Mannkarnika looked toward Venkatesh thoughtfully.
"Kaka… will you tell us your story? Why did we find Aarav floating in the Ganga? And how did you die?"
Venkatesh gave a faint smile.
"Let it be. You would not believe my story."
She returned the smile gently.
"Tell us anyway. Perhaps we will."
He studied her face for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"The truth is… I am not dead."
Mannkarnika blinked.
"But… how is that possible? You are—"
"This separation is temporary," he explained calmly. "I left my body for a short time to search for Aarav."
It sounded impossible.
Yet—
A spirit stood before her.
So she forced herself to accept what she could not understand.
Venkatesh continued,
"You could also say… that we do not belong to this time."
Mannkarnika frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He looked at her directly.
"What year is this?"
"1842," she answered.
Venkatesh nodded slowly.
"In the time I come from… it is the year 2025. Aarav and I are from the future. He came here accidentally. I followed him… with the help of a tantric."
Silence fell.
The night wind brushed past them.
Mannkarnika struggled to process the idea.
"The future…?" she whispered. "But what has already passed is past. What is yet to happen has not happened. How can someone from the future stand in the past?"
Venkatesh scratched his head.
"I don't fully understand it myself. Aarav came here by mistake. I came searching for him."
She absorbed this slowly.
"Then… how will you return?"
"I can return," Venkatesh said. "But how to take Aarav back… I do not yet know."
Tatya, who had been listening silently, finally interrupted.
"Mannu… what are you talking about? I understood nothing."
Mannkarnika explained in simpler terms.
When Tatya finally grasped the concept, his eyes widened with curiosity.
"If you are from the future… then you must know what lies ahead."
Mannkarnika gave a half-smile.
"What, Tatya Guru? Are we so important that people will remember us even after two hundred years?"
Before Tatya could reply, Venkatesh spoke firmly.
"No. It is not like that."
He looked at her with something close to admiration.
"In the future… you are very famous. Even children know your name. They recite a poem about you."
And then softly, he spoke the line:
"Khoob ladi mardani, woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi."
The words hung in the air.
Mannkarnika froze.
She had never imagined such a thing.
Two hundred years…
And still remembered?
Venkatesh continued, his voice steady, almost reverent.
"You were born in the house of Moropant. Raised in Bithur under the care of Baji Rao II. You grew up alongside Nana Saheb and Tatya Tope. You mastered horse riding, sword fighting, and warfare. In the future, you are remembered as a legendary female warrior who challenged the British Empire."
Mannkarnika listened silently.
But then she focused on one word.
"Jhansi ki Rani…? You are speaking of a queen. I am not a queen. I am not even a princess."
Venkatesh chuckled softly.
"Not yet."
He looked at her meaningfully.
"At the age of fourteen, you will marry Maharaja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi. And you will be known as Rani Lakshmi Bai."
The night grew heavier.
Mannkarnika fell silent.
Her gaze lowered.
Marriage.
Jhansi.
Queen.
War.
She began asking him quietly about the future—about battles, about rebellion, about her destiny.
Venkatesh told her everything he knew.
Tatya noticed her unusual silence.
"What is it?" he asked gently. "You seem troubled. What did Aarav's father say about the future?"
Mannkarnika shook her head.
"Nothing."
But her eyes were distant.
Because she now knew something the others did not—
Her name would echo through centuries.
But legends are not born without sacrifice.
And somewhere deep inside…
She sensed that the poem Venkatesh recited carried both glory—
And tragedy.
The Burned Outpost
On the other side of town, Nelson returned to the destroyed outpost.
The air still smelled of smoke.
Charred wood.
Burned gunpowder.
His jaw tightened as he surveyed the damage.
"Kranti Guru…" he hissed through clenched teeth.
He turned sharply toward the British soldiers standing nearby.
"Who were they?"
One soldier saluted.
