Together We Are Timeless[IF-NC_ENTRY] For Round 5 , page 11 - Page 7

Yashoda asked Uddhava to stay back for the night so that she could inquire about her Krishna and his family life. Krishna once told Uddhava to tell Maa Yashoda whenever she wanted to know anything about him to make her feel happy. Uddhava couldn't deny this request. Yashoda sent a servant to Radha's house to inform them about her staying back at Nand's place. Radha's house was like a hermitage. Her husband would often invite many sages to have discussions on myriad spiritual aspects.

 Uddhava sat in the front yard on the elevated platform under the Bakula tree talking with Radha and Yashoda till dawn. In the serenade of the night, the stars were like a million lights singing sweet melodies in infinite rhythmic patterns. Sometimes, the senses crave for a musical symphony and darker the night, sweeter the celestial song!

When Yashoda expressed her displeasure on not meeting any of her bahus and not blessing any of her grandchildren, Uddhava replied to her. "You have had the privilege of watching God growing from your blessed lap. One day, when Devaki expressed the same dissatisfaction to Krishna for not having an opportunity to pamper him as a child, then Krishna had said, Mata, when you were in Kans's prison, Maa Yashoda had taken care of me, now you are witnessing the growth of her child as a husband and a father of your grandchildren. At Brindavan, she is longing to have a glimpse of my family life now. My life was divided between the two of you. I always shared my every moment with many lives, but surprisingly I am always dependent on the tender care of women who are there for me as mothers, friends, lovers, and queens. I am fortunate enough for all these associations, sharing my life with all of you. I am a follower of fate, with no right to choose or lose according to my wish. This love is a saving shield as well as an unbreakable bond for me. These manacles are always like tender garlands Mata, which allured me, tied me and kept me under its control with a lovely bonding."

 While answering Yashoda's questions, Uddhava was observing Radha. He felt like she was trying to ask him something. He looked at her, ready to respond.

"Uddhava, why is society always eager to insult women? My thoughts are with Draupadi, why she had to bear such an insult from sinful royals' lust or for ambitious princes' claim for the crown? Why they made a maiden's honor as their bid in that game of a crown?"

" Radha, do not worry for Draupadi, Krishna will save her in all situations," assured Uddhava.

For that, with a pale smile, Radha said, "Now what is there to save? Only the final sacrifice is left!"

Yashoda was listening to their conversation silently. Suddenly, she said, "I am concerned for my Krishna. As long as he was here, he was the most blissful kid, played and danced with frolicking fun, and at the end of the day, he used to come back to my lap to sleep peacefully. Tell him  to come once to have a few moments of rest on the lap of his Maa, to relax for a while."

Radha with a reassuring voice said, " Bhabhi, your son is a God,  you are the fortunate mother who loved and is loved by Him. Everyone calls him Yashodanandan, every mother is singing your songs to make her child to sleep and it will be the same for ages to come. No God has ever got such pampering from a mother, but our Krishna is fortunate enough to get such pure love from you. " Radha's words calmed her down for a while. Still, she was disturbed for the current phase of his life.

" My child is a mischievous God, a naughty kid who kept His mother on her toes! Once to grab my attention, he pretended to eat mud, for which I scolded him. When I asked him to open his mouth, he mesmerized me by showing the entire universe in his tiny gaping mouth. When I was confused, he was afraid and started crying like a normal kid to get a hug from me. When I questioned him for eating butter from others' houses, his answer was, 'how do I know the meaning of mine and your Maa, hence I feel no difference in eating or taking things from others, for me Makhan is Makhan, it will melt within no time! How can it be yours or mine if there is nothing to see after a few moments?"

 With a smile, Radha and Uddhava were trying to understand little Krishna's words.

"My Krishna is the tiniest kid to his mothers and the most romantic youth to his lovely maidens! Mischievous and mysterious Krishna accommodated himself as a spec in his mother's womb, held the entire universe as a tiny particle in his stomach,"  Radha laughed musically, that laugh came from within, while tears of elation were flowing from her eyes.

Again Yashoda said, "I want to see him once before I die, Uddhava. Tell him to come to me whenever he feels hungry, I am here with an open door, waiting for him." With tears flowing from her eyes, she pleaded with him.

