Love in separation is a stronger theme in South Asian poetry and painting than love in union, but when union is depicted it is sweet.

In this scene from the 17th century Satasai by Bihari Lal, the lovers in an open-air pavilion in a garden share one halo. As they reach toward the lake, his arm crosses her breast.

Krishna comes to Radha on a Moonlit Night, ca. 1810 Rajasthan, Nathadwara Opaque watercolor and gold on paper Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, 1990:836

An inscription on the reverse reads:

As they sit, she leans against him, and they flower. They breathe in consonance. Their isolation is secure. The empty garden stretches back in row upon row of flower beds, and our viewpoint is from a distance that makes the lovers seem small. The emphatically open flowers in the garden while the lotus buds are closed, and the streaks of light in the sky suggest the verse from the Satasai on which this picture is based:

The nayika (heroine) said:

Continue to the story of Krishna and Rukmini

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