My Days in Mahabharat

Gardening with Krishna

'But you know....why you? Because you've dharma in your heart. Kalyug is at its peak. They're killing their brothers for land and property, abandoning their parents, raping and humiliating women. All the seven sins have risen in a way as in they will never diminish. Kaal has strengthen its roots on people's mind, but they still have God in their hearts who needs to be wakened up with dharma and satya. Will you help me?'

'I know that it's not easy for you. But trust me for I'll be always with you. In fact I'm with everybody in either this or that form!'

'Can you see those periwinkles? You're in the same vein. You're petite and delicate yet not someone who can be bossed up as you're fierce and confident too. Your element of blazing fire shall amalgamate with elements of water. Just like those pink periwinkles bloom for a year periodically sustaining their youth and spread all over within such short span of time, you'll stay here for just five years and unequivocally spread your attributes all over!'

"Simran! Now listen to me carefully. Yes you'll stay here until Bhrata Yudhishthir ascends the throne! But for you the kaal chakra will take a slow spin, just for you! For you it'll only account five years your stay here in dwaparyug. You shall always stay as you are, a 21 year old maiden through this sojourn. You shall not get old or age further.

In kalyug, your other self will do the work. Sakhi, for your parents and Jahnvi you're staying in an other state for your higher education. They will remain in contact with your illusionary reflection through various technological aspects of conversation! This is why I declared that you're just like the periwinkle flowers who bloom around for a year sustaining their zeal fragrance and form and spreading all over the soil. The sojourn will be of around for five years but it's account here will be the general time pace, you will stay young here forever, and spread your qualities and attributes now here then there!'

As the drops of water fall on planted flowers off from the watering carafe, my mind is lost in all of these precious words Krishna once told me. The small, petite, five petals of this pinkish flower, called as periwinkle falter when water drops sprinkle on them.

Dharma? Really?
Can I really claim that I've dharma inside me?
How?

"That is enough water for these tiny flowers I suppose?" Krishna holds back the carafe from my hand breaking my trance.

"Huh?" I croak and finally speak out my mind, "I was thinking about you only"

The almighty, him and I walking in the era I've read in books. Fantasy? Is this even possible?

"Why me?" I stroke Purple's scruff as Krishna feeds him hush and grass.

"Why not you?" He hands me a pitcher and himself collects shovels, some manure and a few seeds.

"You can't avoid this question everytime, now can you?" asserting my question loudly, I manage my lehenga and follow him towards the beds freshly ploughed to plant new saplings.

I, a mortal. I, an absolutely basic human. It's still unfathomable, why me?

I sit down on the ground beside Krishna who is now busy covering the sapling with adequate amount of sand. He extends  his scarlet palm further and I place the earthen pot of manure in his hand.

"Krishna?" I raise, but no I am not exasperated, at all.

Hmm is just his answer to everything as he sings it getting engrossed in his task to spread manure over the plants. He again extends his hand and I keep a handful of seeds in them. He carefully looks at those goldenish, tough kernel and monocotyledonous seeds. Taking one of them between his index finger and thumb tips he examines it into the air letting it glitter in the sun rays.

"No. Not them" He shrugs his shoulders gently putting those seeds back in the earthen pot and sighs frowning his arched brows, curling his pink lips.

He takes a few seeds of the same plant from a different earthen pot and then drops them in the shallow aperture he makes on the damp soil.

I think it's a mistake.

"Krishna? You took the same seeds which I gave you just" I gape at his face. Does he think I'm a daft?

"You sure?" He raises a brow sprinkling some water from his palms that he collects from the pitcher.

"Obviously. They're literally same!" I push the two earthen pots full of seeds in front of him.

He folds his legs in a lackadaisical fashion after this hard work. Taking two seeds in each of his palm from the two different pots he looked at my puzzled face.

"These are periwinkle seeds. They're same but also they are not!" He speaks in a mystical baritone. To say I am confused will be an understatement, I am perplexed. I shake my head wildly raising my wrists in air. This is all I can do to present my curiosity and flummox.

"This periwinkle seed was kept in the nursery, but at the corners of deepest and darkest, perhaps it was the seed's nook. Result? It has become soused and damp, leading to the formation of unwanted phyla that hinders its ability to germinate and grow." He says holding the seed kept in the pot towards his left.

"This periwinkle seed was neither kept in the corner nor in the center of the nursery. It resided at a very general, normal and basic place which was too monotonous for the daily settled sight to behold. Thus, it was the seed's aptitude for getting trouvaille. This seed shall germinate and grow into a healthy plant blooming buds and flowers in zeal!" He explains further holding the seed kept in the pot towards his right.

"It means the seed lose its ability or even aptitude of the place and effects of his surroundings and aura" I somehow, realise the essence of his words.

"See, you're getting it." He exclaims gathering a few periwinkle from the ground which would have fell down naturally.

"Actually, those who stay possessed of the pride surrounding them, that intrigues them to claim of doing task of wonder might not accomplish that task. Instead, those who think themselves of being frivolous, might do task of revolution! Who knows? Actually every sentiment and feeling in this entire universe is an amalgamation of three attributes. There's a difference between vanity (abhimaan) and self respect (swabhimaan), isn't it?"

He stands up shedding his turmeric silk dhoti and brocaded angavastra of sand extending his hand to me.

"I can't get more clear, it's out of the box for Krishna you know" His lotus shaped brown eyes are twinkling like those stars of night and his pink bow shaped lips are curved in a paradisiacal smile, with hues of mock exhaustion and psuedo innocence on his exceptionally divine face.

"I got my answer and I didn't gey my answer, as I have to keep discovering more to the enlightenment! All I know is that I am not possessed by vanity, but wait, Who else has the fortune to talk with the almighty right now?" I cross my arms over my chest and then, we burst into a lung filling laughter.

"These periwinkles for the lady!" Krishna performs a courtesy and I open my palm to take them. He places a caterpillar in my hand running as faster as he can before I catch him.

Periwinkles. Those tender flowers of five petals.