Week 3 Story: Therapy Session
This story is part of my portfolio: you can find the new version here.
“So, how was your week Sita?” Parvati asked as she pulled her glasses up over her nose.
“Well, Monday was great; Rama and I went on a date at the park and feed ducks, and then we went to see a movie at the movie theater. It was the new Wonder Woman movie, it was alright, not what I was expecting, but it was watchable. On the other hand, on Tuesday, my PTDS got the best of me. I woke up crying, sweating, and scared. A bloody nightmare again. I was still experiencing the abduction; it was so real, I really thought he was here and terrorizing me. But thanks God it was not. Rama soothed me and made me some tea to calm myself. Anyways, Wednesday and Thursday were the same old routine. Nothing new. I woke up and went to work, then come back home. Rama cooked some butter chicken; it was delicious. He is a good cook. I feel like he is trying his best to make up for the traumatic event? I mean, I don’t blame him for what happened. It is not like he knew his business rival was a mad man who envied him and wanted to have the same exact life as him. I thought I would die, you know? I remained captive for 1 week; I seriously thought I was going to die or something. Honestly, I don’t even remember the day they found me; I was so exhausted. Sometimes, I feel like I was kinda lucky? I mean, I was just trapped in a basement, in the dark, feet shackled to the wall. Nothing more happened. I know that worse could’ve happened, but it was not the case, so I’m a bit thankful for that. But anyway, It’s been 3 months; I’m not cured yet if I can say it like that. I know it will take time, and I’m willing to wait and be patient. So yeah, this morning I went to work and did the same old things again. After our session, Rama is taking me to a SPA resort. It will be a fun weekend!”
Author’s note: This week, I read part A and part B of Tiny Tales from the Ramayana. For the storytelling, I focused on Sita, adopted daughter of King Janaka and Rama’s wife, a reincarnation of Vishnu. She’s loving and loyal to Rama, but her life is quite animated. So, I decided to write about the aftermath of Ravana abducting her to get revenge on Rama. And, imagine how she was kept captive. The setting is modern (today), and Sita goes through therapy to “treat” her PTSD following her abduction. I chose Parvati as the therapist because she seems to be an emphatic woman, and I don’t know; it just feels right.
Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana by Laura Gibbs
Hello Melanie! I enjoyed reading your story! It was kind of refreshing to see such a twist on the Ramayana. This is probably the first one I have seen that is retold in modern times and also incorporates mental health struggles like PTSD. It was nice reading your dialogue of the character expressing her thoughts and feelings and going more in depth with them. I also liked how it was concise and easy to follow along.
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie, I enjoyed reading this story! Such a modern twist to the events that Sita lived through. In the Ramayana they touch on how Sita felt after she came back and was crowned Queen of Ayodhya, but your story gives a new gist to the story – which I loved! I also loved how she was having a therpay session with Parvati!
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