Krishna! - Part 2

Chapter 31 - The travel

That night was a very beautiful night. 

Never in her dreams did Rukmini imagine that things would happen so fast. It was just all in one day. Krishna had come, valiantly kidnapped her and now, they were going to go to Dwaraka to be married. Marriage, that was a big deal for her! She knew she was safely wrapped in Krishna's protective arms and he would go any lengths to protect her. For the first time she had seen his protectiveness. It did not feel like possessiveness at all. Nor did it feel like any kind of dominance. It was clearly standing up for what was wrong. And that made her respect him more. She could not wait to see the rest of what life had to offer, with him by her side. She promised herself that she would be the exact kind of support he would need, as his wife, as his friend and as his Queen. She knew that she would be his first Queen. She also knew that to keep up some past promises, he would have to marry multiple times. But no matter what, whenever he would be with her, she wanted him to feel at ease and at peace. With all these thoughts and fatigue, she drifted off to sleep.

Krishna was excited, first of all for the fact that he had achieved what both he and Rukmini wanted. Gosh! How fun it was, kidnapping Rukmini under the nose of Jarasandha and Shishupala. Their faces were worth watching. Fighting Rukmi was a little bad. He didn't want to hurt Rukmini in the process of that fight. And he managed to end things well. Rukmi gave them the green signal for their relationship and had happily blessed them. Now, Rukmini was going to become his Queen. He needed nothing more. He too knew that he would have to marry multiple times, but he knew, Rukmini would always remain his favourite Queen. Her presence always gave him silent strength and pleasantness. And he promised himself never to let a tear trickle down her face. With these thoughts, he drifted off to sleep too.

And soon, before they knew it, the first rays of the Sun coloured the sky. Those shades of orange and mild pink just made the sky gleam in joy. The rustling of leaves with a gentle breeze right in the middle of the hot summers made the morning very pleasant. The gentle rustling of leaves along with the gentle chriping of cuckoos were the alarm clock for both of them. As the sounds reached their ears and the breeze gently caressed ther faces, their eyes fluttered open at the same time. That morning looked especially beautiful. Filled with hopes towards a new life. Krishna and Rukmini looked at each other and sat up from their position. They saw a new version of each other. Not just as friends, but as would-be-spouses. Krishna admired how Rukmini looked that morning. As fresh as how he had seen her yesterday. Her hair was a little disheveled, naturally since she slept in the open air yesterday. But she looked exquisite. Simple, calm and happy. She did not seem tired after all that running aorund yesterday. Instead she looked even more energetic. Krishna's fondness for her grew a mutlifold and he enveloped her into a bear hug.

'Shree!!!', he exclaimed in glee.

'Shyam, you are crushing me!', she laughed and broke out of his embrace.

'Sorry sorry, shall we get ready? It is time to leave.', he said.

'Yes! Let us freshen up and get ready!', she exclaimed. And they got up from under the tree and stood up.

As they proceeded to walk ahead to search for a stream, Rukmini suddenly held Krishna's hand and said, 'Shyam! I can't wait to see Dwaraka! I mean, I have seen it, when Devarshi Narada showed it to us by his grace. But I can't wait to see a land surrounded by water, filled with greenery.', her face bloomed in excitement.

Krishna chuckled at her excitement and did not say anything. She was not aware of what he had planned for her. And they kept walking ahead.

'Why are you chuckling? Did I say something funny?', she asked, smiling.