 Radha hugged Yashoda to console her. "Don't be in despair bhabhi, you are the mother of God himself, like a kid he played with you, and later when he wanted to leave, you dedicated him to his kingdom, like any selfless mother! Your son is a universal ruler now! He has no time to respond to our supplications. You were left with your recollections and I was left with my memories and passion for him." Her sigh was resigned and weary.

To divert the topic, Uddhava shared an interesting incident with them which happened when Draupadi had visited Krishna as the queen of Indraprastha. He recollected the conversation between them, which Krishna narrated to him later.

"On that day, when Draupadi was talking to Krishna sitting in his chambers, Rukmini entered with refreshments for them. The conversation turned towards women's rights and her duties defined by the sages and rishis at that time. Draupadi had mockingly teased Rukmini for sending a pandit as a messenger to Krishna to convey her love! For that, Rukmini with a tight lip smile asked her, ' What to do Yajnaseni? Your Sakha is such a charmer who made young girls run after him with devotion!' For that, Draupadi with a suppressed smile questioned her, 'Rukmini, tell me again? With devotion or with a delusion of desire?'

"With a coyish admission, Rukmini continued...' Before he was owned by anyone, I wanted to tie Him in my love in a hurry! But, now see me, here I am to invite his brides one after the other standing with an Aarti at the threshold!' They had a hearty laugh. All of a sudden Satyabhama and others entered with a grin on their faces inquiring what is going on in between Sakha and his Sakhis?  

"Their conversation led to many other topics regarding women and their freedom in selecting their spouses. Suddenly a portrait of a beautiful girl with a divine aura caught Yajnaseni's eyes. She questioned Krishna, 'Who is this exquisitely beautiful woman?' To that, all the Ashta Bharyas answered in one voice, 'It is me! You can see some of my traits in that portrait!' Draupadi was surprised and looked at Krishna, he was watching that portrait with adoration. As if talking in a trance, he said,' How beautiful are those eyes!  The entire love of this world is flowing from those eyes as moonlight ...so soothing to my soul!' His well-tuned voice sounded like a gently flowing river's musical whisper. I can't express my feelings at that moment in mere words, Radha. With a divine glow, you were standing there in that portrait painted by Krishna. I was surprised... that delicate, fragile woman looking from that frame had once shaped and strengthened Krishna's thoughts with her love! Draupadi recognized it's you, Radha! Later, when Draupadi met me, she said with a hearty laugh, Uddhava, what a cunning person our Krishna is! Instead of naming his Radha, he saved himself from the wrath of his wives by simply nodding his head and keeping silent!' In a way, he is correct Radha, he searched for your special traits in those beautiful women and married them to have a strand of you nearer to him in that Raj Mahal! I heard about you first time from Rukmini, she said, you gifted him to the universe to do his duty! I have seen pure love in her eyes, so selfless and dedicated! She loves him unconditionally just like you Radha! I can imagine your self-pride and courage when you wanted to protect your Krishna from all dangers, the warrior queen Satyabhama possesses this special trait of yours! I saw the adoration in the eyes of Jambavathi, now seeing it in your eyes! I have seen immense dedication for Krishna in Mitravinda's smiles, that same smile I am witnessing now when you are thinking about him. Your peace-loving nature is owned by Bhadra there! " Uddhava narrated that incident to Radha to convey the message that her Krishna has never forgotten her. She smiled blissfully and with that realization, serenity came back to her face.

The sun started opening up as an orange flower on the horizon to paint a beautiful hue on the cheeks of the earth! Uddhava left for Dwaraka with a heavy heart.

Dawn came with a musical silence, souls could hear the melodies that ears could not. A new day had come with new possibilities. A fresh page in time's classic epic was yet to be written. A new beginning was possible and possibility means hope.

