The Naturalness of Strange Things.

Someone once made this stellar observation, “Youth is when your mind is expanding and your waistline is narrow. Middle age is when your waistline starts expanding and your mind starts narrowing.” Having determined myself, that my mind must accompany the expansion of my waistline, I have kept myself abreast in the process of stretching my mind. (Many people I know seem to think that the opposite is an option – that their waistlines must match the narrowing of their minds. But I find getting into a gym and going on a diet incredibly exhausting and expensive. Sitting in my easy chair and expanding my mind is also exhausting, but at least it’s not expensive) And for me, this has an additional benefit. My profession is that of changing things – not bulbs and switches exactly but ideas and beliefs. Imagining change is core to the work I do. Imagine different ways of doing things, believe that strange new things are possible. And if you do not do such mind stretching on a regular basis, you get used to the naturalness of strange things – like believing that middle age and narrow waistlines can co-exist in the same individual.

Do we really stretch our minds? Of course we do. Every human society, right from prehistoric times has imagined a man on the moon. Lawrence Durrell imagined 5 sexes instead of 2.  The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland admitted to imagining 18 impossible things every day before breakfast. Nabanita Deb Sen imagined a different Ramayan. As does this post.

But before I start - there is quite a bit of borrowing on this post. The title for one thing is borrowed. Andre Gide said of the travel writer Henri Michaux’s writing that he, “excels in making us feel intuitively both the naturalness of strange things and the strangeness of natural things.” What a beautiful and incredibly accurate way of putting it. In my field of work, whenever I have tried to say the same thing, I have got stuck with “how discriminatory social behaviour is accepted because it is normative….”

The second thing that is borrowed is the concept of the fiction/fantasy below. It is deeply influenced and inspired by an author I admire greatly – Ms. Nabanita Deb Sen. I sincerely hope she will forgive me for plagiarising her thinking in her collection – “Sita’r Thekey Shuru”

For those of you who are not familiar with the Ramayana, - one of India’s greatest epics - here is the story in brief. Dasarath is the king of the north Indian kingdom of Ayodhya. His 3 wives bear him 4 sons – Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan.

Janak, the king of Maithil – a neighbouring kingdom has a daughter – Sita. Though she is his daughter, she is born of the earth – she was found when the king was ploughing the earth. (Since epics are part myth, I cannot provide you with logical explanations for such happenings) Janak arranged a ‘swayamvar’ for her when she came of age. A swayamvar was where all eligible men were invited by the bride’s father, who would usually set some difficult tasks for the potential bridegroom. The person who succeeded, married the daughter. The handsome Ram wins the hand of the fair Sita by stringing the famous Gandiv bow. Ram – the heir apparent to the throne of Ayodhya, with his beautiful wife Sita live in Ayodhya happily – but not ever after.

One of Dasarath’s wives – Kaikeyi wishes her own son Bharat (who does not so wish though) to be the heir apparent and takes a promise from Dasarath to banish Ram to the forest for 14 years. Ram, the dutiful son, agrees without demur. His faithful wife Sita and his devoted brother Lakshman follow him to the jungles. To cut a long story short, their forest idyll is cut short by the arrival of the Lankan princess Surpanakha who, finding Ram an attractive man, proposes to him. He laughs at her, saying he is already committed, but she could ask Lakshman instead. Lakhsman is also attractive, but he too spurns her. The furious Surpanakha threatens Sita, the women for whom she was spurned. Angered at this, Lakshman’s  response is to cut off her nose. Thwarted, wounded and furious, she returns to Lanka to her brother – King Ravan. The immensely powerful Ravan is stung by this slight and in revenge abducts Sita, keeping her captive in Lanka till Ram, aided by an army of monkeys and bears, invades Lanka, kills Ravan and all his sons and brothers save one – Vibhishan who betrays Ravan to Ram. Ram rescues Sita, returns victorious to Ayodhya. However, Sita’s virtue is questioned by the people of Ayodhya as she had stayed in Lanka for many days without her husband. Ram, the dutiful king, listens to his people and banishes Sita, who is then 5 months pregnant.

Years later, Sita returns to Ayodhya with her twin sons, only to be questioned again. Finding this unacceptable, she requests her mother – the Earth, to take her back. The Earth opens and Sita sinks into the Earth, never to appear again. Ram leaves the city life,  abdicates his kingship and goes away to the forests leaving his twin sons to rule.

