Together We Are Timeless[IF-NC_ENTRY] For Round 5 , page 11 - Page 2

                   

"All of a sudden, why do you want to marry me, Krishna?" With a perky smile, she had asked Krishna that day! He wanted to remind her of their eternal oneness at that moment!

" Radha, I attended a relative's marriage today. When I asked Maa why they are marrying, she told me if they marry, then they will be able to live together forever, will be able to meet the requirements of each other! 

"Forever? I questioned, Maa assured me, yes forever!  Radha...please, let us marry to live together forever." Radha was trying hard to hide her titters which were spilling out from the corners of her lips, like a sparkling star's twinkle on the mirror!

"Ohh ...  what to say, my eternal lover! This is not acceptable to the world! Society will never accept our out-of-the world relationship! They will demean me, I am already married and living with my family."

"Why is it not acceptable Radha? See, Lord Shiva had two wives, Mata Parvathi and Ganga. I heard that story from Maa ...and King Dasaratha had three wives. Don't you know those stories?  If a man can have many wives, then why can't a woman have many husbands!" There was childlike mischief in his words, but it was a prophet's defining moment!

She caressed his curly hair and then tried to explain, "It is acceptable only to Divine Gods and mighty Kings! Not to a normal girl like your Radha!"

"Then I will become a God and a King so that I can marry you ", he persisted with a glint of excitement in his eyes!

It was a moment of sublime ecstasy...though their relationship was astral and divine which didn't require any societal acceptance to tie them in a matrimonial bond!

 Cultural restraint has its tales of wisdom and morality. Radha tried to make him realize the prevailing norms of that time, " You are a God to us as our savior and the sovereign of this entire universe, already a ruler of our hearts! A woman is allowed to marry only one person. So I can't marry you, my dear infinite lover! "

Like the wavering light from the wick in its saucer of oil, the moonlight on his face made him look sombre and contemplative!

If a man can love many women, why can't a woman do the same? That was this divine being's question...Radha witnessed a determined Krishna, who was redefining many societal norms since his childhood in a sagacious manner, who was trying to curb many retrograde rules which were prevalent at that time. Today, he wanted to get a clarification from his Radha... still he was in an arguing mood!  

"Is he asking my acceptance or searching for truth in a woman's heart about his unacceptable decision?" Radha was thinking,-- it was a process of social evolution since society as a living unit was undergoing a constant change. It has to evolve according to that Yug Dharma, to the ethos of that ancient times! She looked at him, saw a resolution there in those deep eyes to lend a new definition to human relationships!

Is he trying to introduce a new norm, a refreshing society where a woman will get whatever she wants and hold her head high with self-respect? Does he want to give free will to the girl to select her partner?--

Suddenly, she was jerked back into the normal world with the incessant chatter of the maidens, while dipping their earthen pots into the river. On their way back, they came near to share a word with her.

"Radha! Did you get the invitation from your Krishna for his marriage?"

"What?? My Krishna is marrying? Whom? When? Who told you, girls ?"

"My husband reached home today morning from Dwaraka, he told me! Your Krishna abducted the princess of Vidarbha who requested him to take her away from her kingdom to marry her. Last evening, the bride and groom reached Dwaraka. Tomorrow is their marriage!" Megha answered.

She was befuddled, for a while silence ruled the surroundings. One by one, the maidens slipped from there watching  Radha in her startled, benumbed state!

A roar of thunder in the sky... lightning flashed in the eyes of maidens. They informed her that Yashoda is distributing sweetmeats, celebrating the good news.

The gnawing pain in her heart made her restless and unknowingly she started walking towards Nand's house!

A maid with a message walked towards her. Radha looked at her questioningly.

"Yashoda called you immediately! Someone is waiting for you there!"

"What for? Is there any news ?"

" A pleasant surprise is waiting for you Radha! Come fast!"

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "What? Is Krishna coming to meet me prior to his marriage?"

The maid already disappeared into thin air, far away from her sight!

She was walking along the river's winding bank all alone!

She crossed the deep shadows of the tree-lined pathway. The sighs of the grass under her feet sounded like the yearning heartbeats of a lovelorn maiden. The air has seeped with the strong fragrance of the flowering trees. The trees were dancing as if they were choreographed by the wind in perfect rhythm with one another in that late morning. While walking towards Nand's house, Radha was recollecting her last conversation with Krishna when he met her before leaving for Mathura. He told her that the time had come to sacrifice the land of pleasure, his Vilasa Bhumi, for moving into the land of duty, the Karma Bhumi.  He has to rescue the world which was descending into anarchy at that time.

"Radha, my quest is calling me.  A duty-bound Krishna is marching towards Mathura, leaving behind a tender lover image for you.  As a symbol of our love, I will wear the peacock feather on my crown. I always remember our moonlit night strolls and the cool comfort I derived from those precious moments. To recollect your musical words on such occasions, I will keep the bansuri with me. These two are the symbols of our love and will stay with your Krishna till his end.  Radha ...please, nurture that tender lover in your heart with the same warmth you did till now, and one day I will be back searching for my true self, only to lose myself again in your entrancing embrace. Bless me Radha!"