But the wait to meet her Krishna was unbearable for Radha.  She lost interest in all earthly chores.  Always sitting at one place, she was lost in deep thoughts. Her family started worrying about her. Sometimes Radha would aimlessly go to Nand's house, asks Yashoda about Krishna and both would hug each other with flowing tears. For hours, they would talk about Krishna and his playful ways of teasing the Gopikas with his pranks to trouble them. She laughed at an illusory image of her Krishna and suddenly started talking to herself, "Why were you born Radha? If your Krishna is not here, why you are still alive? Go to your Krishna and live with him. Oh, how insane you are, he is not yours, he is a prince now, because of your good karma in your previous birth, you got a chance to be with him for a while. Now you are left with his image to live with.--[ 1808 words.]

One after the other, the Rain festival and the Spring festival passed peacefully. Radha was worrying for Krishna knowing the happenings in His life. War was looming large over the Aryavarta. Many kingdoms declared their support to their preferred side. Before plunging into an all-pervasive and destructive war, He wanted to give a chance to peace. While seeking guidance from Krishna, Pandavas pleaded with him to go as their messenger to Hasthinapur to convey their message to Kauravas.

Krishna left for Hasthinapur on his chariot to give peace a chance to prevail. Slowly the chariot was moving forward. A big turmoil stirred his heart. He knew very well that peace had no place then, the mutation of sin was the only solution. The need of the hour was to awaken and elevate the collective consciousness. Throughout his life, he had faced different crises that arose like waves, one after the other. Even then, not once was his countenance clouded by sorrow. He solved all the problems with wisdom. But now he felt there was a void in his heart. A longing to get solace from someone! The possibility of ethical conflict would be there if the war happened. Guidance with spiritual knowledge was necessary. He whispered a word into the ears of his horses. The horses changed their route...

On that crisp Spring day, Radha saw colorful flowers wavering in the breeze like celestial smiles and tender buds ready to open in the night. The trees with full bloomed branches were lined up like guards as if standing there in advance to receive an unexpected visitor that day! Before bidding adieu, the Sun asked the blinking sky to watch over the maiden there!

There ...there, she sat under the Tamala tree on that riverside with a beautiful dream to witness the divine light in her life, adjusting her veil on her head. That veil was looking like a veil between the anguished wait and the delirious delight, a veil between the parched thirst and the fulfilling thought, a veil between the longing and possessing, a veil between the interlude and the union.  When the veil would be blown away, new dawn would arrive in her life! There was a frisson of excitement in her heart and an exotic gamut of exhilaration on her beautiful face. The last veil and wail of her past sorrow were being blown away!

Radha had a premonition that something eventful was going to happen. All of a sudden, she was possessed by an overwhelming nervous ecstasy! The trees on the river bank were swaying their heads absorbing the cool breeze. The floral shrubs were in full bloom. It looked as if every branch and bush were trying to convey something to her. The nearby bamboo grove started singing the melodious evening raga Abhogi. The stars were blinking like giving a message to her pulsating heart! There was an eagerness to meet someone. Why is this happening today ... all of a sudden? She looked at the sky, the moonlight grinned merrily at her!

"There is a message ... someone is coming for me... to meet this cowherd maiden, how can I receive that divine light? Why are my eyes searching for Him in this sultry night," were her throbbing musings!

Darkness was slowly widening its territory!  Entire nature was resonating in unison, "He is coming, he is coming ... see there he is, crossing all boundaries and trying to reach out to you!" The crescent of the waning moon was coming out from its languorous slumber and started smiling at the world with his cool rays. Clouds were still there looking at the moon with awe and envy. The night was awaiting an event of epic proportion!

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, her frizzy black hair stuck on her forehead. She stood there wonderstruck! Looking at the charmingly dark, mesmerizing, enchanting divine light with a wondrous aura standing in front of her, smiling at her! " Krishna" ... a sweet cry from her heart resonated in her soul! She was astonished, unable to move her eyes ...stranded there! A song of prayer was transforming into the poetry of desire there!

"Radha ...please, allow me to be with you for a while, forgive me for the long separation! I am back here searching for myself, to immerse myself again in your tender embrace! Radha, my duty is calling me. War is peeping over mankind with an indication of annihilation! On that destined day, a duty-bound human being marched towards Mathura and I left behind my tender lover image for you. Want to see that lover once again in your eyes Radha."

