Kshatrani - The Warrior Princess

Who was he?

Location: The palace of Dwarka. Krishna and Rukmini are now dutifully and happily married. The family is enjoying tea time in the large balcony, their family complete. An attendant enters.

"Yuvraj Balram," he says, his head bowed. "Queen Shrutashrava and Prince Shishupal have arrived, they say they wish to speak with all of you urgently."

The smile was wiped off Balram's face instantly. "Oh, I see. Escort them to the Kings' chamber, we will be there shortly." to which the attendant nodded.

Balram turned towards the rest of his family. "Well, they're finally here. They want to pick a bone with Krishna, so he must handle it."

Rukmini placed a hand over Krishna's, her features etched with worry and concern. He only smiled reassuringly at his wife. "I expected this. Do not worry, Dau. I will take care of it."

United in a single cause, they walked into their chamber. Aunt Shrutashrava was seated on one of the chairs, Shishupal pacing back and forth. He looked up at them, anger all over his face. He took a series of aggressive steps towards Krishna, face to face with the Lord of the universe himself- eye to eye. Aunt Shrutashrava stood up.

"Bhrata Vasudev, what is this?" she said. "The princess of Vidharbh was promised to my son, how can Krishna marry her?"

"Aunt, I express my deepest apologies. To you as well, Shishupal." Krishna said, smiling even in the face of the most serious situations. "Rukmini did not wish to marry you. As a Kshatriya, we know a ladies wish is to be respected. She wished to marry me."

"Like hell she did!" Shishupal said aggressively, spit flying from his mouth. "She was promised to me!"

"Calm down, son." Maharaj Vasudev said. "Please conform to the decorum befitting a prince. We can talk things out calmly."

"No!" Shishupal turned towards Vasudev, the tension rippling through the air. "Both of them owe me answers!"

"Look here, Shishupal," Balram said, trying to calm the atmosphere. "We can sit down and talk this all out nicely." he moved his hand closer to Shishupal's shoulder, who smacked it away in anger.

"Where is she?" Shishupal said, craning his neck. It was at this moment Subhadra blocked his view, and he turned his attention to her. "What do you want!"

"Look, Bhrata Shishupal. If you think barging into here and arguing with everyone is helping you get your way, you are seriously mistaken. I stand by my brother and bhabhi Rukmini's decision. It is  bhabhi Rukmini's wish that has been honoured, as it should be." she said, her voice firm and unwavering. 

"Mata!" Shishupal turned bewilderedly to his mother. "Look at the nerve of this girl, talking back to me!"

"Brother, you have given her too much independence and love. It has gone to her head." Aunt Shrutashrava said, finally speaking up. "This is what happens when a girl is given too much freedom. She becomes disrespectful and headstrong. Your father has failed in disciplining you!"

"Discipline?" Subhadra questioned, her voice rising. "Is it discipline to force a woman into a marriage she does not want? My father has taught me to respect myself and others, to speak the truth, and to stand up for what is right. That is not a failure, but a success." she said. "Aunt, a girl is a free bird. You cannot restrain her in a cage. Father has only given me the wings to fly." Subhadra said resolvedly. "You please look to your son, who has lost all sense of civil conversational sense."

Both Aunt Shrutashrava and Shishupal were taken aback. "Rukmini has first eloped with this-this cowherd and now this prick of a girl will talk back to me?" he said, his anger not subsiding one bit.