Meghasandesha

I know it is a little late to put a post in connection to the valentine's day, but I cannot resist. I know that this post is going to be very small, but I simply MUST publish this. The idea came to me last day during Malayalam class. We were learning about Meghasandesham, which turned out to be the acclaimed poet Kalidasa's Sandeshakavyam (Message-poem thingy).

Note to haters: This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this blogpost are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. In fact, it is a parody of Meghadootha. No hard feelings.

The story revolves around a guy who is a Yaksha (which literally translates to "demon" in Malayalam, but in the context of the story, means "nature spirit") and his obsession with his wife which ended up being the cause of his exile to a land far far away by his boss, one King Mr. Kubera, who is coincidentally the God of Wealth. Having been banished by his master to a remote region for a year, he asked a cloud to take a message of love to his wife. The poem is divided into two parts: Purva Megha and Uttaramegha. The first section of the poem, or Purvamegha, is a topographical depiction of India. The description of Alaka, the state in which the cloud is likely to find his wife, and the message itself, which is of hope and the glad homecoming of the husband after the rainy season, comprise the second half known as the Uttar Megha.

Naturally I felt the need to imagine the message that the guy sends his wife. Here is the result of my imagination:

Dear wife,

You might be thinking where I had gone. I admit it does not look good for me- randomly vanishing after work one day.

Allow me to explain.

You know that we Yakshas are demi-gods with divine powers. We can change their form at will, take to the skies and fly where our fancy takes us, become invisible and indulge in a variety of supernatural capers. But currently, I have temporarily lost all these powers. I have been banished for a year from Alakapuri by Kubera. The reason is not really a big deal. I was just day-dreaming.

I apologize for the current situation, but in my defense, I was thinking of you. I swear it was no one else. The only she-demon in my life is you, and you are all I need (More than I need, but let us not go there right now. I have a feeling it will not help my situation). I know you might not be pining to see me but my absence must have caused some irritation to you. Like some necessary piece of furniture has been removed. I apologize for that too.

To be honest, I really have no idea whether this message will reach you, but I am a risk taker. I also ask for forgiveness in advance, as I am delivering this message through a cloud (which is why I am going to tell a mortal poet to name our love story as "Meghadootha" when he publishes it. With copyrights, of course). The problem with Cloud messenger is that one tends to receive wet messages. Forgive me for that.

Right now, I am seated at Alaka on Mount Kailasa in the Himalaya mountains. It is a good view up here (I wonder why the government has not turned it into a money making tourist place yet). I know that we have been married just a few months and to be honest, the king is rather cruel to separate us so soon after our wedding. In any case, this place is an awesome choice for our honeymoon. I only ask of you to wait till I get back and recieve my salary.

I will miss our festivals and friends there. Of course, I will come back, but sitting here is lonely, especially since my diet has been reduced to green leafy vegetables and random grass. The fact that I do not know how to cook is also a factor that is now working against me. I hope that when I return you will teach me the art of cooking.

Please make sure that my mother is well fed. I know she can get a bit cranky, but it is because she is hungry. She loves you, she really does, but she just does not show it on the outside. At all.

I hope you understand my lack of paper. I am not even sure if this Elephant-look-alike cloud will even properly deliver this. If it does not, anyone else who recieves this message will probably thing that I am Cringe: Ultra Pro Max. But I am okay with being cringe for you. Only for you.

Convey my regards to the king. Tell him that his banishment has not affected me in any way. Actually, don't. Do not tell him. He might increase my exile. Strike that.

Yours in exile,

Truly,

Yaksha