The arbitrariness of the morality in this story I always found puzzling. But it was the women in the story that really intrigued me – Sita, Kaikeyi, Surpanakha. They were one sided figures who appeared in the story just to create enough momentum to take the story to the next step. Then they’d disappear into the background and wait for the men. But they all had other women around them – what did they think? What did they talk about? What made them angry? What made them sorrowful? What were there dreams? What men did they love? What if things had been different? Read on -

“Change was in the air. I could feel it. And I knew Monkey could feel it too. She was more restless, more irritable. Not that she was easy to live with otherwise either. But she’d lived on my branches since she was a baby. A strange solitary monkey she was, refusing to be named. She’d disappear for a day or two sometimes and come back on her own. Sometimes other solitary monkeys would come by, chat and leave.

“Why are you still lounging around? Why don’t you do any work? Join a pack. Learn some skill. Do Something?” I asked Monkey for the hundredth time.

Not budging from examining her toenails, she replied, “ One: I don’t lounge. Two: I do work. Three: I work solo. Solo. Hanging about in packs and grovelling is not cool. I have a skill. And I know much more than other monkeys, Old Tree. So stop fussing. And things are changing now from your times.”

“Well, why don’t you get a name then. What kind of a name is Monkey anyway?” I persisted, shaking the branch she was lying on. She slipped, but unperturbed, hung on by a leg and swinging on it she said silkily, “Really? Well, what do you suggest I call myself? Jaguar? Elephant? Oh wait – how about Cobra?!” she giggled as she dropped off the branch and scampered off into the forest.

She stayed with me. Alone, tough, fearless. But as she slept soundly at night, I’d see her – a tiny bundle of fur, tucked into my branches. I’d pull my leaves over her to make her a little more comfortable and pray that the coming changes would be good for the little one. Then the moon would rise majestically over the deep forests to our north. I would sigh and hope that our world would always stay this way – tranquil, beautiful, undisturbed.

Then one day, she came back from one of her forest visits, all excited.

“It’s happening! It’s happening!” And then I saw it and screamed, “You are wounded! Oh my little baby!”

She jumped off my branches indignantly, “I am not your little baby!” she cried, “And what are you screaming about?” I waved my closest branch at her shoulder in alarm.

“Oh that!” she showed it to me and I watched in horror. “That is not a wound – that is my tattoo – see! It’s a banyan leaf. It means now I am The Monkey of the Banyan Tree!”

Before we could say anything further, we realised something was coming through the forests and Monkey jumped back into my branches.

She came stumbling and moaning in agony through the undergrowth into the clearing in which I stood. As she tripped over one of my roots and fell, I saw that her nose was bleeding and she was desperately trying to stem the flow of blood. She was obviously foreign to these parts. And she was very, very lovely. She looked like a beautiful exotic bird in her shimmering silk robes and glittering jewels. Monkey sat on my branches as still as a rock. And before anything else could happen, another lady, dressed in the simple robes of a forest dweller walked into the clearing, humming to herself and examining a basket full of flowers, leaves, bits of bark. She immediately saw the foreign looking lady. “Oh! You are hurt! Let me see, here, let me see –“ The foreign lady was wont to dismiss her, but seemed too weak. The other lady fussed about in her basket and with a set of leaves and a bit of cloth torn from her clothing made a sort of bandage for the bleeding nose. Once the bleeding stopped, she asked the foreign lady, her voice soft with concern and sympathy, “Who are you my dear? You seem to be far from home. Who has done this terrible thing to you? Tell me. I shall tell my husband and my brother in law. They will protect you – you need not be afraid.”

The foreign lady looked keenly at forest dweller for a while in silence and said quietly, “I am Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka. And I believe it is you who needs to be afraid, because the men who you believe will protect you and me are the men who have done this to me. And perhaps you should be afraid of me too – I have just threatened to do terrible things to you.”

The forest dweller stood up haughtily, “Never! I am Sita. My husband Ram and his brother are kings of the Suryavanshi clan. They would never raise their hand on a woman! How dare you make such an accusation! And why would you want to threaten me – I don’t even know you,-” and regaining her composure, she said more calmly, “I am sure there has been a misunderstanding.”

Now there was sympathy in Surpanakha’s query, “What if my accusation is right? What then?”

The inflection in her voice reached Sita. For a split second, she looked unsure. Then Sita said, “ I am the daughter of the Earth. And the future queen of Ayodhya. I give you my word that if what you say is true, I will bring you justice.” Her voice was calm and determined as the two women faced each other in silence. But I seemed to hear and enormous sigh all around me as she said this. The sun slipped behind the trees and cast a cool green shadow all around us. The winds slowed and everything became very still for that moment.

