Khamba-Thoibi and Their Faith in Love (on faith, catering to children, based on Khamba Thoibi folklore)

In the ancient Kingdom of Moirang in Manipur, India, there lived a princess ‘Thoibi’, known for her intelligence and beauty. Princess Thoibi was the daughter of Yuvraj ‘Chingkhuba’, brother to the king of Moirang. The king had no son and hence, his brother was the crowned Yuvraj. Yuvraj ‘Chingkhuba’ and his daughter ‘Thoibi’ lived in a grand palace whose grandeur had no match.

Somewhere, in the outskirts, lived Khamnu and Khamba, in a dilapidated house. They were the offspring of Puremba, once a knight of Moirang, who was given death penalty for a crime he unknowingly committed at the birth of his little son, Khamba. Puremba’s wife passed away simultaneously. Since then, Khamnu, his older sister, hid him in their house far away from the people and raised him all by herself. 

Thoibi was playing with her care-taker when suddenly, they could hear a sweet, shrilled voice yelling out to the palace,

“O Rich Mighty!”

Khamba was well-built and as handsome as Thoibi was beautiful. He showed to exhibit some uncanny magic too unknown to him. His birth, being the reason of their parents’ demise, Khamnu never allowed him to leave the house or work. He would wait all day for his sister’s return so he could get something to eat.

One day, a passer-by questioned Khamba while his sister was away,

“O Khamba! You are so strong and yet, you sit at home and let your fragile, weak sister work every day. Why don’t you start doing something and let your sister rest?”

Khamba was overwhelmed and when Khamnu returned home that day,

“Sister, please allow me to work”, Khamba requested of Khamnu.

Khamnu, thinking out loud, “Maybe, he remains hungry most of the time with the meagre income I make”.

“Alright, my dear brother, go ahead!” Khamnu told Khamba approvingly.

Wrapped in a shawl and an axe in hand, Khamba set out in search of work. Unaware of the outside world, he came across a grand palace and believing he could get some work here, he screamed out loud,

“O Rich Mighty!”

Thoibi and her care-taker rushed out to see who he was. Thoibi, charmed by the suaveness of Khamba, instantly fell in love. The spark reached Khamba too as he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Yuvraj Chingkhuba was enchanted by the voice and came out to see the master of the peculiar voice, his eyes gazed Khamba whose sparkling innocence touched him.

He asked the care-taker to fetch him a seat.

“What brings you here, son?” Chingkhuba asked of Khamba.

“O Mighty One! I am looking for any kind of job”, replied Khamba, not knowing who Chingkhuba was.

“Son, we don’t have the kind of work you are searching for”, Chingkhuba told him.

Khamba insisted again.

“Alright, you have to take my herd of cows out and bring them back before evening. However, there is one wild, untamed one. Remember, you can’t take him out”, Chingkhuba assigned Khamba.

Khamba happily nodded but the thought of leaving the single cow behind didn’t seem fair and so, he brought the wild cow too along with the herd.

Words spread about the untamed cow creating havoc. The villagers were all too scared to go outside their shelters. Someone reached Khamnu to describe the incident to her.

Panic struck Khamnu. Realizing this could bring harm to her brother, she ran out and started singing aloud mentioning Khamba to take back the cows to Chingkhuba and get back home.

Unperturbed and happy, Khamba did as his sister requested.

At the palace, Chingkhuba was quite impressed with Khamba that he wanted to adopt him. Khamba was excited but thinking of Khamnu, he told Chingkhuba he would get his sister’s permission first and left the palace.

Anticipating bad things for her brother, Khamba was kept hidden again while Khamnu resumed her work at the market.

Thoibi, unable to receive any news about Khamba, she came out to the market looking out for Khamba. Her gaze met Khamnu’s eyes and seeing the striking resemblance, she befriended Khamnu.

“Friend, let’s go to our house”, Thoibi invited Khamnu home.

At Thoibi’s palace, Khamnu was treated with delicious foods. Khamnu seemed upset thinking about her brother.

“What’s the matter, friend?” Thoibi enquired concernedly.

“I’ve a brother who must be hungry”, Khamnu responded dewy-eyed.

Thoibi showed different sizes of clothes to make an assertion if her brother was Khamba. Thoibi ordered her care-taker to pack food for Khamnu’s brother and motioned her to find out the truth. Khamnu and the care-taker left.

Khamba could get a glimpse of the care-taker from far and ran inside the house.

At Thoibi’s palace,

“Is her brother Khamba? Did you see him?” Thoibi questioned.

“I couldn’t see his face but he did seem like him”, the care-taker answered.

Many days like this followed. The friendship of Thoibi and Khamnu grew and eventually, Thoibi’s faith helped her find her love, Khamba.

Khamba and Thoibi were united and nothing could separate them thereafter. The era of an epic love began.