Himal & Nagrai

Folktales of Kashmir

Soda Ram, was a poor Brahmin man who had the misfortune of being married to a nag. His wife, was terribly disappointed in him as he couldn't fulfill her materialistic ambitions. Soda Ram was tired of her constant complaining but couldn't find a way out. One day, his wife asked him to visit the king to receive alms from him. Soda Ram was only too pleased to get away from the constant complaining, so he left, without so much as a murmur.

He returned a few days later carrying a bag, which he presented to his wife. The woman felt suspicious as her husband had never been this nice to her but decided to open the bag. Out leapt a serpent. The poor woman screamed and shrieked but her husband had locked her in the room and wouldn't let her out. ''Let it sting you'', he replied to all her pleading. 
But the serpent decided to spare the woman and miraculously turned into a beautiful baby boy. 

This boy was called Nagrai, the king of serpents. The Brahmin and his wife took care of the little boy and soon he grew into a beautiful young man. One day, he asked his foster father to take him to a pure spring so that he could bathe. The Brahmin couldn't help this young man, whom he adored- as the only spring of that kind belonged to the princess. But Nagrai, pleaded with his father to take him till the outer wall. When he reached there, Nagrai turned into a serpent, crawled in through a tiny crevice in the wall and took a bath.

The next day, the princess Himal observed that someone had taken a dip in her spring because she had heard the splashing of water. but she couldn't see anyone. As all such love stories go, she saw Nagrai one day and fell in love with him. She inquired about him from the serHimal, though a well mannered girl was so taken by Nagrai's handsomeness, that she immediately approached he father and insisted on marrying this boy. The poor King did not know how to respond to this request. But eventually, gave in as his precious daughter refused to eat.

To be Continued.