"Our spies are tracking them, sir. We have captured a few suspects. Your plan worked. Using Tatya as bait, we lured Kranti Guru out."
Nelson's eyes narrowed.
"And?"
"Kranti Guru… is a girl."
For a brief second, Nelson went silent.
Then he spoke coldly,
"I want everything. Every detail. Who she is. Where she lives. Who she meets. I want her shadow mapped."
His gaze hardened.
"This time… she will not escape."
---
The Next Morning – Moropant's House
Morning sunlight filtered through the courtyard.
Moropant sat beside Aarav after their bath, chanting Vedic hymns with steady rhythm.
The sacred verses echoed peacefully.
Soon, Mannkarnika arrived, fully dressed, calm and composed. She quietly sat beside Aarav and joined the recitation.
But—
Her eyes were not fully on the scriptures.
From the corner of her gaze, she kept glancing at Aarav.
He was focused.
Serious.
Absorbed in the Vedas.
A small smile slowly appeared on her face.
After some time, the recitation ended. Both Aarav and Mannkarnika bowed respectfully to the scriptures and wrapped them again in red cloth.
Moropant looked at his daughter with surprise.
"What is this miracle? Today you came to recite without being called?"
Mannkarnika quickly replied,
"What are you saying, Baba? I recite every day."
Moropant chuckled softly.
Soon after, he and Aarav prepared and left for palace duties.
Mannkarnika followed later, heading not toward the court—
But toward the training arena.
---
The Court of Baji Rao II
When Moropant and Aarav entered the Darbar, they noticed unfamiliar faces.
Among them stood a dignified Brahmin scholar.
The Peshwa smiled warmly.
"Moropant, come. Meet Pandit Narayan Bhatt ji. He has come from Jhansi."
Moropant folded his hands respectfully.
Aarav did the same.
The Peshwa's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"There is wonderful news. A marriage proposal has come for Mannkarnika."
He paused deliberately.
"From the Newalkar family of Jhansi… for Maharaja Gangadhar Rao."
For a moment—
Moropant stood frozen.
Speechless.
Inside his mind, emotions collided.
Beside him, Aarav's thoughts turned sharp.
So the time has come…
The moment history begins shaping her into Rani Lakshmi Bai.
Pandit Narayan Bhatt spoke gently,
"Please take no pressure. Consider carefully. Give your answer only after thoughtful discussion."
Moropant nodded slowly.
"You have considered my daughter worthy. That itself is an honor. But I must first speak to her."
---
The Arrival
At that very moment—
Nana Saheb, Tatya Tope, and Mannkarnika entered the court.
All eyes suddenly shifted toward her.
She noticed.
Everyone was staring.
Nana leaned toward her and whispered,
"Did you do something again?"
Mannkarnika thought for a second.
I have done many things…
But she stepped closer to Moropant and whispered,
"Why is everyone looking at me?"
"I will explain later," Moropant replied quietly.
He turned to the Peshwa.
"I need to speak with my daughter."
The Peshwa nodded.
Moropant gently held Mannkarnika's hand and led her away.
---
Reactions
Nana moved quickly to Aarav's side.
"What happened?"
Aarav explained in a low voice.
Nana's eyes widened in shock.
Tatya had already understood.
Yesterday, he had heard the prophecy.
Today, a proposal from Jhansi had arrived.
Coincidence?
Or destiny?
Without meaning to, Tatya glanced at Aarav.
---
Father and Daughter
In a quiet chamber, Moropant told Mannkarnika everything.
The proposal.
Jhansi.
Marriage.
For a while, she said nothing.
Her mind replayed Venkatesh's words.
"Khoob ladi mardani…"
Legendary warrior.
Jhansi ki Rani.
Moropant spoke gently,
"Becoming a queen is not written in everyone's fate. But the life that follows… you must live it. Think carefully before deciding. In my view, this proposal has come by great fortune."
Silence stretched between them.
Mannkarnika looked ahead—
Not as a child.
