While returning home from the office, my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Krishna. I kept wondering what he might have been doing all day alone at home. Was he bored? .....These thoughts swirled in my head as I reached the flat and rang the doorbell. The door opened after two or three rings, and suddenly, a shower of dried rose petals fell over me. Behind the door, Krishna stood, smiling mischievously as he performed his little act.
The sight of his smiling face immediately washed away all my exhaustion and irritation from the day. I dropped my bag on the sofa, sat beside it, and teased him, "Oh! What ... a grand welcome!! Sir..."
"Well;!! , you never bother to clean the flowers from my room, so I thought I'd drop them on you. Maybe now this lazy girl will clean them...!" he said, tossing more petals at me from his pocket.
"At least I got to experience a flower shower,....By a flower himself....!" I said, playfully provoking him.
"What are you saying...Can you repeat!! ?" he asked, pretending not to understand as he moved closer to me.
"I'm going to grab some water first and then take a little rest," I replied, laughing and diverting the topic before walking away.
When I returned, fresh-faced after washing up, I found him standing in front of me, holding chapati mixveg rolls. He said he had made them himself for me. Honestly, I felt a bit embarrassed seeing him handle the household chores, but at the same time, it warmed my heart. I didn't say much and quietly ate the rolls. Afterward, as usual, he dragged me out for a walk despite my protests.
The most surprising part of the evening was how easily he mingled with the aunties and uncles in our society .... Like everywhere he was going and start greeting them out of nowhere in middle of our conversation 'Namaste Aunty ji... how is your pain now?'. It seemed as though he had known them forever. Meanwhile, here I was, not even acquainted with all the residents of my own building after so long.
"How do you know all these people?" I asked him as we walked.
"They called me for another yoga session after you left. The paymentis per batch now, and deal is done with three batches a day, it's not bad, right?" he replied, glancing at me with a proud grin.
"You've already made so yourself
(Jugad) adjustable here!" I teased him.
"Well,...!!! I'm not shameless like you, living at someone's place without paying rent," he quipped, playfully smacking the back of my head.
"Oh really? Tell me how much rent you owe!" I demanded, pretending to be annoyed.
"Still....You wouldn't be able to afford it,!!" he said, still smiling as he looked straight ahead.
"Try me!" I insisted.
"It would take you a whole lifetime to repay it if I told you,..." he said, his smile widening.
"Then I guess I'll just have to spend my whole life with you to pay the rent," I said shyly.
"Do you really think I could tolerate you for an entire lifetime...?" he suddenly stopped walking and asked, So dramatically.
"It's a matter of courage to stay with me.... If you don't have the guts, then what can I do?" I teased back, glancing at him as I walked ahead.
He ran to catch up me , leaned close to my ear, and whispered, "Fine....Time will tell....right!!! " Then, without waiting for my reaction, he darted into a nearby shop.
After A little more shopping... later, we headed home as the evening deepened after watching the sunset together. After coming back, we washed up and performed the evening prayer (Sandhya poojan) together. Then, as always, we prepared dinner, shared some lighthearted conversations, and retreated to our respective rooms for the night.
I couldn't help but wonder why he always went to bed so early. It was such a mystery to me, but perhaps, that's just another part of what made him... Krishna.
Early in the morning, I was woken up again because of Sandy. She had messaged last night, insisting that Keshav should be sent to her again. "Who does she think she is .... And who is keshav to her....?" I thought, simmering with anger... I don't like the way she talk to him and about him. This frustration boiled within me while I dragged myself to the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar, so I pushed it open completely. And there he was-Krishna-brushing his teeth in the corner. But lost in my thoughts about Sandy, I hadn't even noticed him at first. It was only when I closed the door behind and put toothpaste on my brush ....that time ....my eyes fell on him, and I let out a loud shriek.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"What? ....What happened?" he responded, startled, still gargling.
"You are here....????!" I stammered, pointing at him.
"Of course, I'm here, brushing my teeth," he replied casually, rinsing his mouth.
"But... but I didn't expect you!" I stuttered.
"Why? Did you think I was cooking in here?" he teased, washing his brush.
I glared at him. "But you're brushing your teeth-"
"Are you drunk this early in the morning? ....Hurry up! ...Get ready for the morning walk," he said, smirking as he wiped his wet hands on my cheeks before walking out of the bathroom.
"What's wrong with me!" I muttered, slamming the door shut, shaking my head at my own absentmindedness. How could I be so distracted!
Once I got ready, we set off for our morning walk. As usual, I plucked a flower along the way and handed it to him. Together, we stood in silence, watching the sunrise, with me enjoying the sight of my "sun" standing next to the rising sun. However, seeing him chatting animatedly with Sandy again started to irritate me. Thankfully, there were other people around this time, and her clinginess didn't bother me as much as he was busy with other people during the session.