Surpanakha said, “You say you are the daughter of this powerful Earth and a future queen. Yet you know naught about the men in your life. Not very queen like, are you?” Sita started as if to speak. But Surpanakha held up her hand imperiously – “But never mind that. I believe you mean what you say. I will wait for you here for 2 days. When you find out who did this to me, come back here. I will be waiting.” She added with a faint smile, “For justice.”

“Here?” said Sita, “In the forest? Hurt and alone?”

Surpanakha burst into a deep, melodious laughter,” Alone?! What do they teach you women up north these days! If you cannot take care of yourself, how will you be a queen to Ayodhya’s people – they will make mincemeat of you! I will take care of myself – here – “ and she closed her eyes and went still and silent. Sita stood silently staring at Surpanakha as she emerged from this deep meditative state and removed the plaster of leaves from her nose. And lo! Her nose was healed.

Sita stirred and said in a slightly dazed voice, “It’s a bit crooked, though.”

“Drat!” said Surpanakha, “I waited too long – all this argument with you –“

“Sorry about that,” said Sita hurriedly gathering her basket, “But I have to go now. I have to talk to my husband. Wait for me here. I will come back.” And she hurried off into the darkness. “Pity about your nose though!” she called out as she disappeared.

Surpanakha sat for a long time leaning against my trunk, looking at the direction in which Sita disappeared. After a while she got up and looked around, stopping as she saw me. She looked at me for a long time again. Then she came back to me and almost directly under Monkey went into a deep sleep.

That night Monkey remained awake all night, but unlike her restless self, she lay still and absolutely silent. She did not move even as the sun rose.

Before Surpanakha awoke, we heard the rustling further up the path and Sita walked into the clearing. As I saw her, I knew what she had found out. She sat down heavily next to Surpanakha, waking up the sleeping princess. They looked at each other for a while, then both stared at the dense impassable forest ahead of them.

Finally, Surpanakha spoke, “What now?’

“I am thinking, I am thinking,” said Sita, some what irritably “It isn’t easy, you know to deal with all this nose cutting business – that’s not the kind of family I want to belong to. How do I deal with it?”

Surpanakha said, “How would I know, dear Queen in waiting, I am just a mere princess whose nose has been –“

Sita, immediately contrite, reached out and held Surpanakha’s hands in her own, “Oh, how terrible of me. I am so sorry, my dear, and that too you have now a crooked nose! We must not be against each other – I have a promise to keep to you, and keep it I will,” and growing more determined she continued, “ Let’s get down to business. First things first – what are you doing here? So far from home? Are you lost? Or have you run away? Are you looking for something? How did you find Ram and Lakshman? Were you…..err…were you then….umm…looking –“

Surpanakha stood up, looked scornfully at Sita and said, “ If you think I am looking for men in a dense forest full of wild animals, you must think of me as being exceedingly silly. That is not  usually what people think me to be.”

Sita nodded seriously, “No, that was silly on my part – but my first question is not silly – what ARE you doing here?”

Surpanakha beckoned and Sita stood up. She beckoned Sita closer and whispered into her ear, “I am here on a mission.”

Now Sita lifted an eyebrow, “Here?”

“Yes! Well, let me explain – my brothers are not very different from your husband and his brother. All they think of is war. Then war and then some more war. There have been Predictions of an impending war, you know, and the Predictions also say that Ravan, my brother and the King of Lanka, will be killed in this war. So he has gone into a frenzy of preparing for battle. The whole country has been plunged headlong into beefing up. People are doing nothing else. No studies, no music, no dancing, no prayers, no beauty, no trade – only war. And then, my spies brought me some unbelieveable news. I told them that if they were found to be lying, I’d cut off their tongues.” Sita winced.

But Supranakha was now very excited, “But they said it was the truth. Things were happening up north. Women were ruling countries. Countries which were wealthy and wise, but did not fight any wars. Where people lived in peace and prosperity!” Sita’s shoulders sagged.

“No, no, it must be true!” cried Surpanakha.

“And this is where the wonderful lands are?” said Sita, spreading her hands, “You have been tricked, Sister. I have lived in these forests for 13 years – we are the only 3 humans here.”

“Tch, tch!” Surpanakha dismissed Sita, “Listen to the best part!” she said, her eyes shining, “These countries are linked by a network of monkeys –“ I felt Monkey tensing her muscles -

Sita cut her short, “I just might rethink about your being silly –“

“Oh drat, listen to my full story –“ said Surpanakha, “A network of monkeys all across the land! They work with information – news from here to there. They will carry rumours, they will carry the Truth – but only for peace, not war. Fully reliable, fully guaranteed!” They are known by the names of the trees they live on and are tattooed with those leaves – like Monkey of the Coconut Tree, Monkey of the Mango Tree. And I am here to find the first link – the Monkey –“

Monkey slid down completing the sentence for Surpanakha,”of the Banyan Tree.”

