AWESOME STORY OF GOD IN THE DISGUISE OF A HUMAN BEING: KRISHNA WAS LYING BENEATH THE HUGE TREE OF ASHWATTHA. HE HAD JUST ONE LAST QUESTION IN HIS MIND; ‘WHY IS THAT ALL THE WOMEN THINK ALIKE?’ HE HAD MANY THOUGHTS LINGERING IN HIS MIND, MANY INCIDENCES BEFORE HIS EYELIDS CLOSED GENTLY. BE IT ANY AGE, ANY ERA, ANY AGE, WOMEN ALWAYS THINK LIKEWISE. IT IS REALLY BEYOND ANYONE’S UNDERSTANDING TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THEIR BEHAVIOUR. WOMEN EXPERIENCE THINGS ALIKE, AGONY ALIKE, ANGER ALIKE TOO. THE WAY THEY REFLECT THEIR ANGER IS ALSO VERY TYPICAL. ALL THESE THOUGHTS MADE KRISHNA SMILE FOR A MOMENT. HE WAS SUFFERING FROM IMMENSE PAIN. HE WAS SHOT BY THE HUNTER. KRISHNA KNEW THAT THESE WERE HIS VERY FEW LAST HOURS IN THE FORM OF A HUMAN. IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE THE MORTAL BODY. HE HAD LIVED HIS LIFE FULLY, AS DESTINED. HE WAS PONDERING OVER THE MANY INCIDENCES THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN HIS LIFE. DURING THESE LAST FEW HOURS, HE HAD THOUGHTS OF ONLY THREE WOMEN, RADHA, RUKHMINI AND DRUAPADI. THEY WERE TIED UP TO HIM WITH A SEPARATE BOND EACH. ONE WAS HIS LOVER, ONE WAS HIS WIFE AND ONE WAS HIS FRIEND. EACH ONE HAD AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. THEY ALL WERE UNIQUE YET COUNTERPARTS OF EACH OTHER. ONLY THEY HAD THE POWER TO CAPTIVATE KRISHNA. THEY HAD THE POWER TO MAKE HIM LINGER BEFORE LEAVING HIS MORTAL BODY. HE LINGERS AND HELPS THEM TO SET HIM FREE FROM THEIR BONDS, FOREVER…
‘‘स्त्रिया एकमेकींपेक्षा वेगळ्या का बरं नसतात....?’’
अश्वत्थाखाली बसलेल्या कृष्णाच्या मनात द्रौपदीच्या महालात घडलेली घटना डोळ्यांसमोर येऊन, अनेक विचार येत होते....
‘‘कोणत्याही युगात, कोणत्याही वयाची स्त्री का बरं एकसारखाच विचार करते? एकसारखाच अनुभव घेते? समान बाबतीत वेदना अनुभवते? का बरं एकसारख्या गोष्टीबद्दल रागावते? राग व्यक्त करण्याची रीत पण का बरं एकसारखीच असते....?’’ कृष्णाच्या मनात प्रश्न आले आणि त्यावर तो स्वत:च हसलाही. या प्रश्नांना आता काही अर्थ होता का? आयुष्य जगून झालं होतं... ‘‘आपल्या जीवनात आलेल्या महत्त्वाच्या तीनही स्त्रिया आपल्याबद्दल का बरं एकसारख्याच संवेदना अनुभवत होत्या? का बरं एकाच पध्दतीनं दुःखी होत होत्या? आणि का एकसारख्याच तीव्रतेनं आपल्यावर प्रेम करत होत्या?...’’ खरं तर असा विचार करण्याची वेळही आता निघून गेली होती. आता होतं ते... केवळ स्मरण...! प्रत्यक्ष दृष्टीसमोर त्या स्त्रिया नव्हत्याच. तरीही त्या तिघींचे डोळे त्याच्याकडे बघत होते... आशेनं, अपेक्षेनं, उपहासानं आणि ... निखळ प्रेमानंही! तीन नद्यांचा प्रवाह मिळून त्याच्या दृष्टीसमोरुन सागराकडे जात होता. लाटांवर खाली-वर नाचणारे प्रकाश किरण जणू अस्पष्ट रेषांद्वारा त्या तिन्ही स्त्रियांचे चेहरे चितारीत होते....
प्रेयसी... पत्नी... आणि सखी... त्या तिघी जणी... खळाळणा-या प्रवाहाबरोबर वाहात जणू म्हणत होत्या... ‘‘तुझ्यात विलीन होण्यातच आमच्या जीवनाचं सार्थक आहे. तुझा खारटपणा स्वीकार्य आहे. कारण तूच आम्हाला विशालता दिलीस, अमर्याद पसरण्याचा तो अस्तित्वबोधही तूच दिलास... आमचं प्रखर तेज सामावून घेऊन आम्हाला शीतलता दिलीस तू... आमचं स्त्रीत्व स्वीकारून अखंड प्रेम दिलंस तू....’’