Hmm...
What comes to the mind when a person of India hears the word village?
A beautiful place, far from the noise of the urban rush, surrounded by nature, trees and plants everywhere, birds chirping and flying merrily through the skies, the cool and soothing breeze that plays with one's hair. The fresh breath of pure oxygen that can never be found in the cities. The animals working with the humans, playing in the fields, running around randomly, what a relaxing view. People laughing sitting in a group under the shades of trees, working in the fields reaping their sows.
Just like that, lies a simple and typical village of India, in the north, on the edge of Vrindavan, the childhood home of Lord Krishna. A young boy, about the age of 12 to 13, gently pats on the back of the two oxen tied to a classic plough. The oxen slowly begin to move as the innocent boy pushes the plough from behind. A significant field to be ploughed appeared as the oxen move further. The father of the boy Nana, watches his son go stupidly pushing the plough to help the oxen while he was pulling out manure bags. The sun above was rising up, increasing its heat as the father and son dug out almost more than half of their field. The mother Abha comes out shielding her eyes from the bright sun calling out to the two males working in the field.
Abha: Listen you two, time to eat something. You both are working since this morning.
Nana: Just wait bhagyawan, we will be right there.
Abha: Do not delay anymore ji. Rani refuses to eat anything without Krishna. Hurry up now you two.
And just to our surprise, the boy's name is Krishna.
Nana: What do you whisper in Rani's ear, naughty boy that she doesn't do anything without you, huh?
Krishna: I play games with her, that's all.
Nana: Game, game, game! You just keep playing game. I feel like I will have to let my daughter Rani study and achieve something for us in life.
Krishna: She will earn money for you and I will bring love.
Nana: (throws a ball of mud on Krishna) Idiot, does love fill our bellies?
Krishna: It fills mines though.
Nana: Ok, ok, keep the pressure on the plough or the harrows won't set in.
Just like a typical housewife of a farmer of a village, in the heat of the sun, Abha sits before the stove carved out of soil, trying to reduce the fire inside as she picks up the utensil kept on it. The little Hut livens up by the echoes of the anklets worn by the little girl About 13 or 14 sitting in the corner who moves her leg up and down in harmony as she reads a book kept before her. Upon seeing Abha putting down the utensils, she gets up and goes to help her.
Rani: Ma! Baba and Krishna did not come yet.
Abha: The men are all like this. They never listen to women. They don't even care that we are worried about them.
Rani: Ma, looks like the heat has made you grumpy.
Abha: Oh! If they would listen, go and call them yourself.
Rani: You just wait and see Ma, I will bring them back in an instant (runs outside).
Abha: Thinks she is an adult, does she? Let me see (continues with the stove).
Rani: (Runs outside and falls on the ground and starts crying loudly).
Krishna and Nana, raise their heads out of the fields as the wailing sound rushed into their ears. They dashed for Rani.
Nana: (grabs her head) Oh no! Where did you get hurt, love?
Krishna: (Stands behind Nana smiling as if he knew).
Nana: (lifts her up in his arm) Hold on, I will take you to your mother. She will rub some cream on the wound and the pain will vanish like magic (rushes in carrying her).
Krishna: (Slowly follows behind) That girl, so mischievous.
Nana: (Enters) Abha, Abha, what do you do? Look, our daughter got hurt playing outside. I asked you to be watchful of her.
Abha: (Gets up and away from the burner) Oh god! How did that happen? Let me see.
Nana: (Puts her down) Show your mother where it hurts, Rani.
Abha: (Approaches) I just sent her to call you two inside for the meal. What a mess!
Before Abha could touch her, Rani escapes Nana and jumps to the side laughing.
Nana: (Surprised) Arey! What is this?
Abha: (Touches her forehead, sighs) Such trickery, she took advantage of her father's love. That's how she brought you in. Isn't this little fox clever?
Nana: Not funny, I was worried.
Rani: What else was I supposed to do? If you didn't hear of your own Rani, there was no way you would hear of this Rani.
Note: Queen translates to Rani in hindi. The first Rani refers to Abha, wife of Nana, while the second Rani is Rani herself.
Nana: You could have asked me once.
Krishna: (crying outside) Oh! Help, my leg, Aah!
Nana: Another nuisance, let me deal with it (goes outside and a slap is heard).
Krishna: Ahh! Hug for her and hurt for me, why this discrimination?
Abha and Rani laugh inside.
Abha: Ok ok, now eat before you two go back to the field again.
Nana: (Walks back in) God gave us this headache. Only if he had not gifted us with a stomach.
