The following morning, Krishn comes downstairs and spots Radha whisking milk. A gleam appears in his eyes as he asks, "Radha, are you preparing makhan?". Radha nods and replies, "Yes".
"Can I have some?" Krishn pleads.
"Do you like makhan?" Radha inquires.
"Like? I absolutely love makhan," Krishn joyfully proclaims.
"Well, you'll have to wait a bit as this is meant for Narayan's bhoagh," Radha explains.
"That's exactly why I'm asking," Krishn responds.
"What do you mean by that?" Radha asks.
"Uh... uh, what I meant was, you could give me half and give the other half to Narayan," Krishn suggests.
"I can't do that. Narayan should eat first, and then you can have your share," Radha firmly states as she walks away with the pot of makhan.
Krishn muses to himself, "How can I resist indulging in the makhan you made with your own hands, Radhe?"
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As the puja preparations come to a close and the puja commences, Nand and Vrishbhan take their seats at the front, behind Yashoda and Kirthida, with Radha sitting close to Narayan. Ugrapath leads the rituals, while Jatila, Ayaan, and Rohini sit nearby. Krishna and Balram stand a bit further back, observing the puja, with the rest of the villagers seated even farther away.
Kirthidha enlists Radha to offer her prayers, and Radha, with hands folded and eyes shut, earnestly sings a prayer of praise to 'Lord Vishnu' as Krishna watches with a contented smile, while Balram playfully teases him.
"Jagajjalapalam kachad kanda malam,
Sarahandraphalam mahadaithyakalam,
Nabho neelakayam duravaramayam,
Supadmasahayam Bajeham Bajeham".
(I worship and worship him,
Who is the protector of the world,
Who wears shining garland on his neck,
Who has a forehead like autumn moon,
Who is the god of death to great asuras,
Who has the blue colour of the sky,
Who has unstoppable powers of illusion,
And who is the helper to Goddess Lakshmi).
"Sadambhodhi vasam galathpushpahasam,
Jagatsannivasam sathadhithyabhasam,
Gadhachakra sastram lasad peetha vasthram,
Hasacharu vakthram Bajeham Bajeham"
(I worship and worship him ,
Who always lives in the sea,
Who has a smile like a flower,
Who lives everywhere in the world,
Who has the sparkle of hundred suns,
Who has mace and holy wheel as armaments,
Who wears yellow cloths,
And who has a sweet face adorned with smile).
As she finishes her prayer, Ugrapath requests to offer bhoagh to the Lord. Everyone contributes something, and Radha mentions she has made makhan for the Lord but left it in the kitchen. Radha stands up, intending to retrieve the makhan, but Krishn stops her, stating that one should not leave during the puja and he will bring it for her. Despite her suspicious gaze, Radha agrees.
Krishn leaves with a mischievous smile. Upon seeing the makhan, he decides to taste it, thinking it wouldn't hurt. After taking a bite, he can't resist and ends up devouring the entire portion, justifying it by saying, "It belongs to Narayan, and I am Narayan, so I can eat it."
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As time goes by, Radha grows increasingly frustrated wondering why Krishn is taking so long to bring back the makhan. Finally, she decides to investigate and heads to the kitchen, only to find Krishn happily indulging in her precious makhan, causing her to become furious.
"Makhan Chor kahika" Radha yells. Noticing Radha's presence, Krishna runs away and she chases him. When Radha finally catches his hand, Krishn stops and gazes at their intertwined hands, thinking, 'After all this time, although in anger, you've finally grasped my hand, Radhe.'
"I can't believe you ate my makhan! I put so much effort and love into making it for Narayan," Radha pouts.
"I believe Narayan would be pleased to know that his offering has brought joy to someone in need," Krishn argues
"Who is in need? Not you, right? I find it hard to believe," Radha questions.
"I swear it's the truth. I fasted for Narayan's puja just like everyone else, but when I saw my favorite food, I couldn't resist. Trust me, Radha," Krishn assures.
