The dim light of the afternoon entered through the small ventilators of the dark subterranean dungeon of the royal palace. While Prince Prafulla and Princess Prabhasha were sound asleep in their respective rooms, recovering from the exhaustion of the entire forest ordeal, the atmosphere inside the jail assumed a bizarre form.
The tantric dusted off Princess Prabhasha's stolen silken ghagra-choli with his hands. Then, placing the veil over his head and giving a powerful jerk to his waist, he advanced toward Sushila in the adjacent cell. Holding the iron bars of the jail, he said in a deeply affectionate, feminine voice, "Ui Ma! Sushila Boudi! It was my long-cherished desire to offer a full prostration at your feet, honey! From the day I came to know that you too are an absolute venomous snake just like me—oh, fie, fie! That was a mistake to say! You are actually more dangerous than me, Boudi! Otherwise, despite being the mother of a full princess and having your own daughter, you are imprisoned in this dark cell of a rotting jail? Oh dear father! Just thinking about it makes my flesh crawl! Ui Ma, Ui Ma!"
Sushila was already fuming with rage, and hearing herself being called a 'venomous snake' and 'dangerous' from the mouth of this bizarre, half-male tantric, she could no longer contain her fury. Kicking the iron bars of the jail with a thud, she shouted, "Watch your mouth, you hypocrite devil! I will give you a tight slap, do you know who I am? A devilish woman-man yourself! You are such a creature that there is no way to tell whether you are a woman or a man even from a distance! How foul is your attire and what an identity you possess! And yet he has come to question my identity? What does this creature call me—a venomous snake? What are you yourself, you devil? You are an absolute daughter of a phantom! Get out of my sight! Oh dear mother, who brought this thing inside the jail? What more can I even say to you!"
The moment the words 'daughter of a phantom' reached his alert ears, the tantric's sweet, coquettish face turned fierce and blood-red in a single flash. A deadly, mistaken thought instantly entered the tantric's mind. He thought that by 'phantom', Sushila meant his beloved husband—that fat guard, and by 'daughter' or wife, she meant the tantric himself! The tantric thought to himself, "What sheer audacity of this woman! She called my sweet husband a phantom and called me the phantom's wife? I will absolutely not tolerate such a massive insult!"
Fuming with rage, the tantric stood before the iron bars of the jail and raised his two hands toward the sky. An asuric power seemed to play within his closely cropped hair. Raising his eyes to his forehead, he began to chant a mantra in a massive, grave, masculine voice— "Hreem Kleem Chandikayai Namah! Jata Juta Samayukte! Jhatpat matpat, let Sushila turn into an absolute stork! Swaha!"
The moment the mantra ended from the tantric's mouth, a brilliant flash of blue light was seen and a monstrous sound echoed. Before one could even blink, Sushila was no longer human! Her body, filled with royal arrogance and conspiracies, shrank and transformed into a thin, white stork in a single flash! Flapping her wings inside the cage, Sushila now began to shriek in her hoarse voice, "Kyak! Kyak! Oh mother, what on earth happened? How did I become a bird? Oh Baba Tantric, it was my mistake! I did not realize you were so powerful! Please forgive me, restore me to my previous human form, Baba! I will never say another foul word about you or your husband again! Kyak, kyak!"
Seeing Sushila flapping her wings as a stork, the tantric's rage subsided a bit. Twirling his veil slightly and covering his mouth with his hand, he burst into a fit of giggles. Then he said, "Alright, since you are pleading and begging so much, I am restoring you to your previous form. But remember this, Boudi, if you run your mouth after this, you will never be able to become human again!" Saying this, he blew a short mantra, and with a thud, Sushila crashed onto the ground back in her human form. Trembling in fear, Sushila began checking her hands and feet to see if everything was alright. She understood from this harrowing experience just how deadly and powerful this tantric was internally.
Right at this time, due to that monstrous mantra-chanting of the tantric and Sushila's shrieks, the guard who was dead to the world in sleep in the corner of the jail woke up. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and said in an extremely annoyed tone, "Uff! What have you started here, huh? Why are you chanting mantras so loudly? Won't you even let me sleep in peace within this hell? My hands and feet are already aching from cutting tigers all night!"
