The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of trees, casting a warm golden glow over the forest clearing. The air was filled with sounds of laughter and chatter as the children played and frolicked together.
Krishna and Balram, however, were engrossed in their own little world of mischief, surrounded by a group of curious monkeys who had come down from the trees to investigate the picnic. With mischievous grins on their faces, Krishna and Balram made faces at the monkeys, mimicking their movements and jumping around in a game of imitation.
The monkeys, in turn, chattered and chattered in response, as if engaged in a playful conversation with the two boys. Krishna and Balram continued their antics, jumping along with them, swinging from branches, and even trying to feed the monkeys some of their picnic snacks.
The other cowherds boys were also engaged in their mischievous endeavours. At the moment which was preventing Madhumangal from taking back his lunch, which they sneakingly stole.
"Mera bhojan lauta do !" Madhumangal warned as he went towards Subala.
However, before he could take his lunch bag from Subala, the latter threw far on the other side to Sridama. Madhumangal grunted as he rushed to Sridama, but he too, threw it farther towards Vijayaksh, who them threw it to Bhadrasen, and Bhadrasen to other friends. Their laughter filled the atmosphere.
This went on and on as Madhumangal kept chasing for his lunch bag. And after a while, the poor child sat down, disappointed and began to cry.
"Arrey Arrey ! Madhumangal !" The friends rushed to him.
Subala handed him his lunch bag, "Yeh le Madhumagal, bas ro mat."
Madhumangal sniffled, his lips formed in a pout as he held his precious food close to his heart.
Bhadrasen kept a hand over his shoulder in assurance, "Ashru pocch le Madhu. Meri maiya ne swadisht mishthaan bheja hai. Chal saath mei khaate hai."
He took Madhumangal to where his lunch bag was, but much to his surprise it wasn't there. Bhadrasen turned around with a frown, and saw it in the hands of another cowherd friend, Mansukh, smirking at him.
Bhadrasen yelled, "Mansukha ! Mera bhojan lauta de anyatha 'tansukha' bana dunga !"
"Pehle pakad toh !" Mansukh laughed and ran away as Bhadrasen chased after him.
And so their playful banter and game continued. Until their eyes fell upon Krishna, who seemed to be walking further and further to admire the beauty of the forest.
"Krishna ke paas chalte hai !" Sridama said.
"Dekhe kaun Krishna ko pehle sparsh karta hai !" Subala said.
And so all the boys ran towards his direction to accompany him, each one saying, "Mai pehle sparsh karunga !" "Nahi mai !"
And once they reached Krishna, they all held him close and attained eternal bliss by holding him. The lord laughed at the simple delights of his little friends, who seemed to be enjoying life just by touching him.
In this way they all enjoyed their picnic. Some boys blew their flutes, and others blew bugles made of horns. Some imitated the buzzing of the bumblebees, and others imitated the voice of the cuckoo.
Some boys imitated flying birds by running after the birds' shadows on the ground, some imitated the beautiful movements and attractive postures of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, sitting silently, others imitated the dancing of the peacocks.
Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some jumped into the trees, imitating the monkeys, some made faces as the monkeys were accustomed to do, and others jumped from one branch to another. Some boys went to the waterfalls and crossed over the river, jumping with the frogs, and when they saw their own reflections on the water they would laugh.
Soon it was lunchtime and the boys stopped playing. But before they sat down to eat, something caught their eye. At some distance, there was a big cave, shimmering in the sun with its magnificence.
"Yeh toh koi naag jaisa pratit hota hai na ?" Mansukh asked.
And he was not wrong, that was not a cave but Daitya Aghasur, sent by Kamsa. He had assumed the form of a python as thick and big as a mountain, and as long as eight miles. He had spread his mouth wide open, like a big cave and his serpentine tongue had become a road.
Bhadrasen nodded, "Ha. Lagta hai kisi ne ise vilaas hetu banwaya ho. Chalo Jaa ke dekhte hai."
"Thehero !" Subala stopped him, "Yadi yeh vastavik naag huya toh ? Ya fir koi Asur ?"
Sridama replied, "Chinta na kar, Subala. Yadi yeh Bakasur ke jaisa koi rakshas huya, toh iska bhi wahi parinaam hoga jo uss dusht Asur ka huya."
They all looked at the face of Krishna, who was talking with Balram and laughing. Seeing his beautiful countenance, that emitted the aura of protection, they all laughed and clapped their hands, knowing their friend will come to their rescue if things go south.
"Toh fir chalo." Vijaksh said.
"Ha ha, chalo dekhe kya hai uske andar." Madhumangal said.
The boys ran towards the cave, unafraid and curious to see what lay ahead.
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A/N
Fun fact - Aghasur, Bakasur and Putana were siblings.
Yeah.... I had the same reaction as you-🤣🤣