King Vikramaditya, a very generous and kind king, popularly known as the people’s king, was determined to fulfill his promise to the sage to bring Betal to the cremation ground of the capital so that his subjects could lead peaceful and prosperous lives. Even though the king was fed up with Betal’s repeated escapes, he once again reached the Peepal tree, pulled the corpse onto his shoulder, and began walking toward the cremation ground.
In the middle of the journey, Betal, who had made the corpse his home, praised the king’s determination and said, “O King, the cremation ground is very far, which will make our journey boring and tiring. So, I will tell you a very interesting and riddle-filled story that will make our journey pleasurable.”
Without waiting for Vikram’s nod, Betal began his story:-
“Long ago, there was a king named Raaj Kumar who ruled over the kingdom of Karur. The king and queen had all the luxuries of the world, but they were very unhappy because they had no children. The worried royal couple prayed to the gods and goddesses for a long time for a worthy child. Their prayers were answered, and a baby boy was born to the royal couple, filling their hearts with boundless happiness. The boy grew up to be a fine young prince and was blessed with good looks, intelligence, and bravery.
The prince was named Dilip Kumar and became a close friend of the palace washerman’s son, Anand. One day after a hunting expedition, Prince Dilip Kumar decided to visit Anand’s house. On the way, he saw a beautiful girl named Madhubala, who was Anand’s neighbor and also belonged to the washerman community. It was love at first sight for both of them when they saw each other. Prince Dilip Kumar told Anand about his love for Madhubala. Anand had also loved Madhubala since childhood but had never revealed his feelings, and neither did Madhubala know about Anand’s feelings for her. Knowing of the mutual love between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala, Anand’s loyalty led him to help his friend win Madhubala’s hand in marriage.
In the coming days, Prince Dilip Kumar looked very dejected and sad. He could neither sleep nor eat, which caused his health to deteriorate. In the middle of the night, he visited the temple of Goddess Kali and, with folded hands, prayed to the goddess, “If I can marry Madhubala, then I will offer you my head as a sacrifice on the next full moon night.”
Meanwhile, Anand went to King Raaj Kumar and told the worried king the reason for Dilip Kumar’s deteriorating health. King Raaj Kumar decided to break all social norms for his son’s happiness and had Prince Dilip Kumar married to the love of his life, Madhubala, the daughter of a common washerman. After the marriage, the couple lived very happily. The only person who had mixed feelings about this whole turn of events was Anand. On the one hand, Anand was happy for his friend’s happiness, and on the other hand, he also felt sad about his own loss.
On the next full moon night, Prince Dilip Kumar requested his wife, Madhubala, and his friend, Anand, to accompany him to the Goddess Kali Temple. Upon reaching the temple, Dilip Kumar asked them to wait outside while he went inside and fulfilled his promise by beheading himself with his sword. When Dilip Kumar didn’t return, Anand went inside to check. The moment he entered the temple, Anand was shell-shocked to see his friend’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. This tragic turn of events forced Anand to end his life by chopping off his head with the same sword lying beside Dilip Kumar’s body. When both of them didn’t return, Madhubala went in to check. She was stunned to see the dead bodies of both of them. In a state of shock and grief, Madhubala ended her life too. Goddess Kali was so impressed by their love for each other that she brought all three of them back to life. But while doing so, she accidentally interchanged the heads and bodies of Dilip Kumar and Anand.”
Betal ended his story and asked King Vikramaditya, “Vikram, now that Dilip Kumar’s head was on Anand’s body and Anand’s head was on Dilip Kumar’s body, who is Madhubala’s real husband?”
Dear readers, who do you think is Madhubala’s true husband? Choose your option before reading King Vikramaditya’s answer.
King Vikram replied, “A true husband is the one who has the head of Dilip Kumar and the body of Anand because the head rules the body, and hence, it is the most important part of a man’s personality, character, and identity.”
Betal was very pleased with the king’s answer and praised him wholeheartedly. But he was not so kind when it came to going with him to the cremation ground. As soon as Betal heard the answer, he left the king and flew into the sky, leaving King Vikramaditya running after him.
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