#arjunaradhini

Krishnaa was loved, that she knew.

It was the deep laugh of her father, his affectionate pats on her head. It was her mother’s teary eyes that fell on her, the longing in the queen’s eyes to see her as an infant.

It was her siblings’ unspoken acts, somehow always ensuring she had everything she needed.

Love was what she felt most deeply.

It was her husbands’ lovelorn looks. The archer’s copper eyes forever enchanted, it was the way she was respected as the queen- and the goddess of their house.

A goddess and a mother, so full of love.

It was her children, the subjects of her queendom, it was every person-old and young-who never slept hungry in her watch.

Krishnaa was loved, that she knew.

But, then why were her cries for help unanswered?

“Protect dharma and it shall protect you,” that she did but wasn’t she loved? Wasn’t she loved? Why did no one stand up? Why did no one-?

And now she doesn’t believe that.

But you’re Krishnaa, the fire of the preserver incarnate. You’re fire’s daughter, aren’t you? So burn your culprits, burn the dice hall— why do you stay gentle even in a crisis like this? Agnijaa, PavakaPutri, so many epithets circling back to fire who sired you. Who are you? The dusky empress remains silent. Who are you? Shachi, the queen of heaven.

“Protect dharma and it shall protect you.”

“What is dharma?”

“Krishna.”

“Krishnaa?”

“Krishna.”

Love is what that grounds people. Love is what she has always felt so deeply.

So when she bled in that court, her heart heavy with rage and sorrow-

“Have mercy on them, Kalyani.”

She loved them. She loved her family, the people of her queendom. And she loved her husbands, deeply.

“Give them a chance to repent.”

That she did.

Maybe that is why she was loved by Shri and Hari both.

—————

This needs to be edited so heavily. So at first I wanted to do something else (you can notice by how the format suddenly changed) and it turned into something else entirely.

For someone who had both Shri and Hari as her close confidants, she had to be so full of love and mercy. Something rarely discussed as an aspect of her persona, I believe.

There is this void in my heart,

it sinks and sinks deeper as I breath,

I think of your eyes and your bewitching smile-

The ache amplifies further,

I will never get to hold your hands,

intertwining my fingers in yours-

The ones which have held a bowstring.

There is this void in my heart,

it sinks and sinks deeper as I breathe.

I think of your curly hair and your dusky skin-

The ache only amplifies further.

These days my mind has often lingered on them, and maybe it is my mood swings but I find myself tearing up thinking about them a lot. When I think about them, I see them as lovers, a young couple in a loving marriage and then I remember the exiles and the doomed incidents. All for the welfare of us, their children.

Seeta’s second exile is a debated topic, people finding themselves blaming Rama for it. It is the same Rama who vanquished Ravana, the same Rama who wept and wept himself unconscious in agony of being separated from his wife. It is the same Rama who in grief had wandered asking trees and animals if they had seen Seeta, his deer-eyed wife, who is being accused of not trusting the wife he holds dearer than his own life.

Introspection finds people, it found me through them. No one doubts Seeta as they had done during that time, we point our fingers at Rama instead, do we not? How could he cast away his pious and devoted wife just because of some rumours and gossips?

Did Rama not take the accusations and blame on himself, and gave Seeta her well deserved respect and love that she is worthy of? I remember Krishna’s marriage to the sixteen thousand and one hundred captives of Narakasura. People condemn him for it, calling him a womaniser and what not. But the women were hailed as the junior queens of Dvaraka during that era, no one dared questioning their chastity. They too were Shri themselves.

Narayana can tolerate everything except for insults against Narayani, it is a well known fact.

Seeta was a woman of strength, merit and virtues. She was Shri, the supreme mother of the universe. Earth parted beneath her feet when she spoke, “If I have never thought about any other man than Shri Rama and if he knows it, then the earth may swallow me whole.”

She knew she was never unloved. Her husband had made a gold statue of her instead of taking a second wife for the ashwamedha yajna, he had denied heaven without her. The crown was never of importance to him, unless of course it meant that Seeta would become the queen- then Rama had accepted the crown and made her sit on the throne.

Let’s come to another of the main points here.

Ayodhya’s people were questioning the queen. As a subject, would you want your king to prefer his family more or the citizens of his kingdom? What Rama did was to maintain the stability of his kingdom. Furthermore, I can say for sure, had Rama ignored the people’s questions and turned a blind eye to it, today people would still be accusing and tearing down Janaki.

My point still stands. We accuse Rama today because they had accused Seeta yesterday. Rama did what he did so that the next day, people might blame him but never doubt Seeta.

Seeta and Rama deserved a lifetime of happiness, a love so great, no separation, no exile and no society could ever erase it.

do you know what it is tonight?

