Names of Devi Rukmini (used in this chapter):
Laadobai - The people of Kundinapur address her by this name, as it's her birthplace
Padmapriya - the lover of lotuses
Padma: she of the lotus
Dwarakeshwari: Goddess of Dwaraka
Sridevi: another name for Goddess Laksmi (consort of Sri Venkateshwara in Southern India)
Ruchiranana: One who has a beautiful face, expanding like a lotus flower
Shree: another name for Lakshmi (Goddess of Fortune)
Rakhumai: Mother Rukmini
Maanini Mani: Jewel among women or supreme reservoir of love
Krishnaatmika: The one who is the soul of Krishna
Vaidarbhi: Princess of Vidarbha
The supple skin, sheathing the delicate eyelids, creased slightly in bliss before fluttering awake, to reveal the rested brown orbs veiled beneath. A soft sigh of gratitude escaped the parched, yet rosy lips, as the young skin of her cheek rubbed against the smooth silk, upon which her petite head currently rested. As alta-dyed fingers ran through the loosened ebony curls of her head, releasing the knots of tension layering the fibrous tissue beneath her soft scalp, the princess's dazed vision trailed over the many golden-thread embroidered lotuses splayed generously upon the flared skirt. The dark irises of her doe eyes, zeroing in on the reddish pinks of the cluster of minute opal stones filling in the blossom, against the rich maroon material of the priceless silk. Enchanting they were to the beauty-obsessed eyes of the beholder, yet unmatchable in comparison to the pristine petals of lustrous pink that seated, with utmost royalty, the one who cherishes and bestows significance upon the bloom of purity and enlightenment itself – Padmapriya.
"You've awoken, my dear?" came the honeyed voice of Padma, the eternal dweller of the pinkened lotus. "You should rest some more."
The drooping petals of the young princess fought valiantly to veil the soft brown orbs beneath, from the prying gaze of worldly eyes. Naturally, she desired nothing more than to immerse herself beyond all else, in the soothing sensations, woven by the brush of the Dwaraka Queen's slim fingers against the softness of her scalp.
"Mamishree, I apologize for having you sit here for so long. In this exact position as I slept," she sighed, mentally unwilling to part with the baby softness of the motherly fingers, only ranking second in comparison to the tender heart of the Goddess of prosperity.
"Don't be silly! Nothing can bring a mother more happiness than watching with delight, the peaceful slumber of her child upon her lap," Rukmini gently admonished her loveable niece, as she tucked away the stubborn lock of curl that found pleasure in caressing the radiant cheek of the princess. Despite the charming smile playing upon her lips, the kohl-lined blooming eyes of Krishna's beloved Queen, keenly observed the glazing of the young ones staring intricately upon the thread work bordering her sari. "What is bothering you, my love?"
Mitra dug her face against the silk sheathed lap of Dwarakeshwari, allowing the distinct smell of sandalwood, rose oil, and another fragrance - her olfaction could not quite perceive, attempt their magic at taming her muddled thoughts. Was it the fragrance of amrita, if the divine substance held one? The nectar of immortality, which the Devas and Asuras had desperately fought to horde ownership over, while releasing the goddess of wealth, who herself was its source, from within the deeper depths of the milky ocean? Whatever it was, not only soothed the inner turmoil of her senses, but along with it weakened her resolve to maintain a toughened façade before the mother of the three worlds.
BẠN ĐANG ĐỌC
DaanveerPutri
Tiểu Thuyết Lịch SửThe great Mahabharata battle took away the lives of many and left many families incomplete. What would it be like if Anga Raj Karna had a daughter? What would the emotional turmoil of a young girl who lost all she called family in the battle be lik...
