Nala and Damayanti

Dadi**: "Guddu, tonight I'll tell you one of the most romantic stories in Indian mythology - the tale of King Nala and Princess Damayanti."

Guddu**: "A love story?"

Dadi**: "A love story tested by gods, demons, gambling, separation, and transformation - but ultimately triumphant!"

Guddu**: "How did they meet?"

Dadi**: "They didn't - not at first! Nala was the king of Nishadha, famous for his beauty and skill. Damayanti was the princess of Vidarbha, whose beauty surpassed even celestial beings. They heard of each other through travelers."

Guddu**: "They fell in love without meeting?"

Dadi**: "Their hearts connected through stories! One day, Nala caught a golden swan in his garden. The swan offered a deal: 'Release me, and I'll go praise you to Damayanti.' Nala agreed, and the swan flew to the princess."

Guddu**: "A matchmaker swan!"

Dadi**: "When Damayanti heard the swan's description of Nala, she confessed her love openly. Her father announced a swayamvara - where she would choose her husband."

Guddu**: "Did Nala go?"

Dadi**: "He did! But so did four gods - Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama. They were so impressed by Nala that they asked him to deliver their proposals to Damayanti!"

Guddu**: "The gods wanted to marry her too?"

Dadi**: "And they granted Nala invisibility to enter her chambers. But when Damayanti heard their proposals, she said, 'I have given my heart to Nala alone. Tell them I choose only him.'"

Guddu**: "Even over gods!"

Dadi**: "At the swayamvara, the gods played a trick. They all assumed Nala's form - five identical Nalas stood before Damayanti!"

Guddu**: "How could she tell which was real?"

Dadi**: "She prayed with all her devotion. Then she noticed - the gods didn't blink, didn't sweat, their garlands didn't wilt, and they cast no shadow. Only one had human characteristics."

Guddu**: "She found the real Nala!"

Dadi**: "She garlanded him before everyone. The gods, pleased by her devotion, blessed the marriage. For twelve happy years, they ruled together."

Guddu**: "Then what went wrong?"

Dadi**: "A demon named Kali was enraged that Damayanti had rejected the gods. He waited for an opportunity and possessed Nala when the king made a ritual error. Under Kali's influence, Nala gambled away everything - his wealth, his kingdom, even his clothes!"

Guddu**: "That's terrible!"

Dadi**: "Stripped of everything, Nala and Damayanti fled into the forest. But tormented by Kali and wanting Damayanti to suffer less without him, Nala abandoned her while she slept."

Guddu**: "He left her alone in the forest?!"

Dadi**: "It broke his heart, but Kali's influence was strong. Damayanti woke alone and wandered through terrible dangers - a python, an attacking hunter - surviving through the power of her faithfulness."

Guddu**: "What happened to Nala?"

Dadi**: "A serpent named Karkotaka bit him, transforming his appearance completely. The venom also tortured the demon Kali inside him. Nala took the name Bahuka and became a charioteer for another king."

Guddu**: "They were both suffering!"

Dadi**: "Years passed. Damayanti eventually reached her father's kingdom. She announced a second swayamvara, knowing only Nala could drive the distance in time."

Guddu**: "To find him!"

Dadi**: "It worked! During the journey, the king taught Bahuka the science of dice, which freed Nala from Kali's grip. When he reached Vidarbha, Damayanti confronted him."

Guddu**: "Did she recognize him?"

Dadi**: "She tested him with difficult questions. Finally, Nala revealed the truth and used magical clothes from the serpent to restore his form. They embraced after years of separation."

Guddu**: "They were together again!"

Dadi**: "With his new knowledge of dice, Nala challenged his brother Pushkara and won back everything. But instead of punishing his brother, he forgave him. The king who lost everything through gambling gained everything through grace."

Guddu**: "Love won in the end."

Dadi**: "True love always does, beta. Through gods' tests, demon's possession, years of separation - their hearts remained faithful. That's the power of devotion. Sleep now, and may your dreams be as faithful as Damayanti's heart."