Despite Radha's feelings of disapproval towards his actions, she attempts to move on and understands the situation. However, she realizes that Krishna is still clutching her hand. Trying to break free, she is met with resistance from Krishn. With a raised brow, Radha commands, "let go". Nevertheless, Krishna nudges her forward, locking eyes with her. In a surreal moment, a veil falls over them both.
Radha finds herself transported to a cosmic world, seated on a swing with Krishna, completely captivated by his gaze.
Radha snaps out of her trance and removes the veil from their heads, questioning, "What did I just see in your eyes, Krishn?"
"I'm not sure, you're the one who saw it, so you tell me," Krishn teases.
"I know that you're a mayavi, so tell me what you showed me," Radha demands.
"Maybe another time, don't you have a puja to attend to?" Krishn asks.
Slapping her forehead, Radha mutters, "Oh yes, how did I forget about that?" before hurrying off.
Watching her go, Krishn reflects, 'What you just saw was a glimpse of our past together, Radhe. Soon you will remember everything about yourself and about us.'
And then a voice booms out angrily, 'Krishn!' Krishn turns around to see Ayaan glaring at him with furious intensity.
"What's the matter, badhe bhaiya? Why are you so upset?" Krishn asks innocently.
"Do you think I'm unaware of your actions?" Ayaan demands, his eyes filled with anger.
"What do you mean?" Krishn feigns ignorance.
"Radha may be naive and not see through your deceptions, but I can see it clear as day. You love Radha," Ayaan accuses.
"Well done, badhe bhaiya. Even Radha didn't noticed, but you certainly have," Krishn quips.
"Stay in your place, Krishn. I love Radha," Ayaan declares firmly.
Krishn smiles and replies, "Oh, what can you do, badhe bhaiya? My Radha is simply too charming and lovely, it's impossible not to be smitten by her."
Ayaan shouts, "Don't claim her as yours! I've known her much longer than you have, and I loved her before you did. I have a prior claim to her."
Krishn grins and retorts, "You underestimate how deeply I have known and cherished her. And as for rights, in matters of love, one cannot possess another. Love is about giving, not owning."
"I don't need lessons from you about love. Radha is mine. Stay away from her". Ayaan warns krishn.
Krishn retorts, "Radha is mine, always has and always will."
Ayaan warns, "Be careful, Krishn. You're treading on dangerous ground. I challenge you, Tomorrow, Radha and I will dance together and sit on the swing as a couple, in front of everyone."
Krishn confidently declares, "If you seek a challenge, then I will gladly accept. I will be the one to dance and sit with Radha on the Jhoola, tomorrow. However, let us keep this challenge between us, man to man, to uphold our morals."
Ayaan responds with determination, "I am a man of my word and I accept the terms with full conviction."
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As the night falls, Radha and her friends from Barsana are practicing their dance for the upcoming day. Balram, Krishna, and some other friends from Gokul arrive, eager to join in. Ayaan and his friends taunt Balram, insisting that he belongs in the wrestling ring and not on the dance floor. They claim that dance requires creativity and devotion, qualities they believe Balram lacks. Despite Radha's attempts to intervene, Ayaan continues to insult Balram. Finally, Balram, with a fierce look in his eyes, challenges Ayaan to let him show off his dance skills. Ayaan laughs and questions Balram's ability to dance, provoking Krishn to jokingly warn Radha that they may need a doctor if Balram dances.
'What do you mean by that?" asks Radha.
"My Dau is a talented wrestler, but no one has ever provoked him like Ayaan did. I can see that he is very angry. He may unleash his wrestling skills in a dangerous way and cause chaos here."
Upon hearing this, Radha attempted to intervene, but Ayaan insisted, "Do not interfere, Radha. These people from Gokul need to be taught a lesson."
When Krishn attempted to speak, Balram stepped in and said, "Kahna, do not get involved. The situation has escalated too much. I need to bring it to a resolution."