The yoga session ran longer than usual, so I had to leave early, leaving Krishna alone with Sandy was bothering me. Back at the room, I freshened up, did my prayers, and prepared breakfast for both of us. As I waited for him, I felt a strange heaviness in my heart. When he didn't return, I left for work feeling restless. My day at the office felt off. The weight in my chest only grew heavier, and my boss's scolding added fuel to my already miserable mood.
I sat at my desk with my head buried in my arms, looking utterly defeated, when a delivery boy's call snapped me out of my gloom. I quickly shared the OTP, instructing him to deliver the package to Krishna at home. For some reason, that small act made me feel better, a tiny flicker of light in my otherwise nightmare day.
The day crawled by, and by the time I headed home, the walk seemed endless and time consuming. I couldn't stop wondering how Krishna would react to the delivery.... Would he be pleased by the new phone? Or Annoyed? The anticipation gnawed at me.
As I reached the door and rang the bell, it flew open almost instantly. Krishna stood there with his phone's camera pointed at me. "You look so much fairer in this video!" he exclaimed, grinning mischievously.
I rolled my eyes, tossing my bag onto the sofa. "You don't even know how to use the camera properly...So stop commenting," I muttered, reaching for the water bottle on the table.
"Wait, just like this ....hold still!" he said, pretending to snap my photo as I drank water.
"Stop it! You're going to make me spill the water!" I scolded, annoyed.
But he didn't stop. And sure enough, the water splashed onto his pants. Bursting into laughter, I teased, "Serves you right!!!! Now that's some karma points!"
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he accused, wiping the water on my clothes with exaggerated drama.
I watched him .... As he was showing me new phone features that he discovered today .... he showed me something excitedly, like a little boy sharing a newfound treasure. As he spoke, my irritation melted into a warm sense of contentment.
Suddenly A playful idea struck inside me. "Let's test the phone's speaker quality!" I suggested.
"How?" he asked, puzzled.
"Give me the phone!" I demanded. Taking it, I opened YouTube and played 'I Love You' from the Bodyguard movie at full volume. I couldn't help sneaking glances at him as the song played. My heart raced with excitement and a mischievous grin spread across my face. Krishna, however, stood with his eyes closed, pretending to listen intently without a single reaction.
When the song ended, he finally opened his eyes. I asked, shyly, "So... what do you think?"
"The speaker is good," he replied nonchalantly, taking the phone from me. His hand brushed mine briefly, and I felt a rush of warmth. But then he said something that shattered the moment. "By the way, you can get me a new phone number simcard under your name..... Actually Sandy wanted my contact number."
I froze, staring at him. "Why don't you just ask her to get a new sim card.....directly then?" I snapped, trying to hide my hurt. I got up to leave, but he caught my hand.
"If you want,.... Then I'll call you also from my new number," he said softly, his expression was innocent, as if he didn't understand why I was upset.
" talk to me also???? What does also even mean?" I retorted, turning away my head. "If someone else is more important to you...., go talk to them ....! Don't bother doing me any favors... I don't want to be an second option ....!"
"Wait a minute... Are you jealous?" he teased, tilting my face toward him.
"Jealous?.... Of her? ....Never!" I stammered, my voice faltering.
"If you say so...," he said, smirking. "But don't worry, I'll stop talking to her if it makes you happy. After all, I'm your servant, right Mam?" He dramatically folded his hands, making me laugh despite myself.
"Stop it... just stop now! ....Oh wait, I just remembered-there's something I need to show you!" I said, snatching the phone from his hand.
"What??" he asked, leaning closer to look at the phone screen.
"Look at this... it's the Wattpad app! It's downloading... there are tons of stories about you on it. Wait, let me show you myself!" I said eagerly, scrolling through the screen.
"I already know about it!!!," he replied with a sly smile. "I've seen it on your phone before, and I also already know who's writing what about me."
"Oh, really?! You're so omniscient, aren't you?..... I totally forgot you're basically a god!" I teased, grinning mischievously.
"If someone writes about me, do you really think it won't reach me? I keep track of everything. The only difference is, I choose not to say anything," he said, snatching the phone back from me.
"Speaking of which... should I tell Chikuuu about you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked at him.
"Do you really not want me to have a moment of peace?.... If you tell her I'm here with you, she'll start pestering Dwarkadhish Ji about me..... That'll create chaos for him, and in the end, all the blame-and extra work-will fall on me!..... So please, just sit quietly and let keep it as a secret!" he said, clicking on "Create Account" while shaking his head.
"But... this isn't right! I don't feel good hiding this from her," I said, peeking over his shoulder at the phone screen.
"And do you think she tells you everything....? Did she tell you she's planning a date with Dwarkadhish Ji? She's hiding plenty from you too. If you tell her about me, her dating schedule will get messed up, and then the blame will fall on me yet again. So, sit quietly, let his dwarikadhish ji handle his matters, and let me handle mine!" he said, hiding the phone from me while typing furiously.
"But aren't you both one and the same?" I asked, puzzled.
