Life plays out the strangest coincidences.

After years of living with infertility, Ma was

expecting a child. She went into labour on

the eighth night of Krishna Paksh, in the

month of Bhadra. Just like Devaki. The pain

of delivery rendered her unconscious, just

like Devaki. Her husband Nand took the

wrapped-up bundle from the midwife and

walked out of his home, leaving the midwife

to cater to Yashoda, his wife, my mother.

Baba brought me into the house an hour later

and laid me beside my mother. When Ma

opened her eyes, she saw her son; she did not

know of the betrayal that had taken place. A

betrayal of love, unheard, epic, just like my

story.

Vasudev took the swaddled baby girl back to

his prison cell in Mathura. Kans was

informed of the traitor's birth. The mighty

King rushed to the prison cell, filled with

royal rage and hatred towards his sister's

child. The uncle and King snatched the child

from his sister's arms, ready to throttle it

immediately before it could harm his

Kingship. Devaki howled, "It's a girl; let her

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live."

The King's confidante and counsel, a courtier

Akrur was with him, and he took the little

girl from the King's hands. Akrur tried to

reason with King Kans, reminding him of the

sin of female infanticide. Maybe there had

been a mistake. Akrur, the courtier, was

wise, though the King rarely listened to him.

However, his sister's wails this time and the

infant's helplessness dulled his anger. He

could not imagine how this slight wisp of a

girl could destroy the mighty warrior King

Kans. Devaki's incessant crying was grating

his nerves, so he told Akrur to take the child

away and ensure she would not harm Kans in

any which way.

Before King Kans could change his mind,

Akrur bowed low and hurried away, taking

the girl with him. There was a sudden silence

in the prison cell; Devaki had fainted. Kans's

eyes remained glued to the cell wall, where

Devaki, while away her endless days and

nights, had painted the likeness of the

Goddess Durga in all her eight-armed glory.

A sudden inexplicable fear gripped King

Kans. He shook his head as if trying to

remove a thought and walked out of the

prison cell, his face devoid of emotion.