Beauty is Heart-deep(PART 2 OF 3)
Plot summary
Paro is a young woman from a middle class Bengali family.
The two families lived in a village in Bengal, and Devdas and Paro were childhood friends.
Devdas goes away for a couple of years to live and study in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata).
During vacations, he returns to his village.
Suddenly both realise their easy comfortability in each other's innocent comradeship has changed to something different.
Devdas realises Paro is no longer the small girl he knew.
Paro looks forward to their childhood love blossoming into their lifelong journey together in marriage.
Devdas's father, who also loved the little Paro, did not want Devdas to get married so early in life and wasn't very keen on the alliance.
Paro's father, feeling insulted at the rejection, finds an even richer husband for Paro.
When Paro learns of her planned marriage, she stealthily meets Devdas at night, desperately believing that Devdas will accept her hand in marriage.
Devdas had never previously considered Paro that way.
He feels surprised at Paro's bravery of visiting him alone at night and also feels pained for her.
He decides he will tell his father about marrying Paro.
Devdas' father disagrees.
In a confused state, Devdas then flees to Calcutta, and from there, he writes a letter to Paro, saying that they were only friends.
Within days, however, he realizes that he should have been bolder.
He goes back to his village and tells Paro that he is ready to do anything needed to save their love.
By now, Paro's marriage plans are in an advanced stage, and she declines going back to Devdas and chides him for his cowardice and vacillation.
She makes, however, one request to Devdas that he would return to her before he dies.
Devdas vows to do so.
Devdas goes back to Calcutta and Paro is married off to the betrothed widower with three children.
He is an elderly gentleman, a zamindar.
He had found his house and home so empty and lustreless after his wife's death that he had decided to remarry.
He spent most of his day in Pujas and looking after the zamindari.
In Calcutta, Devdas' carousing friend, Chunnilal, introduces him to a courtesan named Chandramukhi.
Devdas takes to heavy drinking at Chandramukhi's place, but the courtesan falls in love with him, and looks after him.
His health deteriorates because of a combination of excessive drinking and despair---a drawn-out form of suicide.
Within him, he frequently compares Paro and Chandramukhi.
Somehow he feels betrayed by Paro, never realizing that she was the one who had loved him first, that she had said it out loud first.
He doesn't realise this, but Chandramukhi does, and tells him so.
In his non-drunk state he would hate Chandramukhi and loathe her presence.
So he drank, so that he could forget his prejudices.
Chandramukhi saw it all, felt it all and suffered silently, but she had seen that real man behind the fallen, aimless Devdas he now was and couldnn't help but love him.
Sensing his fast-approaching death, Devdas returns to meet Paro to fulfill his vow.
He dies at her doorstep on a dark, cold night.
On hearing of the death of Devdas, Paro runs towards the door, but her family members prevent her from stepping out of the door.
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SOURCE:"Devdas (2002 Hindi film)"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The story reminds me of "Romeo and Juliet" as well as "West Side Story."
Oh, does it?
Tell me, Kato, how come you talk about the above movie to explain exactly what you mean by "heart-deep."
As you said, the story reminded me of "West Side Story" when I first saw the above movie.
West Side Story
Trailer (1961)
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As you know, this musical sets the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of the rivalry of two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, in New York of the 1950s.
That's right.
As you know, Maria is a young woman who is sister to Bernardo Nuñez---the Sharks leader.
George Chakiris plays Bernardo Nuñez in the movie, doesn't he?
Yes, he does. Maria has her first taste of love with Tony Wycek, the former head of the Jets. At the dance party, Tony and Maria see each other, become infatuated, going into a trance-like state. It is a love at first sight, oblivious to the rivalry between their ethnic groups. Diane, do you remember your first love?
Yes, of course, I do.
How did you feel when you fell in love for the first time?
Well ... I was quite happy.
So was Maria, and she sings in the movie:
"I feel pretty"
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So, tell me, Kato, exactly what you mean by "heart-deep."
As you see, you feel pretty when you're happy deep down in your heart. That is, the real beauty is heart-deep.
【Himiko's Monologue】
Yes, yes, yes, ... I always feel pretty because I'm a happy-go-lucky girl.
By the way, I enjoyed Easter.
I love Easter eggs.
(easter01.jpg)
I also love the Easter bunny.
(easter05.jpg)
Besides, I always enjoy wearing my Easter outfit.
(himiko006.jpg)
And I felt pretty too because I was darn happy at the time.
In any case, I hope Kato will write another interesting article soon.
So please come back to see me.
Have a nice day!
Bye bye ...
(To be followed)