A Familiar Love- A Radhakrishn Retelling

4. 𝖰𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌

She takes it back, she wasn't wrong and he is definitely that bad afterall, she thought as she stood helplessly watching a very gleeful Krishn narrate the exaggerated version of the whole event to her friends.

"Then she came to my house with ladoos to beg for forgiveness"

She heard her friends roaring with laughter and felt heat creeping up her neck due to the embarrassment. That was it, she had had enough.

"Okay that's too much, you better shut up now. That is not what happened and you know it."

"Oh radha, just let him complete the story, it's soo funny" Aanya said earning a glare from her friend whose face was deep red now.

"Yeah radha, this anger isn't good" Krishn chimed, giving her a teasing smile.

"You! You absolute jerk, how dare you make me look stupid in front of my friends. You just met us three days ago"

"Oh wow, anger and possessiveness? Not a great combination in one's personality"

"Accha? And who are you to tell me all my bad personality traits, huh?"

Radha felt herself fume with anger as she watched Krishn's face fall for just a mere second before being replaced by another one of those teasing smiles.

Her friends, sensing the rising anger of their usually calm friend decided to intervene and stop this petty fight before it escalated more.

"Okay alright, let's calm down and sit for now, the teacher must be coming soon."

Radha remained in a particularly sour mood the entire day. Krishn's words ran over and over in her mind like a broken music cassette. She could not understand why her heart felt heavy and her body lethargic. Why did those words mean anything to her? Why couldn't she shrug them off like she would've if it was someone else who has said those exact same words?

Her mood worsened when she remembered she had dance practice and hence had to stay back in school. The school was preparing for its 25th annual function and Radha and her friend Aanya had been asked to lead the senior dance which she was thrilled about. But on that particular day, she felt exhausted and just wanted to go home.

She let out a groan as she went to the dance room.

She was done, absolutely done with herself by the end of practice. She had messed up her steps continuously, leading to multiple scoldings by the teacher. She loved dancing, it was the only thing in the world that she could rely on to always make her feel happy and free, but today, all it did was make her body ache and make her feel even more miserable about herself.

She left the dance room absolutely exhausted, her legs felt like jelly, like they would give out at any moment, her bag felt like it weighed 10 kgs, she didn't even know if she could walk far enough to reach the metro station.

When she reached the school gate, she saw Krishn, sitting on the bench outside the school gate... She was confused because all the other students were allowed to go two hours ago, but she refused to talk to him. She decided to ignore him and walk past hopefully without getting noticed as he was watching something on his phone.

He smiled as he felt her walk past him, he immediately got up and swiftly fell into step with her.

Sighing at her failed attempt to go unnoticed, she decided to at least feed her curiosity.

"Why were you out here? Weren't you allowed to go like two hours ago?" she asked, exhaustion clear in her voice.

He frowned and noticed her state,

"Give me your bag"

"What? Why?"

"Just give it, you're tired"

"I'm perfectly capable of holding my bag myself, thank you"

"Well you look exhausted and I don't want to end up carrying you home incase you faint on me, so just give me your bag"

She sighed in defeat, she felt too tired to fight with him so she let him hold her bag. He swiftly swung it on his shoulder and smiled in victory.

"You didn't answer my question, Why didn't you leave?"

"I had to stay back to catch up on my studies, then I saw you coming so I decided to wait" He lied

"Oh, thanks i guess" she felt a little disappointed by his answer, she didn't know what she wanted to hear but that wasn't it.

They continued to walk in silence, which surprised radha but she said nothing and enjoyed the quiet and calm that settled between them which would be the very first and last in the coming days.

Radha could not remember when they got on and off the metro, all she could think of was how tired and sleepy she was and how this e rickshaw that was waiting for other passengers seemed the perfect place to fall asleep, and how comfortable Krishn's shoulder looked.

Krishn smiled, knowing her thoughts and inched a little closer to her, leaving her no choice but to give into her sleep.

As soon as Radha's head hit Krishn's shoulders, he too leaned his head on hers as if by muscle memory and closed his eyes. Radha felt as though she had fitted into the perfect puzzle. This position, the way her right hand automatically fell into his left and her other hand wrapped around his right arm, felt so familiar. She felt as though she had spent eternities in the same position, as if that's exactly where she belonged.

She didn't know if she was hallucinating or all these feelings were real, that was her last thought before she entirely gave consciousness up to sleep.

No one had entered the e rickshaw after that, Krishn couldn't allow just anyone to see the mesmerising position that Radhakrishn had fallen into after decades of waiting, even Radha who couldn't remember anything, knew in her subconscious that her wait was over and she was finally with her Krishn, in the same position she had subconsciously yearned to be in for decades, the same position she had spent eternity in. The ten minute rickshaw ride to her home was suddenly more than thirty minutes long. Even the gods wanted to witness this seraphic union of their beloved idols.

The world seemed to stop and hold their breaths as everyone with even an ounce of love in them felt peaceful even if it was just for a moment.

Upon reaching their street, Krishn lightly shook Radha out of her peaceful nap. Her eyes fluttered open but she made no move to get up and out of the rickshaw and continued to stare in the front.

"Radhe?" Krishn whispered softly, a smile adorning his face.

He heard her sigh, "I don't like it, you know? I don't like being angry, it reminds me of how my family has become but I can't help it, I'm sorry" her voice soft and barely audible.

His chest twisted when he heard the pain in her voice, his Radha was broken, but he smiled for her, "It's okay, you'll be okay. I'm here now" he squeezed her hand as he said words of comfort to her.
She lifted her head from his shoulders and untangled her arms from his and turned to face him, her face showing a tinge of red as she realised the position they were in.

"Thank you so much for getting me home safe and letting me sleep on your shoulder." She smiled and got out of the rickshaw.

Following her, he paid the rickshaw guy, and they once again fell in a comfortable silence as they walked towards their houses, Radha's came first. She turned towards him to say goodbye when a question arose.

"What did you mean when you said you're here now?"

Krishn gave her his signature smile that said 'I know something you don't', "You'll find out and hopefully it will be soon" he said and continued walking towards his own house, leaving her with more questions than answers.

She continued to stare as he disappeared behind the door to his house. Her heart felt peaceful today for reasons she couldn't pinpoint, but she knew it was because of this one person.

Author's note:
I would really appreciate votes and comments because it really does give motivation :)
-kanhapriya