Once upon a time, on a snowy Sunday afternoon, Rama and Sita went on their daily walk to the park. It was not just any park though. It was the famous Central Park in New York that everyone in the world knew about. Also the one that Rama and Sita had always talked about going to one day after they moved to New York. Rama and Sita were newlyweds and were trying to figure out things to do in New York since they were both new to the place. Rama was from Florida and Sita was from Kansas.
I bet you are wondering how that happened. It is a interesting story. How did they meet? That was the same question everyone was always curious to know about because it is definitely not how the average couple meets. They had an arranged marriage. It was almost a typical arranged marriage. Their families knew each other for decades so both families decided to introduce Rama, a very handsome man, to Sita, who was also very beautiful.
They started to get to know each other. Rama and Sita constantly hung out and went on dates as much as they could, slowly falling in love with each other. They said it was the best thing that had happened to both of them because they always waited to meet the right person for them. It was a year later when they both decided to get married. They knew they had made the right choice. Many people thought it was really fast to get married but for them, they knew it was the right time.
One evening they went on an afternoon walk to the park since it was close to where they lived. They encountered Shurpanakha. She was a popular model, one that everyone thought was really good-looking. She knew she could get anyone she wanted, and she of course used it as her power. Sita noticed that Shurpanakha was a very beautiful lady that everyone stared at. She was just walking by herself in the park looking around at the kids playing.
Sita thought to herself, "Oh, I hope Rama doesn't notice her and stare at her just like everyone else."
Out of all the places Shurpanakha could have gone in New York, she ended up in Central Park. Sita hoped that Rama wouldn't start talking to Shurpanakha just like everyone was also trying to talk to her. Shurpanakha found Rama a very handsome man and could not get her eyes off of him. Rama noticed Shurpanakha was looking at him. Shurpanakha started to have a conversation with Rama and even tried to flirt with him but Rama, being a loyal husband to Sita, did not give into it.
Rama said to Shurpanakha, "I am not interested in you! Sita is my wife that I love very much and only woman I want to be."
Sita could not have been happier to hear that. They both continued their walk and Shurpanakha went her way.
When Sita and Rama got home Sita told Rama, "I am so happy to hear what you have told Shurpanakha. I love you too, Rama."
Rama replied, "I do not want anyone besides you, Sita, even though she happened to be a model."
I kept the same main characters and kind of the main idea the same. I changed it up to the modern-day story and how it would happen compared to how the story was told. Sita and Rama are still the main characters as they originally are but I gave Shurpanakha a bigger part in my story. The story I took the idea from was when they were going through a place and Ravana's sister, Shurpanakha, fell in love with Rama. She was described as being ugly and with a harsh voice along with someone not appealing to the eyes. Shurpanakha just saw Rama and fell in love and all she wanted was him. Rama even tried to get her off his back, not because she was ugly but because he was loyal to Sita and loved her a lot. I used this same idea in the story I made up because I really liked the idea. Rama tried to get his brother, Lakshmana, to marry Shurpanakha so then she would not be after him. In my story I changed up Shurpanakha's look by making her pretty but still with a little outcome as the original story to show Rama's and Sita's love. I did not add Rama trying to get his brother to marry Shurpanakha because Rama and Sita are on their honeymoon alone when they encounter Shurpanakha.
PDE Ramayana: Shurpanakha and Rama. Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
Image is of a Traditional Indian Wedding which is how Rama and Sita tied the knot.