As Krishna and I walked, he climbed onto a white horse, laughing as he looked down at me. "By now, you''ve surely learned how to ride a horse, haven''t you?" he teased, clearly aiming to provoke me. I knew he was just ribbing me, but what could I say? After all, he somehow seemed to know every little thing about me, even the things he hadn''t seen firsthand. Then it hit me-of course! He''s God Krishna. And as they say, being divine comes with its perks...and maybe some downsides. With a slight smile, I mulled this over.


    But Krishna interrupted my thoughts, shaking his head as he said, "So not only do you make mistakes, but you even have the nerve to celebrate them with a smile! Typical of you folks from the Kaliyuga!"


    Unbelievable! I wanted to argue back, but I knew better, especially since, admittedly, the mistake was mine. If it weren''t, I''d definitely show him what us ''Kaliyuga'' folks are capable of.


    Krishna, as if reading my mind, chuckled and replied, "Oh, trust me, I can do a lot too. But for now, you should focus on preparing to face your punishment."


    "Wait... are you reading my thoughts?" I asked, taken aback.


    "Let''s just leave it...., for now, both I and this poor horse are eagerly waiting to get going. Hurry up, or else......."


    So, he intended to throw out threats at every turn?..... Sighing, I climbed up on the horse, resting my hand on his shoulder. But he caught my wrist in mid-motion, grinning as he instructed, "Oh no,...... not behind me. You sit up front. If you disappear again, I won''t go through all that effort to bring you back......"


    "But... front????" I stammered. Before I could protest, he had already lifted me onto the front of the saddle. Riding a horse already made me nervous, and sitting upfront only amplified that unease. With every jolt, Krishna''s face brushed my neck, and I could feel his warm breath against my skin. Each touch sent a shiver through me,......my heart raced, and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. To make matters worse, every so often, he''d lean in, whispering softly into my ears, "Is everything alright?" His voice, so close to my ear, only heightened my flustered state.


    I tried to calm myself all the way, I didn''t even realize when we reached our destination. Honestly, I wouldn''t have minded if the journey had taken a little longer. We stopped in front of the same palace where he''d brought me before. Without a word, I followed him, suppressing my emotions and simply admiring him from back, feeling both shy and a little mesmerized. There''s something irresistible about Krishna, not just from the front but even from behind, his every angle is beautiful.


    He entered through the entrance of the room, sat down on the bed near me, I was standing at the corner of the bed silently and, with a playful hint of fake anger, he said, "So... are you just going to stand there? I didn''t bring you here to just laze around."


    I rolled my eyes, sighing as I replied, "Well, how am I supposed to know what to do if you don''t tell me?"


    "Oh, so now you only do what I tell you, hmm? Since when did you become so obedient?" he laughed, pulling me down to sit beside him with a mischievous grin.


    "Well... since every little thing I do seems to bother you, I figured I''d better ask first," I mumbled, feeling my face grow warm again.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Fine, then," he began, tracing his fingers gently over mine as he took my hands into his. "Let''s talk about your punishment." His tone was soft, his touch tender, and for a moment, I found it hard to believe he was discussing any form of punishment. But I nodded, letting him know I was listening.


    "So.......," he continued, "you''re familiar with Princess Shreya, aren''t you? Our wedding is scheduled for next month. Since you''ll be here until then, I want you to oversee the cleaning of the new palace that''s being built for the occasion. You can get help from the servants, but you''ll be in charge. And remember, I''ll be watching your every move....." Krishna''s gaze grew intense as he warned, "One more mistake, and... well, you know."


    "What kind of punishment is this....?" I exclaimed, startled.


    "Why, did you expect a punishment of your choice....?" he teased. "Surely you want your new friend, Princess Shreya, to be happy after our wedding? If you do well, I might even hire you to oversee the decorations for Princess Prapti ''s upcoming wedding, too." He squeezed my hand, laughing as I glared at him, feeling a pang of jealousy at his words.


    He might be holding my hand, but he was talking about someone else! Irritated, I yanked my hand away, turning away from him as I grumbled, "Don''t worry, everything will be done on time,.... your highness!!!." I sarcastically a answered.


    "Oh, is someone jealous?" he laughed, he sat down in front of me kneeling .... And pullef me closer by holding my hands by his one hand and with his other hand, he cupped my face, turning me to face him. His gaze softened as he asked, "Are you... feeling jealous?" His words seemed to melt all my irritation, and I felt my eyes well up with emotion.


    Tenderly wiping away my tears, he said, "You know,....just as I am one with everyone, each of you is a part of me. I see no difference among you.... For me everyone is almost same .... Same as the essence of my love.... In love, there is no room for comparison or hierarchy. When you understand your true self, you''ll understand my love..... You will understand eventhough there are many rivers but all of them having same water component in them... " Though his words were deep.... I didn''t understood the meaning, But I found comfort in them, so I smiled softly.


    "Now," he added, a twinkle of mischief in his eye, "as much as I adore love, it doesn''t fill the belly. Shall we eat?"


    His words made me laugh. How could he go from profound to playful so effortlessly?


    "Aren''t you prepared the meal?" he asked, pretending to be annoyed. "Looks like I''ll have to take care of everything myself. Who''s looking after whom here, I wonder.......?"


    With that, he left to fetch the food, leaving me both flustered and excited. When he returned, he fed me with his own hands, and I thought I could stay like that forever....It was so wonderful. Though, in my nervousness, I only accepted a couple of bites before pulling the plate towards myself, afraid his hand might accidentally get hurt. But I did regret not offering to feed him in return.


    When we were done, he took the plate from my hands, refusing to let me help clean up. Despite my protests, he insisted, giving me a few more playful jabs as he left from the door. Though before he made some instructions about preparing the lotus flowers from the lake for tomorrow''s rituals for worshipping, his words felt like the sweetest music to my ears.


    After he left, I waited for him, half-hoping he''d return lying in bed thinking about him. I didn''t know why, but I longed for him to come back, even if just for a moment. Yet, he didn''t return, and eventually, I drifted to sleep.


    The next morning, a koel''s call woke me. Still sleepy, I remembered Krishna''s words about the lotus flowers. As , in this dwapar''s timeline, Without a clock to keep track of time I felt confused, So I rushed to dress and set off.


    Wandering here and there ... I was so confused as there was no locals to ask about lake destination... So I searched by my own, I finally found a lake brimming with lotuses. Eagerly, I stepped into the water, up to my knees, reaching out to pluck one. But just as I touched it, the flower lifted itself, Krishna himself emerging from beneath!


    Seeing him appear so unexpectedly, I let out a scream, stumbling in shock. Before I knew it, his arms were around me, steadying me. Lost in his gaze, I realized how effortlessly I had fallen into his embrace arms.


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