Kaikeyi

by Vaishnavi Patel

Boons were powerful gifts, granted by the gods to those mortals who had won their favor through their piety or goodness or courage, after they prayed and fasted and performed intricate rituals.

My bonds with my brothers stood out, bold and strong, while other servants and people in the palace had varying degrees of connection to me. I had so many bonds tying me to others, and seeing them all laid out this way caused tears to prick at my eyes. I often felt lonely, with only my mother’s quiet coolness and brothers who could not fully understand me for company. But here was proof that I was not alone.

But despite this, I knew of no rites for Nidra, no prayers or festivals for her. She was forgotten, as I was. And she was my favorite for another reason—sometimes, if my dreams were soothing or my sleep deep and restful, I could wake pretending that she had favored me.

What a lonely childhood to have where you find solace in dreams and wishful thinking.

Nobody else had thought about whether I might be lonely, a girl in a family of men.

Lonliness must be a theme in her story

Now I had to move myself through a world that did not contain her.

The next afternoon, when they again asked about my studies, I told them the truth, explaining how I found most of the arts extremely boring. At the back of the room, Manthara pressed her lips together. So honesty too was wrong?

Lessons learned

Why is my father displeased with your husband?

Binding Plane manipulations as she practices on her bonds

but I gave her an innocent smile and told her, Kaikeyi is too young to understand.

The sages supposedly stayed apart from the governance of kingdoms, living in their temples and devoting their lives to interpreting the will of the gods. They performed penances and studied texts, and in return received visions and guidance. And while some wandered the lands, moving from kingdom to kingdom and sharing what they had learned, others lived and worked in one kingdom alone.

history

Our horses were sought by other kingdoms, for they were without compare. It was said that they were relatives of the winged steeds that graced the heavens. That long ago, in the time before men rode, Indra clipped the wings of a few of his prized creatures so that they could bear his chariot in a war against the asuras. But when the battles were won, the horses could no longer return to their immortal home. Humans watched them with confusion and fear, for they had never seen horses before.

history/world building

If they longed for more, for the vast expanse of the skies. Perhaps we were kin, they and I, yearning for something unnameable, a place where we could stretch our wings and belong.

Her desire to have a place among her people. To be of use.

Rakshasas were demons, though not as powerful as asuras. They satisfied the evil in their hearts by stalking humans rather than gods.

Lore/ history

The Sarasvati was the source of many blessings for our people—women went there to pray and nine months later were gifted with sons. Warriors who stood in the Sarasvati and asked for strength returned from battles where greater men died. But most of all, the river was known for granting visions to the most learned of sages, who used their knowledge of things to come to avert disasters. They would see a rising flood and pray to the gods to change its course or foretell a poor crop and pray for better harvest.

Lore/ history

Neeti’s expression hardened from regret into anger. And then, in an instant, the cord reached its highest peak and snapped.

There are boundaries and limits for the Binding Plane.

The only thing out of the ordinary was that I had used the Binding Plane. Rather than merely annoying her, it appeared as though I had broken our connection. Did this mean, then, that my friendship with Neeti was over forever? That there was nothing connecting us anymore? Surely the effects of overusing the Plane would not be so severe—and yet, at potentially great consequence to herself, she had whispered those hateful words to me. Years of friendship gone in an instant, and over something so unimportant.

Consequences. Kaikeyi had to learn a harsh lesson about manipulating people with the Bond

I would have to go to the Sarasvati alone. It was what I deserved.

Loneliness/regret

White elephants were incredibly rare, and even seeing one at a distance was considered a great blessing. The stories said that the first white elephant had risen out of the churning of the ocean.

Lore

On the other side of the stream stood a rakshasa. It could not have been anything else. It was tall, taller even than some of the young trees that lined the water, with orange-red skin that gleamed, unnaturally slick in the moonlight. Its skin matched its eyes, orange pupils and yellow where there should have been white. It had horns breaking through its skull, like some fiendish ram, and from here I could see the sharp curve of two wicked white fangs protruding from its lips. It had four arms, each hand gripping a different weapon, casting twisted reflections in the water. And where it should have had feet, it instead had clawed paws, hairy and grotesque with sharp talons.

Outside, I spun to face Yudhajit, unsure what to say. He smiled, tired but relieved. “I am so glad you were with me.” He walked away, not even waiting for me as I stood there dumbfounded. No thanks for saving him at the stream or covering our disobedience, not even an apology for Father’s oversight. But then, this was the way of the world to Yudhajit. And standing there, I knew that I would never truly grow accustomed to it.

How could he understand what it was like to be ignored?

Loneliness/longing

The rakshasa had left us both shaken, and perhaps Yudhajit felt the need to protect me. It seemed I didn’t need the Binding Plane all the time.

But Manthara sometimes observed me struggling to balance on my hands or hold a lunge as she tidied my room. Once, she asked, “Why do you do this, when you have so many other things to spend your time on?” “Why shouldn’t I?” I responded, panting with the effort.

I like her spirit.

Each year, we burned an effigy of the Holika, a wicked asura who had tried to immolate her devout nephew alive. Burning the effigy would cleanse our kingdom and bring a good harvest.

I could imagine that I had been a warrior my whole life.

You have important business elsewhere, or Kaikeyi is very responsible and you need not worry.

The Bond

The color drained from Yudhajit’s face. I understood his fear. Vishnu was among the most powerful gods. In his immortal form, he could turn fields to ash with only a thought. Just as the gods regularly answered the prayers of the pious, so too did they often visit destruction on those who they deemed immoral.

Lore

Ashvin acted nothing like how I would have behaved had I had the privilege of being a boy, but then again, most boys knew nothing of their incredible luck.

“That’s idiotic. Women can be all of those things. Intelligence doesn’t make me less of a woman, and I would think that you knew that.”

I resigned myself to loneliness.

Pretty words, flattery. Such things may have been the art of women, but they were the weakness of powerful men.