Today, I am sitting on the banks of the river Yamuna watching local kids diving and gathering the coins thrown by tourists into the river to make their wishes come true, as people say here. It is the time for “Gval- offerings” i.e. mid-morning snack time prayers in nearby Lord Krishna temple.

I am thinking about Radha and Krishna’s divine love and separation. I wish I could see that great woman once dissolving this barrier of time we had. I am very much fascinated with this character since childhood. After spending more than 23 years and knowing almost all the dos and don’ts, pros and cons of being in love; I have a few questions for her. A young diver boy interrupts my thoughts. He wants me to throw a coin into the river for him to collect. I am throwing this coin just to please him pursuing my thoughts.

After sitting there for half an hour more I am about to leave for the hotel. At that moment a middle aged, beautiful rather exquisitely adorable woman approaches. She has an angelic radiance on her face. I am practically captivated by her charm. She is simply dressed in a sari, giving her a sublime emergence among all who are presently at the river bank.

She smiles at me gently. I am unable to recognize her but simultaneously feeling an acquaintance with her just as to know her since long. She sits beside me.

Woman: “So, you have questions for me, right?”

Me: “Sorry, do I know you?”

Woman: “Don’t you? You just have wished to meet me one day to ask some questions. I am Radha.”

I am baffled to hear that from the woman. I am looking at her skeptically. She resolves my confusion by telling me that the coin I threw has worked and she is here to make my wish come true.

Radha: “So, go on. What have you got to ask me?”

Me: “I have grown up listening to the stories of you and Krishna and I have this question in my mind since I have understood what love is…

(God, Her curious innocent eyes…!)

Radha is waiting eagerly for the question.

………… didn’t you ever want to see Krishna one more time?”

On hearing my question, there is a grin on her face.

Radha: “You must have heard people calling me his best friend, his lover, his inspiration, his strength etc. along with fewer calling me his mistress!! Among all these tags, I am walking with the best so far is his best friend and his former lover as well……

She continues taking a pause,

………… I am very glad that your generation has not much moral issues when it comes to expression of feelings. Coming back to myself as his best friend, I always have prayed for his well-being and as a lover, for his progressive and prosperous life. I have restrained myself to see him one more time as it is my moral responsibility to help him live a smooth and peaceful life; what may it takes for. And I also feel that he must have wished me to do the same. I feel this way just because he also has never tried to see me again. At the end of the day, he is God and I am a common woman.”

Her answer has increased the respect I have for her but I still have something to say.

Me: “See, this is my point as he is God; he has no permission to make mistakes but you are human so, you could have. Think what if your best friend needs you the most but unable to say it to you, what will you do? You won’t believe but in our time, we don’t wait for a friend’s consent to help him or her though they refuse to take our help! That is I think the friends are meant for………”

She listens everything silently.

Me continuing, “You are a human and I am quite sure that you haven’t ever wished to be worshiped with any God. But as a girl or woman you must have wished to care for the person you loved.”

Radha sits still for long. The bell rings in the temple breaking the profuse silence between us.

Radha: “I admire you for being so thoughtful about all this. But dear, tell me one thing, how should I deal if there will be dismissal, contempt or disapproval on seeing him one more time? What about my dignity?”

Me: “You have managed with the disgrace of being called his mistress so far. So, do all this really matter to you? Have you thought just for once, what if he really needs you but couldn’t have expressed yet…

I have decided to tell her everything that’s in my mind today.

………. Life is all about taking chances I think. Unconditional and unadulterated efforts done with pure heart never end up into something wrong! And who else has got a heart more unclouded than you have?”

Radha stares the dark water of Yamuna for moments and turns her face to me,

She says, “Will you join me for this? Can you help me reach Dwarika? I feel quite older to do this alone.”

Krishna’s Radha is sitting in the seat next to me with questions flooding her head.

“-Will he recognize me?”

“–What will he say?”

“– What if Rukmini meets me first?”