Week 6 Story: Heart Full of Rage
Amba looked down with nervousness as she walked up to Bhishma in the palace hall. He had won her and her two younger sisters so his brother could make them his queens, but Amba had to tell Bhishma the truth.
"Bhishma, I need a word with you," Amba said quietly as she walked up the steps to where he stood. Bhishma turned around and looked down at her, "Yes, Amba?" She looked up at him and with a deep breath she said, "My heart belongs to someone already. It would be wrong of me to stay here if my heart is with another. I ask that you please let me go to be with him."
Bhishma stared at her as she spoke and nodded his head. "It is better if you are true to your feelings. Go, and be with the one your heart seeks, but do not return here."
Amba smiled and gave a little nod of her head, then turned around and began her walk toward her love, the king of the Shalwas.
Once she arrived, she walked the long marble hallway and met the king at his thrown. Amba smiled largely as his face came into view. "Oh my love," she said tenderly, "I've returned to you. My heart is only with you, and Bhishma has allowed me to leave so I can be with you forever." The king had a scornful look on his face as she spoke. His nose crinkled up as if he had smelled something foul.
"Why should I be happy for you to return," he spat. "Bhishma won you and your sisters, and I do not want a consolation prize." Startled at such a cold response, Amba took a step back and held her hand to her heart. Last time she had visited the king of the Shalwas he had given her beautiful jewels and had sat with her for long hours, discussing their future together. "Why are you acting in such a way, my love?" The king rolled his eyes and said bitterly, "I can no longer love you, Amba. Return to the winner, Bhishma, and marry him," and with that he stood and walked toward the back of his palace.
Amba couldn't move, she was in such a state of shock. She could not return to her sisters and Bhishma, for he had told her to not return. When her former love was out of sight, she awoke from her daze and hot tears started to stream down her eyes. Her sorrow quickly turned into rage. This had happened because of Bhishma. Quickly, she turned and left the palace.
She found a cave and for hundreds of years she fasted and prayed to Shiva to help her take revenge on the king of the Shalwas. Her thick, beautiful hair became matted long gray hair, and her body became frail and weak. After long last, Shiva admired her persistence and came to visit her. "What troubles you so, woman?" Amba's wrinkled face looked up at Shiva's divine eyes and offered him a polite smile. "I have been wronged and rejected. I ask you to help me take revenge. Help me kill Bhishma, for he has caused me such pain."
Shiva looked at her ragged clothes that resembled damp rags clinging to sticks. He pitied her and said softly, "You have withered away, and the body you are in cannot kill a man. You've wasted this life by wallowing in self pity and rage. However, in the next life you shall have your wish." Shiva returned to the skies and left the old woman by herself. Amba stood up on her creaky legs and aching bones, and started to build a funeral pyre. With each limb added to the pyre, her determination grew and a fire in her heart began. With the last of the limbs in their place, she lit a smaller stick and threw it into the pyre.
Amba watched the fire climb higher and higher. Crackling limbs sounded like a warm welcome. The blaze reflected in her determined, dark eyes. With a deep breath, she let out an angry scream and jumped onto the pyre, desperately awaiting her future.
Bibliography: "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita, via PDE Mahabharata
**AUTHORS NOTE**
I kept most of the original story, such as Amba and her sisters being won by Bhishma for his brother. Amba does go back to the king of Shalwas, and he rejects her because he feels that since Bhishma won so he cannot wed or love Amba. He tells her to go back and marry Bhishma, but Bhishma has chosen celibacy. Angry at Bhishma, Amba chooses to fast and pray for Shiva's help.
In the original story, Amba cannot slay Bhishma because she is a woman. I changed it to where Amba becomes too old and frail so she cannot slay Bhishma. I also tied in a bit of a lesson to the story. I had Shiva say that Amba wasted her life away because of her anger and self pity, and I believe that can reflect on other's lives as well. We shouldn't waste our life away in anger and self pity, and we should try to forgive and move on.
"Bhishma, I need a word with you," Amba said quietly as she walked up the steps to where he stood. Bhishma turned around and looked down at her, "Yes, Amba?" She looked up at him and with a deep breath she said, "My heart belongs to someone already. It would be wrong of me to stay here if my heart is with another. I ask that you please let me go to be with him."
