Rukmani, The Wife

Rukmani, The Wife

I don’t know why it took me so long to pen down Rukmani’s story after writing Meera and Radha, maybe she was not on top of the mind,  

also, for the world may be, less talked about?

Three days back, I opened my blog after years, I used to write regularly on anything random, fictional stories, on mythology, on Marketing, Brands and so on. I reminded myself how writing blogs used to take me in the imaginary world, the illusions I used to create through my stories.

I started reading my blog on Meera and Radha, A devotee and a lover of Krishna and how their life revolved around Krishna.

Krishna was a charmer, witty, smart, playful, intelligent and so on, the kinds women always fall for.

Women love Men who know how to play the games of love, kindness, Men who respect them and are not harmful, Men who are little flirtatious, Men who enjoy the process of owning them.

 Isn’t it?  

Coming back to the story, If Meera defined what is devotion, then Radha defined how to love a man.

But this story is about Rukmani, The wife.

Rukmani was a woman of great beauty, she was also called Vaidarbhi as she hailed from Vidharbha region. Legends say that she was a bit arrogant woman.

A little bit of arrogance or proudness comes naturally when a woman is beautiful? isnt it? i believe little dose of self proudness should come.

When Rukmani met Krishna for the first time, she was smitten by his charm, she fell in love with him, she knew that he was the one whom she would marry. 

When her syamwar was organized in her kingdom, with boldness under her sleeves, she wrote a letter to Krishna declaring her love for him and implored him to kidnap her. Krishna smiled in acknowledgement.

In sending that letter to Krishna, Rukmani took a bold step, she went against the patriarchal system of ‘arranged marriage’, She was brave, how could Krishna not respond to this call of love?

One day, when Rukmani came to visit a temple, Krishna abducted her and took her along with him after fighting a battle on the way.

When you love someone, you forget everything, you get consumed by it as you go through the journey.

Legends say that Rukmani even stayed with Radha for some time, Radha gave her secrets on how to love Krishna. Radha showed Rukmani the way to winning Krishna's heart.

She told her once to make kheer for Krishna as she knew that Kanha loved kheer very much, Rukmani made the kheer on instructions of Radha. When Krishna took the first spoon, he knew that it was not made by Radha but praised Rukmani which elated her.

Did Rukmani ever got love of Krishna?, Krishna loved her always and respected her but in his heart, Radha remained as lover.

Can wife be a lover? or does a wife want to become a lover? I am guessing, the answer will be yes, Being a wife adds a lot of responsibilities, responsibilities of taking care of the home along with the man himself?

What is a responsibility of a lover? It is to love, simple?, It isn't. 

Rukmani wanted to be lover of Krishna too, She wanted to feel the love which Krishna felt for Radha,  Not the love out of respect but love of a lover.

Rukmani imagined Krishna to be lover than a husband, but she remained wife, a loved wife.

But can a woman accept it easily that his husband is loved by over 16 thousand women?, A woman can not share her man with anyone, however Rukmani had to accept it as his man was someone who was for the world including her, so she accepted this gracefully.

But still?

Is marriage the answer to love? You love someone, if you get married, then only you will get completed, No, it is not true, Radha was as complete as Rukmani was.

They say for mankind, its instinctive to love again and again.

For Krishna, If Radha was love, then Rukmani was Kartavya.

Krishna loved both Kartavya and Love, not dividing anything between the two.

Was there ever a fight between Radha and Rukmani? Was Rukmani ever insecure?

The love between Krishna and Radha was divine and to do divine love with Krishna, one should be incarnation of Laxmi only and nobody else, hence it is said that when there is Radha, there is no Rukmini and vice-versa. And in such case the question of jealousy does not arise.

There is one tale which says that once during his voyage in Dwarka, A saint asked Rukmani and Krishna to give him water, Krishna said that water is not available to which saint cursed Krishna that there will always be shortage of water in Dwarka. Krishna pleaded him and then with his one-foot thumb created a fountain of water. At the same place, there is a temple of Rukmani near Dwarka.

Rukmani was incarnation of Lakshmi, Krishna proclaimed that she would always be on her side, he blessed her with the name “Sri”, and said that her name will be taken before his, hence people call him Sri Krishna.

There is one tale of rivalry between Rukmani and Krishna’s other wife Satyabhama. She told Rukmani to gift her husband Krishna to her & in return she could take all the gold in the world.

So, a mischievously complicit Krishna sat on one side of the scale, watching all proceedings. 

Satyabhama put all the gold and jewellery she had on the other side of the scale, but it did not move, In despair, Satyabhama swallowed her pride and begged Rukmini to help.

Rukmini readily stepped forth with just a tulsi leaf in hand. And when she placed that leaf on the scale, it moved and finally outweighed Krishna.

