Originally posted by: proteeti
Rukmini
A strong gale shook the temple gates, as the princess of Vidarbha took feeble steps outside the stone complex. She felt faint by the step. That is it. Today will be my last on this earth, she said to herself. Trembling at the knees,she descended the cold stairs, supported by her maids. A thick haze had enveloped her. Or was it just a mirror to her future? She couldn’t tell anymore. She looked around at the flowers adorning the temple walls and the steps. Though soft, they felt like thorns to her feet. Head bowed, to hide the overwhelming tears,she stepped under the intricately carved gate. The stone maidens embroiled in passionate embraces seemed to mock her. The stone-carved heroes were laughing at her. Of course! You deserve this derision, fool! You thought he, the king of all kings, the leader of the new world would come for you? How stupid you are!And why should he? Who are you but a simple maiden? You did not even have courage to accept your love for him in front of your family! You do not deserve him in any way!
“Are you feeling alright, Kumari?” Startled, Rukmini stared. Apparently, she had collapsed under the gate. All of her maids surrounded her with fans and glasses of water. ”Kumari, should we send a message to the Yuvaraj? He can come and pick you up?” “NO! Do not call my brother!” Rukmini steadied herself. “I’m alright.Thank you!”
Rukmini trudged but a few steps when the world before her swayed again. Through the swirl of fog and dust, she saw a pair of lotus eyes staring at her, strong hands clasped around her waist. Can this be him? Then she heard a honey-sweet baritone,“You haven’t had anything to eat. Have you, my dear?” She could barely nod. She had in fact refused to eat anything from the morning. “Okay, so I am Krishna.You sent me a message through Sridama, remember? You wanted me to abduct you from here?”
Her vision was beginning to clear up. She nodded weakly at the peacock feathered smile. “Well,then you’d rather hop on and sit tight because I am going to speed!” With a sleek motion, he swirled her up on the golden chariot and leaped unto the driver’s seat. He waved at an awestruck man ogling at them. “Hey Shishupal! Remember me?Lost a couple of arms on my watch, now, didn’t you?” Shishupal’s expression changed from a surprise to furious and finally a blur.
For some distance they traveled in silence. The wheezing of the wind, whirring of the chariot wheels and the clucking of the horses’ hoofs all clicked harmoniously. Rukmini stared at her abductor’s crown. The peacock feathers flapped in the air, while curly locks got increasingly entangled. Rukmini couldn’t still process all that had happened. Am I truly free? No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake up that eerie feeling. Then there was a clucking of hoofs that drew menacingly close. Her heart sank again as the familiar voice grew louder and louder spitting out slurs in each breath. “That your brother huh?” “Yes.” Rukmini mumbled. “I’m sorry.” With a loud screech their chariot came to a stop. The horses neighed angrily. Krishna turned; his face was grim now. “What did you say?” He asked. His face seemed to be burning with a growing rage. Rukmini gulped, “I-I’m sorry.”
“I heard. Now,you listen and you listen clearly. Never ever DARE apologize to me again. Now let’s go teach your brother some manners, shall we?” Rukmini followed him quietly. Her brother, Yuvaraj Rukmi was already loading his bow. Letting out a little scream, Rukmini took a few steps back. To her horror, Krishna had also drawn a long sword. For the better part of an hour, she watched horrified as Rukmi and Krishna fought back and forth, their anger growing by the second. I did not want this! She watched her brother slowly losing the hack of the duel, while a huge army led by a man wielding a golden mace. It was definitely his brother, Balarama. She turned just in time to see her brother on his knees held by his hair, Krishna shivering in rage, the famed Sudarshana chakra in his hand. In a jiff, she found herself clutching at his feet, sobbing and begging for her brother’s life.
Immediately Krishna let go of him and knelt beside her. Wiping her tears, he said, “It’s okay Rukmini dear, I will let him live. Please calm down. I just want to extract a revenge from him for insulting you that’s it.” Rukmini’s throat had gone dry.She just kept pressing his hands pleading through her eyes. “Okay, since this is your wish, I will let him live, but he cannot go scot-free.” He continued with a smile, “And as his newfound brother-in-law, don’t you think I should educate him about the consequences of his wrongdoings? I feel it as my right.” Rukmini looked on as Krishna approached the now tightly-bound Rukmi, grinning ear-to-ear. “So,Mr. Brother-in-Law, let’s now apologize to your sister now?” Wincing, Rukmi let out an angry murmur of apology. “Okay, and don’t you think that hairstyle is a bit outdated? Since you obviously are not a very valiant young man, between bullying your little sister and hiding behind Jarasandha and his cronies, I think you may need to give up some of that beautiful hair now.” Rukmini watched in incredulity as with a fluid motion of an arrow, Krishna shaved half of Rukmi’s head and mustache.
Chuckling loudly, Balarama opened Rukmi’s bondage, and shooed him off on his half-broken chariot. Rukmini felt a warm hard across her shoulder. Finally, she managed asmile. While they bent down to seek Balarama’s blessings, he laughed and said to her, “Vaidarbhi, here’s something that might give you some hope. Your husband is not always Sudarshana-angry. Mostly he’s just this-lock-of-hair-level angry. I don’t know if it would help, but I am usually the angrier one in the scene.” Krishna chuckled back at him, “Now, Dau. If I could have some privacy with my WIFE?”
“Yes sure!Have me drive out a hundred miles in the middle of the night, fight a hell of a battle and then demand privacy with your, may I mention, not-as-yet wife?! You,mister, will board your chariot right now stop no farther than Grandpa’s palace.And you sister will keep him in check, because the next time he disturbs my sleep, I break his neck.”
Grinning sheepishly, Krishna helped Rukmini onto his chariot, and his time sat down beside her, an arm around her neck. Rukmini blushed bright red, “Well at least I know not to apologize anymore!” She hid her face at the crook of his neck while Balarama reached out and pulled down their privacy curtain as the chariot rolled forward.
How about this? 😳
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