Krishna: (Followed him in rubbing his cheek) He gifted us with delicious food along with the stomach and a tongue to taste all the delicacies with. Well, I for one appreciate this gift.
Nana: (sits on the floor) I don't remember you working enough to deserve such delicious food.
Krishna: (Sits beside Nana) I don't, but my father does. And children reap the fruits of the deed of their parents after all, may they be good or bad.
Nana: Is that how it is?
Krishna: It is, my dear baba.
Note: Baba here refers to father, as some children like to address theirs.
Nana: Eat your fill then. Abha, serve this hungry child first then.
Abha: I was. Did you think I was serving you first? My boy worked so hard today.
Nana: He worked hard!! The oxen were pulling the plough.
Abha: Shhh! Let him eat. Here (feeds him by her hand).
Nana: (Eats) So lucky that you got a mother like her. My mother used to keep me hungry for not working in the field much.
Krishna: It is my destiny to get a mother like her in every birth.
Nana: And what about your father?
Krishna: Looks like I chose the wrong one this time.
Abha and Rani laugh.
Nana: You meet me outside, I will show you how good of a father I am for you sonny. You just meet me outside.
And laughter…
The father and son return to their field work while Rani picks up her book and goes back to studying. Time flies by as the field changes shape.
One day during the summer…
Nana: Everyone is going?
Villager: They are eager to. I was hoping that we could all go together. What do you say?
Nana: I was about to ask you that.
Villager: Well, be ready then. Today is the last day of the fair. You don't wanna miss it.
Nana: For sure. I will meet you at your door.
Villager: Ok, be waiting for you.
Nana: (Goes towards his hut) Abha! Abha!
Abha: (Comes out of the house) Ji! Were you calling?
Nana: Yeah, we will be going to the city fair today. Be ready before the sunset.
Abha: Oh no! This is bad.
Nana: Why? (Looks around) Where are the kids?
Abha: They have gone to graze the cows.
Nana: What? They have not returned yet. These kids, I swear.
Abha: They must be playing around. They will be back soon. I am sure.
Nana: Just hope they would or we will be leaving without them.
Abha: (Laughs) Ofcourse.
Nana: (Angry) What are you laughing about?
Abha: You say that every year.
Nana: I will do it this time.
The cows pull on the grass and look at the children running around while chewing on their snack. Krishna and Rani, along with some other kids, hopped around blissfully. Divided in two groups, one chased the other. The pursued group split as the chasers followed them. The chasers ran chanting Ice. Whoever they grabbed from the opposite group would freeze while the rest still running would try to touch the frozen one's chanting water to allow them to move again. The game continued as the children ran to be free from the freezing. The chasers kept claiming the members of the opposite group while Krishna caught Rani's arm and raced towards a tree with a smile on both of their faces followed by two of the chasers. Krishna and Rani quickly climb the tree in an attempt to escape the chasers.
Girl chaser: No fair, how will I catch you two now? I don't know how to climb.
Boy Chaser: Get down cheaters.
Rani: Done! Is that the extent of your mastery of the game?
Boy Chaser: I never said I was a master of the game.
Girl chaser: Don't go too high, you might fall Krishna.
Krishna: (Reaches the top) Rani, come up, I wanna show you something.
Rani: What is it?
Krishna: (Extends his arm) Here, let me pull you up.
Rani: (Grabs his arm and rises to the top and witnesses the beautiful sunset in the sky colouring the waters of the River Yamuna flowing besides the grazing grounds through the trees stretching far into the distance) Wow! Beautiful…
Krishna: (Looks at the mesmerizing view then looks at the amazed face of Rani, smiles)
"My eyes were mesmerized by the sunset when
The setting sun screamed at me with its shine
I may be alluring, but believe me when I tell you
the girl before you has beauty that rivals mine"...
Rani: (Looks at Krishna lovingly) Idiot, trying to be romantic at this height. If we fall, all the love will drain down the yamuna.
Krishna: Whose love, mine or yours?
Rani: Both of Ours, now get down. It is late. Baba is gonna be angry if we are late.
Krishna: As your wish, my Radhe.
They both get down from the tree.
Rani: (Goes to others) Let's call it quits for today.
Krishna: (Goes to one of the cows and pats on her back gently) How much are you gonna eat hippo? If you fail to move I won't carry you home on my shoulders, I am telling you.
Cow: (Moos)
Rani: Bye everyone.
Children: Bye, bye Krishna.
Krishna: (Waves back, smiling).
Rani: Bijju! He did not gather his cows yet?
Krishna : Arey! They are cows, not some broken twigs from a tree.
Rani: (Looks at the setting sun) We are so very late today.
