Beginning In an era called Haya Chak,
King Sentreng Apanba ruled the realm of
Ancient Kangleipak (early
Manipur).
Khulen Nganba, one of the King's nobleman, had two good ladies, the senior lady named
Yangkhuleima (aka Yangkhureima, Yaibireima or Yaipileima) and the junior lady named
Sangkhuleima (aka Sankhureima). The elder lady had a daughter named
Sandrembi (Sanarembi) (
and also boy in another version of the story) and the younger lady had only one daughter named
Chaisra (aka Cheisra). Chaisra and her mother devoured the tortoise meat to their heart's content and threw away the bones in the verandah. Again the tortoise mother told Sandrembi in her dream to keep the tortoise bones undisturbed inside a basket by covering it with a cloth for 7 consecutive days. Sandrembi did so. However, before the completion of the said period, out of her anxiety as well as curiosity, Sandrembi opened the basket and as it disturbed the normal process of regaining the human shape, the tortoise mother came out in the form of a
sparrow and flew away. Poor Sandrembi died and her soul (or corpse in another version of the story) got transformed into a pigeon and flew away. Chaisra, disguising as Sandrembi in the Queen's dress, went to the palace and behaved as if she was the real Sandrembi. The suspected king told her in anger, "You are not my queen whose face is as fair as the lily. You are disfigured." Chaisra answered that she contracted mental and physical agony when she wept for her son. The king noticed Chaisra's long nose, deep eyes and bushy eyelids, which are contrasting to Sandrembi's features. When asked about her sudden ugliness, Chaisra told him that crying and rubbing her eyes all her way due to missing the king make her ugly. In spite of his suspicion, the King wanted suitable opportunity to detect if she was a false queen. == Editions ==