I was lost in his eyes. He took my hand, and then gently placed his soft palms over my eyes, making me close them. The moment he did, I felt like I was floating, like someone was carrying me through the air. Fear crept in, but the warmth of his touch calmed it, like a soothing balm over my soul. His touch felt like salvation. After a few moments, I felt everything become still and peaceful. He gently removed his hands, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. They felt too heavy.
Suddenly, his voice, warm and teasing, whispered close to my ear, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"
I slowly opened my eyes, and there he was standing right in front of me. But this time, he wasn't in the same getup like earlier. He was in the form which the whole world recognized—Krishna, the divine. His eyes were lined with kajal, making them look like the shores of an endless ocean. His face glowed with a soft, reddish hue, and there was a gentle, intoxicating fragrance in the air around him. I couldn't move my eyes away from him. His adornments were so beautiful, I found myself wishing I could be a part of his attire—perhaps a piece of his jewelry, always close to him.
The peacock feather in his crown shone more brilliantly than the gems that adorned him. His hair, tousled and rebellious, kept falling over his forehead, and I wished in my mind to push it back, to clear the way so I could gaze at him without interruption. His lips looked just as they always did, but they seemed to be on the verge of saying something.
Oh! I had been so captivated by his appearance that I'd completely forgotten to listen to what he was saying.
His voice, still as sweet as ever, broke through my thoughts. "I didn't know I could make someone this beautiful!" he said, gazing at me with a hint of mischief.
"What... what do you mean?" I asked, startled, looking down at myself.
I gasped. I was dressed entirely differently—heavy, ornate clothes, jewelleries, my wrists adorned with bangles and bracelets. "When did you do this?" I asked, surprised.
"When you were lost in thoughts about how beautiful you think I am....," he said with a teasing smile, walking behind me.
(He can read my mind now? Of course, he can. How could I forget? He's not just anyone—he's God! I better be careful with what I think from now on. I blushed at the thought, feeling my face heat up.)
Suddenly, he gave me a playful nudge and pushed me in front of a large mirror. Only then did I realize the room I was in—decorated with flowers, with large paintings hanging on the walls, depicting a woman whose face was always slightly obscured and blurred. Maybe she was someone Krishna knew as he know so many people and he got so many lovers already ? The thought made my heart twist with a strange sense of jealousy. Why was I feeling this way?
Before I could dwell on it, he leaned in closer, his breath hot against my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. His hands appeared from behind, gently tugging at my cheeks as he whispered, "Why don't you take a look at yourself for once, instead of just staring at me?"
I turned to the mirror, and what I saw left me speechless. I looked like a princess straight out of a movie—royal, elegant, utterly transformed. I couldn't believe it. Was this really me? Krishna had done this, dressed me in these grand clothes and jewels, and I hadn't even noticed. I glanced back at him; I only reached up to his shoulders. The sight of myself standing beside him made me feel so shy that I couldn't even look in the mirror.
I quickly turned around, facing him. He was smiling, watching me with amusement. Before I could say anything, he gently swept the loose strands of my hair away from my face. By now, my cheeks were burning red. He always had this way of looking at me so full of love and a strange sense of belonging as if he knows me already, and too so deeply that each time he looked, it felt like falling in love over and over again.
"This isn't your modern-day 2024, you know," he said, stepping back with a mock-serious tone, like a teacher explaining to a student. "This is the Dwapar Yuga. And if you want to stay here, you'll need to understand how things work first. Are you getting it?"
"I already know everything about this place!" I said, my confidence bolstered through my excitement.
"This isn't a Star Plus soap opera! You can't just survive here with TV knowledge," he teased, his tone playful but his eyes watchful. "One wrong move, and you'll lose the bet. So be careful!!!!!"
Ugh, why does he keep underestimating me? Sure, I'm no expert, but that doesn't mean he has to keep scolding me. I pouted and nodded grudgingly.
"I'm not only just your Krishna here," he continued, his voice softening as he placed a hand on my head gently. "I am also the Krishna of Dwapar Yuga. I have responsibilities here, too. That's why I want to make sure you're ready for this world timeline, so you don't have any trouble in future intractions."
The warmth in his voice melted away my irritation. His care for me was so genuine, so full of love, that I couldn't stay mad.
With that gentle touch, any lingering anger I had vanished, replaced by a sense of peace and love that only Krishna could bring.