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    Arjuna and Krishna sat comfortably, floating in a boat on the Ganga river. A cool breeze swept past them and the stars above were watching excitedly. Krishna, sitting opposite of Arjuna, was glowing with excitement. Arjuna sat quietly, wondering why Krishna had brought him here.

     After some silence, Krishna spoke, "Arunja, you and I are one in the same. We complete each other. Whoever strikes you, strikes me as well. There is no difference between us and no one can understand our connection.

     " Krishna often said things like this to Arjuna, but tonight his tone was serious and heartfelt. These words always provided comfort to Arjuna, even though he never fully comprehended them. Arjuna treated Krishna like his own brother and felt the strong connection Krishna continued, "I know you do not remember, but we have been connected in many past lives." Suddenly in the water, Arjuna saw a picture emerge from the ripples, a man walking alone in the forest. The man looked to his right, and Arjuna's eyes followed.

He saw the forest which had been so clear only moments ago had turned to a beautiful palace. Arjuna's eyes followed the man walking into the palace made of ruby and emerald. The sparkle bounced off the man's skin and Arjuna recognized who this nameless man was.

The nameless man was Arjuna. He walked into a grand room and embraced the other man inside. A second man turned around and Arjuna recognized his face and the same glow of excitement. It was Krishna. This was a glimpse into a past life when Arjuna and Krishna had lived together in Heaven. As soon as the vision had come, it disappeared again, and it was simply Krishna and Arjuna sitting opposite each other on the boat.

"That was us, wasn't it?" Arjuna asked. Krishna looked up to the stars and smiled. "Of course that was me and you. We were and always will be the best of friends. Without you, there is no me."

Each night Arjuna and Krishna would float on the Ganga together. As they sat, a vision would appear to Arjuna. Each vision was a small glimpse into the memory of Krishna. Arjuna valued these glimpses greatly. They helped him understand the strong connection he felt towards Krishna. He always thought Krishna seemed familiar, but did not understand how. Unlike Krishna, Arjuna could not remember his past lives. All Arjuna knew was the strong connection he felt with Krishna.

Author's Note: Arjuna and Krishna are soul mates but not in the romantic sense. They are not lovers. They are more like two halves of a whole. Krishna's name means black (dark) and Arjuna's name means white (silvery). Theses two colors complement each other as do Krishna and Arjuna. Krishna is always telling Arjuna that they are the same but Arjuna does not realize why they are the same until he can see Krishna's memories.
The two of them protect each other and work together. I decided to do this story because it reminded me of my first story, the story of Rama and Sita. Rama and Sita had known each other in past lives and were soul mates. The story or Rama and Sita is similar to Arjuna and Krishna but there is a different meaning to the world soul mate bewteen the two stories. The word soul mates should not be taken in the conventional sense, rather it is a brotherly love. Arjuna cannot remember his past life, the term in sanscrit for this is avidya. I think the feelings he experiences are very important. Arjuna's ignorance of his past lives helps show why he experiences these feelings. Arjuna and Krishna's current lives are influenced by their past lives. In Buck's Mahabharata, Arjuna remembers his past life, and realizes who Krishna is. This story is how I would imagine Krishna helping Arjuna realize who he was.

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