The afternoon sun over Junagarh Palace was as dry and piercing as fire. Usually, at this time, Prabhasha would be chasing colorful butterflies in the garden or tending to the vibrant flowers. But today, the seating area in the garden lay empty. Inside the palace, in the corner of a dark room, lay a broken-hearted princess.
Prabhasha's body had already begun to fail from the humiliation and the physical assault of the previous day. Since morning, a strange shivering had taken hold of her. As the day progressed, her body temperature began to rise rapidly. Touching her forehead felt like touching a heated pan. Her entire body ached with a dull throb, as if a thousand needles were being pricked into her bones. In the delirium of fever, she repeatedly whispered in a faint voice, "Didi... oh Didi... give me some water (jol)... I'm so thirsty, Didi..."
But there was no one in that room. By then, Snigdha had discarded all her affection and forgotten her royal duties to retreat into the embrace of Rupanjan in a secluded corner of the forest. She had no time to witness her sister's near-death condition. The intoxication of love had blinded her so much that she forgot how much this beloved sister of hers was suffering from yesterday's wounds.
Afternoon turned into evening. Prabhasha was tossing and turning on the bed in the agony of the fever. In unbearable pain, salty tears rolled down her eyes, soaking the pillow. her voice was parched; she didn't even have the strength to scream. In her feverish state, she was sometimes talking incoherently, sometimes cowering at the thought of Mother Sushila, and at other times, bursting into sobs remembering Snigdha's kick.
Meanwhile, Prafulla returned to the palace after managing royal affairs. On any other day, he would see Prabhasha in the garden as soon as he entered the gate. Seeing the garden desolate today, he felt a sense of unease. He thought, "What's the matter? Where is Prabha? Is she hiding somewhere out of anger?" He searched the entire palace—from the rooftop to the storehouse, there was no sign of Prabha. Finally, extremely worried, Prafulla headed toward Prabhasha's bedroom.
The door was half-open. As soon as he entered, Prafulla's heart skipped a beat. He saw Prabhasha lying disheveled on the floor, her entire body burning with fever. Prafulla rushed to his sister and scooped her up in his arms. Touching her forehead, he cried out, "What is this! This isn't a human body; it's a ball of fire! What happened to you, sister? Why are you lying alone like this? Where is Snigdha?"
Prabhasha had no strength to speak. She only gasped out, "Brother... water (jol)... Didi didn't come, Brother... I'm so scared..."
Tears welled up in Prafulla's eyes. He immediately summoned the servants and ordered, "Inform the royal physician at once! And arrange for cold compresses for her head!" The physician arrived, checked Prabhasha's pulse, and said with a grave face, "It's a severe fever, Prince. It isn't just the body; the mind has suffered a great blow. Administer this medicine immediately, and her head must be bathed with water tonight."
Prafulla personally gave the medicine to his sister. After a long time of applying cold compresses, Prabhasha's temperature dropped slightly. She looked at her brother with tired eyes and whispered, "Brother, where is Didi? Is she still angry? Won't she come to see me?"
Prafulla's blood was boiling. He gritted his teeth and thought, "My sister is in this life-and-death situation, and Snigdha is still out? Where does she go every day? For whom does she leave her own blood to die like this?" He consoled Prabhasha and said, "Don't worry, sister, I am here. You go to sleep."
Prafulla then came to the drawing room and began to pace restlessly. He searched every corner of the palace again. He went to Snigdha's room—it was empty. Not a single servant could say where the princess was. Prafulla's patience finally snapped. He stood like a statue at the main gate of the palace. His eyes were red like orbs of fire. He decided that today, when Snigdha returned, he would teach her a lesson she would remember for the rest of her life.
The sun was about to set, and the forest birds were returning. Prafulla tightened his fists and stared into the darkness. No more forgiveness today; today was the day of judgment. The peaceful environment of Junagarh Palace seemed frozen in the silence before a cataclysmic storm. Snigdha had no idea what kind of volcano she was about to face when she returned.