A group of soldiers was waiting for the signal from their spies near the border of Anga. They were instructed to enter Anga after the signal and create chaos. Suddenly they saw the light of the torch on the palace roof and realized that the king was killed. So they silently entered the forest and move towards the palace. When they entered inside Anga suddenly arrows were showered on them from all sides. They were completely clueless about it as they knew that the Anga army was not ready. Before they could understand anything they heard a voice, 'Army of Magadha had surrounded you all. So if you want to live, surrender yourself. Otherwise, well I think you have already heard about the cruelty of Magadhraj.'
While some were contemplating on the proposal, some over-enthusiastic soldiers tried to shoot arrows toward the voice. Seeing them attacking, the Magadha army attacked them and what happened after that was pure manslaughter. The Magadha army contained the local tribes who was master in guerrilla attack and with Vishvanu's leadership, they easily disarmed the soldiers.
While Dusshala was running through the forest. It was almost dawn and a little light was formed on the sky. She was tired and could not find her way. Dejectedly she sat under a tree and started weeping. Suddenly someone covered her face from behind and before she could understand anything, she had lost her consciousness.
When she woke up, she saw she was tied to a poll. It was a small tribal village. She tried to call someone but her throat was completely dry. She also saw a group of tribals were looking at her with disgust. Seeing her waking up, one man came and slapped her hard. Dusshala's face started bleeding and she wept. Another old man came and said, 'Hey, why are you hitting the girl. Don't you know, raising a hand on a woman is forbidden in our culture.'
Another man, 'Baba, she is not someone ordinary, she is the daughter of the kurus and our governor's wife. She always misbehaved with us who worked in the palace. She belongs to that family who by their laws not only deprived us of our forests but made our life a living hell.'
Man 3, 'Yes, those Kurus abducted our women and sold them as slaves. They treated us worse than animals. We were dying here without food and they use our resources and made their kingdom luxurious. Today we will take our revenge on their daughter.'
The old man, 'But she is the wife of our Governor, if the king or Governor come to know about it, they will be angry with us. Also misbehaving with a woman is a sin.'
Man 4, 'No the king will not be angry. In fact, I heard that last night HP army attacked our border. They also send spies as her maid, she betrayed her own husband. So she is nothing but a criminal. In HP they arrested the tribals falsely accusing of crimes that they did not commit and torturing them. You know how many women they had sold till now in the name of punishment. They tarnished our women's honor, they used them as whore. Today we will make this daughter of kurus a whore of our village.'
Another man shouted, 'Strip her, like they stripped our women. Today the honor of the Kurus will be completely abolished.'
Dusshala cried hard. She looked everywhere but did not find anyone who could help her. A man came forward and hold her angvastra. Dusshala cried more and begged, 'Please let me go.'
Man 5, 'Our women also cried in front of your soldiers. They also begged in front of you royals but none of you paid any heed. Today our Maharaj and Governor are working hard to give us a better life and you by betraying them again wanted to send us back to the life of misery? No you bitch....today you will cry and we all will enjoy.' Saying it he pulled her angvastra and threw it away.
'STOP...don't you dare to touch her.' a thundering voice rattled the entire forest. It seemed the voice not only stopped the man but time entire forest turned silent. Dusshala opened her eyes and saw, 'Maharaj Aditya,' the man cried and bowed in front of him. In fact, the entire village bowed in front of the powerful figure which was glowing like the morning sun.
Karna was standing at the village entrance. He had a sword in his hand. Dusshala even in this situation thought, 'How did he recover so quickly? The effect of the herb will last at least for an entire day.'
Karna walked towards Dusshala and with one sweep he cut her ropes. Then he took his own Angvastra and covered Dusshala. Then he turned to the villages and said, 'SHAME ON YOU. YOU ARE STRIPPING A WOMAN PUBLICLY. HOW DARE YOU? DON'T YOU KNOW THE LAW OF MAGADHA?'
