Prabhasha was pacing the corridor of the Junagarh palace. Only one name revolved in her head—'Rup'. When that boy from the ordinary household had mentioned his name, Prabhasha felt as if she had never heard such a sweet name before. To her, he wasn't Rupanjan; he was just her beloved 'Rup'. But intertwined with that name was a chest full of agony. Rup had clearly informed her that there was someone else in his life. Prabhasha no longer felt anger toward Rup; instead, all her hatred was crashing down upon that unseen girl.
She vowed to herself, "Who is this enchantress for whom 'Rup' turned me away? Even as a Princess, have I lost to an ordinary boy because of that woman? Surely she is some witch who has clouded my Rup's mind. I will find that girl at any cost. I will ensure that not even her shadow falls upon Rup again."
In the afternoon, when Snigdha entered the room, she saw Prabhasha sitting sullenly. Snigdha asked with a laugh, "What's the matter, sister? Did you remember the name of your heart's desire? That someone you said you fell in love with?"
Prabhasha let out a long sigh and looked at her sister. She had no inkling that the sister sitting before her was actually Rup's lover of five years. Prabhasha said in a shy yet melancholy tone, "I remembered, Didi. His name is 'Rup'. Do you know how handsome he is? But he didn't give me any importance. He said he has already given his word to someone else. I'm thinking of finding that girl. I won't give a moment's peace to the one who is keeping my Rup away from me."
Snigdha paused upon hearing the name. 'Rup'... she also occasionally called her Rupanjan 'Rup' out of love. But immediately she thought, "Nonsense! Rup is a common nickname. So many boys could be named Rup. And my Rupanjan doesn't wander around much outside the palace." Snigdha comforted her sister, saying, "Oh, forget it! There are thousands of boys named Rup. You are a Princess; there will be so many better suitors for you. Don't lose heart over a mere ordinary boy."
But Prabhasha's stubbornness did not fade. She decided that from tomorrow, she would go out in disguise again and shadow Rup. She wanted to see who Rup meets.
With a restless mind, Prabhasha went to the secret chamber of the palace where the 'Magic Mirror' was kept. Her heart was pounding. Standing before the mirror, she said in a trembling voice, "O Magic Mirror, you know everything. Show me just once, for whom is my Rupanjan waiting? Show me the face of his lover!"
The clear glass of the mirror slowly grew hazy. A silhouette like a vague mist appeared. Prabhasha saw a girl standing with her back turned, her long hair fluttering in the breeze. The girl was wearing royal attire, holding that old clay doll given by Rupanjan. But alas! The mirror seemed to be playing a game with Prabhasha today. Just as the girl was about to turn her face, the mirror turned white with a brilliant light. Prabhasha screamed, "No! Show me the face! I want to see who she is!" But the mirror showed nothing more. A terrifying stubbornness and hatred took root in Prabhasha's mind. She thought, "Surely it's some girl who has cast a spell, keeping Rupanjan enchanted. I will find her."
The next afternoon, Snigdha and Rupanjan had agreed to meet at their old spot by the river. Today, Prabhasha followed Snigdha in disguise. She saw Snigdha leaving the palace very stealthily. But Prabhasha didn't think for a moment that it could be her own sister. She thought perhaps Didi was also going to meet someone. But right in the middle of the path, a group of subjects surrounded Snigdha to speak about their problems. In that gap, Prabhasha lost track of her sister and mistakenly took another path in search of Rupanjan.
Reaching there, she saw from a distance that Rupanjan was standing under a tree, and a girl was standing before him. The girl had a large veil pulled over her head, so there was no way to see her face. The girl was holding Rupanjan's hand, talking intimately. Standing in the shadows, Prabhasha began to burn with jealousy. She thought, "So this is that girl! It's for her that Rupanjan rejected me?" Through the veil of mist, she saw Rupanjan kiss the girl's forehead gently. Prabhasha felt as if someone was tearing her heart out.
She vowed in her mind, "Whatever it takes, I will remove this girl from Rupanjan's life. She has stolen my Rupanjan; I will steal all her happiness." Prabhasha did not know that the girl behind the veil was none other than her own sister, Snigdha, whom she loved more than life. And Snigdha did not know that her younger sister was lying in wait to deliver a lethal strike. In the peaceful household of the Junagarh palace, the poisonous seed of misunderstanding was planted, and it began to grow into a giant tree.