Krishnapriya Devashree

59. Aftermath

Krishna raised his eyebrow looking at Devashree.

"What did you do Priye?"

Radha answered."So It went something like this...

Radha and Ayan were within the serene confines of Mahadev's temple.

 Radha's heart was heavy with longing and nostalgia as she silently prayed, her thoughts drifting towards Krishna, from whom she had been separated for what seemed like an eternity in her heart.

"Mahadev," Radha whispered softly, her voice barely audible over the chants, "grant me the strength to endure this separation. It has been so long since I last saw Krishna. Please bring him back to me, or guide me to him." Her eyes closed, and a single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek in the depth of her yearning.

"Help! Help, please! Someone, help!" Someone shouted, the voice cutting through the calm like a sharp knife.

Radha's eyes snapped open. She recognised the voice. Startled, she turned towards the source of the noise.

Devashree!

 She was dressed plainly, almost unrecognizably so, in a simple servant's attire, her hair tucked messily under her pallu,her face flushing from exertion.

"Help! Help, please! Someone, help!" she cried, her hands waving frantically as she made her way through the startled crowd.

Devashree, panting and pretending to catch her breath, reached Radha and Ayan. She bent over, hands on her knees, as if she had run miles. 

"Oh, Radhaji, thank goodness I've found you!" she exclaimed, glancing around to ensure she had everyone's attention. 

"It's your cousin, Mira! She's gone into labor suddenly, and she's all alone! She needs you, Radhaji, right now!"

A slight flicker of understanding crossed Radha's features as she studied Devashree's flushed face and noticed a mischievous glint in her eye that was hard to miss for someone who knew her as well as Radha did.

Catching Devashree's wink,understanding dawned fully, and Radha had to suppress a smile at her friend's audacity and creativity. While part of her marveled at the boldness of the plan, another part felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of what it might lead to— a surprise encounter with Krishna.

Radha quickly composed herself, adopting a serious demeanor to match the situation Devashree had crafted. "We must hurry then," she said to Ayan, her voice laced with fabricated urgency. "If Mira is alone and in labor, there's no time to waste."

"Radha, where do you think you're going?" Ayan demanded, stopping them midstep, his voice harsher than intended. "You can't just leave based on some vague emergency. Who is this Mira?"

Devashree looked up at Ayan with wide, innocent eyes. "

Ayan Ji, it's an emergency," she began, her voice soft and pleading, trying to infuse every word with urgency.

"Mira is the ....sister of Radha......from another mother. She's alone and scared, and Radha's presence would mean everything to her right now."

Ayan, however, was not immediately swayed. His brow furrowed deeper, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"This is all very sudden, Mahodaya. How do we know this is not some kind of... misunderstanding? Radha cannot just leave at a moment's notice based on an unverified claim."

Devashree's patience began to wane as Ayan continued to question the validity of the emergency. She had hoped her appeal to Radha's compassionate nature would be enough, but Ayan's resistance sparked a flicker of frustration in her. Plus they had no time. She has to return back to Dwarka with Radha before anyone notices, especially her husband.