Kaal Chakra

23. भोजनम्

भोजनम् - Meaning 'full meal'  

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Dwarka

Panchami, Chaitra Shukla Paksha, 5000 BCE

"Tada!!" Lakshmi exclaimed, flourishing her hands in front of her. In front of her, in that secluded portion of the palace gardens was a small basketball ring, it's wooden surface gleaming in the morning sunshine. And as per her request, a good thirty square feet of grass had been cleared off to create a makeshift court for toddlers.

"What is this?" Balarama asked with brimming curiosity, his sharp mind trying to figure out the game that Lakshmi was talking about.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," Lakshmi began grandly,"Is one of my absolute favourite games from my time. The ring you see here is called a basketball ring." She said, panting the five feet tall structure with her hand.

"Nishath, pass me that ball please," She requested and the five year old jumped into action. "Thank you." The nineteen year old said, tweaking his chubby cheek and laughing when he let out the sweetest giggle.

"Now, what we have to do is, we have to get this ball through this ring here," Saying thus, she demonstrated how to score a basket. When the said ball neatly swished through the basket, the two boys clapped and jumped in glee. They immediately gathered around her, asking her to teach them. Pleased with their response, she began explaining to them the rules and the do's and don'ts of the game.

When she saw that they had grasped the basics of the game, she began teaching her two nephews how to hold the ball, how to bounce it, how to dodge, how to steal the ball, etc.

"I think we should leave them to it," Balarama said in a low voice to the others and they looked at him, smiling.

"I agree. The both of you are expected in the court anyways," Revati said, looking pointedly towards her husband and her brother in law, "And the rest of us have to go over the preparations for the ceremony with our mothers."

The six of them slipped away quietly, leaving the young maiden with the two littlest of their family to their game, allowing their joyful laughter to ring throughout the gardens behind them.

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Sometime later, Lakshmi flopped down on the grass on her back, huffing and puffing. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, disappearing in her hair as she calmed down her racing heart. A minute later, she turned her gaze to her nephews who were standing before her and then opened her arms, patting the ground in invitation. With a happy squeal, the two toddlers dived in beside her, one on each side and borrowed their head on her bicep.

Lakshmi tenderly wrapped an arm around them and pulled them in closer, prompting them to lay their chubby arms on her navel.

"Pitruvya?"

"Yes, Nishath?"

"Are you really from the future?"

At his simple but straightforward question, Lakshmi looked down at him the same time he turned his head towards her, innocent curiosity shining in his eyes.

"Who told you that?" She asked slowly, wondering who had told the young boy such a thing. She was sure that none of the members of their family would have done so.

"I..I heard some of Mata's maids talking yesterday," Nishath admitted, his small fingers unconsciously curling in the fabric of her clothes.

"I see. Well, you heard it right." She said and his head snapped up, "I am from the future."

"How did you come here?" Ulmuk asked, looking at her like a puppy, his wide eyes brimming with confusion.

The young maiden glanced at each of them in turn, wondering how to give an answer that will be easily understood by their young minds.