The Reality and Illusion

It was quite early in the morning. The rainy season had just set in. Swings had come all over the town and even just inside the border of this forest. Not many people were out at this time. She was sitting alone on the swing which was swaying slowly with the morning breeze.

Radha was alone thinking of the times when they used to be together. Now Krishna had gone to a far-off place. She was told that he was not going to come back to Gokul again. She remembered the times when they used to sit on the swing together, enjoying early morning breeze and gentle swaying of the swing.

Like everyone in this mortal world she also knew that nothing in this world is permanent. Destiny had brought them together and separated them also. She wondered why Krishna, who was all powerful, could not defy the fate to ensure that they were always together.

She closed her eyes for a while and tried to imagine that Krishna was sitting next to her on the swing. Soon she was lost in the thoughts of past happier times. Suddenly, she felt as if someone was really sitting next to her. Shocked, she opened her eyes to find that no one was there. She was sitting alone on the swing. “Then why did she have a feeling that Krishna was around and soon she will hear his voice or the melodious tune of his flute?”

She closed her eyes again. At least that gave her an illusion that Krishna was sitting next to her. The reality, of course, was different. She was alone and lonely in this beautiful place. A few moments later, She felt some presence next to her again. She wondered if Krishna was really there.

She kept her eyes closed. She focussed her thoughts on Krishna. She wondered what was real and what was illusion. The fact that she was sitting alone on the swing appeared to be her current reality.

Suddenly her ears caught a sound as if someone was whispering her name. She knew that only Krishna used to call her that way. Was he nearby? She opened her eyes. There was nobody around except she and her loneliness.

She closed her eyes once again. She heard Krishna’s voice again. “Radha, I know you are lost between illusion and reality. I am with you, that is the reality. The world, where I am not with you, is an illusion. However, remember, you can see me only with closed eyes.”

Radha kept her eyes shut. The swing was swaying with the soft breeze. She was sure that Krishna was sitting right next to her on the swing and gently pushing it whenever it was about to stop.

The reality had dawned upon her. Krishna was with her all the time and it was not an illusion.