"Why are you troubling me....?" I muttered, trying to stand up. But, strangely, I couldn''t. Before I could grasp what was happening, Krishna lifted me into his arms, just like in the movies. My heart raced as I looked at him, flustered.


    "What...what are you doing?" I stammered, caught off guard by the closeness. With a soft, teasing smile, he locked eyes with mine and whispered, "Its .... Better to be in my arms than a crocodile''s, don''t you think?" He chuckled, holding back a laugh, and I, blushing fiercely, tried to look anywhere trying my best to avoid eye contact. I felt heavier somehow, as if all my nerves had gathered right here in this moment. My hands remained glued to my stomach out of nervousness, but his teasing voice broke through, "If you fall, don''t blame me!"


    "But you''re holding me-how could I fall?" I managed, still trying to suppress my flustered tone.


    "But you are not holding me.... Can''t you see.... You''re making me carry all the weight!..... Don''t you see I''m struggling here?" He pulled me closer to emphasize his point. Hesitantly, I put my hands lightly on his shoulders, feeling a new wave of embarrassment.


    "If you want to hold me, then do it properly! You''ve barely touched me...Are you afraid of me??....," he said with a grin, and suddenly stopping right in the middle of the path.


    I felt a mixture of emotions-awkwardness and annoyance from his relentless teasing. Impulsively, I wrapped one arm around his neck, steadying myself by placing the other hand on his shoulder. This seemed to please him; he continued walking, looking straight ahead with a barely contained smirk.


    "Well, are you happy now....?" I mumbled under my breath.


    "Who must be happier???-the one carrying the weight or the one lounging like a queen?" he quipped, chuckling without looking at me.


    Yet, somehow at that moment, I couldn''t got mad seeing him laugh. As I was close to him in his arms, I noticed his face more clearly than ever before. His eyes were mesmerizing, deep like the ocean, and being so close felt like standing by the shore, with waves crashing just out of reach. I couldn''t bear the thought of this connection between shore and the ocean-its intensity scared me. His earrings swayed as he moved ... This was the first time I was noticing his earing with this much intensity. When I glanced at his lips, they looked softer, almost rosier...I was lost in their pinkish colour. I forgot my hand was wrapped around his neck, but it felt right at that moment... It was a different feeling that I can''t express in words. After some time I started wondering if my touch might bother him...or-.....Was causing pain......


    "Are you going to keep staring at me like this or will step down?" His voice snapped me back to reality. My heartbeat quickened, as if jolted. Oh, I was already back in the room-when did we even arrive? What must he think of stupid me....?


    "Sorry..." I stammered, loosening my grip from around his neck and looking down at the bed, trying my best to avoid eye contact. He gently set me down, but before stepping away, he leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Stay like this-I''ll be back with some ointment for your wound."


    Just when I manage to steady myself, his whispers undo me again, making my heart race and breath hitch. All I could manage was a soft hmmmm in reply. But as he turned to leave, my hair got tangled in his pendant. I looked up in surprise, fumbling to free my hair, panicking slightly. Seeing my distress, he cupped my face with his butterlike fingers, signaling for me to calm down, then set to untangle my hair himself from his pendant. Now, being so close to him, I felt a warmth, an unsteady comfort, like I was falling deeper into an unspoken bond. It was as if my heart had tangled with his, just like my hair. He bit his lip,while concentrating, his eyes was blinking slowly as he worked in untangling. For a moment, I wanted to stop time, hold his cute face, and finally pour out my heart to him-but a strange fear crept in. What if he misunderstood my feeling? What if I had to leave his side...... After confessing?


    When he finished, he stood beside the bed, giving me an exasperated look. "Seems like I had to do all the work alone here ..... What exactly did you come here to do....?"


    Just moments ago, he was so charming; now his teasing sparked a fresh wave of irritation. "It''s not like I try to mess things up myself-it just happens with heat of the moment!" I replied with a pout.


    "Why does it only happen with you?" he retorted, crossing his arms and studying me. "When we will go to your timeline , how will you manage to take care of me .....??? if this is how you are dealing with your so called heat of the Moment things ?"


    "Oh....., I''ll take care of you a way better than this-and without all these taunts!" I shot back, eyeing him defiantly.


    "Oh?" he teased, tapping my forehead lightly, "But right now, you can''t even take care of yourself. How will you take care of me?"


    "Just wait until I''m better!" I replied, sounding like a defiant child.


    "So that''s it, huh?" he said with a grin before walking out. A moment later, he returned with a small bowl of ointment. He sat down at the edge of the bed, reaching for my foot. I quickly pulled it back, shifting to sit on my knees. "Wait! What are you doing? This is wrong! Don''t touch my feet-it''s sinful!"