Bijju: Here! Here! (Comes running along with two of his cows) Here! Sorry, my cows went a little farther away.
Rani: (Raises her hand to slap) Idiot, you need a slap.
Bijju: (Cowers covering his face) Brother Krishna!
Krishna: Arey! Don't even think about it. Rani!
Rani: It is because of you he is so careless. He almost botches every job.
Krishna: (Starts walking with the cows) He is still learning, Radhe. Look, he couldn't even move the cows before, but now he walks with them.
Rani: Yeah, we call it normal.
Krishna: For you maybe, but for him it is progress. Right Bijju.
Bijju: (Stutters) Ye..yes brother.
Rani: I wonder what Ma will be cooking today.
Krishna: Hmm, I wonder as well.
Bijju: Why? You are not going to the fair?
Rani: What fair!?
Krishna: Oh yes! We have a fair today. The yearly one, yeah right.
Rani: Come on, no one told me about it.
Bijju: I heard my father discussing it with my mother this morning. I think he said he will ask your father to come along.
Krishna: Oh damn! Did he say that? Run everyone or we won't get to play tomorrow.
Rani: Easy!
They rush for the home followed by the cows. Nana stood at the end of the road near their hut with a stick in his hand. The children slowed down as they approached him.
Bijju: Oh shit! It's your Baba.
Rani: We can see that doofus.
Nana: You are here! come, come.
Krishna: (Walks forward with his head down).
Nana: When did you go out with the cows? What's the time now? Why did you stay out this late? Are we stupid waiting for you here all worried? Huh!?
Krishna: Sorry Baba, we were playing and kind of forgot the time.
Nana: (About to swing the stick to hit Krishna) Play, play, son of a, did I send you to play outside. Keep playing your whole life.
Rani: (Jumps before Krishna and covers him) Baba, wait, it was my fault. Don't hit him. He told me to come, but I insisted on playing some more.
Nana: Rani, you move out of the way. You always lie for this dog. I know who is at fault here. He doesn't study himself and doesn't allow you to study as well. You think I don't know. He will ruin your life.
Rani: Don't say that Baba, I am sorry on his behalf. We won't do this again.
Nana: (clenches the stick in anger, stares at them all enraged, then throws the stick and walks away babbling) I was thinking of going to the fair. My mood doesn't want to go any more. Go play, that's all you two know.
Rani: (dejected)
Bijju: Oh no! He is really mad. He won't be taking you two to the fair, would he? It wouldn't be fun without you.
Krishna: (Looks at his father walking away furiously).
Nana: (Enters with a fierce look on his face).
Abha: (All ready for the fair, notices Nana's anger) What happened ji? Why are you burning?
Nana: Why are you getting ready? We are not going anymore. Throw away the good clothes you are wearing.
Abha: Cool it down ji, tell me what happened.
Nana: (goes and sits in the corner) Go ask him who you have raised, feeding all kinds of good food. Go!
Abha: (Looks at him in disbelief).
Krishna: (Enters)
Abha: Krishna, look, your father…
Krishna: (gestures to her to calm down, he will handle it, goes to Nana, sits beside Nana's feet and gently grabs them) Baba, Oo, Baba! I am sorry. I didn't know that you had planned to go to the fair or I might have hurried up.
Nana: (Looks at him in anger).
Krishna: Don't look at me like that. You know I don't like anything but a smile on your face. (Grabs his right hand) If hitting me will make you happy, then (uses his hand to hit himself on his face) hit me as much as you want.
Abha: (Couldn't watch her son getting hit, she steps forward but then pulls herself back).
Krishna: (Keeps hitting himself with his hand).
Nana: (Resists and stops hitting him) Enough, it hurts.
Krishna: (Smiles) But getting hit by you doesn't hurt me a bit.
Nana: Because it hurts me, hitting my son hurts.
Krishna: Baba (Hugs him), I am sorry. I won't do it again.
Nana: I know. I am sorry for such harsh things I said to you. It wasn't true.
Krishna: I know. You love me too much to mean all of it (gets up and gently grabs Nana's chin). So, we are going to the fair right, your dear daughter is all depressed out there.
Nana: Is she? (Gets up) This can't be. She is the only kid I have of some value. I can't make her unhappy.
Krishna: (Annoyed) Oye! You were getting hurt for me a second ago.
Nana: (Walks out) It was all just acting. Bijju, go tell your father to get ready, we are coming.
Rani: (voice from outside) Really! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, my dear Baba.
Nana: Ofcourse, I can't see my dear daughter sad.
Krishna: (Looks at his mother and smiles).
Abha: (Looks back at him and smiles).