The morning at Junagarh palace was not as pleasant as other days. As the first light of dawn broke, a heart-wrenching scream woke everyone up in the palace courtyard. The mahouts and guards rushed toward the large cage near the stables where Aditya's most beloved hunting dog, 'Tiger', lived. Aditya and the Maharaja hurried downstairs. What they saw made the ground slip from beneath their feet.
Tiger lay there, lifeless. The dog that was barking fiercely until yesterday afternoon was now as cold as stone. A faint bluish foam had escaped his mouth, as if someone had killed him with an extremely subtle poison. Aditya knelt down and placed his hand on Tiger's head, his eyes filling with tears. This dog was not just a hunting companion; he was a friend from his childhood.
The Maharaja roared, "How is this possible? The vigilant protector of my palace died like this? Who has done this deed?"
The entire palace was in an uproar. The Queen Mother stood by, trembling. She remembered yesterday's incident—how Tiger was barking at Subarnalata. She whispered faintly, "He was so restless yesterday. Has some evil eye fallen upon us?"
Sushila (Subarnalata) was standing on the upper balcony, watching the scene below. Her face wore an act of enchanting sorrow, but inside, she was exploding with diabolical joy. She was saying to herself—
"Ha ha ha! You were barking quite a bit at me yesterday, weren't you? Trying to raise suspicion in everyone? Your animal eyes caught my true form, didn't they? I did the right thing by finishing you off last night! Anyone who crosses Sushila's path will meet the same fate as this dog. You dared to challenge me? I will crush you into the dust!"
Aditya looked up and saw Subarnalata standing there with a dejected face. He quickly went upstairs and embraced her. Shedding crocodile tears, Sushila hid her face against Aditya's chest and said, "My beloved, I cannot stay in this palace anymore. I am so scared. Yesterday that dog behaved like that seeing me, and today he is dead! Will everyone consider me an ill omen now?"
Aditya hugged her even tighter and said, "No, Subarnalata, you must not think such things. Tiger probably died from a poisonous insect bite. You are not at fault for this."
Behind the shelter of Aditya's chest, Sushila wore a sliver of a devilish smile. Looking toward the Queen Mother, she thought—
"If that old Queen tries to poke her nose too much into my business, I'll make her condition worse too. If she ever tries to say anything against me, I'll grab her by the hair and slap her so hard that all her royal elegance will vanish! The throne of Junagarh is mine now; my command is the final word here."
The atmosphere of the palace turned gloomy. As Tiger's lifeless body was being carried away, the sky suddenly became overcast, as if nature itself was bearing witness to this injustice. Meanwhile, in Kanchangarh, Arohi has been very restless since this morning. Her heart tells her that someone very dear in Junagarh has left this world. Sitting by the window, she whispered, "Oh God, please look after my Aditya. May the eyes of the devil not harm him."
Arohi does not know that the devil is now reigning in Aditya's bed. She does not know that the poison of conspiracy is now mixed not just in letters, but in the very blood of the palace. When the members of the royal family returned to the palace after the final rites of Tiger's lifeless body, a deep shadow of grief was cast over everyone's faces. Aditya's eyes were red and swollen; the pain of losing his dear companion was gnawing at him from within. But amidst the grief, a deep mystery was brewing. The Maharaja hastily organized a royal assembly. The ministers, generals, and veterinarians present began to offer their opinions one by one.
Breaking the silence of the court, an elderly minister said, "Maharaja, I believe Tiger died from the bite of some poisonous insect. It is not unusual for venomous geckos or snakes to appear in this mountainous region during the monsoon." Another general shook his head and said, "But Tiger was no ordinary dog. His sense of smell and intelligence were sharp. No insect should have been able to overpower him so easily. I suspect someone might have conspired to remove him by mixing poison in his food."
Sitting beside the throne, the new Queen Subarnalata (Sushila) spoke up with an extremely innocent face, "Maharaja, I also feel it was an insect bite. Who would have such enmity toward this helpless creature as to kill him with poison? The security of the royal house is impenetrable; is it even conceivable that an outsider would enter and give poison? You are all getting worried for no reason."
