There he was. The invader.
I watched from the waves as the strange monkey man that my father had warned me about built his bridge. My father had told me that this man had a deep vendetta against non monkey people. This meant that not only my people, the mermaids, but also my father’s people, were in grave danger from this deranged warrior. And my job was to stop him. I’d tear apart every inch of that bridge to protect the ones I love.
Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to, as I had my army with me, and the wind and waves at my command. Each night, we dismantled the bridge, no matter what it was made of, and each morning, the monkey man - I refused to call him a King - continued to wake up in dismay to the ruined wreckage of the previous night’s attempts. Unless he could learn to walk on water, he’d never get past this ocean alive.
He had been trying to build his bridge for two weeks now, to no avail. It should have been amusing to watch him continuously struggle and fail, but oddly enough, it simply puzzled me. He didn’t yell or rage at his soldiers for his continued failure, or punish or torture them, as my father would have done. He simply worked urgently, but with a meticulous craftsmanship, guiding his soldiers in a calm yet stern manner, in contrast to the murderous marauder my father had told me about.
Hm. Maybe he’s different in battle.
No matter. He still wasn’t getting past my ocean. And now that the sun had set, it was time for my work to continue once again. This time was a little easier, because he had switched strategies and was now using a combination of rope and seaweed instead of wood. I stayed until the very last section was dismantled, long after my soldiers had begun making their way home. I had to make sure that the wind and waves washed away every piece of that bridge.
They didn’t call me the Tidecaller for nothing.
As I turned to leave, I noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye. Staring into the darkness, I was too used to seeing underwater to focus easily. It was probably nothing. Flicking my tail, I dove into the waves. I made my way past the coves, down, past the sunken treasures on the seafloor, and - Wait. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my fins, the ripples of an intruder in the water.
Looking back, I watched in horror as the long, agile limbs of the monkey man made it easy for him to make it through the depths. I turned and swam away from my home, hoping to lead him away. It was working, as he turned to follow me, and I swam with all my might against the current. His murderous intentions probably sped his journey through the water, as he seemed to be moving faster with each stroke. My powerful tail could leave him behind easily, but a thought made its way to the surface of my mind.
Could monkey men breathe?
I stopped, turning to see. I knew it might be a trap but I couldn’t stop myself. I was wrong. It hadn’t been his murderous intentions speeding his movements, it had been desperation. I could see he was on his last breath as he faltered in the water, his powerful movements slowing at last. I moved closer to him, still cautious. What if this was some kind of malicious trick? But his terror filled eyes met my own and I knew it wasn’t.
I couldn’t let him die like this. No matter how much he hated my people. I grabbed him under his arms and dragged him through the depths. My lithe form was cumbered by his gangly body, as he rapidly lost consciousness, and I cursed my foolishness as I carried him to a hidden cove by the sea. I was about to leave his unconscious body there, when something stopped me. Here was my chance to learn about my enemy, the man who was so desperate to cross my ocean.
I studied him, lingering on the space where the rocks met the sea, close enough that my blurry eyes could focus on him. Suddenly, he gasped for air, his eyes flying open in confusion. I tensed my tail and pulled back, ready to flee.
“Wait!” he said. “You-you’ve been destroying my bridge!”
I nodded, wondering when he was going to attempt to murder me so I had a reason to abandon him here.
“My name is Hanuman, and I’m begging you to hear what I have to say.” This was new. Most kings roared their orders, never asking. Then again, the only king I had experience with was my father. But the monkey man’s sincerity flooded his voice, and I felt compelled to listen. My eyes widened as he spoke.
“My name is Hanuman, and I need to stop you from destroying my bridge.” Taking a deep breath, he told me the long tale of how Rama and Sita were destined lovers, having known from the moment their eyes met that they would be together for the end of time, and how the Demon King Ravana had stolen her away, and how Rama was driven nearly to the edge of insanity, scouring the earth for his beloved, before they found her location, across my ocean.
I had to tell him.
“I am Ravana’s daughter.”
His eyes widened in fear.
I hastened to explain.
“He told me that you were a murderous warrior king seeking to take over his city, desolating the land and stealing his wealth. He ordered me to stay up every night, to take apart your bridge. I thought that I was protecting the land and its people by doing so.”
Hanuman’s kind eyes softened, and staring into them, so many pieces clicked into place. Why the non monkey villagers continuously brought his army supplies, why his men loved and looked up to him, and why I’d felt compelled to save his life and listen to what he had to say.
“Who am I to stand in the way of such great love?” I said, and then- I leaned in and kissed him.
Author's Note:
When I first heard about this story, I was taken by surprise by how touching it was. A lot of the stories in the Ramayana are somewhat violent, ending in bloody battles and death, so reading about a sweet love story where two people on different sides could see eye to eye while falling in love definitely caught my attention. I actually got so caught up in writing this story that I overshot the word count and had to cut down on what I wrote. Essentially, I wanted to give Suvannamaccha her own voice, and showcase more of her agency throughout the story. Writing in first person was a little difficult because I wasn’t used to it, so hopefully it doesn’t sound too clunky! I wanted to showcase Suvannamaccha’s thoughts since she was such a powerful figure and without her, Hanuman could never have succeeded, so it made sense to show her saving Hanuman’s life. I also wanted to portray the inner strength she had to stand up to her father and I hope that came through in the story. In addition, I also included some references to one of my favorite characters in League of Legends, Nami, who is a mermaid (vastaya) known as The Tidecaller.
Image Source: League of Legends
Story Source: Ramayana, Wikipedia, Wikivisually