 She was stranded between the seductive interplay of action and interaction! She stood there wearing her pride as a transparent veil, while gentle zephyr played with her black tresses. All of a sudden, the veil of pride yielded to the intense yearning of timeless love and like a lovelorn girl she wanted to own Him but when she saw the colorful floral garland adorning His neck, she stopped. It reminded her of His sending garlands as a gift to her every time after losing Himself to another girl's love. She looked into His serene eyes to seek the answer. Is it not pure love, is it not a complete surrender? Her heart said yes, He is here for you, to get back His divine self in your embrace.' But the earth will never accept a cloud hugging it, it will adorn only the lightning it produces. His smile touched her body, His presence itself engulfed her whole self. She stood still in front of Him!!

The passing breeze asked the flowing river, 

"Why is Radha not accepting her Krishna into her arms?" 

The river replied with its wading wavelets,

 "She is absorbed by His mere presence and lost her veil in that swaying pride, recollecting those past stories which were passionately entrenched on each other's hearts!"

The brimming stream smiled a bit, the running river stirred the love, but the moon reflecting on the waves reminded her that He was owned by many queens!

"While I sat at the threshold of our love, waiting to have a glance of my Kanha, no one answered my longing wails! You were busy owning your queens," in a fit of pique she murmured.

 "No Radha, I was searching for you, to own you in another form! No one is more beautiful than you, no one is there to caress my head when I am in distress, please hug me with that assurance one more time Radha.  No one dares to squeeze my cheeks like you do whenever you were angry! I am here to bathe in your warmth. Please allow me to hug you once Radha!"

"Who are you?" in a fit of mock anger, she inquired! 

"I am you! He replied.

With confusion, she questioned him again, "Who am I?  "Radha, together we are the definition of love! In separation, we are the images of sorrow! Am I not you Radha? It will be difficult for me to define myself without mentioning your name because you are the totality of me! I am a tiny part in you!" Silence reigned between them for a while! They knew that it was the glorious moment of their life, their moment of reckoning!

"Krishna, are you a charmer of life, or a judge of wisdom? The cause of desire and the effect of love are so evenly balanced in your mere presence on earth!" With a shy smile, she questioned him. When it was time for souls to meet, there was nothing on earth that could prevent this preordained event.

She wanted to run into his arms, but before she realized her thought, he was already on her feet! She was startled and satisfied at the same time. She was unable to hide her bliss for this encounter, and it overflowed as an enigmatic smile on her lips. She wanted to lift his face to look into his eyes, for that moment she had longed since ages, but her eyes were filled with tears and she was unable to see his face; she tried to touch his cheeks, but all of a sudden, she remembered the gift she sent to him after his marriage with Rukmini...a stiff thought, 'now he is not mine, he is a universal lover with many queens.' She hesitated for a moment!

How the ground between them had erased, no one could recall, but at that moment, they were morphed into a single being. His hands were clasped around her waist and with each soft touch, more tears fell, neither of them tried to wipe those. The resonating hearts whispered to each," after ages we got a chance to make new memories". Her eyes resembled the water-bearing clouds at that moment.  

His touch was writing a new verse on her heart. She wanted to weave a garland with all her memories to adorn His feet.

Is it true? My Krishna is in front of me?'  It was unbelievable for her. 

As if talking to herself she said, "You are the reason for my existence, Krishna. Without you, I am lifeless. Without you, I am just a mere illusion. Why didn't you inform me about your coming? If I had known you are coming today, I would've spread tender flowers on your path, if I knew of your arrival, I would have sprinkled moonbeams on both sides to soothe your heart, if I knew you are coming today, I'd have arranged fresh butter for you to relish like earlier. Is it you my Krishna, are you really here? For me? For your Radha? To be owned by her?"

"Yes, Radha! As I promised to you earlier, I am here to search myself in your eyes, to lose again in your presence. I came here to meet you Radha, only to meet you. On that day, I left all attachments behind, moved forward to save my parents, to define a new society to keep people happy. Don't want to re-establish those ties and bind me in more knots now. I have tired Radha, so very tired. Let me rest my head on your lap for a while. That will give me immense strength which I need now. You are the only person who can give peace to this distraught peacemaker." He closed his eyes in peace, she ran her fingers through his curly hair. He felt a sense of comfort in that soft touch.