The man, 'Maharaj you can give me any punishment but today we will not spare her. She tried to betray you. It was her family that tortured us, they sold our people like cattles.'
another man, 'Maharaj you yourself know what happens with the slaves in HP's salve market. They stripped the tribal women openly there. Today we will give the same treatment to their daughter.'
Karna, 'I just can't believe it, I thought you are better than those wretched people. But you are also behaving in the same way. If you misbehaved with her, today then what will be the difference between you and them? In my kingdom, even the prostitutes are given proper respect and she is the kulvadu of the Magadha kingdom. Moreover, she is the wife of my friend. So I will not let anyone touch her.'
'You are right Maharaj, we are very sorry for our people's behavior.' an elderly woman came there. All the villagers also bowed and asked for his forgiveness but Karna said, 'It's her whom you tortured. So you have to ask forgiveness from her, not me.'
The villagers looked ashamed and said sorry to Dusshala as well. Then Karna asked her, 'Princess please come, let's go to the palace and then we will talk.'
Dusshala silently walked with him. Karna asked her to sit on his horse and he himself started walking beside her. After some time Dusshala asked meekly, 'What will you do to me Maharaj?'
Karna, 'My mother asked to let you go back to your kingdom but now I think it will not possible. Your family had ordered the spies to kill you after you kill me. So I think now you understand what will happen to you if you go back, what is your value in your family? So we have to think of something else.'
Dusshala, 'Won't you punish me for treason?'
Karna, 'No, cause if I do that, your family will definitely use it to defame Eklavya or my country. Also, I think you are already punished enough. But I just want to know why you did not kill me when you have the full chance?'
Dusshala started crying, 'I..I don't want to kill anyone. I just want to go home to my mom.'
Karna stopped, 'Please don't cry princess, I know what I did was wrong but believe me I have no choice. In fact, when I demanded you I thought that your family might protest or tried to negotiate. Believe me, if they tried hard I will definitely demand something else then. But I was shocked when they almost readily agreed. They did not even ask me to marry you. Look I may not a good person and did many bad things. But I am not someone who disrespects women. But for now, I have to keep you secure. Your family will definitely try to kill you again.'
Dusshala cried more. The man whom she tried to kill saved her while her family sent spies to kill her. She also remembered how those tribals were talking about her family. How many atrocious deeds were done by her family? Oh God...she knew HP had a slave market but it was said that only criminals were turned into slaves there. But now she realized the truth behind it.
After an hour they reached near the palace. Before entering Karna looked directly into Dusshala's eyes and said, 'Princess, I know whatever happened to you, I am also to some extent responsible for that. But please, for my mistake don't punish my brother. He is innocent, he even was angry with me when I demanded you. Princess, Eklavya loves you since childhood, I know for a Kshatriya like you, marrying a Nishad is not easy. But I request you, just for once, look at him like a human not as a Nishad. And I can definitely say, you will never find a human better than him. Please try to give him a chance. Even then it does not workout between you, I myself will escort you, wherever you want to go.' Saying that he started walking again.
Dusshala did not know what to think. For the first time king Aditya talked to her and realized the genuine concern in his voice. The man whom she betrayed, thought to kill, saved her from her own family who send assassins to kill her. How could that man be so calm? He even requesting her to forgive Eklavya. She always thought Aditya was an egoistic man like her brothers and cousins. But here this man was admitting his mistakes and even bow in front of her. Who was the real Magadhraj? The one who mercilessly tortured the HP commander and Bheem or the one who fought with his own man for the daughter of the enemies? Slowly they entered the palace, all the ministers, and guards were waiting. They also brought the imprisoned soldiers of HP. Radha came out running, 'Radheya, what happened? Oh my God, what happened to putri Dusshala? Where you both have been?'
Karna, 'Radhama, she was kidnapped? I saved her. Please take her inside and ask the doctor to treat her, feed her and let her rest for a while.'