“AAAAaaaaaarghhh!!!!” Surpanakha and Sita screamed, clutching each other and staring at Monkey in horror. Monkey looked at them, cocked her head and said,” Not very queen like are you?”

“The Monkey speaks our language!” quavered Sita.

“Shame!” said Monkey. The two stared at Monkey in disbelief, “I am speaking in my own tongue. But because of Sita you understand what I say,” explained Monkey patiently.

“Me?” whispered Sita, “What did I do?”

“Do? Nothing. It’s who you are – didn’t you say some time back, all proud and head held high,” Monkey mimicked Sita perfectly, “ – I am the daughter of the Earth! You have the power to do bring together all the children of Mother Earth. Like me.”

I decided it was time, “And me,” I said in my best voice. But since it possibly sounded to them like a ghostly rustling of leaves, they cringed a little and looked worriedly at my branches.

“That’s right,” said Monkey, “Sit down, both of you. Old Banyan Tree has something to tell you.”

I nodded wisely, waving my branches as they sat down looking warily at Monkey and me, “You are right, O Princess of Lanka, about the Predictions,”

“You are right about The Network also,” Monkey added.

Surpanakha found her voice, “And the news about women ruling countries? Am I right about that too?” said Surpanakha in a voice hoarse with anxiety.

“Yes, you have heard right,” Monkey and I said together.

She jumped up again, “Yes! Yes! It will work! I know it will!” she said excitedly.

“We are the only two women in the middle of a dense forest. You’ve just had your nose cut off. I’ve just had my faith cut off. We are sitting here listening to a talking Monkey and  a Tree. I cannot imagine what you think will work, dear Sister –“ said Sita glumly.

“Perhaps you should listen to the Predictions,” I said.

“Pray, tell us, Banyan Tree – maybe that will be a good place to start?” said Sita bitterly.

Monkey, Sita and Surpanakha sat under the tranquil shadows of my branches as I told them the Predictions that the winds and stars and all wise things knew. It grew late in the afternoon as I finished and my audience sat still for a while afterwards.

Then Sita said, seemingly to herself, “Obedient. Faithful. Devoted. Hmmm…..interesting.”

Surpanakha stood up and stamping her foot said, “Unbelievable! One appearance only! Only one scene!”

Monkey glared at both of them, “ Hanuman at your feet. How typically human. If you want me to work for you, I sit on your shoulder. If you don’t agree, there’ll be no deal. No grovelling for me, ladies, no tearing open of my chest, please. I work with you and for you, as an equal.”

“Work?” Sita looked at Surpanakha, “Do you have a deal? To do what? Am I part of the deal?”

Surpanakha said, “ If you had listened carefully you’d remember I came in search of the Monkey of the Banyan Tree. I have no plans as yet, and no deals. But I know that I am not going to sit quiet after listening to those Predictions.”

Sita said, “ No, I agree. I have no intentions of going down in history as obedient and devoted,” with a shiver, “But what are we going to do? How can we challenge the Predictions?”

I said, “That has been done more often than you think, O Daughter of the Earth. Why should you not be able to do it?” I said.

“ But How can we stop a war? Who will help us? Monkey?” said Sita.

“Well, if your husband can work with Monkeys to win a war, why cant you work with monkeys to build peace?” said Surpanakha.

Monkey made a noise in her throat and Surpanakha stopped in her tracks, “Monkey,” she said ominiously, “Was that, by any chance, a snort? I will have –“

Monkey cut her short, mimicking her gesture perfectly and holding up an imperious paw,” Cease and desist, Princess. That very definitely was a snort.”

“And don’t look so miffed – I snorted because you are so exactly like the men you seem to despise,” Sita put out her hand and prevented Surpanakha from interrupting Monkey. “Go on,” said Sita.

“Like the men, you too think that peace is easier than war.”

“And you think it isn’t?” asked Sita.

“No. You need courage, responsibility, justice and an immense amount of hard work, amongst other things to build peace. You need things like equality and consideration, dignity and respect – all things for which no one trains you like the men are trained in war. You up to it? You think you can believe in the impossible? You think you can walk a lonely road? Because if your answer is yes, this,” Monkey pointed to the ground at her feet, “Is where you start.” And she sat down, patting the ground next to her.

Sita looked at Monkey and then and Surpanakha and went to sit down next to Monkey. Surpanakha joined them immediately, muttering, “Disgusting. Just one appearance.”

