Week 6 Story: The Escape Room

This story has been published on my Portfolio website. Feel free to check it out (link)!

Gabby and her friends were headed to The Escape OKC for a fun Friday night adventure! Gabby had never been to The Escape OKC but her friends have and told her that she would have a blast. Gabby and her friends arrived just in time for their scheduled time. Gabby and her friends along with another random group of people all had the 8 PM reservation and would experience the escape game together.

One of the workers, a man named Alex, appeared and introduced himself to the group. Alex cleared his throat and said, "Good evening everyone and welcome to The Escape OKC!" Gaby and her friends cheered and applauded Alex with excitement. After Alex went over the rules and expectations, he said, "Now, I am going to tell you guys a story that describes your scenario and you all will have an hour and a half to escape."

Alex cleared his throat again and began, "Once upon a time there was a prince named Yudhishthira who had an archenemy named Prince Duryodhana. Prince Duryodhana came up with a devious plan to get rid of Prince Yudhishthira and his family; however, Prince Vidura, who was the uncle of Yudhishthira heard of the evil plan and warned Yudhishthira and his family. When Yudhishthira arrived at the palace at Varanavata with his family, he noticed a couple of red flags that solidified and confirmed the bad inkling his uncle told him about. Yudhishthira noticed that the palace was made of wood that could easily burn, and that all the gorgeous and expensive furniture were covered in oil as to start a fire. When he noticed these red flags, he gathered his family and told them what Vidura said to him and the red flags he witnessed throughout the palace. As Yudhishthira was conversing with his family, a skillful miner showed up before them. The miner told the Pandavas that Prince Vidura sent him to help them escape by digging an underground passage. The underground passage started from the floor of the palace until it reached the green grass of the forest. The miner worked diligently and was careful not to let the evil captain, Purochana, find out about the underground passage. After many long days and nights, the miner finally finished his masterpiece. The Pandavas successfully escaped during the still night. However, Prince Bhima wanted to go back and get his revenge on Purochana which Prince Yudhishthira agreed to. Prince Bhima set Purochana's house on fire but quickly found himself in the midst of the fire as well. Can he escape? Does he escape? It is up to you guys to finish the story."

Gabby was fascinated by the story that Alex told and got extremely excited for the escape room now. Gabby and her friends were cruising through the challenges, but became puzzled at the very last challenge in which they had to escape a burning house. The other group caught up to them at this point, but Gabby really wanted to win. Therefore, she tricked the other group to cover up for them so that Gabby and her friends can successfully win and escape the fire, just like what the Pandavas did.

Bibliography: The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid (link)

Author's Note: In the original story, Prince Vidura correctly guessed the evil plans of Prince Duryodhana; therefore, Vidura told Yudhishthira, his nephew, about said plans through code that only he would understand. Yudhishthira's inclination that his family was in danger was confirmed when they stepped foot in the palace at Varanavata. Yudhishthira gathered his family together and told them the words that Vidura had told him. At that moment, Prince Vidura sent to the rescue of Yudhishthira and his family a skillful miner that successfully tricked the guards and made his way into the palace. The miner told Yudhishthira that Vidura had sent him to help the family and that he would dig an underground passage that would lead safely to the forest. The miner worked diligently and finished just in time. The Pandavas safely escaped the confines of the palace but Prince Bhima went back to get revenge on the wicked Purochana, who was the captain who was going to burn them alive. Bhima set Purochana's guardhouse on fire and Purochana perished with it. Unfortunately, the palace caught on fire as well in which a poor family was staying with the Pandavas. The poor family died in the fire which accidentally, sadly, and cleverly made for a great coverup for the Pandavas that Prince Duryodhana rejoiced in the "death" of the family.

The Escape of the Pandavas. Source: Wikimedia Commons. 

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

A great party awaited Krishna when he visited the Pandavas that the women, especially Draupadi and Subhadra, became extremely intoxicated. As the picnic was coming to a close, Krishna and Arjuna was visited by a brahmin. The brahmin was Agni, the god of fire, who asked of the two heroes for food. Agni did not want regular ordinary food but the food he so craved and desired was the Khandava forest. Agni attempted in the past to consume the forest, but Indra had always defeated him and put out his fire with rain. Agni begged Krishna and Arjuna to help him because he had gotten terribly weak and pale from only drinking ghee for the past 12 years. The heroes agreed to help Agni in exchange for celestial weapons. Agni got Krishna and Arjuna the celestial weapons they desired and soon after the battle began. The great Indra poured down torrents of rain but it was no match for Arjuna's arrows that eventually Indra was defeated and Agni got to consume the forest. During the battle, animals were dying left and right but six creatures did manage to escape, one being Maya, who was the son of a rishi.

Maya was utterly grateful to Arjuna for sparing his life that in return, he promised to build a beautiful and grand palace for the Pandavas. Maya was an architect and had an abundant source of gold and gems stored safely in the Himalaya mountains. Maya worked hard and diligently on the palace for the Pandavas that in just 14 months, a majestic palace stood tall, adorned with beautiful gems that people that it was on fire. There had not been a palace like this in all the land that Maya wanted to protect it so he brought eight thousand rakshasas to guard the impressive and gleaming palace.



Bibliography: "Public Domain Editions" Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs (link)

Burning of the Khandava Forest. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A

The author of this epic was Vyasa who had the god Ganesha write out the story. The Mahabharata begins with story of Vyasa's own birth. Vyasa was born to King Uparichara and a female fish, true to the fact that King Uparichara's semen fell into a river as he was flying in his crystal car through the sky. Ten months later, the female fish gave birth to two children - one boy and one girl. Once the children were born, the king took the male child to raise him and left the little girl to be raised by the fisherman. The girl, Satyavati, grew up to become a beautiful woman that reeked of fish. One day, a rishi made a deal with Satyavati that he could get rid of her awful smell in return that she has his child but still remain a virgin. The deal was made and she gave birth to a son and finally got rid of her fishy smell.

The next story was about a king named Shantanu and the goddess Ganga. Before ever meeting Shantanu, Ganga made a promise to eight Vasus that she would become their human mother so that they could return to their celestial state. In return, the eight Vasus promised that an eighth part of their power would belong to her son. The Vasus and Ganga made the pact, and that is when Ganga met Shantanu. Shantanu fell in love with the undeniable beauty of Ganga and asked her to be his wife. She agreed to be his wife on one condition: if he were to ever speak harshly to her she could immediately depart from him. Shantanu agreed to Ganga's condition and did not utter a word when she cast down to the river their seven babies. When Ganga gave birth to the eighth child and was about to cast him down the river as well, Shantanu could not take it anymore and lashed out at Ganga. At this, their marriage vow was broken and Ganga left Shantanu with the baby in her arms. Before long, Ganga returned to Shantanu to give him the son. Shantanu's heart was moved by the boy and he took him into his kingdom. Shantanu named the child Devavrata and never was Ganga seen again.


Bibliography: Public Domain Editions Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs (link)

Ganga presents her son, Devavrata, to his father Shantanu. Source: Wikimedia Commons