Radha took Dusshala. Seeing Dusshala's torn dress and covering with the king's angvastra the servants and maids already started gossiping but one look from the King and Governor stopped them. Dusshala sat numbly when Radha and the maids helped her to take bath. Now what? It seemed like Aditya forgave her but would Eklavya? She betrayed the king whom her husband worshipped, she even returned from the jungle in such condition. She knew in Aryavart, a woman's honor was the most vulnerable thing, Devi Amba was an example of it. What if Eklavya denounced her after knowing that she was touched by other men. Those men almost raped her. Oh God...she was such a fool who believed in her family....no, not family...the kuruvanshis. Her vulnerability had turned into white-hot rage. What did those Kurus think? They could play with anyone's life....no not anymore....like mata Amba she would also start penance and would destroy them. After all, these Eklavya would never accept her. So she would go far away and start penance to destroy those Kurus.
In the afternoon Dusshala was sitting in her room, a dasi came and said, 'My lady, the king ordered you to come to the court.'
Dusshala realized that now would be punished in front of the whole court. But without showing fear, she walked straight to the court. She entered and saw the King, Eklavya, Vishvanu, Gajraj present there along with Vishnugupt who came from Magadha. Everyone looked at her without emotion, only Eklavya had anger in his eyes. Karna said, 'Devi, please come take your seat. Dusshala was shocked to see an empty throne beside Eklavya and sat there.
Karna, 'We all know that HP attacked us last night like the cowards they are. They even sent spies in the guise of dasis. They even tried to kill us and when failed tried to kidnap and kill lady Dusshhala. But we thwarted their plans. We not only defeat their army but also be able to save Devi Dusshala and arrested those spies. Those spies informed us that Mantri Vidur had ordered them to kill me and lady Dusshala. So I think we need to send a proper reply to their deeds.'
Dusshala looked at the king. How smoothly he covered Dusshala and turned her into a victim. He saved her honor in front of the whole court by saying the partial truth. Then Vishnugupt said,'We should send a letter asking why they had sent soldiers that too at night?'
Gajraj, 'But I am pretty sure that HP would deny that they are their men.'
Eklavya, 'That's what the kurus do. Uses other and then leave them to rot.'
Vishnugupt, 'But the decorum demands that we shall give them a chance to reply. After that we will decide. Till now keep the soldiers in the prison.'
Karna, 'But the spies shall be punished. As we do not give death sentences to women, guards go and take them to the middle of the city and cut their right hands and tongues. Then treat them and throw them out of Anga. Now everyone go back to your home and take some rest.'
Dusshala returned to her room. She heard someone open the door and saw Eklavya.
Eklavya, 'I knew it, all kurus are backstabbers even you. Maharaj asked me to give you time, to show you patience. Till then I am tolerating your rude behavior but not anymore. I know it was you who brought those maids, you know about everything. Dusshala you have no idea how much our Maharaj did for you. He saved your honor, he even ordered everyone to show you respect even after your wrong deeds. But you, in exchange for that you betrayed him. I will never forgive you. Even today he requested me to accept you and not be harsh on you. So be it princess, you can enjoy all the luxuries of the wife of Governor but I will never accept you as my life partner. You have to stay alone for all of your life with your pride. From today, I don't want to see your face.' He left.
Karna's room,
Only Karna and Vishnugupt were sitting in the room. Vishnugupt, 'So Maharaj, you knew everything right?
Karna smiled, 'After all I have the most intelligent minister with the strongest spy network on Aryavart with me. When I heard that Vidur came to meet Dusshala, I understood that the sly fox would definitely do something. So our spies were keeping an eye on those maids from the beginning. I also came to know from our tribal friends that some HP soldiers were waiting outside the border. So I realized something would happen before I leave for Magadha. I knew that Dusshala mixed something on my kheer so I did not eat it.'
Vishnugupt, 'Why didn't you arrest the spies before?'
Karna, 'I just wanted to know the depth of Dusshala's involvement in it. I wanted to see if she can really betray us or kill me or not. Well, she came to my room with a dagger but she did not have the courage to use it. So she thought that I am paralyzed and left the room. I don't blame her....poor child, just believed in those wrong persons.'
