The scorching midday sun had dimmed by then. After many days of starvation, the exhausted and weary Rupanjan had quenched the hunger of his stomach by consuming the meager food provided by that shrewd villager. Since food had entered his stomach after a long time and his body was in a state of extreme exhaustion, he fell into a deep sleep the very moment his back touched the bed. Within his eyelids, hundreds of golden dreams regarding Snigdha were coming and going.
But that peaceful sleep did not last for long. Before long, the afternoon slipped away, and evening was about to descend. That greedy villager was calculating within his own mind—when Rupanjan would go to the King, when he would secure the job, and when he would extract his due money along with the principal and interest. His patience was wearing thin. Coming to the front of Rupanjan's room door, he began to knock violently and, entering inside the room, caught hold of the blanket on Rupanjan's body, giving it a violent yank while screeching in a harsh voice, "Ohe Rupanjan Babu! Wake up, wake up! How much more will you sleep? Won't you go to the King? The afternoon has passed and evening is approaching, and you are sleeping here like a nawab's son, snoring away? Wake up, I say!"
Because that deep and comfortable sleep was broken midway by such a harsh scream, the latent fierce form within Rupanjan woke up in a single instant. Without any further consideration, while still lying on the bed, he delivered a violent, ferocious kick straight to that villager's chest with his right leg!
The force of that kick was so intense that the fat, heavy-set man was flung out of the room in a single flash and crashed straight onto the dusty courtyard outside— thud! The bones of the man's back seemed to crackle aloud. Screaming in agony, he somehow rose from the ground. Witnessing this ultimate humiliation of his, two or three neighbors also rushed to the spot. Pressing his hand against his chest and growling in rage, the man shouted, "What! Such immense audacity of yours! Hey, all of you look, I gave this stranger a place to stay in my own house, gave him food from my own kitchen to eat, and in the end, he actually kicked me into the courtyard? If I don't kick you out of this village today by catching the roots of your hair, then my name is not Dhananjan!"
Rupanjan had emerged from the room by then. The lingering spell of sleep and the red glow of rage were still in his eyes. Casting a piercing glare at that man, he said in a cold yet sharp voice, "Do not speak tall words, mister! You did not let me stay out of mercy, nor did you feed me out of love. Whatever you gave, you gave in exchange for your high-interest money! You made a contract that as soon as I get work, you will calculate and extract every pie from me down to the last cent with principal and interest. So do not put on a facade of being a saint. And for breaking this deep sleep of mine, this kick is your fitting punishment!"
Seeing his facade unraveled like this in front of the villagers and witnessing that tiger-like gaze of Rupanjan, Dhananjan shrank a little from within. Rubbing his waist with his hand, he said, "What... what did you say? I am warning you, do not cause too much trouble!"
Rolling up both the sleeves of his shirt, Rupanjan took two more steps toward the man and said, "You are the one causing trouble! I was in a deep sleep, and why were you pulling the blanket on my body like an animal? That is why my head grew hot, and I kicked you. Come along now, no need to show any more smartness. Move toward the King. However, remember this, if I secure some good work from the Maharaja, I will first arrange to put you into the dark cell of the royal palace, because you are a greedy person and a black-marketeer of the highest order!"
The moment the word 'jailhouse' was heard, Dhananjan's soul was about to escape his cage. He knew very well that this boy was the future groom of the Junagarh princess; his words carried massive weight. Trembling in fear, he folded both his hands and said, "No... no Rupanjan Babu! A mistake has been made by me! I will never do such a thing again, nor will I ever lodge any complaint in your name. Come, come, let us move toward the Maharaja, there is no use in delaying further!"
Thereafter, both of them set out toward the massive royal palace of that kingdom. The moment they arrived in front of the main lion-gate of the palace, huge-bodied royal guards wearing iron armor blocked their path. Thumping their spears on the ground, the guards roared in a harsh voice, "Stop! Who are you people here? What do you want in front of the royal palace at this odd hour?"
Dhananjan took a step back in fear, trembling merely upon seeing that terrifying form and the spears of the guards. He shut his mouth completely and stood there like a mute person. But Rupanjan did not budge an inch. Meeting the guard's eyes, he said in an extremely clear and calm voice, "I have arrived new in this kingdom. I have come here in search of a job. Please grant us permission to go to our Maharaja."
Looking at Rupanjan, the chief guard flashed a smile of disdain and said, "It is afternoon now. The Maharaja does not sit in the royal court at this time; he is currently strolling while enjoying the breeze in the royal garden behind his palace. At this hour, no ordinary human being is permitted to go inside. You go away now, come tomorrow morning when the royal court assembles, standing in the queue. Go, clear out from here!"
The moment these words of the guard were heard, all the blood in Rupanjan's head rushed up in a single jolt. He realized that despite being a resident of this village, this man Dhananjan had brought him to the King at this odd hour solely out of greed for money, even though he knew very well that no work could be secured in the afternoon! Rupanjan could no longer restrain his rage. Turning around with the speed of a storm, he gripped Dhananjan's hair tightly in his strong fist and delivered a violent slap squarely on his cheek with a loud thwack!
