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Mar 12, 2023Liked by Rohini Chowdhury, The Story Birds

This is a profound story! Many thanks to Mr. Shetty and to The Story Birds. I am sharing this with a colleague whose area of research is menses - sacredness and ritual.

I am struck by two things. 1) to wed is not as we have come to think of it in the west but rather a far older idea of consummation. Or, to bed. And the brother will not wait. His vow to wed becomes an urgency to bed. ok, let's name it: rape. 2) the multiple outcomes are each cautionary tales that clearly denounce the brother's actions/intentions. And this is quite extraordinary b/c let's face it - consideration of female sovereignty is rarely addressed. But maybe I'm wrong about this. Maybe it is present in more stories than I am aware of and/or maybe I am misreading this story.

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Thank you very much for your appreciation of the story. Folk stories are always guiding lamps in life. Though they do not go deep into the characters the general morality of the plot is important . As mentioned in the beginning, this is a cautionary tale .

We are fortunate that in India we have such a rich heritage of folk wisdom.

I am grateful to you again for your insights which inspire me to bring out more such stories.

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