Just as everyone was beginning to be reassured by Subarnalata's sweet words, the Queen Mother spoke up in a piercing voice, "Everyone else may be reassured, but I cannot. Why was Tiger barking so restlessly ever since you went to the garden yesterday afternoon? And then he died early this morning! Is this merely a coincidence? I feel there is a deep mystery behind all this, and you might be at the very center of that mystery."
At the Queen Mother's direct accusation, Subarnalata burst into a flood of tears. Grabbing Aditya's hand, she began to sob, "What are you saying, Mother? Why would I do such a ghastly thing? I have just arrived at this palace, trying to make everyone my own, and you are branding me as the culprit at every step!"
Seeing Sushila's manipulative tears, Aditya's heart melted. Stopping the Queen Mother, he said, "Mother, enough! You are suspecting her for no reason. She was by my side the entire time."
Hiding her face against Aditya's chest, Sushila laughed a diabolical laugh internally. She said to herself—
"Hmph, keep suspecting, old lady! This excessive intelligence of yours will be your doom. This old woman is always after me. If I get the chance, I'll give you such a shove from those stairs that you'll be bedridden and paralyzed for life! Then I'll see where this fiery temper of yours goes! This palace is mine now; whoever raises a finger against me here, I will bury them under the earth."
The Maharaja then concluded the assembly, saying, "Fine, we shall all remain vigilant. Tiger has left us, but we must ensure that no other animals or subjects are harmed. Arrangements should be made to spray insecticides around the palace and the royal gardens today. Call the men to clean the garden. And from today, trusted guards are appointed to keep a strict watch over the food."
After the assembly ended, the disguised Shilajit (Subarnakumar) came to the Maharaja and said humbly, "Maharaja, much of my trade work has been pending. I must depart now. It might take six months or a year to return. Please look after my daughter."
The Maharaja and Aditya agreed. But once alone, Subarnalata whispered to her father, "Father, if you leave, how will I handle this conspiracy alone? That old Queen watches me constantly. I will be so lonely here without you."
Placing a hand on his daughter's head cunningly, Shilajit said, "Listen daughter, it is no longer safe for me to stay here. If we stay together, everyone's suspicion will grow. And it looks unseemly for a father to stay too long at his daughter's in-laws. You are not alone; whenever there is danger, inform me through a secret letter. I will help you with everything from the shadows. You just keep Aditya in the palm of your hand with the magic of your beauty."
Shilajit took his leave and departed. Night fell over the Junagarh palace. Smoke was being spread throughout the palace to kill insects. Everyone had their dinner and went to bed. On the pretext of comforting Aditya, Sushila said in a very soft voice, "Beloved, your heart is very heavy for Tiger. I understand. Please sleep a little, take rest. Your pain will lessen if you sleep."
Sushila served Aditya in such a way that he drifted into a deep sleep. After Aditya fell asleep, Sushila sat up in bed. There was no enchanting smile on her face now, only a ghastly, devilish satisfaction. Looking out the window at the sky, she said to herself—
"Everything is going perfectly. Whether Father stays or not, I will seize this empire. The outsiders think Father has gone for trade, but I know Father will play all the moves from our secret hideout."
Exactly when it struck twelve at night, Subarnalata's form began to change again with the ticking of the clock. Losing her enchanting beauty, she returned to her ugly, terrifying, permanent appearance. She stood before the mirror, looking at her true self. She herself shuddered seeing her sunken eyes and pale skin. She said to herself—
"Only one more hour! Once this hour passes, I will again be a nymph in everyone's eyes. No one will ever be able to see this hideous form. Aditya is in a deep sleep now; he won't even know that a venomous serpent is sitting beside him."
As the clock struck one, the magic returned. Sushila became the exquisitely beautiful Subarnalata once again. She took a long sigh of relief in the peace of the day's toil and successful conspiracy. Then, lying down beside Aditya, she drifted into a deep sleep. She does not know that sitting in Kanchangarh, Arohi is praying to God—that truth may triumph. Arohi does not know how deep the web of conspiracy is, but she believes that no illusion is permanent.