Krishna by Kevin Missal

Author:Kevin Missal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: S&S India
Published: 2023-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

23

Balaram was back here again.

He was in the midst of the colossal storm and he was standing there in the tall grass and in front of him, a storm was brewing. And the same image was there, as he could see the darkness of the snake forming in front and the shadow of the man below him. But not yet swallowed.

“I don’t want to be here.” He said loudly, shrieking and pushing himself out.

“But you are here. And you are us.” The snake hissed at him. Ten-headed. And then it became five-headed, and back to ten-headed again.

Balaram was sweating now and he didn’t know that one could sweat in their dreams too. But instead of always pushing himself away, he decided to throw himself in front. He began walking towards the man who would be getting swallowed in some time.

“I want to talk to you. Who are you?”

The man was still a blank face. A long shadow was cast over his face. Balaram could see the curly hair.

“I’m you,” the man’s voice echoed.

Balaram moved forward and finally reached the man in front of him. He looked at him, who was squared towards him. The person looked back and then his features began to get clearer and he was smiling. Grinning, in fact, showing off his teeth.

“Who are you?” Balaram asked.

“Don’t you understand? I’m you.”

“You look different. You don’t look like me.”

“Because I’m you from another time, another era, another yug.”

Balaram arched his brows. “No…I’m a reincarnation…”

“It’s more complicated than that,” he smiled. “It’s far more complex and yet at the same time simple.”

“But why me?”

“Because we are devotees of our kin. We are devotees of our brother. The brother who is Vishnu. We are born to protect his world.”

“But my brother left me…” his voice cracked. Memories began to stir and he could remember all the times he had tried to not cry when he felt so helpless and sad when Krishna had left the mantle. He had to take care of the entire kingdom, by himself for a while before Pradhyuman came and turned everything upside down.

“Our brothers might not take care of us. We do. And that’s why we are immortals. Anant.”

At that moment, there was a loud hiss of the snake. And after a long time, Balaram could see that the snake was no more dangerous, but friendly towards him. He was the victim, the prey to the circumstances and not the predator.

“Who are you?”

And the name was told. Immediately, everything made sense. The snake came forward and opened its large, fanged mouth, ready to swallow them and as he did—Balaram had a split second of doubt whether he should be swallowed too, but fear got hold of him and he shoved himself back, falling on the ground as the snake swallowed the man in front of him.

Balaram was there, panting. Recalling the name that was told to him.

“Lakshman,” he had said, “brother of Ram of Treta Yug.”

*

Balaram woke up in a cage. It was a dirty cage that was smelling of dung and battered flies.

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