Not as a carefree warrior.
But as someone standing at the crossroads of destiny.
If she accepted—
History would move forward exactly as Venkatesh had said.
If she refused—
Would the future change?
And somewhere else in the palace—
Aarav stood still.
Because he now understood the mission more clearly than ever.
Change the fate of Mannkarnika.
But how do you change the fate of someone who is meant to become a legend?
The iron smell of blood clung to the damp walls of the outpost prison.
Each crack of the whip echoed like a gunshot.
Inside the dimly lit courtyard, three revolutionaries were tied to wooden posts. Their backs were torn open, red lines crossing over one another like a map of suffering. Yet not one of them screamed for mercy.
A British soldier lashed the whip again and roared,
"Speak! Who is Krantiguru?"
The man being flogged lifted his bloodied face and spat near the soldier's boots.
Silence.
They were Krantiguru's men. True revolutionaries. Caught in Nelson's carefully laid trap. And yet, even with death staring them in the face, not a single one betrayed their leader.
---
In Another Chamber
A single lantern flickered.
A man sat across from Nelson, wrists tied but posture straight. Unlike the others, he wasn't bleeding.
Not yet.
Nelson leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked, voice smooth as poison.
"You follow Krantiguru because she saved you from that sahukar, didn't she?" he said calmly. "But what if I can offer you something better? Revenge. Power. I can make you the village head. I can give you everything."
The man let out a low chuckle.
"You firangis think everyone is for sale?"
Nelson's lips curved.
"Yes. Everyone is for sale. The only question is the price."
The man's eyes gleamed with greed.
"I want the sahukar's place. His wealth. His power. His land. Everything."
For a moment, silence.
Then Nelson burst into laughter.
He stood up and extended his hand.
"You won't regret this decision."
Their hands met.
"Now," Nelson's tone sharpened, "who is Krantiguru?"
The man hesitated — just a fraction of a second.
"I don't know who she is exactly… but she is from Bithur's royal family. She lives in the palace. Krantiguru… is a woman."
Nelson's expression froze.
A woman?
---
The Realization
In another part of the building, George was listening.
His eyes narrowed.
"The princess," he muttered.
Nelson frowned. "Princess?"
George's advisor quickly intervened. "But she's only fourteen years old. She can't possibly be Krantiguru."
Nelson leaned against the table, thinking deeply.
"We don't know Krantiguru's exact age. But from the build… the speed… the figure…" His voice lowered. "It didn't seem like an older woman."
He looked up slowly.
"But we can't arrest her on suspicion alone. We need proof. Evidence."
George smirked.
"What about the three prisoners? Surely they know."
Nelson nodded.
---
Back to the Courtyard
The whip had stopped.
The three prisoners were barely conscious.
Nelson walked toward them, holding a wooden stick.
"We don't need you anymore," he said coldly. "We've already found Krantiguru."
One of the prisoners, despite broken lips and swollen eyes, forced out a laugh.
"Oh? Then tell us. Who is it?"
Nelson bent down, eyes gleaming.
"Manikarnika."
For a split second—
The prisoner's eyes widened.
Just a flicker.
But Nelson saw it.
Victory flashed across his face.
The prisoner quickly regained control and spat blood to the side.
"Who told you that? Krantiguru isn't her."
Nelson straightened up, smiling darkly.
"Say whatever you want. From this moment onward…"
His voice echoed through the prison yard.
"Manikarnika is Krantiguru."
And he began to laugh.
A laugh that carried not just suspicion—
But the beginning of a storm.
Because if they were right…
Then the British Empire had just declared war—
On a fourteen-year-old princess.
The afternoon sun bathed the palace grounds in golden light.
Outside the grand walls of Bithur's palace, Aarav was running across the open field, laughing with a group of children. For a brief moment, the weight of fate, revolution, and parallel universes did not exist.
He was just a boy.
Then he saw her.