Seeing that his husband had awakened from sleep, the tantric forgot all his grave demeanor and became ecstatic with affection in that extreme feminine style once again. Hoisting his ghagra with both hands, he began to dance within the jail, giving forceful jerks to his waist. Twirling around for a full lap, he came and crashed heavily from above directly onto his husband's body!
The guard could not withstand this deadly jolt and the weight of his heavy body. Suppressed under the tantric, he was completely flattened! Gasping for breath somehow, the guard screamed, "Ui, oh dear father! What on earth are you doing? Get off my body! Has your mind gone completely out of order? I just woke up from sleep, and if you crash onto me like that with this heavy body, I would have lost consciousness in another moment! You have truly become an absolute madman, get off me, I say!"
Rising from atop the guard, the tantric giggled heartily and said, "Ui Ma! I see my sweet husband is turning red with rage! What do I even do with these sweet husbands, dear father! But what is the use of throwing a tantrum, honey baby? Where will you even go from here? We have to make a home and set up a household inside this very cell of the dungeon now. You cannot go anywhere outside anymore; you will always remain right before my eyes! Ui Ma, Oi Ma!" Saying this, he embraced the guard again and began dancing inside the jail.
Standing in the adjacent cell, Sushila had been observing all these actions with deep concentration until now. Witnessing this bizarre behavior of the tantric, a massive web of conspiracy began to weave within Sushila's cunning mind. Sushila began to think to herself, "Humph... no matter how much this tantric throws tantrums like women from the outside or whatever he does, his internal tantric power is many times greater! Otherwise, he could not have turned me into an absolute stork in a single flash! This extraordinary power is exactly what I need. If I can utilize this power with my own intellect, then with this very power, I can devastate the entire Junagarh kingdom in a single stroke! And I will definitely destroy that leader of devils, Arohi, and Aditya, and along with them, I will teach a proper lesson to that vessel of beauty, Snigdha, and Prince Prafulla too!"
Standing behind the cover of the wall, narrowing her cruel eyes, Sushila noticed yet another deadly thing. She said to herself, "I noticed one thing very clearly. This tantric is usually absolutely calm, roaming around throwing tantrums on his own. Even when Prafulla and Prabhasha captured him from the forest cave last night and had the royal guards bind him with iron chains and drag him to this dungeon, this tantric, if he wanted, could have used his occult power to curse them all into stone or some other animal! He did nothing for himself then; he was captured quietly. But the very moment I said a bad word against his husband, he flew into a rage instantly and cursed me into a stork! That means, this tantric cannot tolerate a single word against his husband; he loves his husband with his life! Wow! I have found his ultimate weakness!"
Standing behind the bars of the jail, Sushila flashed a foul, diabolical smile. Exulting in her mind, she said, "No matter what he does usually, if his husband is even scratched, he can destroy the entire universe! I will now make this weakness my weapon. Keeping the tantric's husband in the center, I will make the tantric a puppet of my hands. Now the throne of Junagarh will inevitably fall into my grasp. Now the real turn for my days to change has begun!"
Inside the dark dungeon, having found her deadly move, Sushila began to laugh a devilish laughter out loud all by herself, making the atmosphere within the jail even more mysterious. That foul, diabolical, and cackling devilish laughter of Sushila hit the damp walls of the dark dungeon, creating a terrifying echo. Hearing that monstrous laughter, the tantric from the adjacent cell clutched Prabhasha's ghagra with one hand and came running to the iron bars. Placing one of his fingers on his lips, he scolded Sushila and whispered in a feminine voice, "Oh Boudi! Sushila Boudi! Why are you laughing so loudly like a demoness in this broad afternoon, tell me? Shut your mouth a bit, brother! My sweet husband has just woken up from sleep, his body is still feeling sluggish, he needs some rest. If you laugh in such a monstrous sound like a witch, then my sweet baby will go mad with fear! Please laugh a bit softly!"
