There was this king named 'Nala' who was a gifted charioteer and a brave king. The kingdom prospered under his rule. Despite being the most handsome men of that time he still remained unmarried. One day he caught a swan and when the swan begged for its life he asked the swan to spread his valor to places the swan visits. The swan promised the same and started to sing songs about King Nala. Wanting Nala to get married a brahmin came to his court. The brahmin said he wants to check the artistic skills of King Nala and hence suggested the name "Dhamayanti" to him. Nala drew the potrait of a girl and named her Dhamayanti, little did he know that there was a princess named Dhamayanthi the daughter of King Vidharbha. Nala fell in love with the potrait even without seeing her.
On the other side the swan visited the kingdom of Vidharbha and started singing the songs of Nala. The Princess wanted to have the swan for its gift of singing and its beautiful appearance.The swan was taken to the kingdom and the princess listened to the tales of King Nala all day and inadvertently fell in love with him. As they say "Marriages are decided in heaven" the time has come and King Vidharbha invited Nala along with other kings to atten the Suyamvara of Princess Dhamayanti. Dhamayanthi was so beautiful and it was believed even the Gods wanted to marry her. So the invite was sent to everyone. Knowing her love for Nala the Gods Indra, Kali disguised themselves as Nala and gave Dhamayanti the challenge of finding the true Nala.
Dhamayanthi not only good in looks but also sharp in brains found Nala with a trick. She choosed the one who had shadow (as it is believed that Gods don't have shadows). But Kali then angrily vows to the cause of the downfall of King Nala. Kali from then waited for the chance to bring Nala down. After 12 years of marriage Kali sent his brother Pushkara to play the game of dice with King Nala. And as Kali wanted Nala lost the game and was abandoned to forest. In the forest Nala and Dhamayanthi lived happily and that is where she discovered the culinary skills of her husband and fell in love with him even more. In the forest Nala saved a naga from fire, the naga was Karakotaka who returned the favor by giving him the boon of disguising. Nala abandoned Dhamayanthi concerned about her safety and left to the kingdom of Rituparana and started to work as a chef. Knowing this Dhamayanthi's father came to her rescue but she wanted to find her husband back.
Hence she asked her father to arrange a festival where she wanted the greatest cooks of all the kingdom to participate. Nala was disguised as Vahuka a dwarf working in the kitchens of King Ritupurana. Dhamayanthi was waiting on her balcony listening to the hoof beats as the carriages passed her palace. She immediately recognized the hoof beats of the chariot being driven by Nala. She sent a maid to inquire who had arrived and was informed that it was King Ritupurana and his Chief chef. Dhamayanthi then asked her maid to smuggle some food item made by the chef and to her surprise she found out it was her husband Nala disguised. Throwing all the decorum to the winds she ran down to meet her husband and was stunned to see a dwarf. She asked "Why does a man want to send his dutiful wife back to her father's home?"
The man replied "Because he has lost his kingdom and cannot support his wife in the manner she was accustomed to before their marriage".
Dhamayanthi's lotus red eyes began to shed tears and that is when Nala showed his original form to relieve her from distress. She then said "It is not the customs that make a wife happy but being with her husband in the good and bad".
And then they lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!
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