As decided, they left in the morning enjoying the scenic countryside and the jungle. He asked the driver about the place they were going to visit – if at all, he knew about the story of that place – surprisingly, he knew the story and began to relate it …

“King Brihadratha – a king from Mauryan dynasty ruled the kingdom. It was somewhere in 225 BC. His capital was Pataliputra. He prayed for a heir to their kingdom. Unfortunately, the queen gave birth to a girl. She was named Kanika – Princess Kanika. The king was livid with anger and hated her because she was a girl and not a son – a heir to the kingdom. When she was 5 yrs old, the king built a separate palace for her, far away from his capital, in the jungles of Bundelkhand. He banished her at that age, away from his sight.

“How inhuman of him – She could have been a better ruler than whoever his heir was…” Ayushi was aghast at this knowledge and her equal rights for women had surged up.

“Dear, this is history and this occurrence was in BC – you can’t do anything about it now…” he laughed at her indignance.

“Any ways the king was killed in 187 BC by his own general and without any heir…” the driver tried to continue…

“Serves him right. Male chauvinist pig…” Ayushi uttered which made Akash go into fits of laughter, “What are you sniggering at?” she snapped.

“This is history and whatever you do – you can’t change it… Chill and relax…” Akash was still laughing at the reaction… “Driverbhai – Don’t mind her remarks … go on with the story…”

“Kanika grew up – away from her family – brought up by her Aaya. Initially, she played with Anuradha – her Constance and her brother Agnimitra. But soon she and Anuradha were the only two persons – Agnimitra had go to a Gurukul where he was taught to be a warrior. After that he joined the king’s army.

One day when Kanika and Anuradha were on their forest exploration, a group of dacoits tried to abduct them. It was Agnimitra who single-handedly fought with dacoits and with his valour protected them and safely brought them back to the palace…”

“Movies are not different – they have similar situations where the lead lady or the sister of the hero is troubled by goons and the he fights them off and saves them – must have been taken from historical incidents like this one…” Akash observed.

“When this occurred, Kanika wished she could learn the skill of war and enhance personal fighting skills. The king who was informed of the occurrence made Agnimitra the chief of Kanika’s security and asked him to train her in fighting skills.

Thus, a new chapter began in Kanika’s life who started to train under Agnimitra. Anuradha used to sit and watch the training. They used to play and chat when the training was off.

But even this was short lived. They had grown up to a marriageable age and soon Anuradha was married and had to go to Pataliputra with her husband. This left Kanika lonely when the training was over with – she didn’t have anybody to share her feelings.

This loneliness drove her to Agnimitra and she fell in love with him. She was beautiful and Agnimitra couldn’t resist responding to her and her love advances…”

“Oh! There’s romance in this story – I mean the history – let’s hear it. What happened next?” Ayushi asked

“It was all good till it lasted -They enjoyed romantic moments and fell deeper in love with each other. The king somehow came to know of this love affair. He got Agnimitra arrested and brought him to the capital Pataliputra. There he ordered his head to be crushed under elephant’s foot.”

“How barbaric?” Ayushi said imagining the scene.

“At those times such capital punishments were common” Akash remarked, “What happened to Kanika?”

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By Prasad Deshpande

Are you ready for a thrill ride like no other? Look no further than Prasad Deshpande, the mastermind behind heart-stopping, spine-tingling thrillers that will leave you breathless and begging for more! "Unimaginable Plots, Unrelenting Suspense" With a twisted imagination and a flair for the unexpected, Prasad Deshpande weaves intricate tales that will keep you guessing until the very end. From shocking twists to heart-pumping action, it is a wild ride that will push you to the edge of your seat. Dive into a World of Thrills and Chills Explore the dark corners of the human psyche, where the unimaginable becomes reality. Prasad Deshpande's thrillers are not for the faint or weak of heart, but for those who crave a story that will haunt them long after the final page is turned.