Yashoda Maiyya twisted Krishna's ear with a flourish.

"Aaahh Maiyya, ow, ow, ow! It hurts so terribly!" He cried out,appearing to be in the throes of unbearable agony, his face contorted in an exaggerated grimace of pain.

"Priye huh? And since how many days has this been going on, Lalla?" Yahoda asked her son in a strict voice.

"More than a month, maiyya! A Whole month! " Balrama, who was busy eating his kheer, quipped swiftly, the corners of his lips twitching upwards, his tongue licking the bits of kheer.

Krishna threw a glare at Balrama, to which the latter just responded with a smug smile.

"A MONTH !!! " Yashoda maiyya gasped in feigned horror, her hands on her heart, as if struck by an unseen arrow.

"To think that my own son, my Lalla, has been keeping secrets from his Maiyya!We have been asking you about her for years, and now that she is here, you did not deem it important to tell your Maiyya Kanha?" Yahoda took a few steps back, as if suffering from a great shock,pretending to swoon with exaggerated despair.

Leaving Krishna's ear, she turned to her husband, her back towards Krishna.

"No maiyaa, its nothing like-" But Krishna was immediately cut off.

"Lalla ke baba,we are ruined!"

."Kya Kya nahi kiya maine apne Lalla ke liye, aur usne mujhe ye suluk diya" Yashoda dramatically continued, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye, playing her part with gusto. A laugh threatened to burst from her lips, but immediately she pursed her lips and continued in fake distress

Nand Baba looked at Yashoda forlornly, but his eyes were crinkled in suppressed mirth. He gathered her in his arms and kept his head on hers. "I understand your agony, Lalla ki maa,I truly do."

Nand Baba raised his hands to the heavens as he declared in a voice brimming with feigned betrayal, "And to think I considered myself the father of a transparent son! Alas, the gods have deemed me unworthy of such a privilege!"

"True Yashoda, what else is left for us? Your Lalla did not even tell his Rohini mata, I, who has saved his hide from your countless scoldings." Rohini burst into theatrical sobs, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead in a gesture of despair, while her other hand subtly wiped away any hint of a smile threatening to betray her act.

Krishna just looked at them, his eyes wide in shock.

He, for once, found himself at a loss, his usual confidence replaced by wide-eyed shock as he witnessed the unfolding drama.

The tables had turned, and the puppet master found himself a puppet in a play of his family's making.

Krishna's mouth opened and closed, words lost to him, as he tried to formulate a response, but no words came to him.

He turned to his dau, his eyes pleading for some help.

Balrama nodded at him and crawled closer, his arms open, to take his little brother in his arms. Seeing some sympathy for his little innocent self, Krishna happily went towards him and slammed into his brother.

But Balaram had other plans. He sneaked his hands around his brother and grabbed the vessel containing kheer from behind Krishna. He discreetly passed the vessel to Aarav and silently gestured for him to refill his bowl.

Aarav silently took Balrama's place, picking up his own bowl of kheer. Thank Mahadev he was saved from further drama.

Balrama, after passing the vessel leaned in and whispered in Krishna's ear, "Aur udhao rang apne prem ke, hume na sammilitt karne ka yahi dand hai."

Detaching himself from his brother, he moved towards his parents, his eyes filling with fake tears, "Maiyya take me also with you, for I have also been ruined! Today I, Balarama, have become a kalank as a brother maiyaa, my anuj who I have always showered with so much love, today he..he has learned to hide things from me? Maiyaa mere prem main kami reh gai maiyya, mujhe prem main aaj vishwasghat mila hai!" Balrama cried woefully, hugging Yashoda from behind.

Krishna shot his brother a betrayed look.

He shot them all a betrayed look as he looked at the four figures crying in each other's arms.

 Honestly, his family was so dramatic! Where did they learn all this? Did they all recently join a natak mandali ( Drama troupe).

There was only one option left for him now. Only one person who can save him.

His beloved.His Priye.

Krishna called out her name in fear, afraid of what his family might cook up the next moment.

"Dekho toh jara, apni maiyya ka aachal kitni jaldi chod ke bhaag raha hai?" Yashoda maiyya called out after him, seeing him run away towards the kitchen, bursting into low giggles.

But before he could move out, Devashree approached from the kitchen, her arm laden with a tray of freshly made, steaming puris and also a pot of makhan.

Stepping into the room, she paused, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Before her, Yashoda Maiyya feigned a dramatic faint, supported by Nand Baba who looked skyward, lamenting his fate.

Balaram  sat with his head in his hands, and Rohini was seated on the steps of the stairs, her face hidden by her hands.

The scene was so unlike the earlier harmony of the household that, for a moment,.

"Sri!! You are the only one, Priye who thinks of me!" Krishna exclaimed, seeing the pot of makhan in her hands,his arms outstretched to receive it." Truly look at those innocent eyes of his beloved. So different from his mad family. Ah! His heart may just burst.

Devashree just stared at all of them. Her face blank. Did she just time travelled to a parallel universe?

Before Krishna could take the pot of makhan, Yashoda maiyya snatched it away. Rohini mata also came and took the tray of puris.

