Radhey Premika ~ The Bride Of Karna

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ~ 5 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓡𝓾𝓴𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓲

In the land of Vidarbha, where the wind whispered ancient secrets and the rivers sparkled beneath the golden sun, a young princess wandered through the sprawling palace gardens. Her name was Rukmini, the eldest daughter of King Bhishmaka and Queen Rukmani, and from a tender age, her heart had been filled with the love of a distant yet ever-present deity—Krishna.

Rukmini, though a child of privilege and luxury, found her deepest joy not in the treasures of the palace or the games her peers played, but in her quiet devotion to Krishna. From the moment she could understand the world, she had heard stories of him—Krishna, the dark-skinned cowherd from distant lands, who played his flute and charmed all who heard him.

Even as a child, she felt inexplicably drawn to him. No one in her family had spoken directly to her about Krishna, yet it seemed as though his image had been etched onto her heart from birth. The more stories she heard from wandering sages and palace elders, the deeper her love grew. She had never seen him, but in her heart, she knew Krishna was real, as real as the sunlight that danced through the leaves in her garden.

"Rukmini, come inside!" Queen Rukmani called one afternoon, standing at the edge of the garden with a fond smile. "It is time for your lessons."

"In a moment, Maa," Rukmini responded with a gentle voice, her hands carefully crafting a garland of fragrant jasmine flowers. She glanced toward the small shrine she had made beneath the banyan tree—a simple stone idol of Krishna, his flute forever poised at his lips. She placed the garland around the statue with a soft murmur. "This is for you, Krishna."

As she knelt before the idol, her young heart filled with devotion, she prayed to the divine figure she had come to know so intimately in her thoughts.

"Please come to me one day, Krishna," she whispered. "I know you are far away, but I feel you with me every day."

Rukmini's elder brother, Rukmi, however, did not share her adoration for Krishna. He was a prince with great ambitions and a fierce sense of pride. From a young age, Rukmi had been groomed to be the future ruler of Vidarbha, and he took his role seriously. While Rukmini spent her time in prayer and devotion, Rukmi focused on political strategies and military training. He believed in strength and power, and to him, Krishna represented neither.

Rukmi had heard the stories too—of Krishna's playful antics in Vrindavan, of how he defeated demons and charmed the gopis. But unlike Rukmini, Rukmi scoffed at these tales. To him, Krishna was just a mischievous cowherd with no place among true warriors. His disdain for Krishna grew with every passing year, and soon it turned into outright hatred.

One day, as Rukmini sat weaving garlands of flowers in the garden, Rukmi approached her, his face set in a frown.

"Still wasting your time with that nonsense, Rukmini?" he asked, his voice laced with impatience. "Krishna is nothing but a trickster—a mere cowherd! You are the princess of Vidarbha, and you should be thinking about our kingdom, not fantasizing about some flute-playing peasant."

Rukmini looked up at her brother, her calm gaze meeting his anger. Though Rukmi's words stung, she had grown accustomed to his disdain for Krishna.

"He is not just a cowherd, Bhai," she replied softly. "Krishna is much more than that. He is divine, a protector of dharma. I feel it in my heart."

Rukmi snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're too innocent, Rukmini. You believe in these fables like a child. You need to grow up. Krishna will never come for you. He is nothing."

Rukmini stood up, clutching the garland in her hands. Though she loved her brother dearly, his harsh words always brought a flicker of sadness to her heart.