While chasing Betal, King Vikramaditya reached back to the old peepal tree and found him hanging on the tree in his original position. The king pulled the corpse onto his shoulder and proceeded on his mission.
On the way, Betal said, “Vikram, you are indeed matchless. Your wit prompts me to tell you another story. But remember my words that you must not speak in between else I’ll be back to my tree.” The king agreed, and Betal began his tale:
In ancient times, the kingdom of Varanasi was reigned by an able and generous king. The praise for his administration echoed far and wide. However, kingdom was popular for one more reason. The fame of Princess Shashikala’s extraordinary charm was spreading in all directions. Countless number of marriage proposals poured in from the aspiring princes of far and near states. But the princess did not find any suitable groom among them.
The king and the queen were quite anxious about her continual refusals. Shashikala wanted her husband to possess the qualities of a perfect male. She aspired for a man who was handsome and extraordinarily brave, besides belonging to a royal family. Seeing the princess so adamant about her choice, the king and the queen left the decision to their daughter.
One day, three handsome princes from different distant kingdoms approached Shashikala for marriage.
The first prince’s name was Kumar Surendra. He said, “Princess, I can foresee someone’s destiny and can tell about the events in store for the person.”
The princess was impressed with his exceptional talent and asked him to accept her hospitality for the next few days. She then met the second prince, whose name was Makrand. The prince said, “Princess, besides descending from a powerful royal family, I possess a special magical chariot which can fly high above the mountains and rivers and can travel to faraway places in a very short time.”
The princess found the proposal interesting and asked him to stay as her guest for a couple of days.
The third prince, Gyanchand, expressed his desire to marry the princess and said,” Princess, I think I’m quite suitable to marry you, for I’m unparalleled in bravery. My sword wields lightning power and has the potential to chop down the toughest of enemies.”
The princess liked his remarkable talent and asked him to relax for a few days in her palace.
The next day, an unusual-looking demon was seen lurking around the princess’s palace. The guards and maids of the palace reported to the king and queen that the princess was missing. No one knew how and where the princess disappeared. The king’s men were sent in every direction around the kingdom, but everyone returned empty-handed. The anxious royal couple called Kumar Surendra and requested him to use his power to determine the princess’s whereabouts. The prince did the required calculation, and with the help of his concentration power, he came to know that the princess was in the captivity of a demon who had abducted her from the palace for the purpose of marrying her.
The inauspicious news pushed the king and the queen into deep grief. Suddenly, they remembered the other two princes staying as guests in their palace. The king sent his messenger to call them.
Prince Makrand and Prince Gyanchand came to meet the royal couple. The king requested them to rescue their daughter from the clutches of the demon with their exceptional abilities. The duo readily agreed. The first prince provided details of the demon’s palace whereabouts. The second prince brought his magical chariot, on which the three of them set off for their destination. Kumar Surendra’s calculation was right; the princess was indeed in the captivity of a demon.
On reaching there, Prince Gyanchand took out his deadly sword and entered the demon’s palace, followed by the other two. The demon was enraged to see his enemies. Roaring aloud, he rushed towards the prince. However, Prince Gyanchand attacked fiercely with his sword at the demon. A terrifying fight followed. At last, unable to withstand Gyanchand’s bravery and skill, the demon succumbed to his injuries. Princess Shashikala was freed with the joint efforts of the three princes. All four returned to the palace.
However, a strange circumstance followed the happy reunion. The three princes were equally vocal about their claim to marry the princess, as they all had contributed to her safe return.
Betal completed his story and turned towards the king, “Tell me, whom did Princess Shashikala marry? ”
“Remember Vikram, if you knowingly evade my question just to remain silent, your head will break into several pieces,” warned Betal.
Dear Readers, Can you guess whom Princess Shashikala marries? Guess your answer before reading on!
Vikramaditya thought for a while and then said, “Betal, Princess Shashikala was freed with the joint efforts of the three princes. Without each one’s contribution, it would not have been possible. Nevertheless, the most suitable among the three was Gyanchand. Without his exceptional bravery and proficient skill, the princess could never be saved from the demon’s hands. So, in my opinion, she would have married Gyanchand.”
Betal laughed heartily and said, “Vikram, your analysis and judgment are unparalleled. The princess indeed married Gyanchand. But now it’s time for me to go back to my tree, as you know the reason best.”
Saying so, Betal vanished like a wave, while King Vikramaditya chased after him back to the tree.
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