THE DOOR’S AWAKENING

     As Devaki rolled over, the words of her husband and her brother seemed to drown out. Her vision blurred for an instant and she saw a faint light. She heard her brother close the door and Vasudeva yelling out her name.

     “Devaki? Please answer me Devaki! You cannot blame forever. What happened that day was my fault, I know. I made the deal, yes, but it was to protect your life.”

     Her husband’s voice drowned into nothingness. She faded into a deep sleep as she saw the nurse stripping her clothes and all the blood encircling her.

      A dream entered and enthralled her mind. She heard rain and saw an endless field covered with beautiful women. In the distance a mountain grumbled and an air of melancholy surrounded her. She was then suddenly thrown forward and fell unto five men and a woman in the center, walking on fire. Finally, she was lifted high in the sky to see a cloud of dust and fire. She woke up hearing the voices of thousand cries.

     The next morning she felt a growing sensation and then a strange feeling, her belly had swelled up but this time a new strength filled her.

     “I think this is the child,” she stood up from her bed and called to Vasudeva. He awoke at once with a bit of a surprise.

     “What child?”

     “The one that will kill my brother.”

     “How can you be so sure?”

     “I am not guessing, I can feel it and I know it.” She glanced around the room and an immense tranquility grew steadily within her. Vasudeva felt it too. He did not speak as she paced around. She sat back down and did not stir. Both of them locked eyes and they knew what was to come.

     Mathura was lively with festivals. Devaki and Vasudeva would often envy the people outside as they heard the cheers and screams of joy, however, this time they did not pay heed to the cheer but rather devised a plan to save this child.

     “In order to leave this room, I need to free the chains around my neck and arms. The keys to both your chains and mine have been melted; therefore the only way to escape is by breaking the chains. Since we have no tools or weapons I will have to manually break it.”

     “That’s impossible” Devaki retorted, “The only way to save this child is to convince the nurse to smuggle it out.”

     “There is no way that excuse of a woman would go against the most powerful man in the world”

      “That is the only way, and it is safer than your barbarism of breaking through chains!”

     “Then we have to, you and I both know what this child will become”

     From that day on Vasudeva and Devaki spent hours each day talking with the nurse, to a point where the nurse had fallen in love with the imprisoned couple. She would bring them extra portions of their meals and bring Prasada from the temple. Devaki and Vasudeva sympathized with her about her daily struggles, all that she had given up, the violence that Kamsa had brought upon her and her family, and the torture and sexual pleasures that were forced upon her by her king. The couple was aghast at the horrors that were experienced by their loquacious guard. Months went by and Devaki began showing. The nurse cried at the sight of the belly and what she had to do on the eve of the birth of the child. Devaki smiled at this moment and took this opportunity.

     “You must save this child,” Devaki cried. “You have the same blood on your hands as Kamsa, you’ve watched what he’s done to those children and you’ve let it happen. A mother stripped of her child from birth is worse than the deaths of a million men in battle. You cannot stand and watch injustice, if you call yourself my friend, no, if you call yourself a human then you will save this child. Save this child for the sake of the kingdom around you.” The nurse’s eye lit open and she touched Devaki’s belly.

     “I’ve felt it!” Devaki grabbed the nurse’s hand, “This is the child that will be the end of Kamsa. This child will do great things and you need to help me. Help me save this child.” The nurse wept loudly.

     “I’ve heard tales of this child and what will come. I know not what to do, if I do save this child I will die and so will my family. You only know of the horrors of what Kamsa has brought upon you. You know not of what he has done to those that bow to him. I live in fear Devaki, I cannot sleep at night, I lay awake to find the courage to kill myself.”

      “Do not find the courage but rather find the peace. Do not end your life, rather save my child’s. It is not meant to die. This child will change the world, I can feel it.” With that the nurse’s knees buckled and she touched Devaki’s feet and rose with tears dripping from her cheeks. Her face was red and she barely spoke audibly.

     “I will save this child Devaki, I swear on my children that I will save yours.” Devaki’s eyes widened and she hugged the nurse. The nurse cried with joy overwhelmed with happiness. Vasudeva wept in the corner for this child would be saved.