The festival of Holi has turned into a battle — danda-dandi: Radha and Krishna line up against each other, fighting with sticks, showing wondrous skill. But why all this war, all this stratagem? For one thing only — the meeting of Radha and Krishna; in it every desire of the sakhis is fulfilled, in it lies the whole fruit. They fight so fast that their clothes come loose: Krishna's turban slips down over his face, and the end of Radhika's veil falls across her eyes. And just there, in that instant of blindness, everything is decided. The veil covers Radhika's eyes, she cannot see what she is doing — and Krishna steals a kiss. The turban slides over Krishna's eyes, he too goes blind — and Radhika steals a kiss. So, under the cover of the fallen cloth, each seizes the moment and drinks adharamrita — the nectar of the other's lips. Outside the battle roars and the sticks clatter — but beneath the fallen veil a very different, secret war is being waged.