This Krishna Was Real

This Krishna Was Real 

( A Sequel To MY Previous Story WRITTEN LONG AGO. )

The flight from Chennai to Trivandrum was comfortable. Nithya had dozed off and Shravan was reading a Medical journal( Yes...Shravan, the little boy my previous story ). He could not concentrate on the article.

 He had relocated to India from England along with his parents and was practising now at a leading Hospital in Chennai as a Cardiologist . He had no qualms about leaving England and was very happy with the Hospital and the Doctors with whom he worked. His sweet talk, kindness, compassion , diligence and competence earned him a very good name in a short time. 

His thoughts wandered off and he was wondering how old Kunju Nair would be now. 

May be nearing sixty ? Perhaps in his very early sixties ? 

The incident that took place when he was a small kid, came back to him like a dream............

The four year old Shravan sleeping in that spacious old house at Trivandrum. The incessant rain that could be heard outside...but now with a little less intensity . Yes, it had started with thunder and lightning. He had seen the green leaves of the coconut tree catching fire due to lightning.

That night...

Lord Krishna appeared. He had sat near him on the mattress. He had chatted with him . He had told him to be a good boy, always compassionate . He had spoken to him about his parents and told him that he should listen to their words, as they were nice human beings, who could do only good things. He had given the boy His flute as a parting gift..... a flute that he still cherished.

How innocent he had been. How happy he had been. He had been thrilled for days together. Being brought up listening to stories from epics and getting a solid build up of the moral values in life .. that divine visit was something that had done him good. Of course, one cannot deny that for every Rama and Krishna, there are Duryodanas and Ravanas too in the world. It cannot be helped, thought Shravan. One has to make a decision to lead an ideal life or choose to become a bigot. A lot depended on the upbringing too, he reflected. 

His thoughts went back to the rains. Monsoon brought in a lot of wonderful images. Everyone loved the monsoon. In fact, they looked forward to experience the feeling of the the beautiful cool raindrops. He wished to bring his new bride Nithya here during the monsoons but the season had come to an end. Well, October was equally pleasant...not hot and not too cold either, he thought. And Nithya and he would be going to Guruvayur the next day.

" The Guruvayur Temple will not be too crowded now. It is not yet the Sabarimala Season when the devotees on their way throng this Temple, " his mother had told him. She was a great devotee of Shree Guruvayurappan. So was his father. And his grand parents.

He recapped his wandering thoughts.

Yes..Lord Krishna's yellow silks, the peacock feathers in the crown that he wore , the Thulasi garland, the sweet fragrance of sandal paste ...everything flashed in his memory.

He smiled to himself.

He had related all this to Nithya whom he had married a week earlier.

They were planning to go to Munnar from Guruvayur for their honeymoon, but decided to call on Kunju Nair before that. 

Shravan had spoken to Nithya about those momentous seconds when he came to know of the myth of Lord Krishna's visit that rainy night when he was sleeping . He came to know the truth six years ago, when he had come to visit his ailing grandfather. Grandmother had passed away peacefully a couple of years back .It was during his first year at the Medical College and exams prevented him from accompanying his parents who had come down . It was a sudden unexpected event and Grandfather had taken it in the right spirit. May be deep inside he was grieving for her. But he had not revealed any emotion, his mother had said. 

There was already a visitor with his old Grandfather and they were talking in whispers as he entered the room. 

The grandfather had beckoned him to come near him.

" Shravan..this Uncle and I have been very close to each oher," he had whispered. " He has helped me very many times. A loving soul. A wonderful human being." 

Shravan had smiled and nodded . He sat for a while talking to his Grandfather and left, as he heard his mother calling out to him. And as he was going out, he heard his grandfather whispering to Kunju Nair, whose back was tuirned towards the door.

" Do you remember that particular night when you came home dressed up as Krishna and handed over the flute to this boy Kunju ? Well, he still cherishes that flute..he is such a good boy..just as you instructed him to be ..good, compassionate and adore his parents and Grandparents. Lessons taught to him by you when he was just four.." Shravan could not hear the next few words as his grandfather was coughing for a while. 

He was stunned! Ah!! This was why he had this feeling, " I have seen him somewhere long ago!" when he was introduced to this man by his grandfather . He had been wondering all the while. 

He had recounted this story to Nithya when he told her why he wanted to meet Kunju Nair. 

 She had asked him,

"Shravan, did you not feel cheated that it was not Krishna?"

He had replied,

" No. Not at all . Why should I ? I was only marveling at this idea of my grandparents and the trouble taken by Kunju Nair to come dressed up as Lord Krishna that night. He looked just ike the Lord I had imagined. That was a great loving gesture on my grandparents' and Kunju Nair's part. I cherish those moments. Yes..Grandfather had gone out in that rain to ask Kunju Nair this favour and as a kind gentleman Kunju Nair had agreed ! He had come home in that severe downpour. Wasn't that great , Nithya?"

He smiled.

He wanted Nithya to meet Kunju Nair.

After putting away their suitcases in the hotel room, they drove to Kunju Nair's house. He had made enquiries at the Hotel Reception Desk and the girl there had told him that Kunju Nair's son was now doing the Krishnanaatam . An Engineer by profession and a lecturer in the Engineering College he was continuing his family tradition whenever he was called for dance performances. The father was around sixty two years old and had taught his son all the nuances of the dance. In fact, there was no programme at the famous Guruvayur Temple wihout the boy's dance. She seemed to be a great fan of the young man. 

Shravan opened the much wornout creaking iron gate and went in. They did not have to knock..as the door was wide open. A man sat in the easychair reciting some slokas.

It was Kunju Nair.

He looked up at the duo.

" Please come in ...where are you coming from ?"

By then a frail thin lady appeared wearing the traditional kasavu mundu ( the traditional wear that Kerala women wear...white saree or dhothi with jari on it ; another white cloth like duppatta thrown on the shoulder over the blouse ) .She looked very pretty even at this age . The smile on her face was accentuated by the thick sandal paste on her forehead above the red bindhi. Kunju Naitr himself had a glowing face...sandal paste adorning his forehead and arms.

" I am Shravan ... Sadhashivam's grandson and this is my wife Nithya. I think we had met for the second time just before my Grandfather passed away eighteen years ago. I thought I must bring my wife and see you snd offer my pranaams before we start our life together." He emphasised the words "Second Time."

Kunju Nair was speechless.

His wife asked them to sit on the sofa and went inside.

Shravan extended the small parcel that he had brought with him along with some apples.

Kunju Nair opened the parcel and there was a gleaming new Flute there. 

" You gave me yours, remember ? Today, if I am a good human being and a good Doctor, I owe it all to that visit of yours." 

Kunju Nair caressed the flute with trembling hands.

"My son...( Ende Mone ) I am at a loss for words. I can only recall the face of that little boy, whose eyes widened with thrill and love that night. It was a new experience for me. An experience that I had never got in all my career. "

They left after partaking coffee and some banana chips and talking to Kunju Nair and his wife. Kunju Nair shared with them some of his experiences and Nithya had listened to him with interest and awe. 

Nithya was silent on their way back to the hotel.

Shravan's silence was vocal with his emotions .

Ultimately Nithya broke the silence .

" Shravan..I will not be disappointd even if the Guruvayur Temple is crowded tomorrow.and I am unable to see the Deity properly. I have seen Him here today. My Grandmother used to say , " Deivam Manushya RoopeNa"...( God Manifests in Human Form ) how true it is ! "