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Ravana



Fiction

Anand Shankar was trolled mercilessly in social media when he posted his story ‘Ravana’ in his blog.  He was a little known blogger and hence the tremendous attention that his present story drew came as a rude shock as well as pleasant surprise at once.

His story ended with Sita longing to return to Lanka because Rama suspected her chastity.  No, she didn’t return.  In fact, she didn’t even want to return.  A painful conflict arose in her consciousness.  This man, Rama, the Maryada Purushottam, the hero of a whole country, god incarnate, this man faltered when some silly gossip monger raised a question about my chastity, Sita reflects at the end of Anand’s tale.  Ravana emerges as a far better hero in her consciousness.  Ravana who stood before her in Ashok Vatika with love and admiration in his eyes.  And reverence that did not at all match his royal narcissism.  When he knew that his love for her could never surpass her love for Rama, he surrendered himself in devotion to Rama and begged to be killed by none other than his rival.  Ravana sacrificed himself for me while my husband is seeking to sacrifice me for his honour, Sita sat pondering at the end of Anand Shankar’s story.

Trolls marched in hoards accusing Anand Shankar of blasphemy, irreligion, demon worship, secessionism, anti-nationalism, and all sorts of things.  The euphoria over the attention his blog received soon gave way to jitteriness.  Anand wondered what his crime really was.  He contemplated for days and days.

Ravana’s ten heads appeared to him with various colours and expressions.  Anand saw his own blasphemy, irreligion, and other evils on those faces.  But very often he saw his trolls, the numerous nationalist organisations and their fanatic supporters, on Ravana’s faces.  Anand was confused.  Who is the real Ravana? 

Sita will be sacrificed again and again until the real Ravana is discovered, Anand Shankar began his next blog post.




Comments

  1. Rakhi JayashankarMay 12, 2017 at 8:14 AM

    Why do people react so mercilessly to imagination while they have nothing to do when 'seasoned' rapists go scotfree on grounds of minority.
    There have been many books which found mythology in different light Like Anand Neelakantan's books which were bestsellers. Then why this pseudo tears now? Is there more to it than we see on the periphery

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 12, 2017 at 8:20 AM

      I'm afraid there is more, Rakhi. There's a whole gang of paid trolls who work for a particular political party whose goal is to eliminate those who question the party's goals and objectives.

      Delete
    2. Rakhi JayashankarMay 13, 2017 at 8:38 AM

      Horrible. Can't explain this in better words

      Delete
  2. Rajeev MoothedathMay 12, 2017 at 9:00 AM

    Different viewpoints have become very difficult in the present times. Sad...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 12, 2017 at 9:06 AM

      Sad indeed. This zeal for suppressing dissent and diversity is taking the nation back by centuries.

      Delete
  3. Ravish ManiMay 12, 2017 at 9:18 AM

    Thanks for sharing this. I was expecting a link to Anand's said post. As these days I'm writing on slut-shaming, I see Sita's case as a victim of slut-shaming who committed suicide later.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 12, 2017 at 9:34 AM

      Didn't you see the first line: 'fiction'? 😑 Well, the reality is even more sinister.

      Delete
  4. Pranju chakrapaniMay 13, 2017 at 5:22 AM

    Hmm...a case study of Ravana, Sita and Shankara...oh I am heavily influenced by Dan Brown to see this initials everywhere nowadays.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 13, 2017 at 10:45 AM

      Even before Brown, a Malayalam novelist M T Vasudevan Nair rewrote the Mahabharata from the perspective of Bheema. It's good to see the other side too 😑

      Delete
  5. Rakhi JayashankarMay 14, 2017 at 6:58 AM

    Exactly. I have always felt M.T wrote the first mythological fiction in India. Anyways, waiting to see Randamoozham on screen

    ReplyDelete

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