Some wagons were prepared for the Chief and his ministers for the journey. The time was ripe as the sun was rising in the sky. When Surender looked at Prabhupada's whole family coming he somewhat found it funny.
"Prabhupada, although it is something that concerns your family but still mostly it is a work related expedition. Why are you taking your whole family?"
Surender's remark left Prabhupada feeling a little shameful.
"Chief, they wanted to see Ambipur. That's why."
"Well, anyway. Be ready to go."
After a full day of rolling wheels of the vehicles, they reached Ambipur in the evening and resided in the village ashram. Keechak had arrived at the Ashram beforehand.
A meeting over the evening tea was called and Surender introduced Keechak to Prabhupada using mighty words in his glory.
A tall, muscular man, who looked like an excellent wrestler, dusky skinned with intimidating eyes, was standing right in front of Prabhupada, two feet longer in height from him. The words of Keechak's glory coming from Veerapalli Chief, whom he served, made him like Keechak for Dhani.
Vani, as free-spirited as always, wandered in the ashram looking at the beautiful night sky while her sister was reading a book in the room. She happened to cross from near the room in which her father was sitting. The conversation attracted her interest and she took a peek.
"Ohho! So that's the reason for coming here. Hehehe. They think they can keep any secrets from me. Hahaha. Is he the prospective groom?"
She went back running to Dhani and smiled mischievously looking at her.
"What has happened? Your lip corners are touching your ears." Dhani asked her.
"Keechaaak!!! Hahaha."
"Keechaad? What? You mean mud? Where?"
"Keechak not Keechad."
She took a deep breath and came and hugged Dhani.
"My dear sister, let's go to the jungle tomorrow morning," she said.
"Jungle?" Dhani asked with surprise.
"Jungle? Did you hear 'jungle'? I said temple. Let's go to the temple tomorrow morning.
"Temple? You?" Surprised Dhani asked.
"Yes! Because Keechak will go to the forest tomorrow morning for hunting," she thought and smirked.
●●●
The next morning as the sun rose, Vani took Dhani to the Ambipur temple which was covered in dense forest.
"This temple is surrounded by a lot of trees. Shall we take a walk around?" Vani asked.
"Sure. But, let's first worship the goddess."
After completing the rituals, Vani managed to get Dhani ready to go into the dense forest. Initially she started it as a simple walk but then led her in the jungle.
"Where are we heading? We may get lost in the forest. Let's go back," Dhani said.
"Don't worry sis, I know this forest very well. I have come here many times. Let's go over there," she said and looked here and there. "Aguh. Just where is that man?"
They crossed by a big tree, when an arrow appeared from the thin air and crossed them from the side to hit the tree behind them. Both were stunned. More arrows started to come towards them from that direction. Vani remembered that Keekhak was going to play a hunting game in the forest. But, the number of arrows being fired didn't look like a hunting game. It seems like an attack. Frightened, they hid behind the big tree. A group of men who appeared to be soldiers arrived at that place and searched the forest.
"Where are you hiding? Come out you bastards" one of them, dressed differently from others, perhaps the leader of the scout, shouted.
"Shoot arrows in every direction. They must be hiding somewhere here" he ordered the others.
"They followed his command and shot arrows in all directions. Vani was curious if that was Keechak. She could ask for help from him. She tried to take a peek at them. An Arrow came in her direction. Before she could move, she got hit by it in the abdomen. She screamed in pain. Dhani became anxious looking at her. "Vani" she shouted.
"There, there. Catch them."
Vani fell on the ground unconscious. "Oh no! Vani!! Wake up" Dhani screamed and sat down on the grass beside Vani. She took her head on her lap.
"Vani, please"
"Shoot arrows"
The soldiers shot more arrows in their direction. Dhani knew that the arrows would hit Vani again. She put herself in the way of the arrows so that they wouldn't touch Vani even by mistake and closed her eyes, ready to be hit.
Suddenly, the sound of shooting arrows was replaced with an eerie sound of slitting and cutting, clings and clangs. It had been some minutes, not a single arrow had hit her till then.
"What happened?" She opened her eyes to see two men cutting the arrows coming their way in halves.
Dressed in the same clothes like each other, faces covered with masks, same height and same hair in colour and length. They looked like replicas of each other from behind.
One was holding swords in both hands and the other was holding axes in each hand. They appeared to be professional swordsman and axemaster.
They skillfully cut the arrows coming their way. Their Swift movements didn't leave even a single arrow escape from their weapons. Dhani was mesmerised by their skills. She watched them skillfully cut the arrows in halves with excitement. The soldiers stopped shooting more arrows.
"Are you finished?" said the one with axes. It was a deep, serious and ethereal voice which was mocking them.
"But, we have just started. Haha" said the other one swinging his swords. His voice was funky and filled with excitement.
"You! Both of you are going to die today" their leader said. He pulls out a sword and matched towards them.
"Attack"
Yah! Come on. We haven't actually practised our skills in a while. It will be fun" the swordsman said and tilted his neck. He did some stretches.
The forest was filled with the sounds of metal clashing, hitting and screams of the hit afterwards. But, it did not last long. Just in a few minutes those two men defeated all the soldiers.
"What a nuisance," the axemaster said tossing a dead body by his leg.
"Hey! Those women. They are hurt," said the swordsman.