The bookstore is where Radha experienced the world-through books. Each day Radha bound books in leather. And For every book she bound, Radha would read ten. By the time Radha was 15 years old, she had read nearly 10,000 books. There were days where she could not stop reading. Until there were no books left to read.
One day, a beautiful woman walked into the bookstore. She said, “Radha, I have some books I want you to bind for me.” “Of course,” said Radha. “But you must bind them in gold and honey” said the woman. Radha did not understand this strange request, but as she began to bind the books in gold and honey, it came very easily to her. The Book looked Beautiful. And Radha was drawn into them...
The book read: “A baby boy is born with wide eyes. Look closely, and you will see to your surprise…” The poem continued, and Radha was amazed to see appear before her the eyes of the baby boy in the book. That night, Radha dreamed of the eyes of the Baby Boy.
The beautiful woman came to see Radha for seven days, each time with a new book to bind. “No more books,” said Radha at last. “I cannot continue anymore. I think I am going mad.” The boy’s mother smiled. “You are not going mad, young girl,” she said. You are simply now ready to meet my boy. And I can tell you this: he is even more more beautiful than he is in the books!” With that, Radha followed the boy’s mother back to their palace.
There he was, the beautiful baby boy, sitting in the middle of the garden with a very large jar of honey. People had come from all over the land to meet this young prince. All the mothers marveled at the boy’s good looks. He was blue and he glowed like the sun. Radha was amazed to see the same boy she had seen in the books and in her dreams. “Meet Krishna,” said the mother. Baby Krishna looked through the crowded room and saw Radha standing there, marveling at him. He smiled at her. Radha’s heart filled with warmth.
Over the years, Radha would come to visit Krishna every day with a new book, bound in gold and honey-each one more beautiful than the last. They played together and told one another riddles and jokes. Radha became like an older sister to Krishna.
When Krishna turned 10, he asked Radha a question. “Radha?” asked Krishna. “Yes, my little boy,” replied Radha. “What is love?” asked the boy. Radha was surprised to hear this question from such a young boy. “Well,” Radha said in hesitation, “I don’t really know.” Krishna rested his head on Radha’s shoulder and replied, “That’s alright. I think I already know.”
One day, Radha’s father called for her. “Radha, we must speak now,” he said. “Yes father,”she replied, knowing this was very serious. “You must marry- that is your duty.” Radha was an obedient daughter and listened to her father. She married according to his wishes.
After her marriage, Radha continued to run the household and manage the bookstore while her husband worked the wheat fields. Radha visited Krishna but not every day. At this Krishna grew sad. He still loved to see Radha and looked forward to her every visit. Each time Radha visited Krishna, they would play and laugh together, as if nothing had changed.
But then Radha’s father became gravely ill, so that Radha could visit Krishna even less, if at all. And when the time came that her father neared his last breath, Radha remained at his side. “Radha, are you here?” her father asked. “Yes, father, I am here,” said Radha. “Promise me one thing, Radha,” said her father. “Anything!” said Radha. “Promise me that you will complete all your earthly duties. You must raise children with your husbandyou must ensure the continuation of life. Even when you are away from home, do not be distracted from this most important of obligations. I love you, my child.” At that, Radha’s father closed his eyes and died.
Radha was grief-stricken. She stopped visiting Krishna altogether. But Krishna, still a young boy, could not understand. He asked his mother for Radha, but no Radha came. Krishna never forgot Radha. In fact, his memories of her grew even stronger as he grew to be a young man.
Fifteen years passed. Krishna was now a man. Over time, Radha had prayed for children, but no children came. Not one. Radha’s husband loved her deeply and unconditionally. But her husband’s love did not make Radha happy. And as Radha could not bear any children of her own, she grew to be very sad. Radha felt no love in her life.
Radha spent all of her time back in the bookshop. She began to read again, Just as she had done as a teenage girl. One day, the beautiful woman, Krishna’s mother, came to visit Radha again. Radha was startled to see her, but secretly happy. The woman spoke: “It has been a long time since we’ve seen you.” “I’ve come now to invite you to Krishna’s wedding.” At that, Radha’s heart sank. Could it be that young Krishna had already come of marrying age? Yes, of course he had. Radha declined the invitation at first….. “But Krishna will be heartbroken if you do not come,” said the mother. Radha agreed to attend the wedding.
When the day arrived, Radha took out the one dress she had and prepared for the wedding. When Radha arrived at the palace, she came to see that 100 maidens were standing in procession, waiting to marry Krishna. Each maiden was more dazzling than the rest, bedecked in gold jewelry and dressed like a goddess. Krishna had agreed to marry them all!
