|| VaasudevaVasudaa: Resplendent Love || [ KrishneshvariVaasudeva } [ ON HOLD ]

|| ३- Of Hopes and Wishes ||

Satyabhama tried not to shutter, especially at the type of intensity She felt coming from Krishna. His very tone was so melodious that it filled Her heart entirely, which thumped so hard that it felt like it wanted to burst out of Her and fall at His feet, the same as Her entire body. Her hands itched to touch His feet, Her body itched to fall where He sat and let Her head relax against His feet, in a way that She usually felt for Vishnu, who She worshiped all the time.

But is He not Vishnu Himself?

Her brain would not stop repeating the question, and with a force that came with controlled practice, She shut down that side of Her thoughts, instead looking at Taara, whose shimmering eyes held so much happiness that all Satyabhama could do was smile in the face of that. She smiled at Her best friend, before turning to Maharaja Ugrasena, waiting to be addressed.

She could feel the intensity of Krishna's eyes on Her, but She refused to meet them, knowing She would turn redder than a flower if She looked at Him, something She could not afford at the moment.

"Satraajita, is there a specific reason that you had wanted to address the council?" Ugrasena's timbre voice sounded across the hall, and Satyabhama smiled softly, feeling confidence fill Her, as She discreetly looked at Krishna's feet, before raising Her eyes to meet His, just as He did the same.

"There is, Maharaja," Satraajita said, glancing at Satyabhama for a quick second. She smiled at him discreetly, before looking at Taara, whose eyes shone brighter than the stars She was named after. Satyabhama simply nodded once, knowing Taara would understand Her signal. The response She got told Her exactly what She already knew.

"Then tell us, Satraajita," Ugrasena said, regal and tall, even in his throne, his straight spine giving both the illusion as well as assurance that he was taller than even the majestic golden throne Krishna had insisted for His grandfather. It was one of the things that made Krishna even more admirable, in Satyabhama's eyes.

She could, in fact, understand His reasons, despite many others not, for Krishna was known to be as detached as He was loving and attached, and they were often confused by the things He did. But somehow, somehow, His actions seemed clear to Her, whatever the action was.

The answer to why that is, was something She did not have just yet, but it was something that was worth investigating. She filed Her thoughts away, deciding to debate it within the inner workings of Her mind at a later time. The moment required much more attention than Her usual multiple tasks at a time behaviour, a common enough behaviour that Her family knew it by sight.

She focused on Her father, intent on listening to him.

"Maharaja, I am well aware of the stories that are spread all over Bharatavarsha about Satyabhama," he started, his voice commanding yet respectful. She just watched him, taking in his body language, for it told her a lot about his mood. For example, the fact that he was doing his best not to clench the corner of his angavastra told Her very clearly that he was mildly nervous, for he wanted this conversation to go well.