Nakul and Sahdev glanced at each other with straight faces. Each willing the other to break first. Bheem was smirking, wondering who would be the first one to lose and Arjun kept glaring at the twins. Nakul hardened his face. No he was determined not to break first. Sahdev gave a short snort to restrain himself, but then he took a deep breath and it proved to be the wrong move as it broke free.

Unbridled laughter broke free from his chest and seeing him Nakul also joined in. Bheem's booming laughter was heard too. Arjun scowled at them. Karna and Kunti sat beside them smiling in mirth. Valandhara, Drisana and Draupadi was also trying to control their laughter as they were arranging everything for dinner. Subhadra was with Devika and Yudhisthir was accompanied by Rajguru Cetaka discussing something.

It was the day of Balipratipada. The previous day, Deepavali had been celebrated with the welcoming of the new little prince, Yaudheya. None of them thought the celebration could be more euphoric, but then they were proved wrong.
And this day had also been celebrated with decorating the floor with colorful images of Bali with his wife Vindyavati, a shared feast, events and sports like Malyudh (wrestling), Khadagyudh (sword fight), Dhanurdwand (Archery competition), Duyt krida (gambling) etc. Drama, music and poetry sessions were held too with renowned artists and performers coming to entertain them from different Kingdoms.

Now, after all the feverish activities, they were here for a family dinner. Wondering what happened to amuse everyone so much?

Well, before gathering for dinner, all the Kakashree of Yaudheya had gone to meet him. Karna had taken a sleeping Yaudheya from Subhadra's arms and blessed him first. When Bheem took him from him, his sleep had been disturbed and he opened his eyes. Bheem gave him a broad smile, but Yaudheya had started crying loudly after staring for a moment. Nakul took him from Bheem and cooed him looking hell cute. Yaudheya stopped crying watching him. But just when Nakul declared Yaudheya liked him, the baby slapped his face. Sahdev then took him chuckling at Nakul's pouting face, but he lost his smile feeling a strong tug on his kundal (earring). The tug had been strong enough to ripe it from his ear. Sahdev had been visibly pale and handed him to Arjun hurriedly.

Arjun watching his brothers conditions, remained careful and held the baby awkwardly at a little distance from his face. Yaudheya giggled a bit at him and then a stream had landed on Arjun's face. It had taken him a few precious moments to realise what just happened along with everyone else.

"We must admit, Yaudheya's aim is very good." Nakul said controlling his laughter.

"Just like bhrata Arjun." Sahdev added and both of them burst into fits of laughter again.

"Laugh as much as you can. My time will arrive too. My child will take my revenge from you soon." Arjun said huffing making them laugh harder.

"By the way Arjun, your face was really worth watching this time, you know." Bheem commented too.

"You think about yourself bhrata Bheem. Your face scared the kid." Arjun retorted back. Bheem frowned at him and Nakul and Sahdev resumed their laughter again. This time at Bheem.

"Why are you laughing Nakul? Your face is so ugly, he slapped you." Bheem said taunting Nakul.

"Only Jyesth was able to handle him. I think he likes Jyesth the best among us." Sahdev said with a smile. Karna smiled too.

"Yes, of course. Jyesth handled him so smoothly, I think he is ready for fatherhood too." Arjun said with a teasing smile. Karna's smile dimmed hearing him. Kunti noticed the change in his mood.

"That's enough. Now we should start the dinner. Sahdev, look where Yudhisthir remained and Drisana, get Subhadra and Devika too." Kunti ordered and both went to comply nodding.

Arjun found Draupadi in the garden sitting alone. Her eyes held tears of distress. Tomorrow Arjun would leave for his exile. And Draupadi was finding it hard to accept.

"Panchali?" Arjun called her softly. Draupadi quickly wiped her tears before turning to him.

"Arya? Did you need something?" She asked bringing a smile to her face.

"Yes. I do." Arjun replied coming closer to where she stood.

"What?" She asked again.

"You." Arjun replied smiling with adoration and love. It was proving to be difficult to hold herself strong. Draupadi threw herself at his arms as her tears flowed freely.

"How will I remain without you?"

"You're saying like I never went away before. Before too I have stayed away for months, either for war or for state matters. This one year will pass soon too." Arjun said in consolidation.

"This is different. You'll be all alone, living on bare minimal and no way to contact with. How can I remain peaceful and happy when you're not with me? You won't be here to feel our child growing inside me. You won't be here to force me to eat when I feel aversion to food or pamper me when I feel nausea. You won't be here to feel our child moving inside and kicking my stomach. You won't be able to talk or caress my protruding bump. You won't be here to assure me when I feel pain. You won't be here to hold our child in your arms when he will be born first. How will I welcome our child without you Arya? How can I?"

Draupadi whispered in his chest sobbing. Arjun took a deep heavy breath steading himself against the onslaught of emotions.

