Entering her vast, dazzling royal chamber, Snigdha looked at her reflection in the mirror and found herself entangled in deep hesitation. Opening her wardrobe, she pulled out precious garments one after another, thinking to herself, 'Which dress should I wear tomorrow to travel to Rupnagar so that I look the most gorgeous and unique? Should I wear a glittering royal saree tomorrow, or a luxurious gown? Or perhaps a special piece of royal attire so that everyone—from the royal family over there to the common subjects—is instantly spellbound by the majesty of my beauty?'
While struggling with this dilemma of choosing an outfit, a scheming, wicked idea flashed across Snigdha's cunning mind. A villainous smile played at the corners of her lips. She thought, 'Wait, let me go check what that simple-minded Prabhasa is planning to wear for tomorrow! Whatever she has pulled out, I will take a pair of scissors and cut it into pieces, so she cannot show off her beauty in front of me tomorrow wearing a fine dress!'
The moment this malicious thought struck her mind, Snigdha picked up a sharp pair of scissors from her drawer. Stepping as silently as possible, she tiptoed toward Prabhasa's room. Peering through the gap in Prabhasa's closed door, Snigdha saw an exquisitely beautiful royal gown laid out on the bed. Filled with intricate craftsmanship, the gown sparkled like pearls under the rays of light. And right beside it lay a set of glowing, priceless diamond jewelry, which Prabhasa had decided to wear for tomorrow's event. Leaving the gown and jewelry on the bed, Prabhasa walked with soft steps toward the garden behind her room—to pluck a few fresh flowers to style her hair.
Seeing Prabhasa leave for the garden, Snigdha lost no time in sneaking into the room as quietly as a cat. Looking at Prabhasa's stunning royal gown right before her eyes, her chest burned with intense jealousy. Pulling out the sharp scissors in her hand without a shred of pity, she ran them through the gown. Within moments, she chopped it into tiny bits and scattered the shredded pieces across the bed and the floor. Then, with a demonic smile of victory on her face, she hid the scissors under her drape and swiftly fled back to her own chamber.
A short while later, Prabhasa returned to her room in sheer delight, carrying a few fragrant fresh flowers from the garden in her hands. But as she stepped into the room and her eyes fell upon the bed, the flowers slipped from her hands onto the floor! Her eyes widened in utter shock and deep grief. Prabhasa saw that her dream royal gown, set aside to be worn tomorrow, had been shredded to pieces with scissors and reduced to utter ruin!
Unable to bear this heartbreaking sight, Prabhasa dropped to her knees on the floor and broke into inconsolable tears. The sound of her wailing and distress echoed down the palace corridor and reached Prafulla's ears. Sensing something amiss, Prafulla rushed hurriedly into Prabhasa's room. Seeing his younger sister sitting on the floor weeping like a child, Prafulla felt deeply anxious. Rushing over, he embraced her and said, "What happened, sister? Why are you sitting on the floor crying like a child? Tell me what happened!"
Points to the shredded pieces of her dress with a trembling voice, Prabhasa sobbed, "Brother, look at what happened to me! I pulled out my beautiful gown with so much excitement to wear to Rupnagar tomorrow and left it on the bed! Then I went to the garden to pick a couple of fresh flowers so I could pin them in my hair, wear the gown, and check in the mirror how I looked! But when I returned to the room... look, brother, someone cut my beautiful royal gown into pieces with scissors and destroyed it completely! Tell me, what am I going to wear to tomorrow's event now?"
Seeing Prabhasa's extreme distress and tears, Prafulla comforted her and said softly, "Ah, sister, hush now! Does anyone weep over a mere piece of cloth? Why are you breaking down like this? Don't you have any other beautiful dresses in your royal wardrobe? Was this the only dress you owned that you must sit on the floor and cry because it got ruined?"
Wiping her tears, Prabhasa replied, "No, brother, I have many beautiful clothes. But I liked this special gown immensely for tomorrow's auspicious occasion! I had harbored a dream in my heart to wear this very dress. But look how horribly it has been cut and left behind!"
Placing a hand on Prabhasa's head with great affection, Prafulla said, "Very well, do not worry at all. From all the outfits in your wardrobe, I will personally pick out the most gorgeous dress for you, and you shall wear that tomorrow. And I promise you—you will look the most beautiful in tomorrow's royal assembly! For don't you know, sister, a person's true beauty does not lie in their attire or ornaments; a person's true beauty resides in the purity of their heart, their sweet demeanor, and their character! What difference does an expensive dress make?"
Hearing her brother's invaluable and wise words, Prabhasa's anxious mind calmed down in an instant. With a sweet smile breaking through her tearful eyes, she said, "You are so right, brother! I was truly being foolish, crying over a ruined dress like a fool! A person isn't judged by their clothing. I have so many lovely outfits in my wardrobe, and I will pick one from those tomorrow. I was ruining my own mood crying over this torn dress for no reason!"
Prafulla let out a breath of satisfaction seeing his sister's smiling face. But a sudden suspicion arose in his intelligent mind. He asked gravely, "Tell me, sister, have you thought even once about who could have entered your royal chamber and cut such a fine gown with scissors? You left the dress on the bed and went to the garden for only a few minutes!"
The moment her brother mentioned it, Prabhasa's eyes froze. Thinking for a moment, she said, "That's true, brother! I hadn't considered this angle at all! Who else in this palace would have the audacity to come into my room and cut my dress with scissors? This must be sister's doing! No one else in our palace could commit such a wicked and despicable act except her!"
Grit his teeth, Prafulla said, "My suspicion is exactly the same! Come, let's see what scheming trick she is playing in her room!"
Saying this, Prafulla and Prabhasa moved together silently toward Snigdha's room. Reaching the doorway of Snigdha's room, they saw Snigdha standing in front of the mirror with those sharp scissors in her hand, laughing arrogantly and muttering to herself, "What will you do now, you wretched Prabhasa? I cut your royal gown into shredded pieces with these scissors! Now let's see what rag you wear when you accompany us to Rupnagar tomorrow! Tomorrow, it will be me who shines as the most beautiful and exquisite maiden in the entire royal court! Nothing will be left of your beauty to look at!"