Arjuna was a regular 21st century man who had
once lived with his five brothers and his mother. One day however him and his brother
fought over a woman named Draupadi. So Arjuna decided instead of fighting with
his brother he would go on a journey backpacking all over the India.
The first place Arjuna ended up was near the Himalayas right
next to the Ganga river. For months Arjuna camped there and would bathe in the
Ganga. One day while bathing Arjuna all of sudden passed out and when he woke
up there was beautiful women above him. Arjuna asked, “Who are you?”
The beautiful women replied, “I am Ulupi. I live nearby and I
saw you pass out in the river and dragged you out of the river.”
Arjuna said, “Thanks, but I must really be going.”
But Ulupi stopped him and said, “But I’ve been watching you
for months and I have fallen in love with you.”
So Arjuna returned to Ulupi’s home
with her, and stayed with her and her family. Then one day a couple of months
later Arjuna was sitting around the house listening to the radio thinking of
how boring his romantic relationship was getting and wondering what to do about
it.
Suddenly the song switched to one
he had never heard before started to play he heard the voice say, “I
was tired of my lady, we´d been together too long
Like a worn-out
recording, of a favorite song
So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read
So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read
If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain
If you´re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I´m the love that you´ve looked for, write to me, and escape.”
If you´re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I´m the love that you´ve looked for, write to me, and escape.”
All of a sudden Arjuna realized that this is what he must do. So
he snuck out of Ulupi’s house in the dead of the night and continued his
journey on to the next destination. As Arjuna was escaping he looked up the
song on his phone and decided he would adopt it as the philosophy of his journey.
Arjuna’s next stop was to Manipur and while there he met a
wealthy man who allowed him to stay in his house and there he met the man’s
daughter Chitrangada. They fell in love and eventually got married and had a
child and they were happy for three years. Then one day Arjuna realized he was
getting very bored of his monotonous married life, and then tuned into the
radio and the song that was on was very familiar to him.
The singer of the song
sang, “I didn´t think about my lady, I know that sounds kind of mean
But me and my old lady, had fallen into the same old dull routine
So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad
And though I´m nobody´s poet, I thought it wasn´t half bad
But me and my old lady, had fallen into the same old dull routine
So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad
And though I´m nobody´s poet, I thought it wasn´t half bad
Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain
I´m not much into health food, I am into champagne
I´ve got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape
At a bar called O'Malley's, where we´ll plan our escape"
With this Arjuna took it as a sign that it was time to move on
with his life, and so he went to Chitrangada’s father and explained about how
he wanted to leave and so Arjuna signed the divorce papers that his
father-in-law gave him and in the dead of the night left his wife and child to
move on to his next adventure.
Arjuna decided his next destination would be his friend Krishna’s
house, and when he gets there he tells Krishna how he had always been in love
with his sister Subhadra.
Krishna said, “Dude it would be really cool if you could marry
my sister especially since I know she loves you to, but my parents want her to
marry your cousin.”
Arjun was crushed and said, “What should I do bro? I really love
her.”
Krishna sat and then finally he thought of a plan and said, “Tomorrow
there’s going to be this important festival you should take her then and run
off.”
With that Krishna and Arjuna planned the grand abduction and elopement
together.
Krishna said, “Dude if you’re going to elope with my sister you
have to do it in style.”
Arjuna quickly agreed, “You’re right Bro. Can I borrow your motorcycle?
I promise I’ll return it after we’re married.”
Krishna replied, “Sure dude. I can’t wait to see this it’ll be
the best festival I’ve ever been to.”
The next day the
festival started and Arjuna jumped on to Krishna’s motorcycle and revved the engine
and then he weaved through the festival crowd and did a half turn to a stop in
front of Subhadra and said “Subhadra I love you. Come with me and escape.”
Subhadra jumped on the motorcycle and Arjuna revved the engine and took off and
as they were leaving the village Arjuna turned on the radio and heard the song
he had heard twice before and decided it was no longer going to be the moto of
his journey.
For old time sakes though he listened to the rest of the song and
the singers voice sang, “So I waited with high hopes, then she walked in the
place
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady, and she said, Oh, it´s you
And we laughed for a moment, and I said, I never knew
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady, and she said, Oh, it´s you
And we laughed for a moment, and I said, I never knew
That you liked Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
You´re the love that I´ve looked for, come with me, and escape
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
You´re the love that I´ve looked for, come with me, and escape
If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain
If you´re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I'm the love that you've looked for, come with me, and escape”
If you´re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I'm the love that you've looked for, come with me, and escape”
Author's Note:
I took the story of Arjuna's exile and the three wives he met while he was in exile and combined it with the Pina Colada song because that song automatically popped into my head for some reason after watching the Mahabharata videos. I kept how he met married and left all his wives the same I just added a modern twist to it. I thought to add the song in it would be easier to put them in the 21st century. I also put Arjuna and Subhadra escaping on a motorcycle because in the 21st century there aren't a lot of places where you can find a horse drawn carriage. At the end I decided that Arjuna would actually keep this wife with him and toss the pina colada philosophy out the window mostly because I haven't gotten far enough into the Mahabharata videos to know if he actually leaves her in the end to or if she stays with him till the end.
Bibliography:
Arjuna abducting Subhadra in the Mahabharata
Pina Colada Song (Escape) by Rupert Holmes
Hi Trishna! That was a really cool concept on incorporating a modern century song into the story. I think it was creative and I enjoyed reading your story. I also like the scene of Arjuna coming in style to elope with Krishna's sister. It gave a more heroic and action felling to the story. I remember reading this story and thinking how unfaithful Arjuna was to his wife. It was neat that you also added the song for people who have not yet listened to it. Good job overall!
ReplyDeleteHi, Trishna!
ReplyDeleteThat is a really cool and great idea to build a story around song lyrics. It is super creative! I think framing Arjuna in this more modern light makes him look more obviously like an unfaithful jerk than what the writing in the original epics may have. I also like your seen where he takes Subhadra away on a motorcycle. That is a fun, romantic image. It is something I can only dream may one day happen to me... Uh, maybe... Great job!~