"Panchali, this is true, I won't be physically present here to be with you all through this. But I'll still feel and experience all of it through you, through my other half. Staying together always doesn't mean to be staying present. Staying apart, but still holding the love close to our heart and mind is what staying together means. And my heart and mind are filled with your love. So, even though I am not with you, I'm still in you." Arjun said gently wiping her tears.
"And besides maybe I will get to meet some beautiful women finally out of your watch." He added jokingly.

As expected, Draupadi got out of his embrace with an angry look. She glared at him for a moment and then slapping his chest once, hid her face right there holding him more tightly. Arjun chuckled at her and said,

"Don't worry, SavyasachinSaragata. I'm yours and I'll remain yours only."

If only he knew, how his words were going to be tested!

In Dwarka :

"Narayan! Narayan!"

The voice of one of the greatest devotee and wandering saga Narada muni was heard on the royal court of Dwarka. Krishna's smile broadened watching the approaching saga. He stood from his seat and went ahead to greet the saga. Approaching the saga, Krishna bend to touch his feet. Saga Narada jumped from his position in horror.

"What are you doing Prabhu?" He exclaimed. The other courtiers also looked in astonishment.

"Taking your blessings Munivar. You're a learned saga, a great devotee. You're entitled to respect and honour." Krishna said with folded hands straightening after touching his feet. "Please come and take a seat." He said again offering his own seat.

Saga Narada took the offered seat and Krishna then washed the feet of the sage and took the water on His head. Saga Narada did not object, knowing well that the Lord did so to teach everyone how to respect saintly persons.

"What can I do in your service, bhagavān?" After the initial greetings, Krishna asked.

"Prabhu, I got to see you in all your glory. What else can I ask for? I heard so much about the golden city Dwarka, that lord Viswakarma built himself, so thought to visit the city and also get a glimpse of your heavenly face." Saga Narada replied with a smile. 

Saga Narada had been amazed watching the great beauty of Dwarka. When he arrived in Dwarka, he saw that the gardens and parks were full of various flowers of different colors and orchards that were overloaded with a variety of fruits. Beautiful birds were chirping, and peacocks were delightfully crowing. There were tanks and ponds full of blue and red lotus flowers, and some of these sites were filled with varieties of lilies. The lakes were full of nice swans and cranes whose voices resounded everywhere. In the city there were as many as 900,000 great palaces built of first-class marble with gates and doors made of silver. The posts of the houses and palaces were bedecked with jewels such as touchstone, sapphires and emeralds, and the floors gave off a beautiful luster. The highways, lanes, streets, crossings and marketplaces were all beautifully decorated. The whole city was full of residential homes, assembly houses, and temples, all of different architectural beauty. All of this made Dwarka a glowing city. The big avenues, crossings, lanes, streets, and also the thresholds of every residential house, were very clean. On both sides of every path there were bushes, and at regular intervals there were large trees that shaded the avenues so that the sunshine would not bother the passersby.

"Okay. So that was your wish only. Then that means, you must want to leave now that your wish has already been fulfilled?" Krishna asked with a mischievous smile.

"Prabhu, now what to hide from you? Though I got to see your glowing smile, my heart is still not satisfied. If you permit, can I roam around the city a bit more and also meet your wives?" Narada muni asked sheepishly.

Krishna smiled more hearing him. He knew Narada muni was curious about his domestic life and wanted to see how he managed to have 16008 wives. That was the main objective of his coming to Dwarka.

"Of course, Munivar. You're cordially welcome to stay as long as you want. And you're also invited in my households to meet my wives. In all 16008 Palaces of mine." Krishna replied earnestly.

"Thank you, Prabhu. Narayan! Narayan!"

In Indraprasth:

Arjun stood in the simple clothing of a common man, ready to leave for his exile. All had come outside at the palace gate to bide him bye including Karna and Subhadra. They were also due to leave a few days later. Arjun touched Kunti's feet first and wiped her tears tenderly giving her a smile. Then he came to Karna and took his blessings and greeted Subhadra with folded hands.

"Take care of yourself." Karna told him gently. Arjun nodded and moved to meet others one by one.

"Don't worry about anything here. We will take care of everything." Yudhisthir assured him.

"Until I return don't burn down the entire Indraprasth and at least learn to peel off vegetables properly by then." Arjun said to a gloomy looking Drisana.

"You're going for one year bhrata Arjun, not twelve." Drisana replied with a smile.

"Really? It's possible for you to learn in twelve years?" Arjun asked mockingly making Drisana narrow her eyes at him.

"Forward your hand." Drisana ordered.

"Why?"

"Do it."

Arjun forwarded his right hand and Drisana tied a red thread on his wrist.

"May this protection thread protect you from all the upcoming conflicts. Do not take it off from your hand." She said sending a silent prayer to Krishna.

"You seem sure, I'll be in trouble." Arjun said smirking.

"You have a deep relation with troubles bhrata Arjun. But I am sure you'll overcome all." Drisana replied smiling sincerely.

"Take care." Arjun said finally with a nod and took his leave.

As soon as Arjun left, Draupadi also took residence in a shed which was inside the palace area, but away from all the luxurious and comfort. She couldn't accompany him, but she had decided to lead a simple and austere life until he returned. Kunti and her sister-in-laws tried to persuade her to return to the Palace unsuccessfully. She told them to return to the Palace and allowed only Malini to remain with her.