Krishna nodded and left the scene, leaving Radha worried as she watched everything unfold.
Radha tried to intervene and prevent Balram's violent acts, but he disregarded her and continued to beat everyone. Realizing that only Krishna could stop Balram, Radha set out to find him. After searching, Radha finally found Krishna enjoying his favorite Makhan. She implored Krishn to come with her and bring an end to Balram's aggression.
Krishn replied that once Balram began his rampage, he would not easily be convinced to stop. Radha clarified that Balram wasn't dancing, but rather attacking people.
Krishn questions, "What should I do now? Ayaan has provoked Dau with petty insults and must face the consequences,"
Radha pleads, "Please stop the fighting, any more and serious injuries may occur to others."
But Krishn asks, "Why should I help you?"
Radha responds, "What do you mean, 'why?'".
Krishn, with a mischievous smile, retorts, "You mean nothing to me, so why should I interfere and help your friends who insulted my dau?"
Radha asks, "What should I do now?"
Krishn proposes, "How about becoming my friend?"
Radha inquires, "Friend?"
Krishn explains, "Yes, then I can prevent my dau from attacking your friends as I would be helping my friend's friends."
Radha eyes Krishn suspiciously and questions, "Why do you suddenly want to be my friend?"
Krishn responds, "We'll be in Barsana for a while and it wouldn't be practical to be at odds with each other. That's why I'm proposing we become friends. But the decision is yours. Do you want to be friends or not?"
Radha deliberates, 'I don't fully trust his motives for wanting to be my friend, but for now, the only way to thwart Dau is by befriending Krishn.' Unbeknownst to her, Krishn hears her thoughts and chuckles.
"Alright, let's be friends," Radha agrees.
"Perfect, how about we celebrate our new friendship with a sweet treat?" Krishn suggests.
"Sweet? Sounds good to me," Radha replies.
Krishn then takes out a pot of makhan and offers some to Radha. After she eats a bit, she asks what to do with the rest of the makhan in her hand. Krishn playfully suggests that she feed the rest of the makhan to him.
Radha claims "yeh jhoota hai", but Krishna declares, "Now that we're friends, I'm willing to eat your jhootha food."
Slowly, Radha extends her hand of makhan towards Krishn's mouth. As he savors the food tasted by his beloved many years ago, Krishna is overwhelmed with emotion. The act of feeding someone with your own hands is such a simple yet intimate gesture, and it made him feel cared for and loved. He found himself appreciating the connection between them, and the bond that was being strengthened through this small act of kindness. It was a moment of pure joy and contentment, as he savored each bite knowing that it was given to him with love by his shri.
After eating, Radha and Krishn approached Balram. Krishn intervened to prevent Balram from dancing further, causing him to cease. However, Ayaan attempted to attack Balram again. Radha positioned herself between Ayaan and Balram, declaring, "Enough! Cease the fighting." Ayaan attempted to speak, but Radha interrupted him. Krishna warned Ayaan, "Badhe bhaiya, I tried my best to restrain my dau, but if you attack again, I may not be able to protect you anymore from dau." Ayaan glared at Krishna in response.
Krishn expressed, "regardless, Radha and I have formed a friendship. Since you are Radha's friend, you are also my friend. Let's put an end to the fighting."
Radha continued, "Indeed Ayaan, we have become friends. It is time for you to cease fighting and join us as friends. You were the one who started this conflict by insulting Dau. It is your responsibility to end it. Please let us move on from this altercation."
Ayaan taken aback with Radha supporting krishn and feels betrayed, "How could you support those people of Gokul, Radha?
Radha explains, "I'm not supporting anyone Ayaan, it's the truth that you are at fault. Now, if you don't stop fighting anymore, i will stop talking to you"
Ayaan utters, "Alright! if you say so", on the other hand krishn looks at Radha with pride on the way she supported truth even it meant by breaking the heart of her close friend.
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