The strength of Rukmini’s love was there for all to see. She was, indeed, the first among equals.

Rukmani loved Krishna, hence she loved Radha too, believing whatever Krishna loves, she should love that too.

Krishna was lucky, to have devotee in Meera, a lover in Radha and  a wife in Rukmani.

Can we take some portion of each and love? Or as we do, expect other person to do the same for us first?

Stories.

#kahanibaaz

P.S- This is pure work of fiction, any resemblance to anything is purely coincidental, it is for light reading & entertainment only, not to be produced in any form anywhere, Not for commercial purpose. All the images used are taken from google (which were put in public domain).Views expressed are personal.

Train Wala Kiss

ट्रेन वाला किस्स

अब थी ही ऐसी वो, क्या करता, समझ ही नही आया कुछ, ना उसे, ना मुझे...

काफ़ी सालों के बाद ट्रेन में टिकट बुक की थी, पुणे से दिल्ली, मिस कर रहा था वो ट्रेन का लम्बा सफ़र, जहां अपनी सीट पर बैठ कर घंटो बाहर देखना, वो पीछे जाता हुआ रास्ता..

वो आस पास सात सीटों पर अलग अलग कहानियाँ..

कुछ ऐसा ही हुआ उस दिन, मैं अपनी सीट पर बैठा था के अचानक एक पर्फ़्यूम की ख़ुशबू आयी, जल्दी में सोचा ऐसा पर्फ़्यूम साला कोई लड़का तो लगा नहीं सकता, मन में लड्डू फूटा..

उफ़्फ़, नज़रें गड़ा के रखी थी के कब लोग आगे बढ़ें और मेरे सामने वाली सीट पर एक ख़ूबसूरत लड़की आ के बैठ जाए..

आपने भी ऐसे सपने देखे होंगे जब भी ट्रेन में गए होंगे, आपने भी चेक किया होगा वो पैसेंजर लिस्ट जिस में आपके आस पास कोई लड़की बैठी है के नही..

ख़ैर, ख़ुशबू गहरी होती गयी, कदमों की आवाज़ ऊँची..

“इक्स्क्यूज़ मी”

“इक्स्क्यूज़ मी”

कानो में आवाज़ पड़ी, नज़रें उठायीं तो आँखें बड़ी हो गयी और मुँह खुला रह गया..

“Yes, हाउ केन आयी हेल्प यू” ,स्टाइल से मैंने कहा.

“आप मेरा बैग अपनी सीट के नीचे रख देंगे?”, उसने कहा.

“जी रख देता हूँ, आपकी सीट कौन सी है?” ( मेरा आख़िरी सवाल हम दोनो के बीच दूरी जानने के लिए)

“यही, आपके सामने”, उसने कहा.

(अचानक से बैक्ग्राउंड में गाना बजा मेरे मन में “नज़र के सामने, जिगर के पास कोई रहता है, वो हो तुम”)

सफ़र अच्छा कट रहा था, मैं उसे कनखियों से देख रहा था, वो मुझे.

आख़िर मैंने चुप्पी तोड़ी, “कहाँ से हैं आप”

“भोपाल से”

(मतलब दिल्ली आने से पहले ही उतर जाएगी ये, मेरे पास सिर्फ़ चार पाँच घंटे हैं मतलब, प्रॉसेस तेज़ करनी पड़ेगी मतलब)

“आप?” उसने पूछा ( हाय मन में लड्डू फूटा, मुझ में इंट्रेस्ट)

“पंजाब से”

“वाह” (आह)

“वहाँ वो पीले सरसों के खेत होते हैं ना”

“जी, मेरे घर के पीछे ही हैं, बिल्कुल आपके इस पीले सूट की तरह” ( ये मारा चौका)

“हाहा”

(हंसी मतलब बुरा नहीं माना, गुड सिग्नल)

“अच्छी लग रही हैं आप इस सूट में” ( उफ़्फ़, sixer, सीधा पर्सनल तारीफ़ पर आ गए, गुड वन चैम्पीयन)

“थैंक यू”

“कहाँ से ख़रीदा” (फ़ालतू सवाल)

“भोपाल से ही”

“कभी भोपाल आऊँगा तो घुमाएँगी आप” (गुड क्वेस्चन)

“हाहा, जी ज़रूर” ( मना नहीं किया, एक और गुड सिग्नल)

फिर वो भोपाल के बारे में बताने लगी, मैं सुनता जा रहा था संगीत उसके मुँह से..

लड़कियों को पता चल जाता है के कोई उनकी बात सुन रहा है या नहीं, और उन्हें देख रहा है के नहीं..

“क्या बात है?” उसने मुस्कुराते हुए पूछा..

“तुम बहुत ख़ूबसूरत हो” ( ओह तेरी, अब क्या होगा!)

