Fourteen years later:
At Krishnapura palace:
"Yuvaraj, the Maharaj has requested to see you in his chambers." An attendant said. Yuvaraj nodded and dismissed the attendant. Closing all the files and books in front of him, he walked towards his father's chambers as an attendant announced his arrival.
"Come on beta." The King ordered. He then signaled the other guards and servants to give them privacy.
"Yes father. Is everything okay? How is your health?" Yuvaraj asked, as he sat beside his father on the couch in his chambers.
"I am alright son. I wanted to talk to you about something. There are robberies and smugglings happening near our borders. People there are not at all safe. The villages that share their borders with the Sindhi forests are more prone to these attacks." The King said. Yuvaraj nodded while listening to him.
"I did hear about this father. It seems that their purpose is much more than just looting us. Do you have any other information on them, Father?" Yuvaraj asked, wondering what made them rebel so badly.
"I sent a group of soldiers to find out what the issue is about, but there is no proper response. I am sending you on this mission to find out why they are attacking us and what they want in return." The king replied.
"Sure father. Are we the only ones who are affected? What about Vindhyanagara? Are people from that kingdom also affected by them?" He asked, as they shared the common border with the Sindhi forests.
"They have attacked all those villages that have been on this border. It does seem that they were also affected. But I am uncertain of what actions they are going to take."
"I shall immediately set out on this mission Father. I shall be leaving early in the morning tomorrow." Saying so, he left his father's chambers after prostrating in front of him. His dad blesses him with a long and prosperous life.
Before dawn of the next day, Yuvaraj had set out on his horse to the Sampangi village, carrying a bag of clothes and some fruits in another. His journey was about two prahars long, making it noon to reach the village.
Slowing his horse as he reached the village, he trotted down in the lanes trying to find a shelter or an inn to stay. Seeing a middle aged man coming his way, Aditya got down from his horse and asked him, "Pranam chacha. My name is Aditya. I am a traveler looking for a shelter for a few days. Can I find a place to live?" He asked.
"You want to live here?" The man asked, making Aditya nod his head. " Beta, this place is already cursed. We ourselves are trying to find a safe place to stay. Our houses aren't safe anymore. Staying here is risky for you." The man poured his concern.
"Why chacha? What happened?" Aditya asked, curiosity mixed with fear dripping from his eyes.
"Beta, there are ghosts in the forests that destroy our houses and cattle, while we sleep. We might have done something to awaken the Goddess wrath. She is angry with us. We are trying everything to please her, but she seems too angry. We are afraid of her now. Until she calms down, this village is unsafe to stay in." The man said and walked away, ranting his misery all along.
Aditya looked around wondering if he could find any place to stay. He walked around and found a hut. He found an old man sitting outside it, making flower garlands. Walking up to him Aditya spoke. "Pranam kaka, can I get a shelter here?" He asked, folding his hands in front of him.
The old man stared at him for a moment and then spoke. "You can stay all you want, but you need to fend for your food and safety. I'll be leaving this place sooner or later and it is better that you do too." He spoke, dismissing him. Aditya nodded and stepped into the hut. It was too small for him, but he needed to manage with this while he looked at the issue at hand.
"Kaka, I am going for a quick bath near the river. I shall be back soon." Without waiting for the man's response, Aditya left the place.
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At Vidhyanagara Palace:
Meena stood outside her father's chambers waiting to be invited in. The guard on the door had gone inside him to inform the king about her arrival. Hearing this the king himself walked outside his chambers to get her inside and ordered the guards to let her in without any permission. As they walked inside, Meenakshi followed her father, he wondered what she would be here to talk about. Her marriage, her love, a new wish? He wondered cluelessly.
"Yes dear?" He asked, unable to add anything that could break the ice between them.
"Rajaji, I have been hearing that the situation near our forest borders are going haywire. The people are mercilessly looted and they are on the verge of excavating the village. If this continues, I am afraid people will also begin losing faith, Rajaji." She said. Her father nodded.
"Yes dear, I did hear that. Soldiers who have been sent there have also returned empty handed." He paused thinking about the other possibilities to get to the root of the situation. "Do you have anything in mind?" He asked her. Meenakshi nodded.
"Yes Rajaji. I request you to send me to the village. I shall get to the depth of this." She said, shocking the king. He looked at her for a moment, digesting her words before he shook her head in a no. His eyes teared as he took in her form, her build and her posture. She was dressed in a saffron saree that was tied like a dhoti and her pallu formed her angavastram. She didn't have any ornaments on her except for a rudraksha on her neck. She had an erect and tall poise and her arms had cuts and scars from her training. Acharya Dandapani's words rang in his ear as he looked at his own daughter. Unable to respond, he just nodded.
Meenakshi bowed and left his chambers to get ready for her mission.
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Is the language clear to all of you? The Sanskrit terms and all? If not let me know, I shall provide a translation.
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