    "Oh, even better, then. Think of it as your punishment. Now, sit still and take it," he said, pressing his finger to my forehead to silence my protests, pulling my foot back towards him.


    "But you don''t understand. It''s sinful!..." I insisted, pulling my foot away again.


    "No, you don''t understand, Madam! Right now, you''re being punished, so do as I say, or else-well, you know.....," he said, deepening his voice in a mock-serious tone.


    "If you''re going to send me back, just send me! But I won''t let you touch my feet. I don''t like anyone touching the...m-especially you! You''re practically divine! .... God!!!!!" I folded my hands in earnest.


    "Ohhooooo!!!!, that''s how it is, huh? Alright, I''ll send you back soon enough! Looks like you lost this one chance, huh?" He laughed, hiding his smile behind his hand.


    "When you keep doing things I don''t like, what do you expect me to do?" Tears gathered in my eyes. I fought back the urge to cry in front of him, refusing to show him any more weakness...I don''t want to be a weak fellow in front of him.


    "Sakhi...why are you crying?" he said softly. "I''m still with you, right by your side. As long as I''m here, I won''t let you cry..... Now Come on-only just for you...... As You know how compassionate I am....Let''s tweak our deal a bit since I won''t be letting you go so easily," he said, placing his hand on my head with a mysterious smile.


    "What does that mean?" I asked, looking at him, bewildered.


    "It means," he replied, still smiling, "I''ll explain it to you bit by bit since you seem to be a slow vehicle in terms of working."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "So, what''s the meaning?" I asked


    "The meaning, Sakhi, is that you''re going to apply that ointment right now and be ready by morning. We have somewhere to go!" He gently brushed his hand across my cheek before turning to leave the room. I nodded, trying to make sense of his words, my heart was still racing but I don''t have the courage to ask him more this time.


    As I applied the ointment, I kept thinking about his words... about him. Everything felt tangled and confusing. Gradually later, my pain lessened, and the wound started to heal. He came twice to bring me food, placing it silently before leaving both times. I started to worry-was he upset with me? It wasn''t that I was afraid of him in asking, but I did fear causing him any trouble because of me. I ate quietly, but he even came to collect my plate. I felt so guilty; I wanted to tell him, "Just take me back-it would be better than you having to clean up after me like this!"


    Somehow, that day passed. The next morning, fear woke me before sunrise, and I realized my foot no longer hurt, the wound completely healed. I was determined not to make any mistakes this time. After bathing in the palace''s nearby bathhouse, I sat ready. A little later, he entered the room with a basket in hand and said, "Today, you have to do something for me.... Since you''re leaving soon, you might as well do a bit of work for me before you go!" He kept a serious expression.


    Hearing his words, I wanted to cry. I had no response. But I nodded, accepting the task with a heavy heart.


    "Oh! I''m not sending you far from me....., so don''t make sad face....like that I am bidding a good bye. If you''re going to do the work, do it happily-or tell me if you don''t want to do !"


    "But why are you scolding me?" I asked in a teary voice.


    "When did I scold you? I am just giving you a simple task.... Just do the work without making any face, with no excuses!!!!" He handed me the basket.


    "Alright, then!" His words brought relief, though I still felt anxious about what lay ahead.


    "This is the shagun for the wedding. Take it to Princess Shreya, who is staying at the nearby royal palace. I want you to handle this because you took up the responsibility for the wedding, so carry it out well!"


    I took the basket and replied, "Don''t worry! This time, I''ll make sure everything is done perfectly!"


    "There will be a guard waiting for you below-ride with him in the chariot. Return only when I send a message, and don''t go anywhere else. If you get lost again, it will be difficult to find you...." His tone was full of warning.


    I nodded quietly, looking at him with innocent eyes, aware I couldn''t afford another mistake.


    I came downstairs and quietly got into the chariot. Glancing up at the palace window, I noticed he was watching me. Startled, I looked away, focusing on the road ahead. My heart pounded as the chariot began to move, and all I could think of was his serious face. After some time, we arrived. The welcome was grand, and I felt genuinely delighted. Princess Shreya herself came to greet me at the palace entrance. Embracing me warmly, it felt as if I were an old friend. She told me that her swami (Krishna) had sent word of my arrival in advance. She was overjoyed to see the shagun basket and gifts from his side, her eyes was glistening with emotion and the room was filled with silence.


    To break the silence, I asked, "Sakhi, tell me about your first meeting with him. I''ve come with plenty of time today!"


    Hearing my question, she smiled, embracing the shagun gifts, and began to share her story.


