An Alluring Flower

How fortunate do I feel, when I think of my mother, deriving my name from the classic story by Kalidasa, the greatest Bard in Sanskrit - The story about the Princess of Malawa, who happened to be in disguise as a humble dancer in the court of Prince Agnimitra! The Prince was enamoured with her beauty and charm... her magical voice and spectacular dance made him swoon... After some complicating chain of events, the romantic story ended with their happy union! So delighted to inherit the name of the heroine of such a historical epic with thrilling romance and gripping intrigue! My name means a beautiful flower, in Bengali, a purple flower, graceful, delicate and fragrant… My parents were joyful and ecstatic when they had a daughter after a long wait... an alluring flower’s name seemed the best option to them, for their daughter! The first part of my name means a “garland” which my father pictured to be on his neck, He imagined his daughter to be strong and brave, yet kind and graceful! He dreamed of his daughter becoming a powerful writer! very unusual for those days, and for the country where he lived! Isn’t that a wonderful feeling when one realizes how precious she must have been to her beloved parents! She was part of their dreams!