus, it gave the granddaughter,
Atmaja, some really good insight on life. There will be people who let
you down, be it lovers, friends, or family members. It is always
helpful to remember that something good will always arise from bad
situations. I tried to capture that in all of my stories. What better
person for helpful advice than Grandma Vibha. I wanted to convey
the pain Nalayani felt from her husband, Moudgalya, leaving her. In
Narayana's book, it explains how they traveled the earth together and
experienced so many things together for many years, but then he felt
that
she was getting in the way of his spiritual journey, so he left her.
That must have been a terrible feeling, but Lord Ishwara heard her
cries and he came to her to bestow upon her a new life and a new start
with five wonderful brothers. I didn't go into detail about the
Pandavas and the Kauravas because I wanted to stick solely to the moral
of the story. Now at the end of all of her dreams, Sita, Ganga, and
Nalayani have enlightened Atmaja's life with a woman's insight into
some of life's complications. She has experienced the strong
grandmother-granddaughter bond, a devoted woman (Sita) faced with the
temptation of adultery, a loving mother (Ganga) who must drown her
children to return them to heaven, and a brokenhearted lover (Nalayani)
who is in desperate need for a new start.
Draupadi's
Incarnation: Website Image
Sorrowful Nalayani: Website
Image
References:
The Mahabharata, by William Buck (1981)
The Mahabharata, by Narayan (1972)