CHAPTER 78

171 25 68
                                    

The sky was covered by dense blue clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder, in the same way that the spirit soul is covered by the three modes of material nature. With its rays, the sun had for eight months drunk up the earth's wealth in the form of water. And since the proper time had arrived, the sun began releasing this accumulated wealth.

The earth had been emaciated by the summer heat, but she became fully nourished again when moistened by the Indra. Thus the earth was like a person whose body has been emaciated by austerities undergone for a material purpose, but who again becomes fully nourished when he achieves the fruit of those austerities.

In this pleasant weather, Krishna and Balram stood by the banks of the Yamuna river, their bare feet touching the cool water as they watched over the grazing cows in the distance. The cows lazily munched on the lush green grass, their gentle bells softly ringing in the tranquil forest.

On the other side of the river, their cowherd friends laughed and played, their joyful shouts echoing through the trees. The sound of their playful camaraderie mixed with the chirping of birds and the distant rumble of thunder, signaling the imminent arrival of the monsoon. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of tranquility and anticipation as the change of seasons was palpable in every rustling leaf and every gentle breeze that swept through the forest.

Suddenly, Krishna's keen eyes caught sight of two gopa women making their way towards the village, their graceful strides carrying them effortlessly through the forest. Balancing pots brimming with fresh milk on their heads, the drops of milk glistened in the sunlight, a tantalizing sight that stirred a thirst within Krishna.

"Mujhe pyaas lagi hai." He said.

Balram replied, "Yamuna saamne hai, pi lo jal."

Krishna shook his head, and mischievously pointed at the two women, "Dugdh ki pyaas."

"Jo soch rahe ho, yadi woh karoge toh fas jaaoge." Balram warned.

Krishna chuckled as he picked up some pebbles, "Aaj tak kuch huya hai ?"

He then runs behind those women and stealthily follows. With the skillful precision of a master archer, he swiftly aims and hits one of the pots, causing a tiny stream of milk to spill unnoticed by the woman. As the woman continues walking, unaware of the small mishap, Krishna quietly follows, his steps light and swift. When the opportunity presents itself, he bends down and drinks from the stream of milk that falls from the pot, savoring the cool, sweet liquid. Lost in the joy of his prank, he followed the women as they continued walking.

However, his fun was short-lived as the second woman suddenly turned around and caught sight of Krishna's playful antics. Gasping in surprise, she quickly reached out and caught Krishna by the wrist, her eyes widening in shock at his mischief. Sensing trouble, the first woman also turned around and saw Krishna with milk spilled all over her mouth, her expression a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Aaj pakda gaya natkhat !" The second woman said.

The first one too grabbed him by his arms, "Chalo Yashoda ji ke paas, aaj range haatho pakdaya hai yeh."

"Nahi Nahi ! Maiya ko mat batana !" Eyes widening in dismay, Krishna pleaded with the stern-faced women not to tell his mother Yashoda of his misbehavior, but his protests fell on deaf ears.

Dragging the protesting boy between them, the women continued resolutely toward the village, intent on handing him over for a proper scolding.

From a distance Balram laughed and shook his head, "Aaj nahi bachega yeh. Chalo mai bhi jaake dekhu."

--------

Yashoda sat on the cool floor of her home, surrounded by an array of colorful spices spread out before her. With a small stone grinder in hand, she meticulously ground each spice, releasing fragrant aromas that filled the air.

Suddenly, the peace was shattered as the door burst open and two gopa women entered, their faces flushed with anger. Between them, they dragged a nervous Krishna, his mischievous eyes darting around the room guiltily. His mouth was stained with milk, a clear sign of mischief.

"Dekho Yashoda ji, aapka putra aaj range haatho pakda gaya hai." The first woman said and showed her broken pot, "Aaj isne meri matki phod, pura dugdh pi liya."

The second woman said, "Yeh iss hi prakar humare ghar mei aake makhan chura leta tha, matkiya phod ke. Kintu chaturai se bhaag jata tha. Aaj pakda gaya hai."

The two women complained loudly to Yashoda, their voices filled with frustration and outrage. Yashoda's heart sank as she listened to their grievances, her eyes fixing on Krishna, who stood before her with downcast eyes. Krishna remained silent, his usual charm failing him in the face of his wrongdoing. He knew he had been caught red-handed this time and there was no escaping Yashoda's questioning gaze.

"Ab aap ise dandit kare." The women said and then stormed out of the house.

Once they had left, Yashoda stood up and walked up to her son, "Kyu re Kanha ? Kyu karta hai aisa ?"

"Woh... Um..." Words seemed to have left him.

Yashoda shook her head, "Makhan churata hai, matki phodta hai.... Matlab sabhi gopiya satya kehti thi.... Aur tu-... Tu mujhse jhooth bolta tha ? Mujhse !?"

Krishna hung his head in shame, knowing that he had been caught in the act. Seeing him silent, Yashoda swiftly grabbed Krishna by his ear and twisted it firmly, causing him to wince in pain.

"Bolta kyu nahi natkhat ?!" Yashoda scolded.

Krishna's eyes darted around, before a quick plan came to his mind, "Ha. Karlo dandit. Yadi mai tera vastavik putra hota, toh kuch nahi kehti mujhse."

Yashoda instantly left his ear hearing that. Her eyes widened at disbelief at what he said.

"K-Kya kaha tune ?" She stuttered.

Krishna feigned his sadness and looked down, "Jaane de maiya, mujhe sab gyaat hai. Ki mai tera putra nahi hu."

Yashoda knelt down in front of him, cupping his face and making him look at her, "Asatya ! Ekdum asatya ! Tu mera putra hai ! Yeh sab baat kisne kahi tujhse !?"

"Dau ne." Krishna replied immediately, "Woh aksar kehte hai ki tu mujhe dukaan se kharid ke laayi hai, aur mai tera vastavik putra nahi hu."

Yashoda's lips quivered at the thought, of Krishna not being her son, she quickly pulled her son into her embrace, tears fell down her face, "Galat kehta hai dau. Aane de usko, nahi chhodungi mai. Tu mera hi putra hai."

"Maiya ?" Balram entered to see if Krishna was punished, his timing clearly not good.

Yashoda snapped her head at him, making him confused and when he saw the mischievous smile on Krishna's face, it made him afraid also.

"Balram !" Yashoda dashed towards him, and before he could run away, she caught him by his ears.

"Arrey maiya maine kya kiya ?" He cried in frustration.

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□
A/N

And guys, that's how you change the topic and shift the anger at your elder sibling 🤣🤣🤣🤣

HARIHARESHWARI 15 : Namami Braj NayakamWhere stories live. Discover now