The Mythical Mornings

Shisupal

"You are not his friend. But his kept woman. Your so called five husbands have sold you to him,to gain his support. This magician has used his magic on you like he used on the Gopis and many others. He is a charmer.."Shisupal continued..

Shree Krishna sat on the golden seat smiling. His one leg lied gently folded on his chair. Other leg on the small footrest. The lotus feet of him without any adornment shone. The blue cloth drapped on his body and the yellow one he wore told many things about him. He was gentle. He was silent. Yet he was movement. He was quite and he was noise. He sat looking at Shisupal intrigued. What kind of cousin brother he was. His mother had taken a promise from him. To forgive a hundred of his sins. Luckily he had not appeared infront of him when Rukmini was in his arms. Otherwise. He might have died that day. But now. It seems. The Raj sabha of Pandavs would be tainted by the blood of Shisupal..

According to the Kurukul shresth Bhisma,Vasudev was the one worth receiving the first worship from the newly crowned Empress and Emperor. So they did. Draupadi washed his feet. And wiped his feet with her cloth. She did that with the royal garb she was wearing. He smiled. Sakhi. What kind of love are you showering on me. He wondered. But he knew. She did that out of love. Of respect. And he allowed it. Otherwise. Vasudev Shree Krishna never let anyone touch his feet. It's always the otherway around.

His Sakhi had seen him picking up the banana leaves that was left behind by the priests after they ate. She had seen him. Washing their feets. And wiping it. He did that with utmost attention. Actually whatever he did. He did that with love.

And she did the same. Infront of him,she sat. Her knees touching the ground. Her eyes on his feet. Donot know why she felt like crying. Watching his feet. His feet was wounded. There was a small scar on it. As she washed it,a drop of tear fell. And it fell on his feet. Krishna looked at the Empress. With his smile.

The emperor stood beside her. With his hand folded. As she completed the rituals,washing his feet,wiping it. Then applying the sandalwood paste on his forehead. Then they both stood. He too stood up..

But before he could open his mouth, soemone else spoke..

From his birth,to his leaving for Vrindavan,Shisupal chatted everything. But he did not know,he was not tarnishing the reputation of Shree Krishna. He was tarnishing his own.

But when he opened his mouth to talk about something he should never have. About His Radha,he did not even utter a word and his head was cut off from his throat..

Bhisma Pitamah looked with grief. His old eyes understood. Vidur looked relieved. And Shree Krishna looked enraged..

As Kauravas and Karna stood up to fight for their dear friend. Arjun and Bhima too picked up their weapons. But as ordered by the emperor,they had to give up their weapon..

The ceremony ended. But the crown was stained with blood. Shakuni was not a visionary like Pitamah Bhisma and Vidur. But he was intelligent. He had noticed the saddened faces of them. So he took it as an opportunity to play his game. But he did not know. That game was going to be his own demise.

As Shree Krishna sat in the hall of the palace,with the Pandavas. The twins of Madri and three sons of Kunti surrounded him. His Sakhi stood serving food. But the food tasted bad. There was a bitterness in food today. But no one uttered a word. The words, insult of Vasudev was ringing in their ears..

Who was that man? He was a friend when needed. A guide,a guardian and a lover. A child with so much innocence that anyone wanted to hold him close. But a warrior who won countless wars. But above all he was Shree Krishna.

"Sakhi. Remember. Whatever happens. Donot give up on Dharma. It is the guiding light in dark"he told looking at the woman in red. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Everytime he left. She felt life was a harsh journey. With him alone,she felt everything was going to be easy.

Draupadi,the fire born woman had a secret no one knew. May be her heart itself did not know. She was not a sister to Krishna. Atleast not to the man who reached her whenever she needed him. Her husbands too needed him at times. But he was not always there. But for her,somehow,anyhow. He was there. Following her. From her birth. But he had denied marrying her,to her father.

"Govind..."the woman standing alone as the wind touched her slowly called out..

As if answering her call,wind carried a faint fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine.

Somewhere he smiled. As she smiled in the arms of her husband. He looked at the young woman in his arms with a smile. Finally he was successful in turning her fate.. She won't have the sad ending she had. Yes. The pain she would go through would be more or less the same. But she would be able to move forward. She was strong.

He could not interfere in her choices or fate. But he had taken her pain to him. He took it. Wore it. As a peacock feather.

As a lover he was jealous. But as a father,he wanted to help her too. As a friend he wished for her well being too..

As a child,he wished her glory..