The Eternal Friendship

" You should go and request him, I am sure he will help us, after all he is your childhood friend, you both learned under the same guru" she said in a low voice concealing her face with torn saffron veil.

"He will not be familiar with me as he used to be, all these years i never even came across him, and now asking him a favour, how appalling is that, and besides how can I meet a king without any endowment, why would he even bother to meet indigent Brahmin like me." He lowered his face in hopelessness.

" They call him dwarkadish, the ultimate king, the most righteous of all, I have heard how people in his kingdom are full of life and health, I am sure he will have a little pity on us" her voice sensed a little hope.

She went outside for a while and came back with a handful of rice which were as little as dust of flowers, she cooked that on slow flame and wrapped it in a tiny dirty cloth as gift for king and handed it to her husband.

He embarked out on a strenuous journey to the kingdom of dwarka, the couple had nothing left with them, except broken house with shabby interiors, ragged clothes, even the rice which she gave him was borrowed from neighbour, hunger accompanied many of their sleepless nights.

She was a pious wife she never complained about the condition of the house, clothes, nor she had any lust for ornaments, her body was satisfied with what she wore, her hunger was satisfied with what she ate, her mind refused to complain. This was first time she asked something from him, so how could he refuse, this strong reason was what geared up his journey.

His thoughts were occupied thinking about his friend who was now a king. On his way he kept recounting incidents of their bonding in adolescent age, how they played together, learned new things, how their guru loved both of them equally and he remembered one such incident where he cheated his beloved friend.

They were on their way back to gurukul coming from their guru's home, guru's wife had given him  fried chana as a snack for the journey and asked him to share equally, they both had  to stop under a tree as the rains became ugly, he started to eat alone.

' what sound is that you are making sudama, are you eating something? Please share with me i am feeling very Hungry...' His friend requested.

' No no kanha  these winds are very cold and making my teeth crackle" he lied through his teeth

He always knew deep inside that to satisfy his lust for hunger he spoke untruth to his friend who had always loved him more than he loved himself.

Soon his senses brought him to the mighty kingdom of dwarka, the city had a sight to behold, it was off shore and yet connected to mainland, as if ocean purposely had created space for this city, every house was nicely decorated, streets were as smooth as silk, cool breeze from seaside along with little sunlight made every soul cheerful, all he could see was smiling faces everywhere, soon he stopped outside the mammoth gates of palace where the king lived.

" Who are you?  never seen you here, whom you want to meet?" Gatekeepers asked in a suspicious tone.

" I am sudama, childhood friend of kanha, I came here to meet him" his voice barely reaching to height of their ears.

" Hahaha, you think you can fool us, we are here since years, we know every friend of king, why would our great king ever befriend such a tentative personality" they joked sarcastically.

" Please just inform him once, if he doesn't agree I will go away now itself."

" Ok just wait here."

One of them entered the royal hall where all ministers and kings were seated and informed them...

" your highness a very timid and weak Brahmin is waiting outside, his name is sudama he says......"

" SUDAMA...IS IT TRUE..." king literally screaming, Interrupted the gatekeeper, jumped up from his chair and started running towards the gate.

All the ministers stood up in bewilderment, they saw their king running with only one footwear, he never bothered about it. He forgot who he was, he pushed the guard and opened gate himself and hugged sudama, crying inconsolably, no one could stop those tears, they were finally released after so many years, sudama was shocked with such gesture, so was everyone in the royal palace.

" Oh my dear friend sudama, where have you been all these years, I worried about you every second of my life, you became so selfish that you forgot me, you never cared about our friendship?"

Sudama was speechless all he could see with his moist eyes was beautiful face of his friend who was wiping off tears from his face.

" Come with me my friend, I am honoured that I have a Brahmin at my palace, come with me, my dearest."

He kept his hand on those tiny shoulders and they walked the long way to the royal hall, astonishing everyone one as none of them had seen their king like this, he offered sudama the royal chair of king to seat.

" Rukimi, look sudama his here, make the preparations for his meal" he ordered his queen

" Tell me o sudama will you have meal with me, will you give me privilege to share my food with you, O sudama you have become so weak, look at your feet they are so rough and hard, you travelled so much, you felt so much pain just to meet me" king was weeping inconsolably, tears were plunging from his eyes on to sudama's feet, he cleaned that with his silk gown.

Sudama was still in disbelief about this royal treatment and gesture, he still hadn't uttered word, the king noticed something hidden and tied near his waist and he asked " What is it sudama have you brought something for me, why are you hiding it?" He asked with curiosity.

As sudama shrugged out of embracement the tiny dirty cloth in which not even a handful of cooked rice were wrapped was visible, and it looked more messy because of travelling.

" Is this for me?" He said and moved his hand and picked up one grain of rice and started chewing it. Every person including sudama was in disbelief and shock.

"This is one of the best rice I ever had, I always missed this taste in this royal palace" he finished it one by one. Everyone was still in qualm with the behaviour of their king, but everyone started respecting sudama as much as the king' because by now they had also sensed he was not a ordinary person.

He was given royal meal, silk cloths to wear, ornaments, soft bed to rest, they walked across the royal garden and talked about their childhood memories, king showed his city in his royal chariot, but sudama couldn't speak about what he had came for as he felt ashamed to ask for something more after he had received so much, he slept peacefully at night and started his journey back home next morning. King had offered him chariots and horses for journey but he refused as he felt they would see his poor house and would inform the king about it, bringing him more embracement.

He walked the long distance and kept on thinking the reasons he would state to his wife, he would not lie about king nor could he tell about his lost courage to ask favour from king. As he reached home in evening he saw  one house from far distance which was hugely decorated and was glooming with lamps, smell of delicious food being cooked played with his nostrils, he wondered who was getting married in the village, as he went ahead he was shocked to see it was the same house he lived in, his wife came marching towards him in excitement.

" Look what has your friend sent us, so many bags of rice, pulses, clothes, just touch this gown how smooth it is, this is enormous. Why you asked them so much, what will we do of so much food, should I distribute it among villagers?"

Sudama was frozen where he was, words refused to come out, he just nodded his head. Just for a handful of rice he was awarded so much, his soul smiled knowing the eternal friendship he shared with the supreme knower of all, the king of dwarka, his childhood friend 'Kanha'