The Forest of Enchantments

Beautiful writer to start with!

It pains me to write the review for this book because Chitra promised to write the "Sitayan" but killed it right at the moment where I believe the "Sitayan" should have started. Chitra and Sita set out to write Sita's side of the story but there is practically nothing new in this book that isn't already present in other extant versions of the Ramayan. It is the same old story of how Ram is the perfect son and the perfect ruler and does nothing wrong. His magnanimity is shown in the book by his forgiveness of Kaykeyi, by befriending the rakshasas, by giving all his wealth towards the betterment of his people, by his commitment towards his "duty", but holy shit there is a big hole in his character: he is a terrible husband. Chitra insults Sita by making her describe their love; there is no love. At best their love can be described as "agape" or "storge", but it definitely is not "eros" or "philos". Sita is irrationally infatuated with Ram but we barely see Ram reciprocating. Every single description of their love has been Sita doting over Ram from a distance when Ram is busy being a king, or a prince, or a warrior, but never a husband. If this book is really about love, then why is one kind of love (Ram's love for his father and his kingdom) dignified more than the love between Ram and Sita. Perhaps because that is what really happened and Chitra just wanted to show the readers how painful the "Ramayan" was to Sita. But, if Ram is allowed to be duty-bound and righteous towards his kingdom at Sita's expense, why isn't Sita afforded the righteous indignation that stems from being ill-treated by Ram? Chitra fails colossally to show the human side of Sita, the side which should have been rightfully angry at Ram for prioritizing everything else over Sita. Sita walked into fire to prove her chastity but that wasn't enough because Ram was more concerned about what his countrymen would think. This is preposterous. Ram is a coward who cannot tell Sita to her face that she has been banished and has to ask Laxman to do it. And despite this, after the "Sitayan" is written and her banishment is complete, she wants to go back to Ayodhya and live with Ram. Talk about infantilizing and insulting someone!!! I was really hoping this book would be about how empowered Sita feels and how she will dignify the other misunderstood women from the Ramayan. At least this is what the prologue tells us. But Chitra fails in doing this as well. Every single women's life is tied to a man and in some cases destroyed by a man: Urmila gives 14 years of her life for Laxman, Mandodari spends the rest of her life by Ravan's burning body, Kaikeyi is hated by her husband and son and everyone else in Ayodhya, Ahalya turned to stone for being beautiful, Surpanakha being disfigured by Laxman. How is this any different from the extant versions of their story? However, if you are willing to overlook all these facts and resign to the fact that women are meant to suffer and despite their suffering their love knows no bound, then you will enjoy the prose. There are some beautifully written lines about love that Chitra wants us to believe exists between Ram and Sita, but again, in vacuum, these lyrical prose are beautiful. Chitra writes about Sita's reflection on love very early on in the book: "The power of love. It fascinated me from an early age. I thought about if often, even though I didn't quite understand what it was." I would have to agree that Sita doesn't quite understand what love is because whatever she had going on with Ram wasn't love.

The book displays a plethora of emotions that Sita went through in Ramayana and these emotions can be resonated with many women even in today's scenario. The jittery feelings that Sita has before and after getting married are depicted very well. The best part of it is its ending and how it talks about the injustice a woman faces in a marriage which is unfortunately well-accepted in society. Overall, it is an amazing read for a feminist.