Stories Made Simple

Damayanti woke up to the warmth of the morning sun streaming through the forest foliage. Her beautiful, smooth skin was bruised with thorn pricks, insect bites, and wounds from walking long distances on the rough jungle paths. But she didn't wince even a bit because all that mattered was to be beside her beloved husband, Nala, who she loved more than herself. Damayanti wondered where he was right now, and thought he might have gone to get food or water. Feeling the nip in the air, she tried to bring her upper garment closer to herself and noticed it seemed short. It wasn’t enough to cover her fully, which was strange because it was large enough for her and Nala together last night.  Then she noticed it! The cloth was deliberately torn at one place and she had only half of the original. Now, she panicked. She shouted out her husband’s name. “Nala! Nala!” Receiving no answer except the echoes of her own voice in the stillness of the forest, and chatterings of a few playful monkeys, s...

The Pandavas had transformed the barren Khandavaprastha into a flourishing, fertile kingdom called Indraprastha. The newly-built mansion that bested the best in the entire country was designed by Mayasura, an Asura architect par excellence.  The astounding palace was filled with marvellous wonders. In addition to the stunning beauty and intricate embellishments of the structure itself, this palace had illusionary features too. There were floors that looked solid but were actually pools of water, and there were those that looked like pools of water but were actually solid ground. The five brothers spent many happy years in this magnificent home with their mother, Kunti, and their common wife, Draupadi. They revelled in their newfound luxury and prosperity, especially after living in poverty and exile for many years, to be safe from their jealous and powerful cousins, the Kauravas, who were ready for murder to keep the Kuru kingdom for themselves. The enmity between the cousins seeme...

The controlling deities of the nine astrological planets stood trembling in fear. They were in Ravana’s court, a vast chamber designed in a magnificent black-and-gold theme.  The floors were clad in tiles of black granite and gold in a checkered design. The ceiling was covered in intricate gold paintings on a black background. The walls and pillars were of black marble embellished with figurines of pure gold.  The nine planet gods, however, were immune to the splendid beauty surrounding them. Mutely following orders from Ravana, they were moving their respective planets from the natural paths to the most auspicious positions.  The powerful and highly-feared Asura king was waiting for the birth of his firstborn, a son whom he wanted to be invincible in battle.  He had summoned the planet deities and forced them to align themselves in such a way that the horoscope of his son would make him an invincible warrior. The order was carried out and the planets were frozen the...