“अच्छा, इसलिए इतनी देर से देख रहे थे बिना मुझे सुने”

“हाँ” 

“क्या ख़ूबसूरती है मुझ में”

“तुम्हारा गोरा रंग, लम्बे झूमके, , काली आँखें, पीला कुर्ता और ऐसी ख़ूबसूरती जो भटका दे”

“तो भटके?”

“हाँ”

“किस तरफ़”

“तुम्हारी तरफ़”

“टाइम वेस्ट नहीं करते ना तुम, सीधा पोईंट पर आ जाते हो”

“हाँ, वक़्त कम है, मेरे पास सिर्फ़ दो घंटे हैं, उसके बाद तुम उतर जाओगी”

“हाँ, मैं चली जाऊँगी”

“जानता हूँ, कहो मत”

“तो अब”

“अब मुझे तुम्हें एक किस्स करना है”

“ओह, डर नहीं लगा तुम्हें ये कहने में”

“नहीं, ज़्यादा से ज़्यादा मना कर दोगी ना, ग़ुस्सा हो जाओगी, दो घंटे चुप रहोगी, बस ना”

“बड़े प्रैक्टिकल हो”

“थोड़ा सा, वक़्त कम है ना”

“हम्म”

“तुमने मना नहीं किया किस्स करने से”

“हाँ, नहीं किया”

“मैं गेट के पास हूँ, पाँच मिनट में आ जाना वहाँ, अगर आयी तो हाँसमझ लूँगा और नहीं आयी तो ना”

“क्या लगता है तुम्हें?”

“तुम आओगी”

“कैसे आया भरोसा”

“तुम्हारी आँखों से”

“उफ़्फ़”

मैं डिब्बे के गेट के पास चला गया...

दो मिनट में वो ही ख़ुशबू पास आने लगी, वो ही पर्फ़्यूम...

वो गेट के पास आ के खड़ी हो गयी और मुस्कुराने लगी..

रात के दो बाज़ रहे थे, भोपाल एक घंटे में आने वाला था..

मैंने उसे अपनी बाहों में भींच लिया और अपने होंठ ले गया उसके होंठों के क़रीब, हमारी साँसे तेज़ हो गयीं थी, उसने आँखें बंद कर लीं, मैं आगे बढ़ा और जड़ दिए अपने होंठ उसके होंठों पर, कभी ऊपर वाला हिस्सा कभी नीचे वाले होंठों को काटा मैंने..

उसने भी मुक़ाबला शुरू कर दिया, शेरनी के जैसे झपटी मुझ पर और हमारे होंठ टकरा रहे थे बादलों की तरह, मेरे हाथ उसके बदन पर हर तरफ़ चक्कर लगा रहे थे..

ये सिलसिला तीस मिनट चला और फिर आयी खामोशी..

हम दोनो चुप, जैसे तूफ़ान के बाद की शांति..

“ये मेरी ज़िंदगी का सबसे अच्छा किस्स था”, उसने कहा.

“मेरा भी”

“इस लम्हे को ख़ूबसूरत रहने देते हैं, आगे टच में नहीं रहते हैं”, उसने कहा.

“पक्का?”

“हाँ पक्का”

कुछ देर में भोपाल आ गया..

उतरते हुए उसकी आँखों में पानी था, जब उसने मुड़ कर देखा..

मेरी आँखें भी नम थी..

कुछ सच्चा था शायद हम में..

#कहानीबाज़

Once upon a time in ONIDA

Once upon a time in ONIDA

I had always believed that everyone serves a purpose in your life, weather you acknowledge it or not!! Today my blog is not a blog, its  a small story, it’s a real story of 7 people working in ONIDA.

Vikas, Jitu, Pooja, Sameer, Lalit, Amrisha and Sudhir.

Some time in mid feb of 2006, I got to know that I was selected for ONIDA, I had mixed emotions, I didn’t knew, how to react, it was my first job, I hadn’t worked before.

14^th April, 2006 was my first day in office, corporate headquarters of ONIDA ( seemed like its army headquarters), People were looking at me with weirdness as if I have sent proposal to marry their daughters.

But to my luck and their disappointment, it was not the case, As I saw my appointment letter again some bold letters shouted “ Executive-SCM”….. I checked it again, it was the same, I thought why I am being put in SCM being MBA in marketing, then I cursed my engineering background, I had made up my mind, I will leave the organization soon or I will demand right role for me.

The solider ( me!!) went to HR and asked” I want to get role in marketing” , with a gabbar smile and political correctedness , HR replied “ it will be done in sometime”

Luckily that “Sometime” lasted for 15 days , and I was put in Strategic Marketing Project “ On Idea”

I was on top of the world  , the animals that we read in the classrooms with one eyes on girls in classroom were coming true.

