Chapter 44 - A New Start

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The people stared in awe at the Apsara from the heavens sitting in the royal chariot pulled by four strong white horses dashing through their small villages. Little boys and girls started to chase behind the chariot and seeing them the Apsara told the sarathi to stop. 

She got down and the children surrounded her. The ladies from the village came out of their houses to get a glimpse of the ethereal beauty. The men of the village also stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

Tiasha handed over laddus to all the children and they all had the biggest smiles on their faces. She smiled and laughed with the kids for a while. Vati hopped and played with the little girls. When she was about to leave a small dusky girl probably four-five years old peeked at her from behind one of the older children. Tiasha smiled and called her. The girl gaining a little courage came and stood in front of Tiasha, holding her hand out.

-"Is this for me?" Tiasha asked pointing at the blue wildflower held in her hand. The little girl nodded. 

Tiasha couched down and pointed at her loose messy bun, giving her a playful smile. The little girl gave a toothy grin and tucked the wildflower in her bun. 

Tiasha took Vati in her arms and waved at the children. The royal chariot faded at a distance. The little girl whom no one had ever seen before also faded in thin air as the chariot went out of sight.

The sun was about to go down the horizon. The greatest artist of the universe showed a little glimpse of his beautiful masterpiece. He painted the clouds in shades of orange, yellow and red, played with blue and purple to make the sky and sprinkled little bits of diamond on it which helped a lost sailor to navigate his way back home. The old lush green trees of the forest stood like a Tapaswi, unmoved for thousands of years, witnessing the events unfold in silence. He painted the many birds small and big with all the love he had in his heart. The birds sang the loveliest of songs to pay their gratitude to the creator. And in between all, the creator's greatest creations drove their Jaya-rath towards the peak of their development.

Kritavarma stopped the chariot at the entrance of a forest. Tiasha asked, "Why did you stop here, Kritavarma? we can at least go another mile before it gets dark." 

-"I beg your pardon, Kumari, Dwarkadheesh has instructed me to bring you till here and then wait." Kritavarma replied.

-"We are not going to Dwarika, Are we?" Tiasha asked. 

A man with a honey-like voice answered Tiasha's question. And the voice was not unknown to both Kritavarma and Tiasha. 

-"As much as I would love to bring my Shyama to Dwarika, you have something far more important waiting a few miles away from here inside the forest." 

Dwarkadheesh Shree Krishna emerged from behind a tree. White Champa flowers showed upon the lord of the universe as he smiled at his dearest Sakhi. Krishna extended his hand and Tiasha took it. Vati hopped down at looked up at Krishna curiously with her big blue eyes. 

Kritavarma folded his hands in front of him and bowed down. 

Krishna smiled at him and said, "Go back to Dwarika with the chariot Kritavarma, and tell Dau that I will return tomorrow in the evening."

Kritavarma nodded and went towards Dwarika with the chariot.

Krishna pulled Tiasha down and they sat together on the ground under the tree.

Krishna pouted and said, "This, is not right Sakhi. You kept me waiting for you so long. I was starting to think you forgot me. And you didn't even introduce me to my niece." 

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