Krishna’s gaze pierced through the crowd until his eyes at last rested on Radha. There she was, even more beautiful now than he remembered. Krishna walked over to Radha, his eyes fixed on hers. She looked at Krishna deeply, noticing every feature on his face. He was just as she remembered him, but now with the features of a man, not a boy.
Krishna could not stop noticing how much more beautiful Radha had grown. Krishna stood. Surrounded by beautiful maiden, far younger and adorned, yet he could he not take his eyes off of Radha Radha too kept gazing at Krishna, afraid this were but a dream.
The world had stopped. Radha and Krishna stared on in amazement, then finally burst into laughter. “Come on” said Krishna, “Let me introduce you to all of my brides!” It took the entire evening for Radha to meet Krishna’s many brides and to learn all of their names. Each one was exquisite and radiant, and Krishna seemed happy to marry them all.
Radha’s evening in the palace was nearly over. She tried at one point to slip away unnoticed. As Radha hurried to the palace doors, there stood Krishna smiling, as if he’d caught her in a mischievous act. “Don’t go.” said Krishna. Radha looked at Krishna with a tinge of sadness. “I can’t stay here, Krishna”, said Radha, “You are all grown now, she began. you don’t need me any longer and...” Krishna interrupted: “I need you now more than ever.”
“I don’t have a writer’s gifts. I am not a poet. But you,” he continued, “are learned and have read thousands bokound in gold an poems.” “I don’t understand,” said Radha. Krishna relpied, “I have promised each of my wives a poem in a bound in gold and honey. For each book, I have the gold and the honey, but the pages inside are empty. You must help me write the very words that will express my love for them.” Radha declined. But Krishna convinced her with his eyes. And so it began: Radha would help Krishna compose 100 poems for 100 maidens.
Each day, Radha arrived at the palace with an empty sheet of paper and a quill pen. And each day, Radha spoke to one of Krishna’s 100 wives and asked: “What does love mean to you?” “What makes you happy?” “What do you love about Krishna?” Radha received many answers to these questions, but none that inspired her to write about love.
Radha did not know much about loveor did she? Radha thought to herself: “How can I write something that will capture the hearts of such beautiful womenwomen who already have everything they want? What can I possibly write? Radha feared disappointing Krishna. She had to write something, Anything, and so she penned her first thought about what love might possibly mean.
There are one hundred way to write a poem, but I can think of none. There are a hundred paths to someone’s heart, but all I need is one. Thus in the ocean of my naive thoughts and dreams Are there words to show what love can really mean?
The presence of your being finds its way somehow. Into my skin. Passes by my thoughts completely. And finds its way deep into my heart. Without any detection. Until it’s there.
At the end of the day, Radha showed her first poem to Krishna, asking for his thoughts-any thoughts. But Krishna was mesmerized by Radha’s words. He continued to read and said nothing. Radha did not understand what this meant. Still she continued to compose her many poems, each day traveling to the palace thinking… writing… feeling… and writing again. Hoping that at least one of her poems would be to Krishna’s liking.
Radha delivered her poems one after another. Krishna receive them, read them over and over againand kept them for himself.
One day, as Radha was writing, she lost her inspiration. she worried. why it was she could not write another word about love. As Radha struggled, she looked to each of Krishna’s beautiful wives for answers. “What is it you feel? Radha asked them. “Attraction” “Desire” “Worth” Each responded with their own answers. Yet none of these satisfied Radha.
Radha visited with Krishna. “I have no more words!” she cried “I am finished!” she exclaimed. Krishna smiled. “Listen” he said. then lifted his flute to one side and played a melody unlike Radha had ever heard before. Radha’s heart lifted. She felt new poetry coming from her heart soul.
Krishna played his flute for Radha day and night. Hoping to rekindle her imagination. Krishna composed new melodies and spoke through music emanating from his flute and originating from his heart.
“Who did Krishna love the most?� Radha wondered. With so many wives, how could he possibly love them all so much to make such beautiful music?
The days were passing by quickly now. Radha’s heart would often pound all day and throughout her sleepless nights. She had begun to feel elation and sadness. both at the same time. “What could this possibly be?” Radha asked herself. “I cannot possibly love him,” she thought. “And he cannot possibly love me” “We are from different walks of life” Radha promised to rid herself of these thoughts. “Complete your task,” she told herself.
On the 90th day of writing, Radha had written exactly 90 poems. the book was nearly completeeach poem emanating the same love that lay deep within her soul. Radha could barely carry on her daily routines. she had become weak and unhappy, and her heart burned intensely. She could do nothing else but write her poems, pouring all herself into them. Radha was oblivious to everything else.
