Popular mytho-fiction author Anand Neelakantan is back with a new book this year. Titled 'Nala Damayanti', this is a timeless tale from the Mahabharata which he retells as a rom-com this time.
Brahma-- the creator of the universe, thinks it was a mistake to create humans and he decides to erase them. However, Hemanga, a golden swan, asks Brahma to allow him to prove that true love is indeed between humans. And so Brahma's son, Narada, sends Hemanga to Vidarbha. Being the troublemaker that he is, Narada gives Hemanga an impossible task to accompalish. He asks Hemanga to unite the king of Nishadas-- Nala, with the princess of Vidharbha-- Damayanti. However, neither is Nala interested in marrying as he is busy creating a city for his people, nor is Damayanti a damsel in distress. Somehow, Hemanga succeeds in developing love between them. But when Kali, who is trapped on Earth and he cannot be set free until humans die, gets to know about this-- he tries his best to make Hemanga's plan fail. The reason: if Damayanti gives up on having Nala, Hemanga won't be able to prove that there's true love on Earth and then, Brahma would erase humankind which would set Kali free. Would Damayanti win Nala's love? And can Hemanga accompalish his task of uniting Nala and Damayanti or will Kali get the human race erased?
This story first appeared in audio format in 2022, and it was later written as a book by the author. The story of 'Nala Damayanti' is generally told from the Nala's point of view. But in this retelling, Neelakantan narrates this timeless love story through Damayanti and the golden swan Hemanga's view points. This easy-to-read rom-com by the author brings this lesser known story from the Mahabharata to a wider audience. Fans of Anand Neelakantan or those who like reading mytho-fictions can add this book to their reading list this year.