Vishnugupt, 'Do you think it will be safe to keep her here?She may betray us again?'
Karna, 'I showed her the true color of her family. Now I think she will also start hating the kurus and that's what I want. I want the Kurus themselves will fight and destroy each other. It will completely break Bheesm. But I don't trust her completely, so I already appointed more spies around her. But now we shall behave properly with her to gain her trust. She already started trusting me when I saved her. Also in future I have to be more cautious about her safety.The former enemies of HP will definitely try to harm her to take revenge from the kurus.'
Vishnugupt, 'What happens with Dusshala is the natural reaction of the tribes, they hate the kurus. But I know you will never misbehave or let other harm a woman, even if she is your greatest enemy. You know Aditya I want to see Vidur's face when he will hear the news. I think he will tear his beard and hair in frustration.'
Karna also smiled and said, 'We have to extract information abut the family dynamics of the kurus from Dusshalla but we will do it in such a way that she will not suspect us. That information will be helpful to destroy them.'
Hastinapur,
True to Vishnugupt's prediction, Vidur almost ripped off his entire beard after a messenger came from Anga with letter accusing of a stealth attack and espionage. He also said that king Aditya would release those soldiers only when king Dhritarashtra admitted his crime and apologized openly. The elders understood how dangerous trap that cunning king and minister had set. If they disagreed that those men were from their army, the king would kill them and it would create anger and disappointment among other HP soldiers as well on HP royals for letting their fellow comrades die. While if they accepted, it would tarnish their reputation completely. Entire Aryavert would know that the mighty Kshatriyas had to take the cover of espionage, conspiracies, tricks and lies to defeat a mere suta and even then they had failed. As expected Dhritarashtra denied all involvement, Bheem even tried to break the messenger's neck but it had created more problems as a delegate from Dravid and Pukya came there and they saw how uncontrollable Bheem was. The minister of Dravid even said, 'Maharaj, even when the accusation was wrong, you cannot harm a messenger. It is against Dharma. Don't your prince who is a son of a Dev himself knows it?'
Both Kunti and Vidur gritted their teeth. The messenger returned Anga with a letter where HP had denied all accusations. Karna took that letter to the prison where the HP soldiers were kept and showed them the letter which clearly said that those men were terrorists who at first created problems in HP and now in Anga. It also stated that their families would also be punished for their treachery.
Kanka the general of the HP army said, 'Maharaj, I knew it. HP will never accept us back. But they said we are terrorists? We risked our lives, left our family to be known as terrorists?'
Another soldier said, 'Now what will happen to our families? The HP royals will make their life hard for our failure.'
Karna, 'Don't worry, I have already sent my men to bring some of them here safely. But now what will I do to you? I don't want to kill soldiers unnecessarily.'
Kanka, 'Maharaj, we are begging asylum here. We know whatever our king told about you is wrong. You are not a cruel man but a good person who loves his people, unlike our royals. Maharaj, it will be our honor to fight for a king like you.'
Karna hid his delight behind his emotionless face. That was exactly what he wanted.
Flashback,
The messenger brought back the letter of Dhritarashtra to Karna.
Messenger, 'Pranam Maharaj, King Dhritrashtra sent this letter denying all accusations.'
Karna smiled cruelly, 'I know....Vishnuguptji call your trusted men and make an exact copy of this letter but there accuse those soldiers as terrorists and threaten their families.'
Vishnugupt, 'Wonderful, also I will send my men to bring their families.'
Karna, 'First ask them to disguise as HP soldiers and attack the families. Then send our men to save them. Now HP's own Kshatriya's will go against them.'
Vishnugupt, 'But Maharaj, it may harm or injure some of the family members of the soldiers.'
Karna, 'Then instruct our soldiers to try to minimize the casualties but I want the citizens of HP themselves to turn against the Kurus. I am sorry for them but it is necessary for our mission.'
Flashback ended