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| (Image Information: Draupadi and the Pandavas, image from wikipedia) |
Yudhistira decided quickly. "Guys, I know exactly what to do. I'll just amuse the king of Matsya by helping him play dice!"
"No!" yelled the other four brothers in unison. "Dice is what got us into this mess."
Yudhistira's mustache twitched. His eyes glowed with the madness it always did when he thought of the gambling tables.
"Don't worry, brothers. I won't play for stakes-- just for honor and epicness."
His face became dreamy as he imagined the feel of the dice in his hand and the thrill of rolling perfect numbers.
The brothers all nodded slowly, and Draupadi, their wife, looked especially relieved.
Yudhistira turned to their burly brother Bhima. "What about you, Bhimmy?"
Bhima narrowed his eyes at Yudhistira. "Don't call me that. I think I will be a chef and amuse the taste buds of the king and the people of the court. They will not have tasted good food until they have had my dishes."
Draupadi giggled. "That's so precious, my love."
Bhima shrugged. "I'll also wrestle elephants and bulls that need taming and win wrestling championships. You know, the usual. What do you want to do, Arjuna?"
Arjuna ran his fingers through his hair, clearly showing the scars on his arms from years of excellent bowmanship.
"Well, first things first, I need to cover up my scars."
Draupadi smiled. "Bangles, dear! That will work splendidly."
Arjuna nodded. "Good idea. I'll just pretend to be a eunuch and take care of the ladies."
Draupadi blinked. "Well, I didn't think of taking it that far, but okay, as long as none of them turn your head."
Arjuna smiled at her. "Never, dearest."
They stared dreamily at each other while awkward silence reigned.
"Welllll I'm going to be a stableman," Nakula said. "There is nothing I would like more than to tame the gentle beasts. Horses are majestic, and I will do great things for the kingdom's steeds. What will you be, Sahadeva?"
Shadeva furrowed his brow thoughtfully. He was the quiet brother in the group, so the others made sure to quiet down so that he could speak. "I will be a cowherd. They are peaceful animals, and I know all of the tricks to help them stay calm and produce the most milk. I could spend my whole life with them."
"We're only staying a year, right?" asked Draupadi, worriedly.
"Only a year," Yudhistira assured her. "You, my dear, are so delicate. What will you be able to do if not be the princess in the midst of her kingdom?"
Draupadi smiled. "I hardly look the part of princess now, after wandering these twelve years. I will be a maid and help the queen look her best."
The group was happier than they had ever been in their years of exile. They were going to do what they loved, even for a little while.
Author's Note:
I absolutely loved this story and reading about how following their passions lead to the utter happiness of the Pandavas. That speaks a lot to how students should pursue a career-- by doing something that is meaningful to them that they want to their best in. Even if it seems a little silly, such as spending time with cows when you're really a prince, for example. It was a fun glimpse into the different personalities of the brothers and Draupadi, and I really enjoyed delving into their different personalities. I added more of Draupadi to the story since she's my favorite character in the Mahabharata.
Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.
Hi Abigail! This was a great story and enjoyed reading it. I still find it weird to see Draupadi married to five men and showing love to them all at once. But I completely agree with you on how students should pick majors and pursue what they enjoy the most, especially after seeing the Pandavs being exciting and enjoying what they do. Great story and I hope to be reading more of your work in the future.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job retelling this story. I think you captured each brother's inner most desires really well and it was cool that they got to chase their dreams. I thought it was nice how you were able to bring Draupadi into the story without making her seem bias to one brother over another. Overall, the message you intend on making with people doing what they love comes through really well and I like how you added that into a story. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHello again, Abigail! First off, I love how well you are able to create distinct characterizations for each of the Pandavas, even in a short story such as this. That is an amazing skill to have and really adds to the depth of a story as well as to the reader’s immersion in a tale. I also loved how you were able to provide so much interaction between the characters in your dialogue; this is something that I often avoid in my stories because of the imposed word limit, but you did it so well even while advancing the story. Additionally, Draupadi is my favorite character too! She’s just such a strong, intelligent, opinionated, informed, and--did I say strong?—female character. Overall, just a fantastic job!!
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you added more of Draupadi to the story. I love her reactions to each of her husband's joys. One thing I got out of your story was the idea of her practically loving ALL of her husbands equally at the same time. I just figured that since the men had to rotate by year she had to hide her feelings for her other husbands while she was with the one. I'm not sure exactly how the dynamic was in their relationships, but it was definitely complicated. I really like your perspective on this idea. You did a great job of retelling this story with a little of your own twist.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice and simple story. I like what you said in your author's note - how this story can be applied to young adults entering the workforce and choosing careers today. I would not have thought of that comparison, but it totally fits. I also like that you added Draupadi. She's also one of my favorite characters in the Mahabharata, and I like that you showed her being more involved and part of the team.
ReplyDeleteHi Abigail! You did a great job retelling this story for the week. I love how each of the Pandavas is given their own separate identity; they sometimes all run together in the stories. I also like how happy they all appear to be able to choose their own life, and how they are seen, not depending on their reputation. Draupadi's involvement throughout the story also adds to it.
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