My understanding of Mahabaratha was quite different UNTIL I read this book. Of course I liked Arjuna, the born warrior for his charming nature and Karna for his loyalty. Then I started this book. Page 5, and I already know its time to forget all the straightforward telling of this epic and get to know the untold, forgotten, crumbled perspectives of the unsung heroes.
No wonder Divakurani’s re-telling paints the characters more human than they are and makes you run the scenes on your mind as you read between lines. My favorites were the Draupati’s suyamwara, her first encounter with Karna and Arjun and her thoughts during the great war. The way Draupati’s speaks from the deepest part of heart are just beyond mere thoughts. For it sows a seed of thoughts in our minds too! There are many snippets where I paused and re-run the scene in my mind and was wondering what would I do if I were to be in that position. The more I wonder the more the book spoke to my soul. Draupati - Karna parts was quite a surprise but who am I to judge the depth of a woman’s heart or the captivating re-telling?
Loved this book to pieces and it immediately became close to my heart as I kept reading. On finishing this book, I couldn’t wait for Divakurani to come up with a similar book on Ramayana. For who else has a better-story to tell than Sita herself?