CHAPTER 68

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Lalita searched around the forests of Vrindavan, trying to find Krishna. She was extremely concerned about Radha's condition and was worried something might happen to her swamini, if she didn't bring Krishna to him.

As she wandered through the lush greenery, Lalita's heart raced with anxiety. She called out for Krishna, hoping he would hear her pleas and come to their aid.

"Krishna ! Krishna !" She called out as she looked around.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of searching, Lalita caught a glimpse of Krishna in the distance, seated on the banks of Yamuna. Relief flooded through her as she ran towards him, knowing that his presence would bring comfort and solace to Radha.

However as she neared him, she saw his desolate condition and how uncharacteristically lost he looked. Tears were streaming down his face endlessly, like rivers. Seeing Krishna, the one she loved so much, in this condition, Lalita was grief-stricken. She knew she had to unite him with Radha soon.

"Shyaam !" She knelt down beside him, helping him seat up straight.

He looked at her with his teared eyes, "Lalita ?"

Holding back her tears, Lalita nodded, "Ha, Krishna. Chalo yaha se. Radha ke paas chalo, aapke virah mei woh sudh kho baithi hai."

"Sudh kho di ?" Krishna frowned, "Tatparya ?"

Lalita began sobbed, unable to hold her tears any longer as she described the pain of Radha after being separated from him. She described how Radha lies gravely ill, smoldering in the fever of passion, and how sandalwood paste, cooling moonshine or lotus flowers simply do not work. Just the thought of them increases her temperature. Sometimes the rising fever which has sapped her strength suddenly drops, and her body turns cold from the perspiration.

"Krishna, aapse milne ki aas hi Radha ko jeevit rakhe hai. Keval aap hi woh vaidya hai jo unhe punah swasth kar sakte hai." Lalita said.

Upon hearing of Radha's dire distress from Lalita, Krishna realized immediately felt ashamed that he was here lamenting while he should've been next to her and consoled her. He quickly wiped away his tears and looked at Lalita, with determination.

"Radhey ko shaant karao, aur kaho ki mai kshama praarthi hu. Aur fir use yaha leke aao." Krishna said.

Lalita nodded and quickly went away to the bhavan where the rest of the friends and Radha was lying desolately.

"Kishori !" Lalita went to her side and knelt down, "Krishna aapko Yamuna ke kunj mei bula rahe hai."

Radha slowly turned her head towards Lalita at the mention of her beloved.

"Vilamb na karo, sakhi. Aur chalo. Krishna bhi virah ke vedna se peedit hai jis prakaar aap hai." Lalita said.

Vishakha came beside and helped Radha sit up, "Swamini, ab yeh maan tyaag do aur Krishna par vijay praapt karo."

Consoling her with sweet words, Radha's friends coaxed her and made her leave the place. With them, Radha came out of the bhavan, and saw that it had become dark already.

Timidly looking around Radha treaded
the dark path with fright, stopping at each tree and then gradually resuming her steps. She moved along with waves of desire billowing through.

"Piche na hatiye, Kishori." Lalita said, "Krishna aapko dekh ke itne prasann honge ki sab bhul jaayenge. Chaliye ab."

Radha shook her head however, "Nahi, mujhse nahi hoga." Although her heart was set on Krishna, it was too weak to go to him.

Lalita doesn't waste a moment and rushes to the banks of Yamuna where Krishna was. Approaching him, she grabs his hands and tries to pull him with her.

"Chaliye Krishna, aapki Radha kunj mei aapki pratiksha kar rahi hai." Lalita said.

Krishna asked, "Yaha kyu nahi aayi ?"

Lalita lowered her head, "Dukh ke karan Radha se chala bhi nahi jaa raha. Woh apni sudh mei nahi hai. Chaliye na, Krishna. Kripa kijiye."

Krishna nodded and went with Lalita to the place where Radha was. All the friends left the place, to give them both the privacy they needed. And when they all were out of sight, overwhelmed by emotions seeing her condition, Krishna immediately rushed to Radha and fell at her feet and humbly attempted to pacify her.

"Radhey-" "Nahi !" She was still angry.

With anger, she said, "Chale jaao, Krishna. Sabhi gopiyo ke prem praapt kar ab mere paas kyu aaye ho ? Chale jaao."

Krishna looked at her sadly, as he gently caressed her head, "Radhey, tum hi toh kehti ho ki hum bhinn nahi hai. Fir yeh krodh kyu ?"

"Krodh ? Krodh kyu ? Yeh !" She pointed at the marks of kisses on his and embraces on his dark body, "Yeh hai mere krodh ka karan. Jab tum kehte ho ki tum mujhse prem karte ho, fir yeh sab kyu ? Kya tum mere nahi ?"

"Nahi." Krishna said, "Mai sabka hu, Radha. Jo mujhse jaisa prem karta hai, mai usse waisa hi prem karta hu. Aur mai yeh kaam ya vaasna ke karan nahi karta, tum jaanti ho ki mai inn bhaavo se pare hu. Jo mai karta hu, woh mera prem hai mere bhakto ke prati, unki bhakti ka fal hai woh. Unko prasann karne ki cheshta, mai sadev karta hu."

Radha lowered her gaze as his words sunk in, he place a finger under her chin and made her look at him again, "Radhey, Mata Yashoda ek Mata ke bhaati mujhse prem karti hai toh mai, Jagatpita hoke bhi unka putra bana huya hu. Yaha ke gwaal-baal mujhe apna mitra maante hai toh mai ek sakha ke jaise unke saath rehta hu aur krida karta hu. Toh fir gopiya, jo apna jeevan mujhe samarpit kar mujhe apna premi maan baithi hai, unke saath mai premi jaisa vyavhaar na karu, toh kya Madhurya bhaav ke bhakto ke saath anyaye nahi hoga ?"

Radha didn't say a word, she just nodded in understanding.

"Kintu yadi ab bhi tumhe lagta hai ki maine jo kiya woh anuchit tha, toh..." Krishna picked a stick from nearby and held it to her, "Toh tum mujhe dand de sakti ho. Mere sabhi bhakto jaise, tumhara bhi adhikaar hai mujhpar."

Radha looked at him and then at the stick, grabbing it in an instant and throwing it away. She just embraced him, and sobbed. Krishna smiled as he caressed her head.

Outside the kunj, Lalita and the rest of the Ashtsakhis were keeping an eye on everything, while enjoying the serenity of the place. Suddenly Chandravali came there and was stopped by the maidens, right there.

"Thehero, Chandravali. Tum isse aage nahi jaa sakti." Lalita said.

Chandravali frowned, "Parantu kyu ?"

"Kyuki Radha aur Krishna abhi iss kunj ke andar saath hai." Vishakha said.

"Oh." She muttered but got confused, "Waise tum sab bhi Krishna se prem karti ho na ?"

"Praano se bhi adhik." Indulekha said.

"Toh fir Radha ko Krishna ke paas bhejna aur swayam yaha pehra dena ?" Chandravali asked.

Lalita smiled sadly, "Kyuki saccha prem wahi hai, jisme priyatam ke sukh ko apna sukh mana jaaye. Krishna ki prasannata Radha mai hai, iss liye unhe Radha se milane mei humari prasannata hai."

Chandravali didn't say anything for a moment, she fell into thoughts but was unable to fathom the deepness and purity of their love.

"Satya kehte hai, prem bhi ek tapasya hi hai." She said.

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A/N

Unparalleled is the love of Radha Krishna, unparalleled is the love of Gopis and Krishna ❤️✨

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