"How  can a heap of sorrow bless you, Krishna ?"

"I am seeking strength from the ocean of your love! From now onward, love is the pathway for both of us to meet in another realm. With your love, I'll establish a universal bonding in this world. Radha, bless me to lead that divine mission from the front!"

"How can your devotee bless her God Krishna? Living away from you means certain death to your Radha! My plight will be like a plucked flower which floats on the water moving without any destination! You are taking my life with you. My love will always protect you, will guide you throughout! Do your duty, your Radha is gifting her Krishna to the universe !" Before tears started flowing, she shut her eyes with the image of Krishna, deeply embedded and entrenched in them.

As she hurried towards Nand's house surrounded by all those fond memories, Vandana stopped her to ask, "Radha, have you seen that man from Dwaraka? He is looking like our Kanha, but there is no mischief in his smile! He is calm and composed like a priest! There is no Morpankh as his crown. Has our Krishna changed or is he someone else?"

Madhavi added, "Radha, I've seen a girl with a serene smile is sitting beside him on the chariot! Everyone is eager to see that couple.

While listening to their words in a state of incertitude, she started walking faster with a frown on her face! She knew, her Krishna will never allow even the breeze to touch his peacock feather, the symbol of their Love!

Radha was perplexed...stopped at the threshold of the house. She recognized the princely chariot at the front yard, the same one which had taken Krishna away from her many years back. The horses started stomping to get her attention.

With a titter, she patted on one of the horse's silky muzzle and whispered, "You must have carried Krishna to many places.  Please tell me if he ever remembered me while traveling in this chariot?"

When Nand saw Radha there, he called her in, to introduce the visitors to her.

"Radha, he is Uddhava, Kanha's cousin and a friend just like Arjun, the Pandav prince. While Arjun is the son of Kunti, Vasudeva's sister, Uddhava is the son of Devabhaga, Vasudeva's brother. He was born and raised in Mathura, studied at Sandipani Ashram along with our Kanha. She is his wife Ujjwala. Devaki sent them to invite all of us to attend Krishna's marriage. Uddhava... she is our Radha, Krishna's childhood friend. When he was born, she was a nine-year-old girl who married our friend's son and was living nearby. Since childhood, they played, they danced, they fought and grew up together. She has taken care of him and taught him the worldly knowledge. We are villagers. How do we know the Vedas or warfare? We lead a simple life with limited resources. We weren't aware of his princely status, so raised him like a normal cowherd boy. He used to play with the Gopikas. In those days, he was the leader of our clan. My Kanha is a darling to all, with his naughty, playful, all-knowing smile he used to enthrall us! His presence was a celebration for our lives."

 With a humble smile, Nand started narrating Krishna's childhood pranks to the royal couple.

Radha looked at them like the sun watching the luminous reflections of its dazzling light! Uddhava realized that the eager and anxious milkmaids mistook him for Krishna.

He was stunned at Radha's mysterious grace... the flame of love hidden in her heart was illuminating the surroundings! Her face was shining with a divine glow! It was easy to see the glow but hard to recognize the stillness of silence in her heart! He was seeing her spiritual beauty which was unlike a whimsical creation of Brahma's imagination, but appeared to have been created by Brahma in a trance of self-realization!

Uddhava recollected Krishna's instructions to meet his Maa and Baba first and handover the bags of gifts and sweets to be distributed in the village. Krishna specifically instructed them not to mention his wealth and opulence in front of them. --"then meet my Gopikas who are rich in devotion, more affluent than us because of their selfless love for their God! You must meet my Radha there, who allowed me to enter into this world to explicate it, to preach the selfless love and finally to emancipate it from sin and pain. While talking to her, you must be careful, never say any word about my struggles, she knows everything, just say that her Krishna is busy dealing with worldly attachments!"

As Uddhava looked at Radha...he realized her passion for Krishna turned her eyes into orbs of the brightest fire, that illumination which made her more beautiful!

Ujjwala gazed at Radha with awe... she has hair like the wind... wild and free. Eyes like the night... deep and mysterious. She is not looking like everyone. So divine!

Radha looked at Uddhava once and guessed, "Yes, what Vandana said was right! He resembles  Krishna, except  that  Morpankh and that deep love  for his Radha!"

Uddhava signaled his wife to go in with Radha. All the girls followed them in.

Ujjvala was surprised seeing the open expressions of these vraj girls. She knew only the royal norms and how to safeguard a girl's inner feelings. These cowherd maidens are openly expressing their overtures for their Krishna and teasing each other on that.

Radha sensed Ujjwala's bemusement. she explained, " For us, the universe is the embodiment of love...everything emerges from it and goes back into it. We are nature lovers, our expressions are like the sky mirrored in clear waters. Our love for our Krishna is innate. We never cared for the traditions and customs, our love for Him has transmuted into devotion now.  Our life replicates the free-flowing River Yamuna."

