Introduction

Kama sighs and settles back into his armchair, a cup of chai tea in hand. His bow and arrows are leaning on the coffee table, laid to rest for the day. His consort, the beautiful goddess Rati, is curled up in a chair across from his, also sipping tea and reading a book of love stories. Kama smiles at the irony of her literary choices, and that thought makes him ponder his own past accomplishments. As the god of love, he had a hand in each one of the stories she is cooing over. He takes a long, thoughtful swallow of his tea and sets it down, addressing Rati.

“In a romantic mood tonight, my dear? Have I ever told you the story of how I arranged the love story of Rama and Sita?”

Rati struggles to suppress an eye roll and tucks the blanket in a little more snugly around herself; when Kama got into a storytelling mood, it was bound to take all night. She responds kindly but with a hint of a groan, “Yes, honey, only about a thousand times. It’s one of the most famous love stories in the whole Ramayana and I KNOW you’re proud of your work bringing them together.”

Kama huffs a little and racks his brain for other stories to entertain her. “Yes, dear, I know you know that one, but what about the man I pierced so strongly with my arrow that even in death all he could think about was his beloved wife? Or the tale of the mouse who was to marry the sun but demanded a stronger husband? Or of the brahman girl and the tiger?”

Rati raises her eyebrows curiously. “Pulling out obscure material tonight, are we? Well, I was there for your work on the brahman girl and the tiger, and I feel like I could tell that tale even better than you, but you’ve intrigued me with the other two.” She picks up her tea and gets comfortable in her armchair. “Tell me the stories, my love.”

Kama proudly settles back and idly plays with his mustache. “Absolutely, my dear. Where to begin? Why not start this story like a classic: Once upon a time…”