A tide of celebration swept through the Junagarh palace today. The royal house was adorned with the melodies of the shehnai and the light of thousands of lamps. But no one knew how deep a darkness was gathering beneath this light. The sacrificial fire blazed in the center of the hall. Aditya, dressed as a groom in a silk dhoti and panjabi, sat before the yajna. Beside him was the disguised Shilajit, now posing as 'King Subarnakumar', smiling with supreme satisfaction. Today was the marriage of his daughter, Subarnalata (Sushila), to the Prince of Junagarh.
A short while later, Princess Subarnalata entered the assembly hall with a mystical grace. She held two betel leaves in her hands, covering her face. During the auspicious first look (Shubho Drishti), when she removed the leaves, Aditya once again forgot everything for a moment, captivated by that ethereal beauty. They exchanged garlands, and with the sacred fire as their witness, they completed the seven circumambulations (Saat Paak). Finally, when Aditya applied the vermilion to Subarnalata's parting, the long-standing vengeance of Shilajit and Sushila reached its fulfillment.
As soon as the wedding rituals ended, Subarnalata surprised everyone by suddenly embracing Aditya in front of all. Aditya was stunned. Raised with royal etiquette, Aditya thought, "This girl has such audacity! We just met today, wed today—does she have no shame?" Everyone present cheered, but a doubt flickered in Aditya's mind. He gently moved Subarnalata away and whispered, "Let go for now, Subarnalata; we have our whole lives ahead of us. Will you do everything right now?" Sushila grinned and squeezed Aditya's hand.
Afterward, the couple bowed to the Maharaja, the Queen Mother, and Subarnakumar (Shilajit). Aditya's mother welcomed the new bride into the household. It was nearly eleven at night. When they were escorted to Aditya's beautifully decorated bedchamber, Sushila's heart began to throb with anxiety. There was only one hour left on the clock. Once midnight struck, the cursed hour of the witch would begin—for one hour, they would return to their original hideous forms!
In another room, Shilajit was pacing restlessly. He wasn't afraid for himself, as he was locked in a room alone. But what about his daughter? What if Aditya saw everything?
Inside the room, Sushila played a clever move. She moved very close to Aditya and said in a cooing voice, "My beloved, tonight is the night of our union. But I want to make this night memorable in a different way. I want us not to see each other's faces from midnight to one o'clock—just for this one hour."
Aditya asked in surprise, "What! Why not? We've been together all this time."
Gazing into Aditya's eyes, Sushila said in an enchanting tone, "It is a small wish of mine, my love. Won't you fulfill your Queen's first wish?" Entranced by her beauty, Aditya couldn't say no. He smiled and said, "Alright, my dear, as you wish."
Sushila then tied a silk cloth around Aditya's eyes, blindfolding him. Exactly at midnight, as the clock chimed, Subarnalata's enchanting form vanished like smoke. In its place emerged the hideous, coarse-haired demoness, Sushila. Since Aditya was blindfolded, he saw nothing. Sushila was trembling with fear, yet she felt a secret thrill at how easily she was making a fool of Aditya.
An hour passed this way. As soon as the clock struck one, the magic returned, and Sushila became the beautiful Subarnalata once again. She breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Aditya had fallen asleep out of exhaustion while still blindfolded. Sushila cautiously opened the door to find Subarnakumar (Shilajit) standing outside.
Sushila smiled slyly and said, "Father? You here so late?"
Shilajit whispered, "Is everything alright, daughter? Did Aditya see anything?"
Winking with a laugh, Sushila replied, "Oh no, Father! I cleverly blindfolded him. He didn't suspect a thing."
Shilajit laughed in relief and said, "Bravo! That is the wit of my daughter Sushila. You handled it well. Now go, get some sleep."
Shilajit returned to his room, and Sushila closed the door, lying down beside Aditya on the bed. Everyone in the Junagarh palace was fast asleep, none knowing that behind the veil of illusion, a venomous serpent had secured her place in the royal house today. The next morning, as the dawn light broke over the Junagarh palace, everyone woke up one by one. Shilajit (Subarnakumar) and Aditya got ready quite early. According to royal custom, the day after the wedding is the time to taste the cooking of the new bride. The Queen Mother herself came and knocked on the new bride's door, "Mother Subarnalata, wake up, child! Today is your day to cook. Everyone is waiting to taste the nectar from your hands."
But inside the room, Subarnalata, alias the wicked Sushila, was buried in a death-like sleep! She was naturally very lazy and sluggish. Doing any work was simply not in her nature. At the Queen Mother's call, she turned over in irritation and muttered, "Ugh! What cooking at this hour of the morning? They won't even let me sleep in peace!"
Finally, after much calling and Aditya's request, she got up with half-asleep eyes. She made a thousand excuses of ill health—sometimes a headache, sometimes pain in her legs. But royal rules cannot be broken. Inevitably, she went to the kitchen. Sushila had never touched a ladle or a spatula in her life; she didn't know the first thing about cooking. Somehow, she boiled some rice, lentils, and vegetables into a disastrous mess. There was no sense of salt or spice, and the seasoning wasn't right either.
When that meal was served at the dining table in the afternoon, the Maharaja spat out the very first morsel. The Queen Mother and Aditya were also stunned upon tasting it! The flavor was so foul that it was hard to even keep it in the mouth. Aditya was instantly reminded of the taste of Arohi's Basanti Pulao and Chanar Payesh—dishes that tasted like pure nectar.
The Maharaja said angrily, "What kind of cooking is this? No one in Junagarh has ever eaten such tasteless food. Princess, do you not know how to cook at all?"
Sushila then brought tears to her enchanting eyes and said tremulously, "Forgive me, Maharaja. Actually, in our kingdom, there are many servants for cooking, so I have never done such things. Also, I'm not feeling very well today..."
Seeing Sushila's enchanting beauty and hearing her manipulative words, Aditya and the Maharaja forgot all their anger. Aditya immediately supported her, saying, "What does it matter, Father? Does everyone possess every virtue? She looks like a fairy; what if she doesn't know the work? I will teach her everything."
The Queen Mother also said with a smile, "Yes Aditya, you are right. Beautiful girls can have a bit of laziness. I, Mother Subarnalata, will personally teach you all the household chores and cooking of the royal palace. For today, let me cook properly for everyone again."
In the afternoon, after everyone had rested following the Queen Mother's satisfying meal, a strange, calm atmosphere descended upon the palace. Seizing this opportunity, Aditya wanted to spend intimate time with his beautiful new bride. Blinded by Subarnalata's beauty, Aditya forgot all his old sorrows and became intimately involved with her. Sushila smiled inwardly—she knew exactly how to win Aditya's heart.
Meanwhile, in Kanchangarh, Arohi was sighing as she thought of her destiny. She did not know that on the throne where she was supposed to sit, an enchantress had established her right today. In his state of infatuation, Aditya might have momentarily forgotten Arohi's pure love, but the truth is bound to come to light one day.