DRAUPADI - 70

   

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's 

DRAUPADI - 70         

 

Is man a mere doll in the village fair,

just mouthing words, swaying

hands and legs to preset beats?

No, how could that be when motivated by

self preservation and future dreams

we choose what to play and how to save

life by untangling the self from the net

of our own making in deviant routes,

to jump ahead to the victory stand?

 

Draupadi shook her head in disgust

why do I wander in imponderables

when life is mine my role whoever

devised, is mine and I have to play it

as if I am only an actor - No that's untrue,

my dialogue stems from my needs

desires, modulated by my native wit,

all the consequences of my words and deeds

are mine and none will partake of it.

I now know life is role playing

whether you write or made to write the lines.

All emotions are yours, the claps are yours

the flowers and thorns are yours:

I came as Princess, became wife to

five Pandavas, then Queen and Empress

from Empress to a forest dweller.

I have played so many roles

I have suffered my dark moments

of dishonour and abject humiliation.

Now I have to play a real life maid.

 

Sairindri I would be to Sudeshna.

From Draupadi to Draupadi's maid,

hairdresser to Virat Queen - Well!

Let me play Draupadi's hairdresser

to the hilt and collect my accolades

from fate's minions in ample measures

to throw them as ill fitting masks of time.

 

The Pandavas entered the Virat Palace

Yudhistira as Kanka, the king's dicemate

an ironical tribute to Yudhistira's

passion to gamble away his own worth.

But now it has come handy to escape

the secret eyes of the enemy.

Bhima joined the Virat kitchen as Cook

his culinary art and his great appetite

were matched in fortunate proportions.

 

Arjuna's transformation into a woman

hurt Draupadi's pride, but there was no choice.

Urvashi's curse had come to his relief,

his impotent year matched his form,

he was Brihannala, the dance music teacher

to the Virat Princess Uttara, simple and

beautiful, eager to learn classical arts.

Arjuna was intuitively well versed in dance

he had learnt all arts at Indra's place.

He knew instruments and was master of

the Pakhauj and Veena which he had learnt

to discipline his mind for the practice

of archery without tremors in his body.

 

The Aswins looked after the vast resources

of cows, horses for which Virat was known.

Their jobs would never invite attention,

their disguise was too insignificant

to alert roving eyes in the Virat land.

 

Draupadi stood facing the mirror

the room was small yet cosy

it wiped off twelve years of memory

of floor, of sleeplessness for fear,

of hunger, of privations, nightmares.

Only the sweet company of empathic

birds, protective rumbles of the wild

the soft shade of cooling trees.

The Ganga, Saraswati waters sustaining

Life's parched hopes for tomorrow -

Only these memories revived her drooping

spirits to face this new mirror and

clothes which Alpana would have rejected.

Yet how royal these Sudeshna wears

feel on my body; No, Sairindri's body

Draupadi's hairdresser now Sudeshna's.

I am Sairindri I make hair clouds

rain love, beauty and fragrance:

O cursed life! When shall I be myself?