Time to Play

He had been hiding, all evening, behind the large banyan tree. Watching the cowherd gather the cattle into the shed. It was getting dark. The night would be a perfect partner to his plan, thought the thief. When no one was around, he would slip into the store. It would not take long for him to figure out where the treasure was hidden. He'd seen many a store like this one and he knew exactly where every little thing the place could hold would be. The Sun had set and it was time to make his move. Slyly, he ran across the field and jumped over the wall unnoticed. A small hairpin was good to unlock the backdoor to the store and break in. The moon played accomplice that night, shining just enough light through the window for him to recce the crime scene. He slowly tiptoed around a huge, inverted cauldron and looked up at the ceiling. There it was. Hanging down, like a cherry from a tree, enticing the eyes of a hungry little fox. But this fox was a smart one. He silently moved the cauldron closer to his target. Then, using the walls for support, he rose atop the metal and undid the knots holding his treasure troves. Slowly he brought them down. He was tempted to open it all up. Just as he began to, he heard a noise. Somewhere a door opened. A few muffled voices were heard. Suddenly, the front door to the store shook. Someone was coming. He had to hide and do it quickly. He ran, with the loot in his hands, behind the cauldron and hid in the small gap between the wall and the large piece of metal.
And then, a conversation followed. An old man talking to his wife.
"Bless the King. I had never dreamt that our problems would be solved so easily. We're blessed to be living in the time of such a benevolent ruler." said the old man.
"What are you saying? What are we going to do about the wedding?" asked his wife.
"Did you not hear about the King's new proclamation? Henceforth, every wedding in our town shall be arranged in the palace temple. All expenses shall be borne by the King. And the groom shall take home a dowry nothing less than a pot of gold along with ten cows, five buffaloes and if needed, an opportunity to work at the town dairy!"
"Bless that generous heart! Our daughter is most gifted to be blessed with such riches by the King." said the wife.
"Ready my meal, old lady. I shall place today's purchase in the store and then attend to it. Tonight, I shall sleep in peace." said the old man, as he placed his goods in the store and locked the door, noticing neither the missing pots nor the shadow of a figure hiding behind the cauldron.
The next few minutes saw utter silence in the store. He had been listening to the old man's words. And they had left him stunned. The King's proclamation had brought an idea into the thief's mind. He was too impressed with himself. Oh, what a cunning little fox he was! Wait till my friends see the endgame that I bring home when my plan works out, he thought. He sat there and slowly plotted it all. He knew he had the charm. Few in his group of friends attracted the weaker sex like he did, with his smooth hair, innocent smile, playful words and enchanting music. He had so often talked the girls at the dairy into letting him into the store there. He could pull off this act easily, he thought. He would make them go weak in their knees, make them fall for him. Then he would propose marriage, with the grand ceremony bringing him the source of a lifetime of happiness as dowry. He planned to make every fair maiden in town fall for him, promising her a fabulous wedding and him his share of the booty. And then he would put all of them to work. They would spend the days milking the cows and churning away in his private dairy and the nights feeding him his favorite treat of gold - butter!
He would show the men at the dairy, who had shooed him away many a time, what a nine year old could do. Gone will be the days when his mother would tie him up or give him a sore bottom for stealing.
As he sat there, young Krishna looked at the flute he had stowed away in his pocket and thought to himself - "It's time to play, my friend!"

The Perfect Plan

It was the perfect plan. He looked far into the horizon and thought, so far so good. All pawns in this game of chess were in the right place. Now, all that lay between him and victory was the sea. The mighty ocean. Looking into the dark waters, he reflected on his journey so far.

He had always been an ambitious young man. A smart one as well. Meticulous some might say. He had "friends" in the right places. It was through one such friend that he had learned about the King's weakness. It did not take him too long to plan for his adversary. He had seen the King at the event just before his wedding. When he was exchanging vows with his bride, he could see the fire burn bright in the King's eyes. Excellent, he had thought. Now he had something the King needed and the King had something he needed. Needed? Craved would be more apt. He knew the King would be willing to bear any burden to attain what he wanted. And so was he. At any expense. He had proved this to himself when he convinced the Queen to do what she did. Women are easily persuaded, he thought. His new bride came to mind. Certainly, there would be a tantrum raised when his fair maiden found out. But by then, they would be long past anything that could possibly stand in his way. He would talk to her. Convince her. He would shower her with all the riches in the world. She would eventually find her place in his world. Just the way he would find his place in history.

The Queen had done her part in convincing his Father. It was his Father that worried him. He must be kept in the dark. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, he thought. He would not want his plans to add to the woes of his Father. The day shall come when he shall bring glory to his Father's name. He would make him proud.

When he set his plans in motion, he had subtly let the King know - that which his heart craved for lay unprotected now. The bait was set. All he had to do was pick the right day and lay the trap. He knew that the King would fall. The forest was a maze. A hunt would take a long while. No sane maiden would venture deep into the woods from a safe haven. And he could always rely on his brother to play his part. It had all fallen in place. The king came, seeking what he pined for and took home his treasure. This was all he needed. It was time to plan the attack. It was time to disillusion his men into believing how the King had dishonored them and their Emperor. It was time to unleash his army of savages on the Island. The Island! That one piece of land under the Sun that had not yet bowed to the glory of his clan. It was time to take reins as the Emperor of the world. He would take the King's crown, head home and lay it at his Father's feet.

As he looked out at the sea, he saw lightning strikes on the horizon. His return home would be glorious, he thought. With trumpets and drumrolls. With fireworks. With chants of victory. With the people of his Kingdom toasting their Emperor and the Prince who brought them glory - "All hail the Destroyer of Evil! All hail the Slayer of King Raavan! All hail Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya and the new Lord of Lanka! All hail the Master of the Universe! Jai Shree Rama!"