He slowly pulled her close to him, wrapped his arms around her. His embrace was warm and in those divine protective arms, she wanted to lose herself forever. The world around them melted away as they were close to each other, not wanting that moment to end.

In that embrace, the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no space, no other thought. Their minds were at peace. Pure. Unselfish. Undemanding. She lost her identity and felt only the presence of Krishna. This was the moment she'd waited for, prayed for, longed for. She thanked God for this eternal bliss. 

The God on her lap smiled benevolently. Earth rejoiced and told itself, "A moment like this has to be cherished for life.

She turned her head away to hide her tears while pointing towards the river, "Look, Krishna, look at the Yamuna, ask the river, it will narrate the stories of my sorrow for you!" She choked, barely holding back her breath.

 "I can feel your pain, Radha. Heard all the stories you keep telling with your heart beats. But one look from you has put all my hesitations at bay. You are a perfect solace for this endless wanderer. What shall I do? That passion in your eyes, the purity of your soul, the deep connect within, the strong desire for this union, how can I explain to you, I can't stay far from you, because you are a part of me, you are a part of my destiny!"

"Krishna, see, how the entire Brindavan transformed itself like a beautiful bride when it heard your footsteps! How fortunate is this milkmaid to have God in her hands!" Radha cupped his face in her hands to watch his compassionate eyes.

"Radha, I am here to share my emotional turmoil with you. War is staring at earth. The human race is mindlessly opting for extinction. What to do Radha? Your Krishna has to lead this destruction from the front. The coming generations will blame me for this." His thoughtful eyes mirrored more of His sorrow than His words to her.  

 Krishna said again with a concerned voice, "Showing disrespect towards a woman and avarice are indeed the worst sins. I had taken a stand when the honor of a woman was at stake. Draupadi is not going to be a passive woman. She is fiery, will never tolerate injustice. She is brilliant and does have the properties of purity and purification. Moreover, anyone who touches the fire gets burnt. Fire is not that forgiving like God. Everyone who tried to touch Draupadi even in their thoughts will burn. Desire is to life like what wind is to fire, it extinguishes the small, it inflames the great. What to do Radha, I have to decide the fate of these kingdoms with wisdom. I don't want destruction, have never liked pain and loss to the human race."

"Krishna, how could you get answers without leaving the association of this worldly bonding? You think like a monk and implement justice like a monarch? With an assertive smile, she continued,  "Where a man reaches by renouncing the world, a woman reaches by embracing the world in its wholeness." [2293]

Krishna rose from the ground and sat beside her. He held her shoulders and smiled at her. There is no Radha and Krishna, there is only Radhakrishna... one being... the reflection of the other. Just like the moon smiles at itself on water, he smiled at her watching his reflection in her wet eyes.

She continued, "The world needs a preacher at this crucial juncture. Now the Divine Self is here to define dharma and show them the right path. Tell them to give a chance to peace, if still, they want to annihilate themselves in the fire of lust and greed for supremacy, then assist dharma and do the needful justice. I am a cowherd maiden without any worldly knowledge. How can I advise you, Krishna? Still, tempted to tell, you are the embodiment of Truth, Knowledge, and Bliss. You hold your Sudarshan to punish the sin, you are capable of winning any dispute. You are ruling this world with your divine compassion. You are engrossed in the welfare of humans. You are the splendor of this universe and the conqueror of the enemies. You are the absolute truth, the limitless. You are the shore of the ocean of problems, the quintessence of all the sacred Vedas! What to say, Krishna, this mankind is blessed by your presence on this earth."

"Radha, now the time has come to move from here, to teach humanity about the fundamental duties of an ideal man, the dharma-artha-kama-moksha, i. e, righteousness, prosperity, desire, and salvation. I have to go Radha, send your Krishna with your assuring smile."

"Yes, Krishna, how can I deny? You are on a mission now, a mere visitor for your Radha." Her ardent desire for their liaison in her downcast glance and the visibly excruciating and unbearable pain at the approaching separation were evident.

 Radha rested her head on his chest and said, "When you are not with me, I don't even exist. The time we were separated may be moments for you, but for me, it spans ages. In your hugs, I used to see all my memories flourish, now where can I store the memories of my past?? How can I bear this impending separation Krishna?"