"I am... and I'm not. I'm here with you right now, and I'm with her too. Everyone gets their time with me as per their own circumstances. Just like marriages don't start with the phere(a marriage ritual) right away-everything has its time.
Now, stop distracting me and tell me Chiku's Wattpad ID. I need to make sure her story reaches her beloved Dwarkadhish!" he said, pulling the phone back toward himself.
"Wait a second... but what's your Wattpad ID? Tell me that first!!!" I demanded, leaning closer to see the screen.
"Shhh! I don't trust you at all," he said, smirking. "And anyway, I'm not exactly new here. I've just created a new account..... And just so you know, I already know all about Cheeku's ID-and everyone else's account for that matter also.
But now it's time for some mischief!!!! ! From this new account of mine, I'll explore the lovely, enchanting stories and poems my dear writers have crafted... hahaha!!!!" he laughed, slipping the phone into his pocket and dramatically laughing by moving his hand.
"I have a question....Do you think!!!," I asked excitedly, "you could ever make their stories come true?"
"Ah! Who knows... maybe in some universe, their stories are coming true," he said with a wistful smile. "But remember-writers don't choose stories; stories choose writers." He paused, running his hand gently through my hair. "However, that one thing you wrote about me once-the one you never showed to anyone-that hasn't come true...yet."
His words hung in the air, leaving me wondering what he meant as I looked at him, my heart fluttering like the pages of that hidden story.
"That wasn't meant for you...!!!" Saying this, I ran off, blushing, and locked myself in the bathroom. Placing my hands over my flushed cheeks, I stood there reminiscing about the old days. I remembered how I used to call out to him, write letters for him. He knew it all-yet, I couldn't understand why he is pretending to be unaware about my feeling.
The evening came, and like every day, we went for a walk, followed by the evening prayer, dinner, and then off to bed. The next day began again with morning walk.... offering a rose to my cute rose, heading out for a morning walk with it, and almost daily .... It goes with stealing glances at him while burning with jealousy over Sandy. Afterward, it was the usual rush to the office, returning by evening, and repeating the same evening routine all over again.
Our days were flowing together like this-laughing, fighting, teasing each other. Now he knew that I was jealous of Sandy, and so he deliberately teased me even more by her name. And then there were the Sundays-when everyone else got a break from yoga, but I had to attend "extra-special" classes, as he called them... That these special classes are only for special people like me. These classes were so special that my body endured an entire month's worth of yoga in just one day!... But to be honest doing yoga was improving my physical health very much.
Every morning my favorite part would be, how I would "accidentally" bump into him. And whenever I surprised him by returning early from the office, my day felt complete. Sometimes, his little quirksand surprises made me fall even harder for him- I remember the time when I caught him sneaking butter from the fridge at midnight..... And how he covered up it by saying "I was taking it out for you because I knew you'd wake up soon!" he claimed. How much fun it was to annoy him that night!
I also remember the time when I accidentally slapped his cheek while trying to kill a mosquito. The whole day, he made a fuss dramatically, pretending his tooth was broken! He always made a scene over my mistakes, but when it came to his own, he'd skillfully change the subject.
Oh, and how could I forget? During office hours, whenever he called to ask, "What should I cook for lunch?" or "I'm heading to yoga, should I pick something up from market?"-his voice over the phone sounded so melodious and so so .... Addicting...., even more enchanting than in person. I secretly recorded his voice just to listen to it while working; it was my motivation to get through the day.
Days passed, and Diwali arrived. It was my first Diwali away from home. I felt a little homesick, but he lifted my spirits. Together, we decorated the house with flowers and oil lamps called Diyas. Working alongside him had its own charm-especially when he would mummer into a song in between tasks. His singing transported me to another world. I wished he would someday let me rest my head in his lap and sing for me.
On the day of Diwali, he looked stunning in a red kurta. Oh,..... how handsome he was! I couldn't take my eyes off him. His hair, his cheeks.....-I wanted to reach out and touch them. But what excuse could I find to get closer to him?
We made desi ghee laddoos together and went around the neighborhood distributing them. Thanks to him, I had become quite well-known in the area. Everyone knew him from yoga, and since he stayed with me, they recognized me too, thinking he was my relative from the village.
At one house, an aunt commented that we made a lovely couple. My heart swelled with joy, but I eagerly waited for his response. He said nothing, though. The lights of the diyas made him glow even more that night.
Sandy, of course how can I forget , didn't miss her chance to grab attention. She took a photo with him clicked by me...and flaunted her pink dress. She started her usual drama, showing off before me. Somehow, I managed to escape her and reached the last house. There, an elderly lady gave us prasadam from Vrindavan, reminding me of my wish to visit the place that I told her before.
Excitedly, I brought it up of costing vrindavan with him once we got back to our room. But he remained silent. After a pause, he simply said, "Let's leave it for now....," and walked out as some children called for him.
I stood there, puzzled, trying to understand why he said that. Lost in thought, I absentmindedly popped the last laddoo into my mouth, my eyes trailing after him as he disappeared out of the room.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●