Week 3 Story: Gautama's Promise

"Why am I here?" Gautama wondered aloud, "It's not like you can even hear me, being granite and all." Gautama was sitting in front of the granite pillar that used to be Ahalya, his cherished wife. "Well, I used to cherish you, until you betrayed me. You hear that?" Gautama raised his voice, "You betrayed me!" 

"...then why do I feel so guilty?"

Gautama sat quietly, in shock that he openly admitted to the twisting feeling in his stomach. Since when had emotions like anger and regret seized him so strongly? Gautama thought carefully. My morning mediations were interrupted by this debacle, I must be spiritually unbalanced. He shifted until his legs were crossed and his palms rested on his knees. Gautama sat up straight, breathed deeply, and began to pray.

Once his eyes closed, he was assaulted by images of Ahalya. He saw her standing in the corner of their bedroom just after he had returned and discovered her and Indra together. Ahalya was looking at the ground, her face brimming with shame. Slowly, she peered up at Gautama through her disheveled hair and teary eyes. Her eyes were full of hurt. The image shifted and became Ahalya's last moments before she completely turned to granite. As stone slowly claimed her beautiful features, he noticed something that missed his attention earlier. Ahalya's clothes were torn, as if they had been forced off of her, and her arms were covered in angry, red scratches. Gautama's eyes opened in shock, "Ahalya," he gasped in disbelief, "you saw through Indra's ruse. You tried to fight him off..."

Tears welled in Gautama's eyes as he realized what he had done. In his anger at Indra's actions, he had also punished his beloved wife, his beautiful Ahalya. "I was supposed to protect you," he sobbed, " but in my haste I have added to your dishonor." He reached forward, brushing his fingertips on the cool granite as he begged his wife for forgiveness. "I swear to you my love," he whispered to the unmoving stone," when you are released from this prison, I will devote the rest of my life to protecting you."

Every day after his morning meditation, Gautama visited Ahalya. He would take time to sweep the dust off of the granite and then he sat at the stone's base and talked to her. He told Ahalya about the weather and how the plants in their garden were doing. Gautama missed his wife, but he knew that it was his fault she was like this. He remained patient, for Ahalya's sake. Days turned into years, and Gautama never lost hope that Rama would come and reconcile the couple.

One morning, as Gautama readied himself to visit Ahalya, travelers approached his home. He at once recognized Rama, who was traveling with Lakshmana and Sage Viswatmithra. Calmly, he received them and the news they brought with them. Rama recounted to Gautama how he had touched a granite pillar and watched it transform into Ahalya. When the travelers told him that his wife was on her way and asked him to accept her back into his home, he calmly assented; but within, he was elated and nervous. Will Ahalya forgive me for mistake? He thought about this as he paced around the house. 

Soon, Gautama heard delicate footsteps outside on the path. His heart leapt into his throat as he opened the door and saw Ahalya. Gautama immediately bowed at her feet and took a deep breath, ready to ask for her forgiveness. Before he said a word, Ahalya bent down and placed her hand on his shoulder. Gautama was surprised at her touch and looked up at his wife. "My love," she whispered, "I heard everything you said to me while I was a pillar. You have apologized enough." She grabbed Gautama's hands and helped him to stand. With shaking hands, Gautama gently held his wife's face. "I swear to you my love," he whispered as his eyes filled with tears of joy, "now that you have returned, I will devote the rest of my life to protecting you." Ahalya embraced her husband, and the two let their past hurt and misunderstanding wash away. They were together once more; nothing could spoil this moment.

From then on, the couple was inseparable. From performing morning meditation to tending their garden, Gautama and Ahalya faced it as one. Gautama never failed to protect his wife, and Ahalya supported her husband in all that he did.

(A picture of a newlywed couple. I thought their joy mirrored the elation felt by Gautama and Ahalya at their reunion. Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: This story is based on Ahalya's story, which Viswatmithra tells to Rama in R.K. Narayan's retelling of The Ramayana. I wanted to write this story because the characters portrayed in The Ramayana were lacking any human emotion. Both Ahalya and Gautama simply accepted Viswatmithra's exhortation to forget the past and be husband and wife once more. I was also inspired to write this because of this line in the original story: "[Ahalya] realized that the man enjoying her was an imposter; but she could do nothing about it." She realized that Indra had tricked her, and yet she was still turned to stone for her "infidelity". I wanted to write a story in which Gautama realized that his wife was violated by Indra and vowed to never fail to protect her again. In summary: I wanted a real happy ending for a couple that was torn apart.

Bibliography: The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan