The story needs to be retold| Pixtox| Deepsikha Roy|

She was stripped off.

Five pairs of protective eyes witnessed.

Witnessed those who serves justice.

Justice was another round of gamble,

Gambled the daughter of fire,

Fire that turned itself into fortune,

Unfortunately, five pairs of protective eyes just witnessed,

Witnessed that she was stripped off. 

From bed time stories to television series,  From theater themes to inspiring rhymes, we hear different tales of Draupadi, the daughter who was blessed by fire, the lover who chose societal norms over love, the wife who chose peace in family over dignity, the mother who witnessed the last breath of her sons, the asset who was gambled, the woman who was stripped off. 

We all heard about the glorifying story of how Draupadi after facing all the humiliation (from the family she was supposedly a daughter in law) in front of  her five husbands (the ones known for their truthfulness, wisdom,  knowledge, power and skills), still chose to follow their destiny of fourteen year of exile. This narrative of her everlasting loyalty has been echoed in different ways of glorification as a manifestation of an aspirational wife. 

Mythology has never been treated as a myth, instead it's always an inspiration, a guide that makes life worthwhile, but if the inspiration is being loyal to the ones who would bet on one's dignity, the story needs to be retold.

"In an open court, a queen was dragged by her hair during her periods. They thrashed her against the floor infront of her defenders. She was ridiculed and mocked. As she looked forward for help, her eyes burnt with shock and despair. She believed. She believed someone from the court whom she called 'family' would  stand by her, she believed that she would suddenly wake up from this horrifying dream, she believed she was still a queen. 

As her faith started failing apart, the universe made its way to preserve her queenship, her dignity. This time she looked forward not for help, but with rage and curse ablaze in her eyes. She stood up believing the universe to be in her side and took a pledge for revenge from every eye that witnessed the shame, from every skilled demeanor, from every soul that shouted wisdom, from the minds that vowed on knowledge, from the frames that bet on their strengths.

She was still loyal, but this time to her dignity, to the esteem that was tempered by fire, the persona that was nurtured by royalty. She was still loyal, but this time to all the women who pursued vengeance but couldn't succeed because they were faithful wives to the partners who witnessed that she was stripped off. 

Draupadi refused to follow her five husbands to fourteen years of exile. This time too Draupadi chased the revenge, but refused to suffer, refused to suffer for the protectors who couldn't protect, refused to suffer for the justice providers who couldn't provide justice, refused to burn in the forest of enchantments, because fire burns the one it encounters, not itself."