Phalgun purnima.

Same curly hair, same dusky skin, same lotus shaped eyes, the bewitching smiles, the gentleness of a lover, ardent devotee of art. One wields a chakra, the other wields a bow.

Arjun feels like the shadow of Shri Rama atp.

Prologue.

“Will we be reborn again?” Arjun asked Krishna.

The two friends were seated in their private chamber, spending some leisurely time together.

Krishna looked at him with amusement. “Despite Mahadeva’s words, and all the other gods’, including Indra himself, you still pretend to be unaware, my Nara?”

Arjun smiled before pressing again, “Will we be reborn again?”

“Do you wish to?” Krishna asked.

“I do wish that we could live our lives again, freely, Madhava. Look at your sakhi, once the darling princess of Panchala is now an empress without any of her kin. She and Jyeshtha make the most suitable empress and emperor, second only to Sita-Rama themselves, if I may add.” He paused. “But I see her cast distressed glances whenever Panchala is mentioned. She wants her parents, her twin, her sons back. I cannot give her that. I wish she could live her life again.”

“And you wish to take another birth with her again?” Krishna smiled to himself.

“I always wish to be in her presence, Madhava,” Arjun replied with a laugh. “I wish that she is my wife in every birth of mine.”

“So be it, then, Partha. So be it,” Krishna said.

“Will you and Satya too take birth then?”

“Why not?” Krishna said, his mind already setting things up for the future. He can be a good student in politics, no? He, after all, established an entire united earth with his ways of handling the laws and affairs.

—————

“Look at them,” laughed Satyabhama at the sight of Krishna and Arjun sleeping on the couch. It was apparent that they had fallen asleep while talking to each other. “And they say that we talk a lot.”

Draupadi chuckled beside her as they both gently placed a duvet over their husbands.

“You know, Kalyani,” Satyabhama said to her, “if we take birth again, I wish we are friends again.”

Draupadi smiled at her. “I wish the same too, Satya. Years have passed by, and I still cannot think of a life where I am without your friendship.”

“Do you wish to take another birth?” asked Satyabhama, smiling.

“If I have you three with me, why not?”

—————

A short conversation it was, but who would have known that Krishna would adhere to such small wishes of his twin too?

The dark age of Kaliyug had began, and many thousand years had passed by since then.

It was the year 2026, or so the humans of the era had called it by their own system of keeping track of time.

The story of them, will now begin.

A short prologue, because that is what I feel it would have been. A fleeting conversation that might be forgotten by Arjun and Draupadi later on but our Shri and Krishna never forgets. :D

⟢ ArDi Modern AU

Characters:

⟢ Krishnaa: Draupadi’s reincarnation, first year student of english literature.

⟢ Agni: Dhrishtadyumna’s reincarnation, first year student of mathematics.

⟢ Krishna: Krishna’s reincarnation, first year student of political science.

⟢ Satyaa: Satyabhama’s reincarnation, first year student of english literature.

⟢ Arjun: Arjun’s reincarnation, first year student of mathematics.

⟢ Pritha: Kunti’s reincarnation, mother to Arjun.

⟢ Pranesh: Pandu’s reincarnation, father to Arjun.

⟢ Maadhuri: Maadri’s reincarnation, step-mother to Arjun.

⟢ Mayuri: Prishati’s reincarnation, mother to Agni and Krishnaa.

⟢ Dev: Drupad’s reincarnation, father to Agni and Krishnaa.

⟢ Yashvi: Yashoda’s reincarnation, mother to Krishna.

⟢ Naksh: Nanda’s reincarnation, father to Krishna.

⟢ Samarth: Satraajit’s reincarnation, father to Satyaa.

⟢ Mohini: Prabha’s reincarnation (Satraajit’s wife), mother to Satyaa.

Author’s note:

⟢ I am not putting up any reincarnations of the rest of the Pandavas because while I do ship Arjun and Draupadi the most, they were Draupadi’s husbands the same. It is not appropriate (at least for me) to push them in a relationship that is quite outrageous considering their actual relationship with each other.

⟢ Pritha and Pranesh are divorced. Maadhuri is Pranesh’s second wife. They are amicable with each other and that is all. I want to explore Pritha’s character more.

⟢ Prabha is a name I’ve given for Satraajit’s wife. I don’t know her actual name. If you do, please let me know!

like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky.

she/her, literature enthusiast, mahābhārata and rāmāyana fanatic, and an artist.

यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: ।

तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥ ७८ ॥

meaning, wherever there is Shree Krishna, the lord of all yog, and wherever there is Arjun, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be unending opulence, victory, prosperity, and righteousness. Of this, I am certain.