Book: Dear Sakhi : The Lost Journals of the Ladies of Hastinapur
Author: Sharath Komarraju
Publisher : Sharath Komarraju (8 November 2015)
Genre: Mythological fiction
Print length : 57 pages
My Rating: 5/5
The story of the Mahabharata is always a place of emotion and excitement for me. Each retelling reveals some features of the Mahabharata.
Sharath Komarraju's "Dear Sakhi" is not a retelling. It's the story of the pain hidden in the heart of six majestic women of the Mahabharata. Ganga, who drowned her seven sons in her water, has witnessed all the misfortune that transformed her dearest Devavbrata to Bhisma. Does the goddess felt any pain? The selfish fisher girl Satyavati, what storm was going inside her? Most impactful was the story of Amba and the way her heart burnt in the fire of her vengeance. Kunti's reason for dividing Draupadi, the equation of her relationship with Madri and Pandu, provides a new perspective. Draupadi's journal begins at the end of Kurukshetra. It was a unique approach to show how her heart bleed.
The author has addressed Duryodhan and Dusshasan as Suyodhan and Sushana, which was new to me. They were not born with those names. The history named them so.
The Mahabharata appears as an epic of struggle, sacrifice, but if we consider it deeply, it's a story of mistakes, poor choices, vengeance, and repentance.
The author has done magic with words and the emotions of each woman. The story of each woman will give a new perspective. A must-read for all mythology lovers.