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Krishna opens Rukmini's letter & reads it. In it, she praises him and states that she desires him for her husband, but that her brother Rukmi has bethrothed her to Chedi ruler Sishupal. She tells him that b4 it comes to that, she'd either enter the fire or pray for the earth to split up. She then describes to him how to rescue her. She asks him to come to her kuldevi temple tomorrow, and abduct her after her puja. The devas are observing all this from above, and Indra & Narad have a conversation about it. Indra is curious about how it will go on.
In Vidarbha, Jarasandha's allies arrive - Shalva, Dantavatra and Viduratha (brother of Dantavatra). They are welcomed by Sishupal, Rukmi & Jarasandh. All congratulate him on his engagement, but Sishupala expresses his concern that Krishna might come and steal his bride. Jarasandha tells him that he's happy that he's his adopted ward, or else he'd have killed him then & there. He accuses Sishupala of doubting his might, and ability to stop Krishna.
Rukmi holds a session w/ his top generals and orders that all exit points from the city be sealed. He tells them that if any of them can bring him Krishna's head, he'll promote him to commander in chief, but if Krishna gets away w/ Rukmini, all their families would be wiped out 😡 In short, he had very generous rewards for success, but cruel punishments for failure.
Sishupala is doing a puja, and his priest gives him a sword which he states represents the honor of his dynasty. He tells him not to let the sword, among other things, fall on the ground, or else it will bode ill for him.
At the court later, one of Sishupala's attendents hands him that sword, but accidentally drops it 😵 Sishupala is furious @ that and kicks him, and raises his sword to slay him. However, Jarasandha stops him 😲 and asks him not to sully his hand w/ the blood of that weakling. Shalva & Dantavatra assure him that no ill omens can befall him due to their combined might.
Later, Sishupala comes to the capital to a welcome by Rukmi, and is greeted by a priest w/ a diya thali. The diyas go off while the priest is doing his varan, and Sishupala gets upset. Jarasandha however mollifies him.
Back @ Dwarka, Krishna picks up his flute to play it, but is unable to. His mind is full of what Rukmini had written, and for the first time, he looks rather tense. The episode ends on his face.
Precap:
Krishna asks his charioteer to take him to Kundinpur so that they arrive the next morning.
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