"Draupadi": (un)fairy tale of being a strong woman!

The fire scathing as it gulped the dry woods

unrelenting, unforgiving and deep

She was told, it was her unknown mother

puzzled she looked, learning from its spirit

Dark as the mysterious night, she glowed 

questioning, not the coy obeying daughter 

but the clocks ticked on, and she was told

she was to be given away as a "coveted" prize

The hall was full, unknown eyes stripped her

she looked back at them daring, her head held high

they scorned at her, marveling her dark beauty

the trumpet had blown and her freedom wept

They had divided her, as she watched numb

she had looked with deep contempt at the archer

she married 5 men, this was destiny she was told

love, did it exist? or duty was it? she couldn't ask

She was the reluctant queen, changing the old order

of an empire built over the death of a forest

The invitation was just for a game of dice, she reflected

the master of slaves, of kings, was it peace purchased?

The king had lost not just his pride but the obedient brothers 

nobody asked why did he stake her, but she was pawned, 

just the object, is that all she was? this time she asked

they dragged her, as she questioned, but can a woman ask?

She questioned those who had written the patriarchal rules

what is freedom? she asked brazenly as she stared at the beasts

or were they men, as they laughed out loud, at her naivety 

she was helpless they knew, as the "protectors" looked down

Image source: nisachar.deviantart.com

She was to be stripped of pride, of her spirit as they 

ravaged her with their words, eyes; whore they called her, 

and what about the husbands? what name for them?

They tugged and tugged, but couldn't strip her spirit

She was asked to forgive, to forget; for it was her family 

it was a woman's duty, but what of her pride? she asked

they lowered their eyes when the wishes were granted

she asked for independence, the crime wasn't acknowledged

The open flowing hair were to remind of the injustice

but again and again they attempted to crumble her spirit

She sought her justice, even when denied without the hearing

She fought each day to ask the questions, only silence had

She is blamed for a war, that was never her making

after centuries she is still looked down upon

she was "the" wife to five men, she didn't choose

she fought for herself, she fought for being a woman!

We are still fighting that war everyday, every second

the fingers are still pointed at victims, rape did you say?

but she had asked for it, just like the Princess Panchali

how could they resist stripping her when she was staked?

My ode to my favorite and revered mythological character of Draupadi, the woman who asked questions who asked what is right and what is wrong, there are so many dimensions of the character that there could be hundreds of viewpoints and stories!