    The dark, cold air of the prison wrapped around me like a cursed cloak. The walls were stained with the sorrows of countless others who had been taken by Narakasura''s forces, girls from noble families, innocent and bewildered, all herded here to a fate we barely dared to imagine. I could still remember the heavy footsteps as the guards dragged us down into the depths of his fortress, a place where the sun seemed to forget to shine, leaving only dampness and despair.


    In my confinement, I could feel the weight of suffering in the silence that hovered, broken only by soft cries or whispers. We were kept in a wide, stone chamber, bound by chains that scraped and bruised our wrists, and yet it was not just the chains on our hands and feet that held us-it was the chain of fear that Narakasura had cast upon our hearts. The thick, cloying darkness seemed alive, as though it fed off our dread. And every day we would wonder if we would ever feel the warmth of the sun, hear the songs of birds, or see our homes again.


    One night, I dreamt of a liberator, a valiant figure who would come to release us from this dark underworld. The image felt vivid yet far-fetched, like a tale woven for children. But in my dream, he rode upon a shining white horse, his form radiant as the first light of dawn, as if he were the prince I had read of in sacred stories. I awoke with a start, the memory lingering even as the dismal reality of my cell swallowed me whole.


    Surprisingly Then.... it happened in real ...... Shouts echoed down the stone corridors, louder and louder, like thunder rolling across the sky. Chains clanked as guards raced past in frenzy, fear etched onto their hardened faces. And then I saw him.


    Swami appeared in front of me... just as I had seen him in my dream, adorned with a crown, his skin like dark clouds on a monsoon night, his smile like the cool moonlight. His chariot gleamed in silver, and his horses, white as snow, pranced like they sensed their noble purpose. He moved with a divine grace, so different from anyone I had ever seen, his presence calming and fierce at once, a beacon of hope amidst our despair. His aura seemed to make the very walls tremble, as if the stones, too, knew they had met someone who could break their hold on us.


    The prison guards cowered before him. With a swift motion, Krishna lifted his bow, and swords later, and the room illuminated as if struck by lightning. His arrows seemed to blaze with light, scattering the dark and revealing the trembling forms of Narakasura''s soldiers, who dropped their weapons in awe and fear. No force could restrain him-no darkness could quell his light.


    I was one of the first he approached in that compartment. His eyes met mine, filled with warmth and a compassion that melted away every fear, every shackle that Narakasura had imposed. With a gentle smile, he extended his hand, and I felt the chains fall away, not just from my wrists, but from my soul. I knew then that freedom was not just physical-it was the release from the terror that had haunted us, the hope he rekindled in our hearts.


    As we stepped out into the open air, breathing in freedom for the first time, we gazed at him, our rescuer, the prince who had come not for riches or glory but to save us. The night was still, and the stars shone brighter than ever, as if witnessing a moment that would live on in our hearts forever.


    After the prison gates had fallen open and the echoes of battle faded, Swami turned to us, the thousands of girls who had been imprisoned, he spoke with a calm that eased the lingering shadows in our minds.


    He looked at each of us with profound compassion, as if he could see the torment we had endured. Some of the girls began to weep, not out of fear, but out of sheer relief, and Swami, with a warmth that felt like dawn breaking over a cold night, reassured each one of us. His voice, steady and soft, filled the air like the sound of a gentle river.


    "I am here for each of you," he said, his words wrapping us in their tenderness. "No one will be left without comfort, and no fear shall haunt your heart again." He promised that he would protect us, that we would never be forced to return to the darkness from which he had just freed us. And then, as he looked upon us, he made a vow that we never could have imagined.


    In a gesture of the utmost compassion, Swami promised to marry all of us. He understood the fate that society would impose on us, women who had been in captivity and might now be shunned or abandoned. His vow was not simply an act of marriage; it was a profound assurance of dignity, respect, and restoration. He would give us a new life, a life free from the stigma and suffering Narakasura had cast upon us.


    The earth seemed to hold its breath as he spoke. We looked at him, our savior and protector, and felt for the first time in our lives that we were cherished, that we were not broken or forgotten, but whole and worthy. With this promise, Swami did more than free us from physical chains; he freed us from the shame and fear that would have followed us even in freedom.


    With our hands folded, we bowed our heads to him in reverence, feeling both gratitude and wonder. In that moment, we knew that Swami''s love and compassion were boundless, and he had come not just to rescue us from Narakasura but to give us back our lives, our honor, and our hope. The stars above seemed to glow brighter, as if witnessing the divine promise that would echo for ages-a promise that transformed each of us from prisoners to cherished souls.


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