Krishna! - Part 2

Chapter 27 - The kidnapping

Rukmini's mind was filled with an inexplicable joy and excitement. Her Lord was here, waiting for her. Her face just smiled involuntarily. And she constantly kept lowering her head shyly. Kanika looked at her amused. She gently squeezed her shoulders and said,

'Just there, Shree! We're almost there to witness your grand kidnapping', 

And Rukmini shrugged her shoulders and grinned. She couldn't wait for the look on Shishupal and Jarasandha's eyes. And suddenly her face lost the grin.

'What happened Shree? Why did you lose that grin of yours?', asked Kanika.

'Kanika, how on earth will I cross that ocean of people and go to Shyam? Did you not see the crowd?', she asked.

'Shree! We are talking about Shyam here. He is Krishna, the Prince of Mathura. What is there that he cannot do. From childhood he has been escaping death. How will he not escape with you this time? Don't think too much. Just have faith. Things will fall in place.'

Kanika's words filled Rukmini with enthusiasm and she regained her lost grin. But she now had to keep a straight face as she had to go down. And she reached the first step atop the hillock, to start climbing down. She looked around unassumingly, wondering where Shyam would come from. And being the mighty prankster that he was, she could not find him. She looked at all the guards who looked at her with tears in their eyes, their hands folded. 

Rukmini looked at them and in return folded her hands too.

'Rajkumari, we never dare to say this in front of Rajkumar Rukmi, but please don't marry Shishupal.', said one guard.

'Yes yes, Rajkumari, do whatever it takes, but don't marry that vile creature', said a few other guards softly.

Rukmini looked at them gratefully, but in order to prevent any suspicions, she just said,

'I appreciate your kindness, but always remember, whatever happens, happens for good'. 

And she proceeded to climb down the stairs but a commotion on the base of the temple stopped her, as everyone to the base turned, they saw. All their desires being fulfilled. Through the ocean of people, he walked, majestically. They gave way for him, hearts in their mouth, eyes shining like the starts, mind dancing in joy, unable to believe their eyes. 

Sohini Devi had secretly gone away, changed into his manly clothes, and had been silently standing a little ahead of the Magadha army to stop them from the Kidnap. He too sensed the commotion and peeked from where he stood and his eyes welling up with tears. The very scene he wanted to see a few days ago, the scene that made him believe that miracles existed! He was going to witness Dwarakadheesh bring home his Dwarakeshwari! But all he could see and here was people giving way to someone. And he then finally saw. He saw what everyone else saw. Rukmaratha, Rukmabahu, Rukmakeshi and Rukmamaali stood with folded hands, Maharaja Bheeshmaka, Maharani Shashirekha and Alankrita followed suit. For this instance, Jarasandha, Rukmi and even Shishupal were too stunned to comprehend what was happening and stood rooted in their positions.

Through the crowd, up the stairs, much to her joy, Krishna walked up, his red and yellow attire gleaming in the Sun. His dark frame perfectly expressed the meaning of his name, 'Krishna, the one who attracts!'. But to Rukmini, when he came up the stairs amidst the guards, publicly exposing his arrival, he was glowing. Glowing like Ramachandra of the Suryavamsha. Glowing like Vishnu of Vaikuntha and Glowing like Kamadeva. Her eyes brightened, her smile widened as she looked at him. She had forgotten that she had met him just a while ago and felt all those emotions all over again. And then just he stepped up and flashed his usual friendly grin at her, all the guards took a few steps back, just to see what was going on.