Inside the bedroom chamber of Lord Krishna.
Knock knock.
“Honey, it’s me. My maid just told me we need to be ready for a guest here shortly.”
“Who are we expecting?”
“I’m not sure. I was told we have a couple of visitors requesting our company and they’re waiting on us.”
Krishna nods at his favorite bride. He stops for a second to remember the turmoil and battles fought for Rukmini. How her father finally agreed that he had proven himself after countless lives ended by his hands. He reminisces in the joy he felt for years following their final union. He knows he would do it again for her, especially after the faithfulness she has shown him for decades.
He turns to servant. “Help me dress quickly for my guests.”
A few minutes later in the visitor’s lounge.
The door opens and a tall figure appears. It’s a man with shoulder-length hair. He strides into the room with sure steps.
Rukmini recognizes the solemn look on his face. He carries a like expression to her husband. She ponders this for a second before realizing there’s a smaller figure behind him. The young girl is beautiful and holds her head high as she steps into the room with her pinky intertwined with the man’s.
The girl steps forward. “Lord Krishna. Rukmini. I bring your first-born son to you. He has successfully defeated the evil Shambara as destined.”
Krishna turns to Rukmini with a questionable look.
Rukmini looks at the man. “Pradyumna? My son?” she asks quietly.
“Mother? I had no idea…” Pradyumna responds.
Maya steps back and releases their pinkies. She knows they will need a minute.
“My son!” Rukmini exclaims suddenly. She leaps up and nearly trips running to her boy. She embraces her son as tears begin to flow down her cheeks.
She turns to look back at her husband. Krishna is stoically gazing at the man standing in front of him. He has to admit the boy’s cheekbones favor his own face structure that stares back at him in the mirror every morning. But his eyes are the same intense color of his dear Rukmini’s.
Is this the infant that disappeared from his cradle all those years ago, Krishna wonders, Surely he wasn't alive.
Krishna shakes his head as he gets up and walks out of the room.
“Krishna!” Rukmini calls. “I am so sorry,” she says apologetically to Pradyumna. He shrugs as she wipes the tears from her eyes.
“I have to go after him,” she says and turns to follow her husband.
Pradyumna turns to look at Maya. “That didn’t go as planned?”
Maya takes his hand and caresses it. She looks up into his eyes and says, “I will patiently wait on your father’s blessing to accept your hand in marriage. No matter how long it takes.”
“You sure you don’t want me to run off with you and give you a good time right now?” he asks with a wink.
She smiles shyly at him but shakes her head. “We can’t. We need your father’s support, or our future will be rough. Not only would our children be affected, but you’re the son of the great Lord Krishna and he doesn’t need his long-lost son causing chaos.”
“I know,” Pradyumna says with a sigh.
Author's Note: We're nearly to the end of Pradyumna's adventures and I'm shocked by the way things have progressed. I knew that Pradyumna had to come home and meet back up with his parents. Of course, the last story is left for that to specifically happen, but some kind of conflict had to happen also. I had a few ideas, but ended up going with one that didn't appeal to me until I started writing. The story is left off with an very open-ended possibility between Krishna and Pradyumna. I don't want it to be obvious why he walks out, but I do want it to be obvious that he's struggling with his son's return. I wanted Maya to continue being that faithful woman who is going to hold onto doing things the right way, and of course I had to have at least one peek at Pradyumna's usual flirty self. I wanted the perspective of Krishna and Rukmini to dominate this story. Also, I wanted Krishna and Rukmini to be introduced to Pradyumna without realizing who he is at first. Though, he needed to resemble his parents enough for them to believe this is truly their baby standing in front of them.