Standing beneath a neem tree, watching him silently—
Manikarnika.
Her expression wasn't playful.
It was heavy.
Aarav slowed down… then stopped playing altogether.
He walked toward her.
"Something happened?" he asked casually.
She didn't answer.
"Come," she said softly and turned away.
---
A Conversation No One Should Hear
They walked until the noise of the children faded behind them.
A quiet corner of the palace garden. No guards. No servants. Just rustling leaves and tension.
Manikarnika finally spoke.
"I don't know what to do."
Aarav blinked. "About what?"
She looked straight into his eyes.
"I don't want to marry. I want to become a revolutionary. I want to drive every last firangi out of our land."
Aarav shrugged lightly. "Then refuse the marriage. Why stress over it?"
But her next words froze him.
"What if it changes the future? Is it right to interfere with time… with fate?"
Aarav's eyes widened.
"How do you know about the future?"
Now it was her turn to be startled.
"Wait… you remember everything? Your memories aren't gone?"
Silence.
Aarav simply stared at her suspiciously.
She sighed.
"Your father told me."
Aarav groaned. "Of course he did. The one time he should keep quiet, he narrates the entire Ramayan."
From above, a familiar irritated voice echoed.
"Is that how you speak about your father?"
Aarav looked up.
Floating mid-air with crossed arms—
Venkatesh.
"You really didn't think telling her about the future might cause a time-space fracture?" Aarav shot back.
Venkatesh scratched his head. "What's that?"
Aarav facepalmed internally.
But Manikarnika wasn't listening to that.
She was staring at Aarav in shock.
"You can see him?"
Aarav nodded calmly. "I've been able to see him from the beginning. I was just pretending I couldn't."
She processed that quickly… then asked the real question.
"So what are you saying? We can't change the future?"
Aarav folded his arms.
"If you play with time, time plays with you. So generally? Don't try to change it."
He paused.
"But here's the good news. We didn't time travel."
Venkatesh immediately protested, "Oye Tansen! We have memories from 2025! That's time travel!"
Aarav glanced at him.
"Time travel isn't that simple. You'd need access to a fifth-dimensional perspective or technology capable of entering it. We didn't go back in time."
He looked at Manikarnika seriously.
"We shifted into a parallel universe. Almost identical to ours… just slightly behind in time. Whatever we do here won't affect our original universe."
He paused.
"But this universe? That's a different story."
Manikarnika went quiet.
"So… I can change my future?"
Aarav's voice softened.
"That depends on you."
He watched her carefully.
Would she surrender to destiny—
Or rewrite it?
After a long silence, she turned to Venkatesh.
"May I speak to Aarav alone?"
Venkatesh nodded and floated away, muttering something about "kids these days."
Now it was just the two of them.
She looked at Aarav directly.
"Will you help us drive the British out?"
Aarav blinked. "I don't even know how to fight. How am I supposed to help?"
Manikarnika shook her head gently.
"Strength isn't everything. The sharpest weapon is the mind. You know things about the future… strategies… systems… ideas we cannot even imagine yet."
Her voice grew firm.
"I want you by my side."
Aarav stared at her.
Then sighed.
"…Fine."
A faint smile appeared on her face — small, but genuine.
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Leaving Aarav alone.
---
And Then…
A shimmering blue screen suddenly materialized in front of him.
Floating.
Glitching slightly.
{Manikarnika starting liking you}
{New Mission: Propose her to be your wife}
Aarav stared blankly.
"…What?"
He swiped the air dismissively.
"I reject."
The screen flickered.
{The World is suggesting you can change her fate by becoming her husband}
Aarav narrowed his eyes.
"But I don't want to."
The blue interface glitched violently for a second.
Then—
It vanished.
As if the world itself had just been denied.
Aarav turned and began walking back toward the palace.
But somewhere…
Beyond space.
Beyond logic.
Something had just taken notice.
And the game—
Had only just begun.