Ujjwala was surprised,-- how did she read my inner thoughts?

While watching her, Ujjwala recollected Krishna's words," My Radha represents my other half, which I left there, it is my past which shaped me and prepared me for my future pursuits. Radha is my Sakhi!  Along the banks of the Yamuna river, she used to walk towards me in the middle of the night, in search of my love.  We were two souls in communion with each other, not bound by convention nor burdened by the hierarchies of society, in which I am imprisoned now. Ours was an eternal quest! While talking to her, be attentive and observant Ujjwala, you have to share with me every word of hers after reaching back.  Remember, she knows everything before you tell, she never likes to show her emotions to anyone but  has an occasional smile on her face which enlightens the entire world, that is the inner beauty of my Radha!"  

When they moved in, they saw Yashoda offering sweets and fruits to the Brahmins and neighbors.   She invited Ujjwala with a fond smile and hug and came forward asking Radha,  "...Did you get the invitation to your Krishna's marriage? Our Krishna is going to marry a girl called Rukmini on her request. In Dwaraka, everyone is celebrating! We are the last ones to know about it! I heard that the bride and groom reached the royal palace yesterday evening and tomorrow is their marriage!"

Radha saw an inexplicable twinge in that mother's smile!

 All of a sudden Yashoda started imagining her son as a groom..."My son is so endearing Radha, so charming, will Devaki put a black dot on his cheek to ward off the evil eye  to  protect him from the envious glances of the onlookers?" A mother's concern resounded in those words! "He wears a bedecked crown, on top of it adorns the peacock feather. While accepting the Varmala, my kid has to bow his head to that girl! Will he do it gracefully or will he play mischief there?" A mother's imaginative bliss continued...!

 Ujjwala was watching these two women with veneration.

With a low voice, Ujjwala explained," All of a sudden it happened. No one knew about this till Krishna brought his bride to the palace. Because of the paucity of time, Mata Devaki could not come personally to invite you all. In a trice, we became a part of the celebration.  Now entire Dwaraka has transformed itself as a bride for our Krishna's marriage. While going back, we have to visit a few hermitages to invite the seers to bless the couple. So we request you to allow us to leave early."

Suddenly Yashoda asked Radha, "Devaki is inviting all of us, but you know me, I can't leave the house. That's why I am sending my jewelry to my Bahu as my gift, and for our Krishna,-- I know Kanha likes the black cow's milk most, so sending that cow for him as his mother's gift, to remind him of the tastes of his childhood! Our Gopikas are sending attractive gifts to him! What are you  sending to your Krishna?"

There was a flash of lightning on the horizon. In that flash, the red streaks in Radha's eyes were clearly visible to Yashoda.

Is it a streak of longing for her Krishna or is it a young girl's anger on deceit of her lover? A mother's heart quivered with concern!

With a pale smile, Radha replied, " From where do I bring a special thing which wasn't His to gift him today? If the entire world is owned by him, then who is the presenter and who is the acceptor here Bhabhi?"

Ujjwala was trying to read the ongoing thoughts of Radha at that moment.  She came forward and said, "The Vidarbha princess requested Krishna to marry her, Krishna saved her and accepted her love to fulfill her wish. While coming, they stopped at Devi Maa temple for a while. There, Krishna collected some flowers from the floral bushes and creepers...with them Princess Rukmini made two garlands. He adorned her with one and sent the other one for you! Here is your garland Radha!" She gave it to her as if she was handing over the most precious jewel in the world!  She continued ..."Radha, through his words I've heard many stories about you, how you shaped his persona and I realized that you are the most important person in his life. If you wish to send any gift to your Krishna, we will be happy  to carry."

Radha heard her words attentively, accepted the garland with  both hands, looked down for a while, then collected her wits back and slowly took Ujjwala's  hands into hers while thinking..."She is from my Krishna's place, means nearer to my heart, I can share my thoughts with her." 

"What can a cowherd maiden send to a Prince, Ujjwala? We are not as rich as your Prince. I am sending this small gesture as an offering to Him. Touch his cheeks once with your hands on my behalf and say, these palms  touched your Radha's cheeks, she sent her touch to you as her gift!" Ujjwala was stunned looking at her hands...tiny drops of tears stuck to her palms like well-crafted diamonds, glistening in that afternoon sun's bright rays! ------ [ 3000 words-- Title + The Main Content ]   

    "I will do as you wish Radha", she bowed her head with an intriguing expression for Radha's inexplicable love, sending the touch of a  tear as a gift to the Divine Prince!

The clouds cleared the sky after a light drizzle.

The chariot vanished from sight leaving behind a cloud of dust!  Radha was left stranded there in her thoughts, unable to move, trying hard to assimilate the shock. She started walking towards an unknown destination with that garland adorned in her neck, to immerse herself in penance for her Krishna! Her aura, that inner light, was shining so radiantly at that evening time, nothing could diminish or overpower its dazzle. Not even the imprints of pain!!----  [118 words]

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