Kshatrani - The Warrior Princess

The First Birth

Location: The dungeons in Mathura. Devaki's eighth child is to born soon, and in Gokul, so is Yashoda's daughter. 

"Vasudev," Devaki says anxiously, squeezing her husbands hand in pain. 

"Keep calm, Devaki. Do not worry, the Lord is with us," Vasudev smiles. "He has given us the honour of being his birth parents."

Soon, the baby was born. "Oh, my sweet child," Devaki says, kissing the top of the baby's head. "I can't part with him, not after-" she cuts off, tears welling up in her eyes as she glances at the six patches of blood on the walls.

"I will never forgive Kans for killing our children, Devaki. Never." Vasudev says, wrapping the newborn in whatever cloth he could find. "Right now, I must take our child to Gokul as per the instructions of the Lord."

"Krishna, I love you," Devaki says, touching her new-born's face, which was alight with a smile. "Come back for us" the baby gurgled, as if answering.

"He will, Devaki. Come on, put him in this basket, I have to take him to Nand."

"But how will you, the guards-" she glanced outside the bars of the dungeon. The guards had somehow slumped in divine slumber, and would not awaken until Vasudev was back. The multiple barricades of the dungeon had opened and within seconds, a small click confirmed their dungeon's door had also been unlocked with divine intervention. 

"Devaki, the Lord has planned everything." Vasudev smiled, picking up the basket with their son in it, covered with a cloth. "I will be back soon."

Devaki watched on as her husband and child disappeared from view. She joined her hands in prayer. 

Meanwhile, in Gokul, Nand waited for Vasudev. He glanced at the bed, his wife Yashoda lay peacefully beside their little girl. Yashoda wasn't aware she had birthed a girl, she fainted soon after the birth but Nand had seen her face, he had held her, those precious little eyes had made a  place in his heart already. He knew he was sending her to her death. Lord Vishnu had appeared in his dream and said that this baby girl was divine and it was necessary that Kans find her. But a father's heart ached as he lifted their little bundle of joy, eyes closed in sleep.

"Your mother was never able to see you," he whispered. "I know what the Lord does, he does for the better, but you are still my daughter, and I will never see you again, and it breaks my heart but I must do this." A lone tear escaped from his eye. He wiped it away. "I love you, bitiya. I hope in your next life you get a loving father."

After crossing many hurdles in the pouring rain, Vasudev reached Gokul. He saw Nand standing with a little bundle at the edge of the river. He approached Nand.

"Dearest friend, I am so grateful for you." Vasudev said. "How is Rohini and our son?"

Rohini was Vasudev's first wife and Yashoda's sister. While Vasudev was imprisoned, Nand took his sister-in-law under his wing. Rohini's child was the same one Goddess Maya had transferred from the womb of Devaki.

"They are both well. Here, I hand my daughter over to you." With a heavy heart, Nand takes the baby from the basket and replaces it with his own. "Don't worry about your sons, Vasudev. They are safe in Gokul, with us."

"Thank you, Nand. I must leave, Devaki is waiting for me." Vasudev bids adieu to his friend and begins the arduous journey back. Nand heads inside and places Krishna on the bed beside his wife. "You are now our son."

Back in the dungeons, Devaki is still praying, when she hears a creak in the doors of the dungeons. "You're back," she says. Vasudev enters and the door locks itself. He takes the girl child from the basket and into the waiting hands of his wife.

Her face lights up. "She's beautiful." Devaki sighs, "I've always wanted a girl." Vasudev smiles, placing a hand over the child's head. Before they could spend even a minute admiring the child in their arms, the guards awoke and informed Kans of the birth of the eighth child.

"A girl! Ha!" He laughed. "She'll kill me?"

"Brother Kans, you are right." Devaki said. "Let her go, she can cause you no harm."

"No, Devaki, you heard the prophecy." Kans replied, narrowing his eyes at the girl child. "Girl or boy, how does it matter? she is the eighth child and I must kill her too."

"No!" Vasudev said, rising. "Kans, I kept quiet when you killed our children. But this is a girl. You will commit a grave sin for killing a girl child."

"I don't care, Vasudev. Eighth child means eighth child, boy or girl, it doesn't matter." Kans moved towards Devaki. "Hand me the girl, Devaki!"

"No! Kans! Please, don't!" Devaki cried, tears falling down her face. "Please, brother, or else I shall die, spare her life, please!"

Kans snatched the baby from Devaki's arms, with Vasudev trying to lunge at him in an attempt to have her back. Guards restrained him as he cried, "It's a sin, Kans! Don't do this!"

Kans laughed maniacally, his laugh echoing through the dungeon. He looked into the eyes of the little girl. "I'll see how you kill me." He lifted the baby by her feet swinging his arm backwards as Devaki and Vasudev begged him to stop. He let go of the child, and as soon as he did, the baby morphed into the form of a goddess and the dark dungeon was illuminated with golden light.

The goddess had a fierce expression, she was adorned with jewels, and she had eight arms, each holding a different weapon- a trident, a sword, a bow, a lotus, a conch, a mace,  and a revolving discus.

"Evil Kans!" she roared, her eyes ablaze with dancing fury. "The child who is to kill you is in safe hands, and you can do nothing about it!"

"w...what?" Kans asked in bewilderment as Devaki's eyes flashed from the goddess to Kans and back again, her face shining with her tears.

"Yes, it is your destiny." said the goddess. "I could have killed you right now, but you have touched my feet, and so I shall take it as your repentance. You are destined to be killed by the Lord, and that is what will happen." she turned her eyes to Devaki and Vasudev, and her gaze softened. "Your troubles will be over soon, your son will return, and when he does, order will be reinstated in the city of Mathura."

With this, she gave them one final smile, and vanished. An angered Kans marched out of the dungeons, leaving Vasudev and Devaki on the floor.

"Our son will come back," Devaki choked out. "He will come for us."

"Of course he will." Vasudev said, wrapping an arm around Devaki. 

With that, Goddess Maya had completed her first mission.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a vote/comment/suggestions. Love, A.