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

|| १८- Kamalaa and Kaali ||

Mathura

The first thing Satyabhama realized was that there was no water that touched Her or Her clothes, despite being surrounded by the dark yet radiant waters of the Yamuna. For a moment, Satyabhama just admired the fish that swam around Her, nibbling at Her lightly as if to greet Her. Laughing gently, She touched them in greeting, lightly and with the tip of Her fingers.

"Yamunae?" She called out to the Goddess of the river which defined purity and gentleness all in one.

"I am here, Satyaa," the melodious voice of Yamuna reached Satyabhama, making the latter smile. Clearly, it was Her dear friend's powers that kept Satyabhama undrenched and gave Her the ability to hear amidst the different sound waves emitted within water.

"Kaali, for what reason did you sort of kidnap me from the banks of your river? You usually come to meet me directly right?" Satyabhama asked Her friend, curious but not angry by any means. She knew well that if Yamuna had done it, there would be some important reason behind it.

"There is a very specific reason, Sakhi," Yamuna smiled and held Satyabhama's hand, leading Her to a beautiful palace. It was iridescent, shimmering like pearl white, made of gems known and unknown, built specifically for Yamuna Herself. To Satyabhama's eyes, it felt like a loving gift, one given by a parent.

"Did one of your parents gift you this palace, Kaali?"

"My father did, Kamalaa. How did you guess?" Yamuna's voice sounded rhetorical, but Her eyes reflected a curiosity tinted with knowing. Given Her status as a Goddess, it was no surprise to Satyabhama that Kaalindi indeed knew more than She let on.

"The parental love embedded in every aspect of the palace," Satyabhama said, looking at the palace in awe once more, before turning to Her friend. "I had been meaning to talk to you for days, Kaali."

"I heard your call, but I had to wait for you to come to my banks," Yamuna smiled softly, a little cheekily, in fact, making Satyabhama mock glare at Her friend, before laughing softly.

"What is it, Sakhi?" Satyabhama was tugged towards a throne by Yamuna, who seated Her there and started offering greetings formally.

"Sakhi, what are you doing?" Satyabhama's eyes widened, when Yamuna gently washed the former's feet with Her waves.

"Welcoming a dear friend to my palace. I cannot let go of that, right?" Yamuna gently finished the welcome, now standing up to hug Satyabhama tightly yet gently. The latter too hugged Her, nonplussed, but accepting. She could not argue with Yamuna's words, for the latter followed the Dharma of welcoming someone into Their home.

"Now tell me, Kamalaa. What is it that you wanted to tell me?" Yamuna asked softly, though She seemed to already know.

Satyabhama, however, accepted that Yamuna was asking for a reason, and held Her friend's hand, before starting to narrate the happenings of Her Kalaa Pradarshana, and the immediate repercussions. Yamuna listened silently, turning thoughtful for a few moments.

"Tell me, what does Kanha say?"

"He does not seem delighted with the behaviour, but also seems resigned to it. I believe He very much expected it, though He hoped it wouldn't be so early," She blushed when She said that, unsure why her face felt so heated. She was just talking to Her friend.

"He would be so," Kaalindi said, Her tone fond and knowing. "Kanha advocates for equality more than anyone I have ever known, and He is not the type to foster anything on anyone. Even with His own wives, when He marries, He will never force anything on Them. What They choose, He will actively encourage."

Satyabhama felt as if Kaalindi was talking about Her, in the depth of Her heart, but did not say anything beyond that. She allowed Kaalindi to continue talking, which Her friend clearly knew, giving Satyabhama a look as if to say Kaalindi would get the latter talking when the time is right.

"He, however, would refuse to be heavy handed, even if a single command of His can silence everyone. Kanha knows right from wrong very clearly, but to preserve the integrity of people by nature, He will not point out their mistakes in any way but deeply subtle, enough for them to understand, but not for others to feel anyone else's mistake. In His point of view, what He sees in a person is between Him and that person, and He would never actively harm anyone unless they try to hurt those who follow Dharma."

"He who has come down for establishing Dharma," Satyabhama whispered, awed at the clarity Yamuna's words gave Her. She wanted to keep listening to Her friend talk, and looked hopefully at the latter, who laughed softly, patting Satyabhama's cheek with an elegant hand, as beautiful as the blue Lotus.

"He has, Sakhi. You have heard the miracles He has performed, but I am a witness to His endless Leela," Yamuna teared at that thought it seemed, wrapped in an old memory. Satyabhama gently touched Yamuna's hand in comfort, allowing the latter Her silence.

Yamuna continued after a few moments of silence to Herself. "Kanha's words hold infinite wisdom, and multiple meanings too. Satyaa, you should analyze every word He has spoken to you and divine the meaning in them."

"How does one who, not knowing Him, learn the meaning of His words?" Satyabhama asked softly, feeling Herself flush when Yamuna surveyed Her with a knowing look.

"You tell me, Kamalaa. How does one learn the meaning of His words? Anyway, who said you do not know Him?"

And Yamuna had caught Her. Deep down in Her heart, Satyabhama knew that She was born for His sake alone, out of His own will and wish. Yet, how was She to believe the madly in love heart She had, especially with respect to Him? But how could She not as well?

"How is it possible that I have already fallen in love with Him?" Satyabhama quietly asked. "Yet how is it possible that it took me so long to realize?"

"Kamalaa, there can never be one in the world not in love with Him, He is indeed Purushottama Himself, the only Purusha in this and every Brahmanda. It is just the time they get that realization that varies. For many, it comes after some specific situation takes place in their lives, after some big change that has occurred. For you, none of that was needed. Just hearing of Him was enough, was it not?"

Satyabhama blushed, again getting caught by Her friend. But what compunctions did She have from Yamuna, who was as dear to Her as one of her sisters?

"His name caused tremors in me the moment I heard it," Satyabhama acknowledged, blushing softly and looking down shyly, before looking at Yamuna. "There is one more thing He said."

"Which is?"

Satyabhama explained Guru Garga's words and Krishna's following words, which made Yamuna light up the moment the former uttered them.

"So He clearly did mean for you to come to me," Yamuna said softly. "Which, of course He did. He probably always knew of our friendship, and this is His way of showing us His delight at it."

Satyabhama nodded, as She too had thought the same. It was delightful to Her that She and Yamuna were so alike, and in so many things.

"And there is a specific reason He wanted you to meet me," Satyabhama looked at Yamuna when the latter said these words. Yamuna continued, "I know the person who can teach you what Guru Garga asked you to learn."

"Who is it, Kaali?"

"My father, who else?"

*****

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