The next day, Radha visited with Krishna again, but this time to ask for his forgiveness. “Forgive me, Krishna, for I cannot continue!” said Radha. “This time I truly have no words left.” Krishna smiled as before. “Come with me” he said. Krishna took Radha’s hand and walked her down a long corridor. At the end, he opened the doors to the largest and most exquisite ballroom Radha had ever seen. “Fit for a king!” marveled Radha. “And as King, I command you to dance with me!” said Krishna. At that, Krishna took Radha’s hand and drew her close to him. Krishna led Radha into a dance that swept her away.
On the 100th day, Radha was getting ready to leave her house to go to Krishna’s palace. Radha’s husband stood silent in the corner. “Will you be coming back my Radha?” he asked, by now seeing clearly the struggle in her heart. “I don’t know,” said Radha, “Forgive me, but I do not know.” With this, Radha left her house.
When Radha arrived at the palace doors, Krishna was waiting for her. He had passion in his eyes. Withen them, Radha could see a flame surrounded by a calm windresolve born of certainty. �I know what I want,� Krishna told himself.
This was the 100th day. And Radha wrote her 100th poem as Krishna watched intently. Krishna then opened the sealed poem and read it. but it was not a love poem. It was a story of the war between two rivaling royal families, caught in what was known by this time to be the most violent war the world had ever seen.
Krishna’s heart sank with disbelief. “What are you saying?” asked Krishna. “I’m saying that there is a great war happening between the two royal houses. “ Krishna replied, “But I do not understand. What you are saying to me? Right now, right at this moment. What is it that you are saying, my Radha?” “I am saying that you must do your duty, whatever you think that is. And I must do mine,” Radha replied with tears in her eyes.
Krishna’s eyes filled with tears. Did she not return his love? Was he being shunned by the one whom he loved more than anything else in the world? Was she was asking him to leave so he could be killed in war? Was this his choice or hers? He then turned towards Radha and said, “I will go fight in the war and bring peace to this land.” “That is my duty to this world.” “That is my duty to you.” With that, Krishna left his home.
Radha cried inconsolably Until she had no tears left to cry.
She was beginning to get reports about the war. Thousands were being killed every day. She began to think maybe she should not have sent Krishna to fight a war that could not be won? Was it her will, her fear that had created the war? How many people had to be sacrificed for her own spul to be saved?
Radha was disconnected from the world. She decided to go to the Forest to meditate But once there, she could not do so. She kept seeing visions of Krishna. She would see his face in a peacock, turtle, or deer, But it was not him. She would see his body in a tree, But it was not him.
Radha grew sick in the forest And lay near dead. An old woman found Radha and led her to a cottage- The woman’s home deep in the woods.
Radha slept for many days. When she at last awoke she saw the old woman in a house full of beautiful creatures: rabbits, peacocks, birds, cats, dogs, goats, monkeys, apres, horses and cows. they all lived happily together, and the old woman took care of them all. Radha spent many months in this cottage as the old woman brought her back to life. They grew to be very close. Radha felt as if the old woman had become her own mother. Not only that, but the old woman was the mother of all living things. Radha wanted to live again. Then suddenly the old woman died. Radha grieved deeply and decided to go back home, taking the animals with her
Radha returned home and stood before her husband. She could see he had aged while she was gone. He looked lonely and forlorn. But his eyes lit up when he saw her. “My Radha,” he exclaimed. And she embraced him. “I will take care of you now,” she said. “The animals will stay with us. they will be like our children.” Over the years, Radha and her husband also adopted nearly 1,000 children. They started a school. More children from all over the world came to stay with them to learn from Radha her many teachings in music, literature, art, and dance. The children grew to be adults, But Radha did not age.
Radha became more vibrant and enchanting than ever before. People came to marvel at Radha. They asked her what made her stay so young, so beautiful and Radha would respond, “Love.� Radha loved Krishna deeply. She spread the love she felt for him to others until the whole of the land glowed.
Krishna appeared one day. He was weary from the war, and his scarred body showed the signs of a man who had lived and fought. “Radha” he said. “I have come back to you. I love you.”
“And I love you” replied Radha. “More than you ever know.” “But my time here on earth has passed. I must go now.”
Krishna was saddened by Radha’s words, but he understood what she said. He watched as Radha disappeared walking off into the mountains. The sun grew bright with a coral pink glow. Radha had reached the skies. Krishna marveled at the sight and bowed down to Radha.