A humming word

Sita and Rama are the most unfortunate couple in the Hindu mythology. When I was growing up, my mother would often tell me, one must never name their daughters Sita or Janaki. Their fate and life was deplorable.  Volga, the pen name of Lalitha Kumari, is a noted feminist writer and is a stalwart in the Telugu Literature. And hence, this fictional account is written with its ink dipped in feminism. The right kind, ofcourse.  This book is set in Valmiki's ashram and Lava and Kusa are now grown up and explore the forest. Sita, along with the mothers in and around the ashram, performs the duties of a mother. However, nudged by fate, she begins her internal journey by meeting Ravana's disfigured sister, Surpanakha, who is now tending to a beautiful garden, Parsurama's abandoned mother, Renuka, the wronged Ahalya, and lastly Urmila. The book ends with the chapter on Rama, who was equally wronged, wrapped in the ethos and pathos of Arya Dharma. Also, my favourite chapter.  What ...