After slapping him, he shook Dhananjan's head while screaming in rage, "You devil villager! You have been living in this very village year after year! You surely knew very well that the King strolls in the garden in the afternoon and no royal court is called at this time! Then why, for the sake of your own greed, did you break my deep sleep and drag me in vain to the front of this royal palace, you devil?"
Witnessing this sudden fierce form and violence of Rupanjan, the chief guard's spear was about to slip from his own hand! He thought to himself, "Oh dear father! Standing at the gates of the King, showing the audacity to hold an ordinary man's hair and thrash him like that—no one has ever shown such daring in this kingdom till date! He cannot be an ordinary human being; he must be some prince in disguise or some massive, dangerous warrior!"
Shedding tears in agony and fear, Dhananjan then looked toward the guard and said, "Oh dear father, oh guard mister! Save me! He will practically kill me!"
To save his own life and not get entangled in any further trouble, the guard quickly opened the chain of the gate and said, "Oh heavens! Stop fighting among yourselves! Both of you go inside, the Maharaja is in that very garden. You go right there!"
Releasing Dhananjan's hair with a violent jerk, Rupanjan said to the guard in a stern voice, "No! I will go inside alone. Let this devil, greedy villager stand outside. I do not wish to see his face anymore!" Saying this, Rupanjan gave Dhananjan a push and walked away alone toward the massive garden inside the royal palace. Dhananjan then sat in the dust outside, panting while rubbing his cheek with his hand.
Inside the pleasant, fragrant flower garden of the palace, the Maharaja of that kingdom was pacing with slow steps. He was dispelling his exhaustion in the gentle afternoon breeze. Right then, a guard rushed frantically toward the Maharaja from a distance. Behind him was coming a tall, radiant new boy—our Rupanjan.
Seeing an unfamiliar, ordinarily dressed new boy in this peaceful environment of his garden, the Maharaja was extremely surprised and annoyed. Knititng his brows, he looked toward the guard and shouted, "What is this, guard! What is happening here? Do you not know that I stroll alone in the garden during this afternoon hour? Who gave permission to an outsider to enter my personal garden at this time?"
Trembling in fear, the guard said to the Maharaja with folded hands, "Maharaja! Please forgive me. This boy has come to ask for work, I would not have let him come, but he has come from very far away, from the adjacent kingdom of Junagarh! And the scene he was causing outside... oh dear father! You see for yourself what he wishes to speak to you. He almost thrashed us outside! I have never seen such an angry boy in my life, Maharaja!"
The Maharaja grew somewhat curious now. Looking at the guard, he said, "What! Such immense audacity? What misdeed was he performing outside, let me hear? Speak clearly, guard brigade!"
Glancing sideways at Rupanjan and swallowing hard in fear, the guard said, "Maharaja, what he was doing outside, you please ask that from his own mouth! I will flee with my life now, father!" Saying this, the guard did not stand there for another moment and ran away rushing along the reverse path. In the middle of the garden, there now remained only the Maharaja and our fearless Rupanjan.
The Maharaja observed Rupanjan thoroughly from head to toe. Though the boy wore the attire of an ordinary farmer, his posture of standing and the fire in his eyes were no less than that of any prince. The Maharaja said in a grave voice, "So... O stranger boy! You have come from Junagarh? Well, I heard about many of your exploits from the guard's mouth. What quality of yours should I see to employ you in my kingdom, let me hear? You have supposedly caused some massive scene outside? So what scene have you caused, state that from your own mouth first? Then it will be considered whether you will be of any use in this massive kingdom of mine!"
Without feeling the slightest fear before the Maharaja, keeping his head held high, Rupanjan said in a polite yet firm voice, "Actually Maharaja, that timid guard of yours was not letting me enter inside the palace at first. He was saying that you are supposedly strolling in your garden now, so a meeting cannot take place. But I have not come to wage any war against you from afar; I arrived to speak a few ordinary words and ask for work. After speaking for a short while, I would have left on my own. But he wouldn't listen at all!"
Taking a step forward, the Maharaja said, "Then why did you hold the hair of that villager outside, let me hear?"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Rupanjan said, "Do not speak of it, Maharaja! The villager who came with me is actually a resident of this very village. He knew very well that you stroll in the garden during this afternoon hour and no royal court assembles at this time. But solely for the sake of his own greed, he broke my deep, raw sleep and dragged me here by force. In that rage, I held his hair and shook him up a little, and slapped him on the cheek! If any offense of mine has occurred in this, then you may punish me."
Hearing about such audacious slaps and thrashes delivered upon his own guards and the villager from Rupanjan's mouth, the Maharaja froze completely for a moment. Then, stroking his beard with his hand, he burst into a massive, loud laughter. He thought to himself, "Bravo! I have never seen such an audacious and outspoken boy even in my own kingdom! A boy who can deliver a slap against injustice while standing at the gates of the King cannot be an ordinary coward!"
Looking toward Rupanjan with a mysterious smile, the Maharaja said, "Bravo Rupanjan! I am indeed extremely pleased to witness this courage of yours. But to secure work in my kingdom, merely delivering slaps won't do, you must provide proof of your merit!"
Far away from Junagarh, in another royal court, a new drama of Rupanjan's life commenced.