Sitayan

When I was a kid, I loved listening to the tales from Ramayan and Mahabharat (after I learnt to pronounce them). I am pretty sure my grandparents had started inventing details along the way, ‘cause there is no way Nani knew if Sita was wearing a pink lehenga or a red one!

I think I was around 10 when I learnt what happened after Ram ji rescued Sita Mata. They didn’t jump on a unicorn and ride off into the sunset. I guess I was too young to understand  the aftermath.  But I do know that I did not take up reading Ramayana again, on my own, till  recently when  I was gifted "The Forests of Enchantments" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni or, as she and I like to call it- the Sitayan.

The book showed Sita in a new light. Ever since I had originally listened to  Ramayan (Grandparents version), and though my memory is  musty, Sita came across as the neighbourhood’s Sharma ji’s perfect daughter, beautiful, obedient “sanskari”. But, this book described her as a human, not as a  goddess. Someone with faults and imperfections and insecurities. Someone definitely a lot more relatable than Sharma ji’s daughter. It takes us through the sly and witty shade of her character, how she was taught to carve her niche in brutal palace politics, how adept she was at non violent fights. The shrewd streak in her nature surprised me as I had honestly thought of her as naive till then.

To be frank, as an 18 year old genz, love seems overrated. I mean movies make us think it is as  common as cornflakes! But Sita’s entire life was devoted to love. Could anything else be  the reason  to spend 14 years in wilderness for someone who hadn’t stepped a foot outside palace walls till then? Crucially, the Ramayan was made from stories of love. Dashrath’s love for Kaikey, Kaikey’s  love for Bharat, Urmilla’s love for Lakshman, Mandodari’s love for Ravan and so many others. This is not just Sita’s story—it is also the story of every woman in the Ramayana whose voice was not given due regard : Urmila, Ahalya, Mandodari, Surpanakha, amongst others.

The forest exile — which was supposed to be romantic, but instead becomes a 14-year camping trip with visits from demons, poorly cooked forest food, and sages who really need to learn something called ‘payment’ for killing the said demons. Surprisingly, the forest is where Sita felt the most free she ever had (as much as she could with an emotionally distant Ram). Then, one of my favourite parts, Suparnkha through her eyes. Granted she was a bit immature but was disfiguring her face the only way to extract revenge? Sita’s guilt and feelings about the event were emphasised upon, appealing to me as it was overwhelmingly cruel. Then comes along Ravan, like a hurricane with no sense of boundaries. Cue the echoing villain laughter.

Then the war. So many lives lost, women widowed and left childless just because of love. And after that bloodshed what did Ram do? The Agnipariksha. The classic ‘it’s not you, it’s the kingdom line’. After an insane number of tests and trials, he wants her to go through immeasurable pain just to prove a point and still, as the whispers remain, is cowardly enough to abandon her at Valmiki’s ashram without telling her the truth. Mannn, talk about ghosting, eh?

That was the part which made by blood boil. Just because of ‘log kya kahenge’ he abandoned his pregnant wife to raise the kids on her own. Just because of the fear of smearing his reputation as a king, he felt that tearing apart his family was justified. Sita’s fear, hurt and determination amidst the betrayal makes it an enthralling read for the reader as her anger is palpable, like the quiet before a tsunami. The ending when she refused to hurt her dignity and the questions against her character was when I started crying. Even in death she loved Ram. Her perspective on love and how it evolves from marriage to death is beautifully described.

Instead of merely being seen as the dutiful wife of Rama or the symbol of purity, Divakaruni reimagines Sita as a strong, self-aware, emotionally complex woman. The novel delves into her childhood, her love for Rama, the trauma of her abduction by Ravana, her time in captivity, and ultimately, her abandonment and resilience. This is the story of Sita as the main character, a strong willed protagonist with Ram as an npc. If you grew up on the Ramayan, this should be your next read!