Bhishma stared at her as she spoke and nodded his head. "It is better if you are true to your feelings. Go, and be with the one your heart seeks, but do not return here."
Amba smiled and gave a little nod of her head, then turned around and began her walk toward her love, the king of the Shalwas.
Once she arrived, she walked the long marble hallway and met the king at his thrown. Amba smiled largely as his face came into view. "Oh my love," she said tenderly, "I've returned to you. My heart is only with you, and Bhishma has allowed me to leave so I can be with you forever." The king had a scornful look on his face as she spoke. His nose crinkled up as if he had smelled something foul.
"Why should I be happy for you to return," he spat. "Bhishma won you and your sisters, and I do not want a consolation prize." Startled at such a cold response, Amba took a step back and held her hand to her heart. Last time she had visited the king of the Shalwas he had given her beautiful jewels and had sat with her for long hours, discussing their future together. "Why are you acting in such a way, my love?" The king rolled his eyes and said bitterly, "I can no longer love you, Amba. Return to the winner, Bhishma, and marry him," and with that he stood and walked toward the back of his palace.
Amba couldn't move, she was in such a state of shock. She could not return to her sisters and Bhishma, for he had told her to not return. When her former love was out of sight, she awoke from her daze and hot tears started to stream down her eyes. Her sorrow quickly turned into rage. This had happened because of Bhishma. Quickly, she turned and left the palace.
She found a cave and for hundreds of years she fasted and prayed to Shiva to help her take revenge on the king of the Shalwas. Her thick, beautiful hair became matted long gray hair, and her body became frail and weak. After long last, Shiva admired her persistence and came to visit her. "What troubles you so, woman?" Amba's wrinkled face looked up at Shiva's divine eyes and offered him a polite smile. "I have been wronged and rejected. I ask you to help me take revenge. Help me kill Bhishma, for he has caused me such pain."
Shiva looked at her ragged clothes that resembled damp rags clinging to sticks. He pitied her and said softly, "You have withered away, and the body you are in cannot kill a man. You've wasted this life by wallowing in self pity and rage. However, in the next life you shall have your wish." Shiva returned to the skies and left the old woman by herself. Amba stood up on her creaky legs and aching bones, and started to build a funeral pyre. With each limb added to the pyre, her determination grew and a fire in her heart began. With the last of the limbs in their place, she lit a smaller stick and threw it into the pyre.
Amba watched the fire climb higher and higher. Crackling limbs sounded like a warm welcome. The blaze reflected in her determined, dark eyes. With a deep breath, she let out an angry scream and jumped onto the pyre, desperately awaiting her future.
(Amba's Revenge, Spiritual Motivate Me)
Bibliography: "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita, via PDE Mahabharata
**AUTHORS NOTE**
I kept most of the original story, such as Amba and her sisters being won by Bhishma for his brother. Amba does go back to the king of Shalwas, and he rejects her because he feels that since Bhishma won so he cannot wed or love Amba. He tells her to go back and marry Bhishma, but Bhishma has chosen celibacy. Angry at Bhishma, Amba chooses to fast and pray for Shiva's help.
In the original story, Amba cannot slay Bhishma because she is a woman. I changed it to where Amba becomes too old and frail so she cannot slay Bhishma. I also tied in a bit of a lesson to the story. I had Shiva say that Amba wasted her life away because of her anger and self pity, and I believe that can reflect on other's lives as well. We shouldn't waste our life away in anger and self pity, and we should try to forgive and move on.
Hey Cheyenne!
ReplyDeleteI really like your story with the descriptive detailed that you mention in your story it is really interesting. Amba who was really looking forward to go back to her lover didn't happen that is sad and it’s even more sad that he said leave to her. Now she has nowhere to go so it comes down to revenge and the way you present it was really nice. The descriptive detailed you gave when Shiva looked at Amba was really nice. I will forward to reading your stories in the future.
Cheyenne,
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun story to read. I thought it had a great level o f depth to it. You managed to build a very tense moment between Bhishma and and Amba in a short amount of time. I wonder what would have happened if Amba could slay Bhishma.
Hey Cheyenne! I loved this story and just something about it made me want to keep reading on and on. I like the part about Shiva coming to Amba, helping her fulfill her wish to slay Bhishma. However, it is a little cruel that she wants to kill him. If only Shiva could have talked her out of wanting to do something so cruel.
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