Suddenly, a radiant thought of hope along with a dazzling sparkle appeared in Radha's eyes. She made an attempt to convince Him saying, "Oh Krishna, you are divine, you can do anything! Then why don't you erase our separation from my life and add impartible closeness with me? " Radha was brainy and incisive, hence she controlled her emotions and words. Still, the eagerness to avert their separation was clearly visible in her deep dark eyes.

"Radha whatsoever is meant to happen, will happen. Our cycle of union, disunion, and then again this union, all are inevitable. Everything always happens according to fate. Sometimes we feel dejected, but it is just a matter of time, we will unite soon in another sphere." Radha stood with a strained silence in her crestfallen state.

Watching her like that caused intense pain in each cell of His body, the pain that Radha possibly felt. He put her hand on His chest and said, "It's our fate Radha, I am hiding behind fate which kept us separate. What to do Radha, your Krishna is duty bound now," His voice was choking.

"From the moment I heard your gentle steps, and that melodious call of my name left your lips, I knew it was you, Krishna! You have finally arrived for me, like an unannounced divine blessing! Now again you are going away from me, how can I bear this pain?  My dear traveler of an imaginary landscape, please wait for a minute, don't sing a melodious song with elation, time is in slumber at present, don't disturb it, let it rest for a while until our meeting is over! I made a garland with my hopes, weaved it with my dreams, to adorn you with my love, Krishna. The sky and the river with inquisitive glances are watching us! Let me make a chain with the stars to adorn it on your chest, Krishna, please wait for a while."

 "Why with stars, Radha? Your smiles are the most beautiful gems glittering on the sky of love, gift me those, I will hide those in my embrace!"

"Krishna, let others sing of morals and ethics with unkindly words and demean me for my love. Let them paint shadows on imaginary lines. When you were yet to be born, I was there waiting for you, and after that small stint of our dancing with glee in the meadows under the moonlight, I was with you to melt in that symphony, then all of a sudden, you left me behind. Let me live in the shade of your eternal love. Krishna, let us admit impediments. I know the worth of your love which was unknown to anyone unto eternity. Let us bear this separation, when humanity is on the verge of doom and looking at you for sacrifice, you have to go to uplift virtues. I know Krishna, you already prepared Draupadi for the final act, and now I am sending you with my faith as a cushion under your feet, with a soothing balm of memories on our burning hearts. Come into my hands once, I want you for me for only a moment in this never-ending time's unstoppable journey. Draw strength from your Radha who is living only for you! I am gifting my Krishna as a preacher to this world now. Teach virtues to mankind, Mukunda. The world has to save itself from the flames of war, it is waiting to breathe again in your bright rays of kindness, the world is seeking your guidance. Decide the fate of sinners with a stern act and define the Karma theory for future generations."

She knew that she would never see him again.  And he was aware of that. They wished that time would freeze for a while, but time is just like fate, will move on its defined, relentless path.

 "I don't cry because we've been separated by distance. As long as we share the same sky we're together, Krishna!"

"I wake up with your name on my lips every morning, Radha. The delicate strands of love will keep us together even when we are far apart. It is time for me to leave, to do what I am destined to do, to make changes and sacrifices that are necessary. Don't think that I am going far away from you, I am carrying you with me in my heart. Space and Time started playing a dual game between them."

Krishna started walking towards the chariot. Radha closed her eyes, unable to watch him going far away from her. The sky and the stream were watching the divine interaction with the utmost reverence. The breeze and the trees that followed their conversation were confused and asked each other who was the biggest loser? Radha or Krishna? The flowing Yamuna told the wading shadows of the sky that both are blessed, on receiving each other's precious love. No one knew how long they have to wait to meet again in this illusory world in their earthly life!

 Radha and Krishna are just ripples and their love is like a perennial river, eternal and infinite. [1224 Words]

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Riya, thanks a lot for liking my RK narrative. 🤗 

Yes... why do we females go through such deep pain? Because our hearts are so tender, our love is so strong and our longing is always eternal, in total we know how to suffer patiently, endurance thy name is a woman!!🤗