Inside the royal chambers, the light of the lamps had grown dim. Near the door outside Arohi's room, the Queen Mother stood like a statue. The corners of her eyes were dry, but a storm was raging within her mind. She knew that Arohi's wound was no ordinary sword strike. She knew that the ancient Apsara's poison from Mayanagari was spreading through Arohi's body like a blue serpent. Yet, in her heart, she kept praying to Boroma, hoping her fears were wrong.
Unable to calm her mind, the Queen Mother summoned the most experienced Chief Royal Physician of Junagarh. As soon as the physician entered the room and saw Arohi's darkened wound, he shuddered. When he checked Arohi's pulse and sighed with a lowered head, the Queen Mother's heart felt a hollow ache.
In a trembling voice, the physician said, "Queen Mother, your fears are correct. This is no ordinary fever in Mother Arohi's body; the deadly poison of Mayanagari is flowing through her. The poison has now seeped into her bones. It is impossible to stop this death-fever with any of our medicines."
The Queen Mother sat on a chair, stumbling. her voice choked up, "Is there no way then, Physician? Can we not save the life of the one who saved Junagarh?"
The physician remained silent for a while and then said, "There is only one way. At the very peak of the Nilgiri Mountains, a rare 'Agni-Lata' (Fire-Vine) is found. Only if the juice of that vine can be applied to Arohi's wound before sunset will she survive. But that path... that path is equivalent to death. No horse or human in these times would dare to go there."
Aditya, standing in the corner like a dark shadow, was listening to everything. No sooner had the physician finished his words than he stepped forward, cutting through the darkness. His face was now like that of a firm-jawed warrior. In a calm but rock-solid voice, he said, "Daring or not, love will do it. I will go to bring that Agni-Lata."
The Queen Mother gasped and grabbed Aditya's hand, "No, son! You know how treacherous the path to that mountain is! Besides, the shadow of Mayanagari has haunted you for so long; will you be able to endure this strain?"
Aditya touched Arohi's still, fever-burnt hand to his forehead once. Then, looking at the Queen Mother, he said, "Mother, if Arohi can take my curse upon herself, can I not take even a small risk for her? If I cannot bring the Agni-Lata, I shall not return to Junagarh again."
The Maharaja (Aditya's father) was standing by the door, listening to everything. Today, there was great guilt in his eyes. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Aditya's shoulder. "Go carefully, son. This sin was mine, but the two of you are performing the atonement together."
Aditya did not delay any longer. He fastened his favorite sword to his waist, gave a gentle kiss to Arohi's forehead, and walked out of the room. Outside, the dark clouds of the Kalbaishakhi were gathering again, but in Aditya's heart, only the fire to save Arohi was burning.
Beyond the boundaries of the Junagarh royal palace, Aditya's favorite horse, 'Tufan,' was galloping at the speed of the wind. Anxiety was etched on Aditya's face; his mind held only the image of Arohi's blue-tinted wound and her fever-stricken body. The Nilgiri Mountains were far from here, but it felt to Aditya as if time were slipping away like sand.
While passing through a dense forest, a piteous cry suddenly reached Aditya's ears— "Save me! Someone save me!"
Aditya pulled the reins of Tufan. A short distance away, he saw a gruesome sight. A massive, venomous black serpent had coiled itself tightly around a magical deer. The snake's eyes were glowing like fire, and the deer was struggling in agony. Aditya's sword came out of its scabbard, but the next moment, he froze.
He remembered Arohi. The royal physician had said that if the vine did not reach her before sunset, Arohi could not be saved. If he wasted time now trying to kill this snake, perhaps Arohi's final moments would run out. A terrible conflict began in Aditya's mind— "Should I save my own love, or leave this innocent creature to face death?"
Just then, Aditya thought—what would Arohi do if she were here today? Arohi is the girl who didn't hesitate to give her own blood to save another's life. If Aditya acted selfishly today by thinking only of himself, would he still be worthy of Arohi's love? His conscience screamed at him— "One who takes the life of others can never save their own beloved."
Aditya did not delay another moment. He pounced upon that venomous snake. With one stroke of his sharp sword, the snake was cut into two and fell to the ground. The deer, freed from the coils, began to gasp for breath.
As Aditya was rushing back toward his horse, a miraculous event occurred. That ordinary deer suddenly shone with a divine light. A grave yet magical voice floated through the forest. The deer began to speak— "Stop, Prince Aditya! I am no ordinary deer. The Forest Goddess sent me to take your test."
Aditya stood there amazed. The deer continued, "Forgetting your own danger and regardless of your time, you have protected the life of a helpless creature. You have proved that your heart holds not just bravery, but compassion as well. You have passed this test."
As the deer dug the ground with its hoof, a pair of magical sandals (paduka) emerged from there. The deer said, "These are the 'Pavan-Paduka' (Wind-Sandals). You have saved me; therefore, as a blessing from the Forest Goddess, this gift is for you. Wearing these, you will be able to fly in the sky like a bird. You will reach the Nilgiri Mountains ten times faster than your horse."
Aditya accepted the gift with great devotion. He tied his beloved horse Tufan to a safe tree right there and slipped the Pavan-Paduka onto his feet. Within moments, he felt a strange lightness in his body. With one leap, he left the ground and took flight into the sky. It was as if the blessing of the Forest Goddess was mixed with the sound of the wind. As Aditya flew above the clouds, the trees of the forest below looked like tiny blades of grass. He remembered Arohi's sweet smile. He whispered to himself, "Just hold on a little longer, Arohi, I am coming."
The Pavan-Paduka carried him at the speed of the wind toward that mysterious peak of the Nilgiri. But as he neared the mountain, a monstrous roar shook the surroundings, and the air suddenly grew scorching. The color of the clouds had turned a dark crimson, and spirals of smoke were rising from the mountain top. Right in the middle of the mountain, a magical red glow was visible—that was the 'Agni-Lata' (Fire-Vine) that could save Arohi's life.
However, reaching the vine was not easy at all. Coiled around the mountain peak lay a massive, terrifying Fire Dragon. Its scales were red like burning coal, and when its wings moved, it felt as if gusts of searing air were blowing. The dragon was guarding the Agni-Lata beneath its body, as if it were a gem dearer than its own life.
As Aditya landed, the dragon raised its massive head. Its eyes were bright like boiling lava. With a monstrous roar, the entire Nilgiri Mountain trembled. As the dragon opened its mouth, a massive fireball hurtled toward Aditya. With the help of the Pavan-Paduka, Aditya leapt high into the air and saved himself from the fire.
The dragon roared in a grave voice, "Who are you, mortal? With what audacity have you come to touch this sacred Agni-Lata? This vine is made of the flames of fire; it will turn to ash at the touch of impure hands!"
Aditya was not afraid. His sword shimmered in the light of the fire. He shouted, "I am Prince Aditya of Junagarh. I have not come here out of greed for power. The one I love is on her deathbed; I need this vine to save her life. Move aside, Dragon, or today the soil of Nilgiri will be stained red with blood!"
The dragon let out a laugh of contempt. "Love? You have come to give your life for this trivial emotion? Then so be it!" Saying this, the dragon struck hard again with its tail. The mountain rocks shattered and began to fall upon Aditya.
Aditya realized that it was impossible to defeat this dragon through brute force alone, for the dragon itself was made of fire. In his mind, he recalled Arohi's pale face. He set his sword aside and looked directly into the dragon's eyes. He knew that to obtain the Agni-Lata, he had to be braver than the fire itself.