The three of them spent hours talking, disagreeing, sometimes on the verge of fighting, and often laughing. Their laughter echoed through the forests, an unusual sound that the forest absorbed with joy. And then, finally, they all stopped. Looking at each other, they nodded. They looked at me and nodded. I nodded back and as a result a few leaves floated down. Both Sita and Surpanakha picked up a leaf each and smiled at each other as they tucked it into their hair braids. In silence, they stood up, hugged each other. Sita said, her voice full of emotion and eyes full of tears,” Goodbye my dear Sisters. Stay well and take care.” She then turned and walked away north, calling out to Surpanakha as she entered the forest, “Pity about your nose, though.”

Surpanakha cocked her head and Monkey jumped up on her shoulder. They walked away to the South and Monkey looked back once or twice. I think she waved to me once, but I may be mistaken.

And so started the campaign. Monkey was a changed monkey now, always alert, always busy with messages that flew across the land with great speed and regularity. Many monkeys passed by, all equally busy. I would fold my branches over the little creatures as they slept – my soul full of admiration for those fragile souls that fought such terrifying battles. And I nodded in hearty approval at the messages that passed by –

Surpanakha to Sita – Rumour Campaign 1 successful. Army General given false information about impending foreign army. Everyone ready for war. No invading army arrives. Army General sacked.

Sita to Surpanakha – Information sent to Ayodhya that Lakhsman is behaving strangely.

Surpanakha to Sita: Rumour Campaign 2 successful. Again no invading army arrives. Rumour campaign 3 initiated and people beginning to protest against Ravan’s war mongering.

Sita to Surpanakha – Definite news reaches Ayodhya that Lakshman has attacked a foreign national who came in peace. Much dissatisfaction noted.

Surpanakha to Sita: Army refuses to ready for war. Rumour spread that Ravan will not be paying them at the next festival. Unrest starts within the army.

Sita to Surpanakha: The three mothers now informed about how difficult it is for their dear Sita to live in dense jungles with a man given to unexplained bouts of violence against women. Mothers tense and angry. They have sent a minister to enquire about the safety of Sita.

Surpanakha to Sita: Rumour Campaign 3 successful. Army told of their King’s intention to fight an army of monkeys and bears. Army goes on strike, telling Ravan he can start recruiting monkeys and bears from now.

Sita to Surpanakha: We have returned to Ayodhya. Ram has been informed of the people of Ayodhya’s questioning of Lakshman assaulting a woman. Lakshman is asked to publicly prove his innocence. He surrendered and Ram has banished him. Urmila, his wife has refused to go with him.

Surpanakha to Sita: Campaign with citizens successful. Ravan has had to publicly share expenses and made to commit to education, health, the fine arts, craftsmanship and international trade. And Mandodari is now my dearest friend and ally!

Sita to Surpanakha: Ram is unable to live without Lakshman. He has followed his brother into the unknown. Urmila and I are now the Queens Regent. I am expecting my child in two months from now!

Surpanakha to Sita: That is wonderful news! Oh, dear Sister, I have asked Monkey of the Banyan Tree to personally take my gifts of jewels and spices for you! Here, as planned, the Network has been sending more and more ships to trade at our harbours and Ravan, his brothers and sons are busy with more and more foreign visitors, more and more income and more and more trade.

Sita to Surpanakha: I am the mother of twin daughters! How I wish you were here to celebrate with me. But our craftsmen here are building a new kind of ship, that will cover large distances in a short while. I shall soon come to your lovely land to visit you.

Surpanakha to Sita: And when you come to Lanka, you shall meet me as the Queen of Lanka. Mandodari and I are the Queens Regent now, as all the men are busy with foreign trips. A splendid welcome will await you and every honour due to a comrade in arms. Come soon.

Sita to Surpanakha: Hail Surpanakha, beautiful Queen of Lanka! We shall meet soon.

Sita to Surpanakha: Pity about your nose though.

And while this messages flew past, I stood at the edge of the Dandakaranya, as I always had done, spreading my branches, and giving shade to all who passed by. Happy I was for my Monkey, now older, wiser and acclaimed as a wise old monkey who gave good advice to all who came to her, as generously as I gave my shade. And now, when Monkey slept on my branches and a huge yellow moon rose over the Dandakaranya, I felt the beauty and tranquillity of my land and sighed with a deep contentment that I had never felt before.”

How about it? Dream a new dream. Imagine a new world. And following Fox Mulder’s advice to his X-Files partner, “Push the boundaries, Scully, and bring the implausible into the realm of the possible.”

All you need is an easy chair and a mind ready to expand. You up to it?