As the sunset down the rabbits and mice started running in clouds. "Faster Ananya! Or else we will get late!" Shouted a bunny who was running faster. "Ayushi we saw this scene many times, still want to see it again?" asked Ananya, a mouse while huffing. "We are immortal of course we saw this scene a lot of times, still it feels like it's the first time, right na Ananya?" said the eldest rabbit. "You are right grandma, I want them to stop for a while so I can catch them. See, Ayushi and other rabbits are faster than me and my family." Ananya complained. Grandma laughed, "Climb on Ayushi then. Other mice too climb on the backs of other rabbits." They did as she said and they all started jumping and running towards the end of the cloud so they could see Sri Krishna stealing makhan again. When they reached they saw that a bunny was already there, sitting peacefully, waiting for the lord to let her see his beautiful face in the light of the Moon.

"Aditi! Not again! You came here before us again!" shouted Ayushi. Everyone frowned after seeing that she came before again. "Sorry didi, I was not able to control myself. By the way, see I brought carrots for us and cheese for mouses." They all grinned and hugged Aditi. "Aditi didi. I want a larger piece!" demanded Ayush. "Sure cutie" she said while taking out a piece of cheese for Ayush. "Here comes the Giridhara!" shouted Alya while jumping high. As they heard jingles of his jewels, mouses started making soft sounds and rabbits' ears got up, erect as they heard lord is coming. The night went while seeing him stealing makhan and eating it with his friends. "Now sleep dears. It's already so late. Tomorrow some of you all have to go to school right na? Sleep." Said grandma taking the small mouses in her lap, covering them with her big ears. Aditi pulled her one ear and used it as a blanket, "So big ears, I have so small." Grandma chuckled and said, "You'll have big once too, when you will become mortal. It was my wish to become immortal, so Indradev let me be. You all can live mortal life when you will go to earth. Entering its atmosphere will snatch away our immorality. One day, you will die and be born again as a small baby. Tell me this again. Do you want to?" Aditi wasn't able to understand anything still she nodded. She never saw dead persons in swarg, nor she know what's mortal and immortal, she only know that she is a rabbit, will be living as rabbit, will go to school and will again live as a rabbit.

The rabbits and mice were happy, playing in the gardens of swarg, watching Sri Krishna's leelas, and living happily with everyone. Sometime has passed this way, but one day the mouse Ananya got an idea. They always heard about earth in the stories of their grandmother, but they don't know how it feels like to be on earth, they were very curious and wanted to go onto earth. Grandmother was busy that day and she wasn't sure to send all the young ones alone onto earth. But the little ones were persistent, they kept pestering her to allow them, they made promises to be safe and look after each other. Though reluctant at first, grandmother can't say no to her cute little kids. So they went to the king of gods Indradev to ask his permission. Indradev said, "Little ones, earth is beautiful but dangerous too, there would come many threats to your life that could be fatal as you would become mortal on earth. And you wouldn't be able to realize them as you don't know anything, are you sure you still want to go." They were too excited to think about what Indradev said, they just nodded their head and said we'll be careful.

Once they were sent to earth, they were so mesmerized by the forest, the rivers, different trees and flowers, they knew swarg has many more beautiful things than here, but going to a place they heard only in stories left them in awe. They forgot their surroundings and soon all their promises and started playing without caring about anything. Ayushi soon came up with the idea of hide-and-seek. It was decided that Aditi would catch them and all the others would hide

And thus started the game that changed the perspective of earth for everyone. Aditi started counting while everyone started hiding, after counting till 100 Aditi started roaming around searching for her friends, they were so well hidden, she couldn't find anyone. She started to feel tired and thirsty, which didn't happen in swarg, so she decided to go, drink some water and then resume her game. She went to the river which she saw when she first arrived on earth. She bent down to drink some water, that is when she heard some rustling in bushes behind, she was scared when she remembered Indradev's warning about dangers on earth, she turned around to come face to face with a huge lion, its teeth barred, mane full of blood, staring at Aditi with hungry eyes, ready to strike if she made a small movement. Aditi knew from school that lions eat rabbits, this made her panic and she started squeaking for help. All her friends who never knew what danger is thought it was one of her tricks to make them come out so she can catch them, so they stayed where they are.

The lion roared, it raised it's paw to hit. Aditi felt her end is near, she closed her eyes to pray to Indradev. Her eyes filled with tears remembering all her friends and family, she starter sobbing, waiting for the lion to strike, but it never came. With slowly opened her blurry eyes to see someone push the lion away, into the river. She blinked her eyes to see who her saviour was, but her tears blurred her vision too much, all she can make out was, it was a boy.

After saving her, the boy went away, Aditi wanted to thank him, but she was paralyzed with fear, the events set in and she couldn't control her tears as she started sobbing loudly, her friends confused as to why she didn't find them heard her sobs, came running to her. They didn't know what happened but decided to go back to swarg.

That night Aditi couldn't sleep even on the softest of grass in swarg, all she can think of was her saviour, she couldn't even imagine what would have happened without him. She decided at that instant, she will never forget that young boy and would repay him for his kindness. She slowly drifted of to sleep with these thoughts in mind.

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I guess the prologue is a bit long, I'm not used to writing prologues, so bear with me...

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Love

-- Ashwini...★