Branding, market share, presentations, these words entered my world. I suddenly went into my dreamy world of becoming VP Marketing in just 3 weeks of joining.

It was declared that a girl named “ Pooja”  will also be there in the project, I met her don’t know when, A very simple girl from Chandigarh ( my dream city then).

Queen of Pjs ( read Pjs raised to power of n) were her strength, you could expect anything from her, sometime I used to wonder is it a talent or natural characteristic?

An example which I will never forget in my lifetime is when I asked her “ Chalen” ……she replied “ Chane to main khaa kar aayi hun…… I was speechless on the reply….it haunted me till ages in my dreams …..how can somebody repliy this……..

Then I was able see the other side of this amazing girl, the understanding, caring part ….and also what I liked was the authority with which she used to deal with me……I had found a very good friend in her……we went together to many trips to Bangalore, did researches together, without any blink of an eye, she was matching with my pace.

She knew astrology, which always has fascinated me , not the curiosity of knowing future, but science itself, I always requested her to see my palm and tell, and she always used to do the same. I used to witness the changing structure of lines on my palm, like a kid I used to run and ask her “ what does this mean now” and with smile I used to get the answer.

Now too, whenever accidently  I see my palm, I remember her.

Time was running like a horse, I don’t know when a group was formed, a bunch of different people with different backgrounds,

Vikas, Jitu, Pooja, Sameer, Lalit, Amrisha and Sudhir.

While I knew Lalit and Amrisha from my college time as we were batch mates, Jitu ,Sameer and sudhir were new animals to me.

Jitu was the kinds I observed was most helping guy I have met, with these helping characteristics he was father figure in the group, his verdict used to be final, if he declared that we will go to this place in the eve, nobody used to vindicate his lines. i learnt power of politeness from him, and art of loving people, no matter what other thought…

He was always right, liked, loved ( among females too but due to his fatherly status, every girl looked at him as good friend, so all hopes of flirting would go in vain even if he wanted to try). Wish had I grown up more than him at that time, I would have pleaded to any girl he liked to become his girlfriend.

With the hopes that that he will lose his elderly skills and wishing that he will go to a pub and request the bartender “ a drink for a lady sitting next to me “ but it didn’t happen …I wanted him to be shahrukh but he was happy being Sanjeev kumar.

Then there was guy “ Sameer” ……as light as air, in lunch time, he used to come in and used to sit next to my seat for a while before leaving for his building as he was sitting under different roof.

A day dreamer ( and night dreamer also), fun loving, easily adjustable person, a talent to understand quick humor was there in him, he had two agendas in life

1.       To leave onida as soon as possible

2.       Telling Point no 1 to each and everyone in the group thousand of times.

A emotional, true hearted guy with lots of unclear dreams ( still not abt any girl!!) , a go getter with lots of laziness, I always knew he will be good fun when drunk.

Then there was silent and invisible man “ Sudhir”……I really used to like him ( not that way!, I had clear cut interest in girls who were exciting, fun loving) ……..i was amazed at his soft spoken nature…he was clear it seemed to me ……one thing I really liked about him “ his choice of days when he will drink and when he will not” and with whom.

I always knew he had hidden characteristics, very deep and shy.

Lalit and amrisha were from my college, lalit was younger brother to elderly jitu, next to father figure, always thinking what will happen next, but very planned, calculative emotional good guy to hang out with, he was the one who introduced alcohol to me in college time, then after showing me the path of wisdom , he took another path.

I always used to tease him” yaar teri biwi bahut sunder hogi” …..and he used to repel and I used to wonder why “ achi baat hi to bol raha hun”

He taught me meaning of planned savings, calling multiple times at home.

Amrisha ke bare mein jitna kam kaha jaaye utna jada hai, a deep understanding figure, only few could understood her laughter! Chirpiness was her strength.

As camera of life was rolling on we had our won differences in the group with all taking their own misconceptions for a longer duration.

We had stopped facing each other!

Even summer trainee “ kajal” could help us talk beyond a point, me and Sameer were faking astrology to kajal that she has split personality, she looked serious ….and then we laughed, but we had a message that don’t look sad, share your life with us ,I still have sher written by her with me on a paper

“ Maloom hai mujhe nahi mumkin tera mujhe milna, phir bhi har ghadi mujhe tera intezaar rehta hai”

We all parted in sometime in our destiny, Pooja left ONIDA , I didn’t like it as I was so used to her, then I left and then all I don’t remember.

I was always accused to not calling, I got busy in my own life, with longer durations, I used to fear what will they think if I call them ( this is for Pooja and lalit)

I was very much in touch with jitu and Sameer!

I was part of many great people in my journey of life then but this one group remained special.

I am sure sometime we just require a hug to forget all bad memories and revive new relationship with same people, A big Hug to you all, lots of love

Rest in my next

Vikas sachdeva