Hearing the second thief's sobbing and pleas for forgiveness, Rupanjan said with a stern face, "Forgiveness? For what? What's done is done. Nothing can be done now. You should have thought about that before you put your hands on my bag."
Seeing the two thieves trembling with fear, the Maharaja stepped forward and said, "Alright, alright, calm down. This is my fault. I'm the one who set up this kind of test." Then the king turned to Rupanjan and asked, "Alright, your test is over. Now tell me the truth, Rupanjan, is there really that lemon in the bag? I mean, is there anything like what you described?"
Rupanjan smiled and said in a calm voice, "Your Majesty, to be honest, there is nothing like that. Just as you were testing me, I was testing you in my own way. That way, the thief, in his fear, would reveal the real truth himself, and I wouldn't have to do any of the legwork."
The Maharaja was quite surprised by Rupanjan's intelligence. He laughed and said, "Wow! You've done a very good job. I have no hesitation in saying that you have passed this test. Because, as soon as you got the news, you went straight to check if the bag was really in your room. That is, you see the truth with your own eyes first, You see, you observe, and then you reason. I am very pleased to see this quality in you. Then you staged a clever drama where the thief confessed to the theft of his own accord. I am very impressed by all your actions and intelligence. You have passed the second test."
Then the king looked at the two men disguised as thieves and said, "You may leave now." After they left, the king turned to Rupanjan and said, "Now, I will give you your third test."
Rupanjan said politely, "Very well, Your Majesty. Shall we begin right away, or later?"
The king said, "No, no, we'll begin now."
The king informed Rupanjan that he would ask him three questions. He said, "The answers to these three questions will determine whether you can pass the third test and earn your place in this royal palace. I am asking you three questions."
The king asked the first question, "What is the most precious thing in your life?"
Rupanjan thought for a moment. Then, in a clear voice, he answered, "The most precious thing in my life is my self-respect, which I would never want to lose. I always want to maintain my self-respect. This is the most precious thing to me, and I would never want to lose it."
The Maharaja was very pleased to hear such a profound answer from Rupanjan. He praised him, saying, "That's a wonderful answer, Rupanjan! I didn't expect such a beautiful answer from you. You're truly remarkable."
The Maharaja then asked the second question, "If you were given a day to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?"
Rupanjan smiled and said, "If I had a lot of money, I would help the poor and beggars. I would give them money, buy them food, and arrange for their housing. I want to make that day the best day of my life. So, I will help as many strangers who are struggling as I can and put food on their plates. Then, at the end of the day, I will take some time for myself—I will sing, recite poetry, and paint pictures in my mind. I will think of everyone, and I will also think of myself, because I love myself very much too, Maharaj."
Hearing this answer, the king's face lit up with joy. He looked at Rupanjan with an admiring gaze and said, "How beautiful, Rupanjan!" The more I see you, the more impressed I become. Your speech is exceptionally beautiful and full of wisdom befitting an elder. I am truly proud to have met and gotten to know a person like you, and to be living in the same palace."
Rupanjan smiled modestly.
Then the Maharaja asked his final, third question, "Tell me, Rupanjan, what is the biggest mistake of your life—the one you still regret?" In other words, a mistake you wish you could have avoided?" The moment he heard the Maharaja's final question, the light in Rupanjan's eyes seemed to fade in an instant. The air in the room grew heavy with an unnamed sorrow. He let out a deep, sorrowful sigh, his face etched with profound grief.