Urvashi

Once upon a time in an enchanted land far, far away, lived a family of beautiful butterflies. Each more beautiful than the other, the Menon family always left a trail of gaping admirers as they flew past. They had exotic colours like magenta, peacock blue, salmon pink and royal purple on their wings and their eyes were a combination of bright green and grey. Ma Menon and Pa Menon were very proud of their three beautiful daughters and made it a point to compliment their beauty three times a day, everyday. Soon, Poo Menon, their older daughter and Soo Menon, the middle one, began to believe they were God’s most beautiful creations. They began to think of themselves as superior to all the inhabitants of the land, including the king. However Roo Menon, the youngest one, believed there was more to life than beauty. She flew around, going about her everyday chores, never once stopping to show off her colours to onlookers like her sisters. Her sisters thought she was silly because she didn’t pay any attention to her beauty; she never visited the spa with them, no face packs, no fashion shows. They thought she really was very silly. Then one day, the king of this enchanted land announced a ball. But it wasn’t just any ball. His personal secretary explained that this ball was a competition to see who found themselves the best partner. The king, she said, promised that he would throw the winner a lavish wedding on the banks of the river Clue, with white lily’s, red and gold ribbon and mouth-watering food. He promised to invite not just everyone who inhabited his land but the neighboring ones and their neighboring ones. Poo and Soo were extremely excited. They began sprucing themselves up for the big day: first spa, then face-pack and finally eye-shadow. They wanted to get the most handsome partners because surely that’s what the king meant by the ‘best partner’. Roo did as much as she could to ready herself and left that evening with her sisters for the ball. Needless to say, all three of them looked stunning. They went about their business enjoying themselves while looking for the ‘best partners.’ Finally it was time for the king to announce his decision. Poo fluttered excitedly next to her excessively handsome catch. Soo nibbled her wings in anticipation next to her hunk. All the other girls stared at them, in fits of jealousy. They did, after all, have the most handsome, drool-worthy, colourful partners. Roo hung around in a corner, standing confidently by her pick. He was dull brown and grey and his eyes had no sparkle.

To cut a long story short, Roo won. Yes she had won the big, lavish wedding, but she had also won herself a kind, gentle partner. He had no colour and couldn’t even be called handsome by mistake, but she was happy, oh so happy. Poo and Soo on the other hand, were stuck with the best looking partners and were most unhappy. Their partners were selfish, self-obsessed and rude. Roo also won the king's appreciation. He told her that a butterfly as wise as her should never leave the world. He promised her that after everyone she loved had left the world; he would turn her into something immortal. And here I stand, 200 years later, a beautiful, immortal, wise, old tree.



(poster on a tree)