The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the village of Vrindavan. The streets were bustling with activity as villagers went about their daily chores. In the courtyard of Yashoda's home, several maidens had gathered around her as she sat churning milk. Yashoda's face was serene as she worked, her hands moving in a steady rhythm.
"Yashoda ji, jabse lalla aya hai aapke jeevan mei..... Aapka mukh toh Kamal ke bhaati khila rehta hai." Sumukhi said.
Yashoda smiled, "Ab Mera laal hai hi aisa."
Ambika sighed in delight, "Kaash aapka lalla humara putra hota."
The others nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with longing.
"Jab bhi Krishna ko dekhti hu, apne putra ki sudh hi nahi rehti." Mitradevi confessed, her voice filled with awe.
Sumukhi sighed with a chuckle, "Dasha toh meri bhi kuch aisi hi hoti hai. Yashoda ji ke lalla ke samaksh sampurn jagat fika lagta hai."
"Ek alokik akarshan toh hai Krishna mei, isme toh koi sandeh nahi." Ambika said.
"Oh !" Mitradevi exclaimed overwhelmed by yearning, "Kaash Krishna mera putra hota !"
"Mera bhi !" The other maidens nodded, their hearts filled with a mixture of desperation and adoration for Krishna.
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Having saved all the children from the death personified Aghasur, Krishna brought all of them to the pleasing atmosphere of banks of Yamuna. The blooming lotuses were attracting bees and birds by their fragrance, and their humming and chirping was echoing throughout the enchanting trees. Even the sands were clean and soft.
"Mitro," Krishna said, "Humare vihaar aur khelne hetu yeh sthaan sarvochit rahega. Bhojan hetu waise bhi der ho raha hai, aur hum sabko bahut bhook lagi hai. Yaha toh bacchde bhi shaanti se ghaas char lenge."
"Uchit hai !" The boys agreed to his proposal.
They all brought their calves and lunchbags to the spot. After making their calves drink water from the river, they kept them under the trees where there was tender green grass in abundance so the animals can graze peacefully.
Then the boys, sat together in a circle with Krishna in the middle, like the whorl of a lotus flower surrounded by its petals and leaves. Some placed their lunch of flowers, some on leaves or bark of trees while others on rocks. Imagining these to be their plates, the boys started eating.
All of them were experiencing great transcendental pleasure alongside the lord. Everyone of them was looking forward to Krishna, sometimes joking or doing something so as to catch his attention, so he may look towards them with his lotus eyes filled with compassion.
They all enjoyed their lunch, showing one another the different tastes of the different varieties of preparations they had brought from home.
Subala said, "Krishna, dekho meri maiya ne tumhare liye yeh halwa bheja hai." And offered some to Krishna.
Krishna laughed delightfully took some. Balram raised a brow mischievously, "Kya Subala ? Sab Kahna ko hi dega ?"
"N-Nahi Dau, a-aap bhi lo." Subala said with a nervous smile. Balram chuckled as he tasted Subala's food.
"Mitro, mere paas bhi kuch hai." Krishna said holding out a preparation of yogurt and rice with suitable fruits in them.
Madhumangal quickly put his hand over Krishna's food, taking a nice fistful, "Yashoda maiya ka bheja bhojan shresht hota hai." He said relishing in it.
"Toh hume bhi khaane de !" Bhadrasen playfully smacked his friend's head.
Madhumangal retorted, "Toh kha na, maine kaha roka hai ?"
Suddenly a bumblebee came there, perhaps to take part in the eating and buzzed around Madhumangal's fistful of yogurt and rice.
"Aah !" He shrieked seeing a bee, he tried to shoo it away but the bee buzzed and persisted on coming near his fist.
Krishna chuckled as he extended his hand towards the insect, the bee happily sat on his soft fingers.
"Kyu mere Brahman mitra ke praan harne aayi ho ? Brahmhatya acchi baat nahi." He joked as he took a small portion of his food between his fingers and offered it to the bee, who feasted on it happily.
In such a manner the friends would taste one another's food and laugh, as they jubilantly ate the preparations brought from home. The gods from above looked down in wonder that Hari, the one who is called 'Yagya-bhook' the one who only eats the offerings of yagya, was now sitting between kids, eating their food, looking forward towards all his friends and personally joking with them as he ate.
But when the cowherd boys, were thus engaged in their lunch, the calves went deeper into the forest, allured by green grass. It wasn't until they were far out of sight, the boys noticed their absence.
"Humare bachde !?" Sridama exclaimed.
Vijayaksh frowned, "Arrey nahi, lagta hai woh sab van ke bhitar chale gaye."
The cowherd boys were frightened. But Krishna smilingly assured them, "Mitro, tum sab bhojan karo. Mai bacchdo ko dhundh ke lata hu."
"Mai bhi chalta hu Kanha." Balram said as he and his brother stood up from the place and hurriedly left in search of the calves.
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A/N
It's really a delight seeing Krishna acting like a human like us, playing and joking with friends 😂😂