Hearing these coquettish words of the tantric, Sushila felt extremely annoyed in her mind, yet she grew quite terrified internally. She thought to herself, "Oh dear father! The woman who assumed a ferocious, battle-ready form just a while ago and turned me into a living stork is now coming to call me 'Boudi, Boudi' with such drama! There is no trusting this creature. It would be wise to act like a good person with him right now. Otherwise, who knows when he might fly into a rage again and keep me transformed into a stork for the rest of my life, then I will never be able to become human again!"
Forcing back her cunning smile and mimicking a gesture of folded hands, Sushila said, "Alright, alright, it was my mistake, Baba Tantric! I will not laugh that loudly anymore. From now on, I will speak absolutely softly and laugh very quietly, okay?"
Hearing this softened tone of Sushila, the tantric was absolutely overflowing with joy once again. Swaying his waist a bit and clapping his hands, he said, "Yes! This is indeed my well-behaved Boudi, my naughty Boudi!" Saying this, the tantric himself now began to rub his body against the iron bars of the jail and burst into a loud, cackling fit of giggles.
Gradually, the sun god set upon the bosom of the forest, and evening descended upon the kingdom of Junagarh. Right at that moment, a massive commotion broke out outside the main gates of the royal palace. From afar, the resounding voices of a crowd of people could be heard. All the villagers of the forest had rushed to the front of the royal palace in a large group, holding torches in their hands. Together, they were shouting in unison, chanting victories in the names of Prince Prafulla and Princess Prabhasha— "Victory to Prince Prafulla! Victory to Princess Prabhasha! Long live the royal family of Junagarh!"
Hearing this tumultuous uproar and joyful sound of the villagers, Princess Prabhasha and Prince Prafulla emerged outside from the balcony of the royal palace. Seeing the smile of relief on the faces of their subjects, the hearts of the brother and sister were filled with joy. Raising his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, Prafulla said in a grave yet benevolent voice, "All of you please calm down. As the prince of Junagarh, I gave you my word that I would unravel the mystery of this tiger menace and the rotting stench. I have kept my word. That hypocrite tantric and the treacherous guard are now imprisoned in our dungeon. The forest cave is being cleaned, and a beautiful temple of Mother is being constructed there. From now on, live your lives happily and absolutely without any fear."
The villagers then said with folded hands, "Yes Prince! Crores of thanks to you and the princess for saving us from this extreme peril. You are blessed, Junagarh is blessed!" Saying this, while chanting victories in supreme peace, the villagers returned toward their respective homes.
But the moment that crowd of villagers slowly cleared away, right then, from behind that crowd, a familiar girl advanced step by step into the light of the royal palace. The moment they looked closely at the face of the girl, Prafulla and Prabhasha—both flew into a pure rage! For, this girl was none other than that selfish, wicked Snigdha!
Placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, Prabhasha roared, "Hey you devil! With what audacity have you returned to show your face here again? Weren't you banished from this kingdom?"
Prafulla too said with extreme annoyance, "Yes, tell us, with what foul motive have you come here again?"
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Snigdha concealed her true colors and began a massive drama, shedding tears with a weeping face. Extending her two hands, she sat down on the stairs of the royal palace and said, "Oh Prafulla, oh Prabha! Please do not misunderstand me, siblings! A massive mistake has been made by me. I have realized my mistake, I will never indulge in such selfishness again, siblings! Please do not drive me away, give me just a little shelter to rest my head in this royal palace! Look at what a state I am in from roaming around outside! My hands and feet are cut and bruised, the beauty of my hair is completely ruined, my face has turned absolutely pale with agony, and look at how my hair has become messy and tangled! I haven't eaten a single thing for many days, siblings, my stomach is growling with hunger. Take pity on me!"
Witnessing this drama of Snigdha, Prabhasha flashed a sliver of a crooked smile and said, "What do you mean you haven't eaten for many days? It has been barely one day at most since we cast you out of the palace, and within this time you are saying you have returned 'after many days'? Oh dear father! What a first-class liar you are, Snigdha!"
