Suyodhana came to slowly. For a moment he could not know where he was. He could see the night-sky above him, the moon shone brightly and the stars winked at him. He wondered if he was back in his room at Hastinapura, but the moon was wrong. This was a half moon, not the full moon of his ceiling.
Memory returned to him. He remembered passing out, his head broken, ribs broken and lung punctured. But now there was no pain.
I am dead, thought he. But if he was dead, why would he need to breathe? For, he was breathing, though breathing did not hurt either.
He turned his head and saw Krishna, watching him with a rather stern expression on his face.
“I am dead and in hell,” he spoke aloud.
Krishna’s face relaxed and he grinned. “Not yet, I am afraid. But that can be arranged if you want.”
Suyodhana sat up. “No, I think I’ll postpone my trip to hell for now.”
He felt hungry again. Krishna handed a leaf which contained fruits and a few slices of meat.
“I am sure if I ever go to hell, they will have you there to torment me,” he said as he started eating.
Krishna chuckled. “Why this obsession with hell all of a sudden?”
“I would not mind heaven. But then I remember that my goody goody cousins are unlikely to go anywhere else. So I think I would prefer to go to hell.”
“Even heaven not big enough to contain you and them?”
“From experience on earth, I would say no.”
“It could be different once you die,” murmured Krishna.
“Please!” Suyodhana was aghast. “If you mean, I am going to be happily living in harmony with my cousins once I am dead, well, it has to be hell. How can that be heaven?”
Krishna threw back his head and laughed.
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