After a few days, Subhadra and Karna also left Indraprasth and returned back to Anga taking Kunti with them to remain there for a few months.

In Dwarka:

Saga Narada looked dumbfounded standing at the middle of the road. He glanced from one palace of Krishna to another. His head was spinning. How was it possible?

Earlier he had visited all 16008 palaces of Krishna and to his utter shock, Krishna had been present to every single one of them with his wives. He was there either feeding his wife with adoration, at another palace doing some veneration with his other wife. At one palace he was playing chess with his queen of that palace, on another he was resting while his another queen fanned him sitting beside. All at the same time. And from what saga Narada understood this was a regular occurrence. Krishna remained with his 16008 wives individually at the same time every single day. What Maya was this?

As he stared from one palace to another, the realisation downed on him slowly. This was Krishna, the supreme entity, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, fulfilling his duties and Dharma to each and every wife of his. He was not dividing himself or his time. Each of his wife got the whole individual, his whole attention, his whole love. And with that came the astonishing realisation that,

Krishna, with his 16008 wives, was still

Monogamous.

Yes, Krishna was monogamist. The Krishna who was with Rukmini, never thought of Satyabhama. The Krishna who was with Satyabhama, loved no other but her. The Krishna who was with Jambavati would never glance at another except her. The Krishna who was with Kalindi, would never visit any other queen's palace except her's. The Krishna who was with Rohini (chief among his junior 16000 wives), would never perform his duties as a husband to another.

Krishna was not a characterless man who played with women and used them for his pleasure as his haters believed. He was a responsible loving husband who treasured his wives as they should be.

He did not have a favourite one among his wives. Because the Krishna who loved one wife, did not even have the thought of another on his mind. He loved only her and was true to his love, attention and Dharma.

And when the multiplied 16008 Krishna was one, he practiced brahmacarya, not bringing the thought of any woman in mind and heart. It was difficult to grasp for a human mind, to imagine him as 16008 and one at the same time. But Krishna was not a simple man. He was the supreme Lord himself. He was the first Purna Avatar (the mortal incarnation with full divine powers and well aware of his divinity).

He married those 16000 girls to save them from humiliation as the society would only see them as the captives of Narakasur and consider them impure. Krishna gave them respect and a well affluent comfortable life. He not only saved them from destitution and infamy, but also gave them the bliss of a happy married life as every woman deserved.

"You are great, Prabhu. Your leela (divine play) is boundless." Narada muni stated loudly with a satisfied smile and folded his hands in respect to the supreme one.

A few of you asked me in messages about my take on Radha Krishna. In my previous book, a comment of Krishna's was taken as him remembering Radha. I kept quiet and let you draw your conclusions. But as this chapter, shows Krishna's relation with his wives, I thought to address that too.

My humble request to you is, read till the end before jumping on me.

Krishna and Radha never had a romanticised relationship.

Over the last century, specially the last decade, the radha Krishna intake got popular where she was portrayed as his lover. Specially to promote live-in relationship.

But---

Krishna was 11-12 years when he killed Kansa. He was an 11 year old boy who left Vrindavan. After killing Kansa, he went to Rishi Saandipani's ashram, defeated Jarasandh 17 times in battle and at 18th time he fled and established Dwarka. He then married Rukmini at the age of 25-28.

So, who was Radha and what was their relationship?

By spending all his time with the gopis of Vrindavan—playing with them, joking with them, stealing their butter and milk, etc—what he actually did, was stealing their hearts. It is from this that Krishna was given the name “Chitta Chora” [one who steals the mind].

Krishna never returned to Vrindavan. The pain of separation was unbearable for the gopis. It drove their minds into a fever pitch, wherein their every thought was of Krishna. Through this, their minds were purified and they slowly became able to see their Beloved in all things, in the trees, in the rivers, in the mountains, in the sky, in all people, and animals—even in their own selves. This was the realization that Krishna had intended to bring about within them from the very beginning.

The devotional fervour Krishna created in the gopis is perhaps best exemplified by the rasa-leela dance, wherein each of hundreds of gopis perceived the eight-year-old Krishna to be dancing with them alone.

The rasa-leela did not take place on the ordinary plane of the senses, the way people today interpret it. During the rasa-leela the gopis experienced the beatitude of the jivatma merging in the Paramatma. Because of their divine love, the Lord appeared to each of the gopis. With his power, he blessed each gopi with a vision of the Self.

Radha is said to have been the most devoted of the gopis. Theirs was the highest love—a love to inspire mankind forward on the path to God. 

So, Radha-Krishna was indeed lovers. But their love was pure, unadulterated, free from expectations and desires. It was pure devotion in the best of its form. The love of a devotee and her God.

And this speculation comes from Srimad Bhagavatam, Garga Samhita, Visnu Purana, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Mahabharata, Harivamsa and several other puranas. (In most of them their is no mention of Radha to be honest.)