Just as people are afraid of serpents they are afraid of people who utter lies. Truth controls this world and dharma is rooted in truth.

"Abhi, I'm back." Urmilla said dumping her bag on the sofa. A beautiful smile graced her lips as she walked towards his room.

"He is sleeping." Madhav informed. Urmilla tiptoed to his bed, observing his sleeping figure.

'Murlidhar, I wish you let him stay this cute and innocent forever.' She prayed.

Looking up, she found a missing window pane. She frowned. Looking around for the broken pieces of glass, she asked."Who broke the window?"

"There were some kids playing outside. One of them must have broken it." He answered. "Don't worry, Abhiram wasn't in the room when it broke. Also, I threw the glass pieces away."

"Madhav! Urmilla!" Radha's loud voice caught them by surprise. They walked out into the hall to see the cause of the commotion.

"Didi, what happened?" Urmilla asked.

"Who broke the glass?" She asked angrily, glaring at the pieces of glass in the dustbin.

"I didn't." Madhav raised his hand up in surrender. It was then that Urmilla saw a cut on his left thumb.

"Madhav! Why didn't you tell me you hurt your finger?" Urmilla scolded, pulling out the first aid kit. "Come sit here. Let me treat your wound before it gets bad."

"God! Just look at all this blood."

"Why does this blood come out?" He asked her innocently.

"The blood comes out because you have injured the blood vessels and also the blood helps in cleaning the wound." Radha answered.

"But if it is going to heal in a few days, why should I put a band-aid on it?" He asked again.

"To stop it from getting infected."

"What happens if it gets infected?"

"You fall sick. Then you have to go to the doctor and the rest is history." She said and they burst out into laughter.

"Then what about the wounds of the heart? How can one see them?"

Radha was rather puzzled by his question.

"What do you mean?" Urmilla asked putting the band-aid.

"Urmilla, Radha just explained to me the consequences of an ignored wound. This wound is visible to everyone. I'm asking about the wound which is in everyone's heart, which is both visible and invisible. How can one treat such a wound? Who is the doctor?" He clarified.

Abhiram's loud cry took Radha to him.

"I agree there are wounds which many can't see or know about. Time and circumstance make people hold back their pain within themselves, which hurts them greatly. There will be times when they feel that they have no one who will hear them out. But they forget, that in times of need, in times of pain - He will always be there for them, watching over them and waiting for them to talk to Him. Anyone who comes to him, shall never return empty-handed."

"Who is the He you are talking about?"

"Murlidhar." She smiled and went on her way to prepare dinner. Unknown to Urmilla, Radha had heard their entire conversation.

'Urmilla, if what you said is true, then why hasn't He taken away this pain from me yet?' Radha thought, wiping her tears.

'Radha, I have come here to take that pain away from you.' Madhav smiled.

• • •

A cow was being washed and decorated with flowers. As innocent as a child was she, who looked upon the people in wonder.

"Work faster. We don't have the entire day just to decorate this cow. This won't stay on her for more than an hour." A man shouted at the two people who were decorating the cow.

Soon, the cow, after being decorated, was brought to a secluded spot where stood a man holding an axe. Across him sat a man, next to the fire, reciting something.

The cow was frightened at the sight of the axe, but trusted the two beside her.

"Bring her for the sacrifice." The man near the fire instructed.

"Swami ji, are you sure these drought like conditions will end if we sacrifice this cow?"

"Yes, my son. This sacrifice will definitely please the rain god." The man replied throwing things into the fire.

The cow on realising that it was to be sacrificed, panicked. She started to pull against the ropes that held her. Pulling against it, she ran away praying to the lord to save her.

"O Govind! Please save me." She cried, escaping from them.

Exhausted and hungry she saw the statue of Krishna on the roadside, under a tree. She walked towards him, sitting in front of him.

"O Govind, I have surrendered to you. Please have mercy on me and save me from the people of Yama." She prayed and the melodious tunes of his flute filled her ears, deafening her from the entire world.

• • •

"Finally got him!" A burly man giggled, his partner dusting his hands.

The old man, a teacher, looked at them in fear and confusion. "Why am I here?"

"We'll figure that soon, old man." He sneered, pulling out a rod. "First, answer me. Why did you tell on the cops about us?"

"Why else? You were throwing indecent comments at the women in the bus. You should be ashamed!"

The second man, a colleague of the old man, glared and grabbed him by the collars. "When the rest, including the women, decided to stay quiet, who gave you the right to interfere?"

"They're a bunch of cowards, if they thought tolerating in silence will do them good. Someone ought to stand up against injustice."

Hearing this, the man slapped him hard and threw him to the ground.

"Injustice huh? We were just having a little fun." The first man chuckled, passing the rod to his partner.

"You seem to love justice." The second taunted the wounded man. "Let us give you a taste of justice."

He raised the rod in the air, and was about to strike, when he froze.

Must you strike and harass your own father?

Terrified, they looked around, searching for the person who spoke the words. Finding none, they dismissed it as a hangover situation.

They turned back to attack the old man, only to have the ground beneath their feet slip away. A hard lump formed in their throats, sweat drenching their clothes.

There was no old man. In his place, they saw their respective fathers. Trembling in fear, because of his son.

"Father," They wept, falling to their knees, "forgive us."

Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the door, startling everyone. The door broke and in walked a man with an axe followed by two more people.

"I saw her coming here." One man spoke and they looked around for the cow.

Disillusioned by the tunes of His flute, the men saw a dead cow and near it, the two men holding bloodied rods.

"He killed our cow!" The second man cried.

The man with the axe, short tempered in nature, brought it down on the neck of the second man, the teacher's colleague.

The moment the axe came down on his neck, did he remember the words spoken by Madhav. It was too late. He could only regret his evil deeds.

'O Lord of the Three World's. I seek your forgiveness.' He prayed, passing away. His partner was the next to join him.

The old man left the room, unscathed.

• • •

"Sumit look! Isn't that your cow Dhenu?" Inder pointed towards the cow, who now had her head on Madhav's lap.

"Brother, did you find Dhenu?" Somu asked.

"No, I didn't. She simply came towards me." He smiled.

"Thank you so much for keeping her safe, Madhav bhaiya." Sumit beamed and approached his cow.

When she heard Sumit's voice, her state of trance was broken. She refused to leave Madhav despite all the efforts.

She had felt the utmost happiness, peace and safety when her head was on his lap.

"Dhenu it's time to go." Madhav said softly and the cow left his lap reluctantly.