Snigdha was burning with rage inside her mind, but containing her fury somehow at this moment, she said in an absolutely pleading tone, "Forgive me, sister! I am speaking the truth, I will not cause any harm to you anymore, I will never act in such a selfish manner again. Just give me one single opportunity, you two!"
Feeling a bit compassionate, Prafulla looked toward Prabhasha and whispered, "Alright Prabha, let it be. After all, she is our elder sister. I feel we should give her one final, last opportunity to reform herself. What do you say?" Though Prabhasha was a bit displeased, she agreed to her brother's words. Prafulla then said to Snigdha, "Alright Sister, we are allowing you to stay in the palace, trusting you for the final time." Following this, everyone ate their dinner together and went to sleep in their respective chambers.
After dinner was over, when the surroundings of the royal palace had become absolutely serene, Princess Prabhasha could no longer contain her curiosity. Treading stealthily, she came to the front of Prince Prafulla's room and knocked on the door. The moment Prafulla opened the door, Prabhasha walked straight inside the room and said in an impatient voice, "Brother! You promised me that after this forest tiger mystery was completely unraveled, you would tell me who that Rupanjan actually is! Look, today the tiger mystery has come to an end, and the criminals are in jail. Now, please tell me, who is that Rupanjan actually, Brother? I cannot contain my eagerness for another moment, I can no longer tolerate the suspense, Brother!"
Witnessing this anxiety of Prabhasha, Prafulla bolted the door of the room securely from the inside. Then, advancing with a grave face, he said, "Sister, you first sit down calmly on this bed. I am telling you everything."
As Prabhasha sat on the bed, Prafulla let out a deep sigh and began to speak, "Listen Prabha, that Rupanjan is none other than a resident of our very own Junagarh village. And he is the real lover of your Snigdha Di!"
The moment this single sentence was heard, it felt as though the entire ground of the royal palace shifted beneath Prabhasha's feet in a single jolt! The inside of her chest trembled violently with an unknown apprehension. Making her eyes wide, she said in a trembling voice, "What do you mean he lives in this very Junagarh village? What kind of a boy is he, Brother? Is he very benevolent? Does he help everyone in the village during perils? Is he the son of some farmer?"
Astonished, Prafulla said, "Arrey yes! You have guessed absolutely right, sister! He lives in our village, he is an incredibly good boy at heart, extremely benevolent, and always helps everyone. By caste, he is the son of an ordinary farmer. But I cannot comprehend one thing lately, Prabha! No matter how good he was before, he has become somewhat strange now. There has been no trace or news of him for quite a few days. Before this, he used to come secretly every single afternoon to meet my elder sister Snigdha. But for the past few days, he has not been coming to meet her anymore. I think he must have gone somewhere outside the kingdom for some urgent work. Anyway, let him return to the village after finishing his work, I will personally stand there and arrange his wedding with Snigdha with grand pomp!"
Hearing about the wedding from Prafulla's mouth, Prabhasha regained her consciousness in a single flash, rose from the bed, and shouted, "No! No Brother! Absolutely not! This wedding can never happen!"
Startled by his sister's abrupt shout and aggressive demeanor, Prafulla said, "What do you mean 'no'? What are you trying to say, Prabha? Why are you acting like that?"
Managing the turmoil of her heart and concealing the real truth from Prafulla somehow, Prabhasha stammered and said, "No... no Brother! It's nothing! Actually, due to the pressure of work, it seems my head has gone a bit out of order, I don't know myself what I am saying! I am going to sleep now, Brother." Saying this, Prabhasha practically ran out of Prafulla's room and went to her own chamber.
In the darkness of the night, while everyone in the royal palace was sound asleep, Prabhasha was tossing and turning restlessly on her bed. The sleep from her eyes had vanished. Placing a hand on her forehead, she kept thinking continuously, "Could the benevolent Rupanjan, the farmer's son from Prafulla's mouth, be the very Rupanjan of my heart? Is he the lover of Snigdha Di? No, no, I still cannot believe this from my heart! I cannot comprehend myself what has started within this heart of mine!" A massive storm began to rise within Prabhasha's mind, the answer to which now lay hidden only with time.