The Lost Flute

Rohini and her Moon

Once the official adoption procedures were completed, announcements were made on every street of the city of Dwarika, detailing how Pradyumna, prince Krishna's firstborn, and the heir to the throne had returned home, having been turned magically into an adolescent. Every Monday after that, Manmatha was expected to appear before their praja along with Krishna and Rukmini for weekly charity commitments. Even though neither of them said anything to his face, Manmatha could feel the hesitation in Krishna and Rukmini.

Looking at them, he would remember Mayavati's words, on the first day that they had been left alone in their new palace after their 'marriage'.

"People don't stop grieving just because the government told them to." She had told him.

Occasionally, he tried to apologise to them for their troubles. Every time he was met with a cold, "Just keep your chin up, and keep smiling!" He had been astonished to find exactly how much the members of the royal family play-acted during these outings. He found their donations were genuine, but they would be much happier if the money was distributed without the farce of the meet and greets.

The only time he truly felt at ease in his new life was when he was on the training grounds. The Yadava warriors had accepted him without a second thought. He was exhilarated when they challenged him to duels and afterwards, marvelled at his natural talent. The only people who could defeat him in any duel were Krishna, and occasionally Balarama. He did not mind losing to either one, since both of them laughed and joked with him the entire time while teaching him better techniques.

He felt especially proud when Balarama would ruffle his hair after a wrestling match, or that time when Krishna had excitedly held out his bruised arm to Satyaki exclaiming, "Look, the kid is actually making me work for it!" Manmatha practically lived to see that undiluted joy of having met one's match light up Krishna's eyes.

His interactions with Rukmini were very limited. She was never unpleasant but also did not show him any more affection than she had the first time. Even though her aloofness bothered Manmatha at times, he was grateful to not be on the receiving end of her wrath again. Sometimes, she would summon him to her chambers, often for minor chores. However, he was always eager to fulfil her wishes, often drawing joking quips from Mayavati. Nevertheless, the entire palace knew by now that even though Rukmini's demands of the new prince were minor, she had developed a rare trust in him, something she had in no one else.

---

After the whole fiasco with Manmatha, Rukmini had thrown herself into work, trying desperately to avoid the deathly emptiness that threatened to consume her every time she was alone. Her newfound enthusiasm however had caused some upheavals in the royal household. Since Rukmini had picked up most of the daily chores, Rohini found herself with some unprecedented free time.

Rohini had been the head of Vasudeva's household even before he had married Devaki, and once he did, her entire life turned upside down as she found herself hiding away in Nanda-raja's backyard. Out of the guilt of being dependent on the mukhiya, she had made it a habit to complete a majority of the housework before Yashoda could get to them, despite incessant protests from the couple. Once Kamsa had been killed, she had returned to Mathura but found it quite impossible to get rid of her old habits. While Devaki and Vasudeva recovered from their inhumane ordeal over the past quarter of the century, she had found herself tending to both Krishna and Balarama, all the while as a war waged on outside her home. All the while, having to single-handedly raise her little daughter.

Once Revati arrived, they had shared the responsibility of the house, but once Revati gave birth to her daughter Shashi, she had slowly extracted herself from the joint household, and moved to her own home in a different corner of the city, away from the din and the scrutiny of the royal palace. After her marriage to Krishna, Rukmini had also tried to pick up some of the responsibility. At the time, Rohini had nearly lost her composure when the young Rukmini had come asking if she could help. When Krishna had come to argue on her behalf, Rohini had laughed him out of the women's quarters as well, "You brought home a child, Kanha! Take her on some nice trips, and we'll talk in a decade!"