Grabbing Devashree by her arms, both the mothers brought her to the dining area. Making her sit down, they picked up the pot of makhan to feed her.

"Kaki, this is for Krishna," Devashree told them, still confused what was happening.

"Arey, he doesn't want it anymore" Yashoda Maiya replied to her, smiling gently as if she hadn't just spoken the biggest lie ever.

Devashree looked back at Krishna and saw his big pleading lotus eyes. He definately wanted the makhan. But what could she do?

"Kaki still I will just ask-"

"Don't worry about Kanha, he has eaten several pots since morning" Rohini assured Devashree. Wasn't she such a sweet girl. Worrying about our Kahna so much! Such an innocent girl, trapped in Kanha's love! Rohini was worried for the poor girl, she truly was!

SEVERAL POTS!!! Krishna screamed in his mind.  SUCH LIES!!!

Seeing the shocked, devastated look on Krishna's face, Nand Baba finally took some pity on him. He hugged Krishna from the side and made him sit beside himself, his arm wrapped around his son, smiling gently at him.

Yashoda and Rohini both started to feed Devashree. Both wanting to tease Krishna a bit more.

But only Balrama noticed the trail of white makhan leaving Krishna's mouth as if it were completely full.

Krishna now shed off his masks and closed his eyes, enjoying the bliss that entered his mouth.

For the first time in his mortal life, he was receiving not just the love of both his mothers but also his beloved together at the same time.

"Kaki bas,I can't eat anymore. A single morsel more, and my stomach will burst." Devashree protested after a while.

Yashoda gasped after hearing her. "Kaki!? We are feeding you so lovingly, and still call us kaki?" Yahoda scolded the girl in front of her."Call us Maiyaa" she continued," And look at you,so thin, looks like you eat nothing in that ashram of yours. Here have this puri and kheer."

"Then maiyya , please," Devashree implored with a sweet sincerity "I am truly honored and filled to the brim with both this delicious makhan and your love. But allow me now to serve you all, for it is said that sharing a meal strengthens the bonds of affection.Won't you allow your putri to serve you?"

Yashoda Maiyya and Rohini exchanged glances, their hearts touched by Devashree's words.

With a nod from Yashoda Maiyya, Devashree rose, her movements graceful and assured as she gathered the puris and the remaining makhan.

Krishna, released from his father's comforting embrace, watched her with a look of adoration.

"Come, let us all sit together," Devashree suggested, her voice a melodious invitation that none could resist. "There is something special about sharing food that has been prepared with love, under the open sky, surrounded by those we hold dear."

And so, they gathered, Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiyya, Rohini and Balaram,Aarav Krishna, and Devashree, forming a circle that spoke of unity and togetherness. The simple dining mat laid out on the courtyard floor became their communal space, the flickering lamps casting a soft glow over their faces.

Devashree then began to serve the puris with a practiced ease, her hands moving from plate to plate, ensuring everyone had their share before she finally settled down to join them.

As they ate, the air filled with the sounds of contented sighs, the occasional laugh, and the soft murmur of conversation.

"May our home always be a place of love, laughter, and the sharing of good food. You, Devashree, have reminded us of the simple joys that life offers." Nand Baba added with his usual paternal warmth.

 "Just remember, Devashree, be ready for anything. Especially when it comes to dealing with this one," he said, nudging Krishna playfully.

The evening wound down to a close, and the memories of the shared meal, of makhan and puris, of laughter and affection, lingered in their hearts.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the courtyard, drawing the attention of the family. 

Akrur, a nobleman known to them all and a messenger from the court of Mathura, stepped into the courtyard.

In his hands, he carried a sealed letter, its significance palpable in the silent weight with which he held it.

Upon seeing Akrur, Nand Baba rose to greet him, his expression turning serious. "Akrur ji, your arrival is unexpected. To what do we owe this honor?"

Akrur bowed slightly in greeting."Nand Maharaj, I come bearing a message from Mathura, from Kans himself."

Akrur's eyes locked with Krishna as if he were conveying a hidden message to his nephew.

Yashoda Maiyya immediately moved closer to Krishna, her gaze flickering between her son and Akrur.

"Akrur ji, please, share with us the contents of the message. We are all eager to hear what news you bring from Mathura." Krishna began.

Acknowledging Krishna with a nod,  he carefully broke the seal on the letter and began to read aloud.

The letter was a summon from Kans, calling Krishna and Balarama to Mathura to participate in a grand festival.

The words were courteous, even inviting, but the underlying intent was clear to all who understood the nature of Kans - this was no friendly invitation but a veiled threat, a part of Kans' ongoing efforts to eliminate Krishna, whom he saw as a threat to his rule.

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On the same night, a messenger also arrived for Devashree, bearing a letter sealed with the emblem of the royal family of Dharmasamrajya.

The summons within was clear and unequivocal - it was time for her to return home, her education complete, and her presence requested back among her kin.

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A/N

Did you all enjoy the chapter? Batao batao

Pity it is ending on a bittersweet note. Krishna and Devashree's time in Vrindavan is coming to an end.❤️

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below

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