Pandora's daughters

There are three people in this story. They are 'D', 'R' and 'S'. D and R are younger than me. They have not met each other. They are similar in many ways and not so in many others. Yet all three are kindred spirits. Maybe that is why they formed a thorough friendship with S.

I am closer to S. She is a bit of a mystery. She loves to be amid people yet is not a very talkative person. She is a good listener. That is probably why D and R decided to pour their hearts out to her.

It all begun with D. Hers is not a recent problem. She had suffered for months, probably more than a year. The difference lied in the fact that the second party did not return her affection in the same manner.

R's case was different. It is a matter of 'Once bitten twice shy!' She had family problems and when the counterpart approached her, she was unable to give the green light. The courting process began and dragged on for months. Finally she began to develop something beyond friendly feelings towards him. She decided to ignore the social, ethnic and family barriers. She would have pleaded with her family on his behalf.

Crisis happened. He changed his mind. The chase was over. He had won his prize. He who said that he would conquer the moon or stars for her, backed out, leaving her cold. He would neither speak nor look at her. She had been heartbroken once under different circumstances. She had just begun to look towards the future with hope. He knows all these facts but he changed overnight.

S is very choosy. She had never really loved a guy before. Sure, there were schoolgirl crushes but she was on the look out for Mr Right. Then all of a sudden he appeared out of the blue, at the most unlikely place and event. It was not love at first sight but she knew that she felt a difference. Opposites attract. She met him in person and his persona rocked her world. Their liaison flowed for months and each day was more beautiful than the other. Life was simply wonderful. Then thunder struck. Dark clouds gathered. Sunlight, gentle breeze and the sweet fragrance of cinnamon oil disappeared. He was committed to another.

Three girls... So alike in some instances yet not so in others... Destiny served them in different ways but the end result is the same.

Does it all come down to being a woman?

They say it was Eve who tempted Adam with the Golden Apple. It was Helen's beauty which launched a thousand ships. It was Clytemnestra and Maname Devi's fickleness which brought misfortune. It was Pandora who opened the box and set evil free to roam in the world...

But why doesn't anybody talk about Agamemnon's infidelity, Paris' betrayal or even Zeus' faithlessness to Hera?

Shehara [email protected]