Prafulla, somehow managing to calm his two sisters, headed out into the night with a torch in hand. All night long, he scoured every alleyway, garden, and even the abandoned farmhouses of Junagarh. But to his astonishment, he found no suspicious shadows or any sign of a new rotting tiger. As the first light of dawn broke in the corner of the sky, Prafulla returned to the palace, exhausted and dejected. He muttered to himself, "What strange illusion is Junagarh getting entangled in? I stayed awake all night, didn't take a moment's rest, yet by what sorcery did the enemy vanish right before my eyes? What answer will I give to the villagers?"
Meanwhile, as the sun's intensity grew, Prabhasha woke up rubbing her eyes. She saw Snigdha sleeping soundly beside her. In her sleep, Snigdha's face looked so innocent and enchanting that all of Prabhasha's anger from the previous night melted away. She thought, "Didi slapped me out of anger, but she only wants what's best for me. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so harsh either." Out of habit, she moved to hug her sister but stopped her hand halfway. The sting of yesterday's slap still seemed to burn on her cheek. She took a deep breath and left without planting a kiss on her sister's forehead. After eating, she paced the balcony, waiting for Didi to come, pinch her cheeks, and soothe her anger.
A little later, Snigdha woke up. Seeing the empty spot beside her, she was a bit surprised. She thought, "Is my little sister very upset with me? Wait, I'll wash away all your anger with affection today." Snigdha got ready and searched the entire palace, but Prabhasha was nowhere to be found. Just then, she noticed a note lying by the window. Rupanjan's handwriting! It read— 'Come at once, Snigdha, I have something very urgent to say.'
Hearing of Rupanjan's letter, Snigdha completely forgot about her sister's anger. She hurried out of the palace in disguise and reached the designated spot. Seeing Rupanjan, she said panting, "Why did you call me so early, Rup? Is there any danger?"
Rupanjan said with a grave face, "It is indeed danger, Snigdha. I woke up this morning to find a rotting tiger lying in my own courtyard! I don't know where this mystery ends." Snigdha was shocked, "At your house too? Is no one in Junagarh safe? Brother and I will take action tonight." Rupanjan held her protectively and said, "Don't go anywhere alone, Snigdha. I won't be able to forgive myself if I lose you." The two of them became so absorbed in discussing this new threat that they lost track of time.
Back at the palace, an impatient Prabhasha went toward her sister's room. She found it empty. When Snigdha was nowhere to be found even after searching the whole palace, Prabhasha felt that her feelings meant nothing to her sister. She ran to the courtroom and saw Prafulla sitting with his head in his hands.
Prabhasha asked, "Brother, what happened? Did you find anything last night?"
Prafulla said dejectedly, "No, Prabha, I didn't understand a thing. It's all like the game of some invisible power. Have you eaten? Where is Snigdha?"
Prabhasha said bitterly, "I have eaten, but I don't know where Didi is. I haven't been able to find her since morning. I don't understand why she wanders out alone even in this time of danger."
Prafulla's temper flared. At that very moment, Snigdha entered through the palace gates. Prafulla lunged toward her and said, "Do you have no sense at all, Snigdha? Where did you go alone without telling me? Have you gone mad?"
Prabhasha added from the side, "Yes, Brother, scold her more! She doesn't care about anyone. She had left early this morning."
Terrified and trying to save herself, Snigdha suddenly blurted out, "I... I told Prabhasha before I left!"
Prabhasha looked as if she had fallen from the sky. She screamed, "What? You told me? Are you falsely accusing me, Didi? You slapped me last night, and today you're trying to frame me as a liar in front of everyone? Have you lost your mind?"
Driven by stubbornness and the need to hide her secret, Snigdha grew even harsher and said, "It's better to have no sister than to have one like you! How filthy are you that you want to frame your own sister? I guess yesterday's slap wasn't enough for your cheek, that's why you're showing so much attitude today!" She moved to raise her hand against Prabhasha again.
Prafulla roared, "Stop it, both of you! Stop, I say! Have you gone crazy? People are dying in the kingdom, the country is filling up with rotting tigers, and you two are clawing at each other over these trivial matters? Will I have to wander the streets mad because of your nagging? I cannot tolerate your bickering and lies anymore!"
The two sisters stood with their heads bowed. No one said a word. But behind this silence, the poison of bitterness took root, appearing as a death trap for the eternal unity of the Junagarh dynasty.