Tanvi's head was still spinning when she saw the dark figure looming over her. His silhouette was imposing, the faint light of the moon casting his shadow long across the damp floor. He crouched down, looking at her with an unsettling grin.
"Well, well, look what we have here?" the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Quite the prize, aren't you? Seems the stories about the runaway noblewoman were true after all."
Tanvi's heart raced, but she kept her composure, locking eyes with the man. "Why have you kidnapped me? What do you want?" she demanded, her voice steady but her mind racing with plans of escape.
The bandit leader chuckled, rising to his feet. "Kidnap? Oh no, my dear. I prefer to think of it as... securing a hefty reward. King Ajay's men have been offering quite a sum for your safe return, and I think you'll fetch a fine price."
Tanvi's mind reeled at the thought of Ajay's obsessive pursuit. She had run so far, yet it seemed like his reach was endless. She knew she had to think fast.
As they spoke, one of the bandit's men rushed in, panic evident on his face. "Boss! It's your daughter... she's been captured by King Chanda's men!" he blurted out, breathless.
The leader's grin vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of pure rage. "What did you just say?" he growled, grabbing the man by the collar.
"It's true," the man stammered, "King Chanda has her. He... he's taken her to his palace. You know what he does to women, boss."
The room fell silent. The bandit leader stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. King Chanda was notorious for his cruelty, especially toward women. Any woman he fancied was taken to his palace, never to be seen again. The thought of his daughter in that monster's hands sent him into a blind fury, but he knew if he tried to rescue her himself, he'd be walking into certain death. Chanda's palace was heavily guarded, and he didn't have the resources for a direct assault.
Tanvi, watching this unfold, sensed an opportunity. Her mind raced. If she could help the leader rescue his daughter, she might not only escape but also gain his trust and eliminate one more enemy from her path.
"I can help," she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the tense silence.
The leader snapped his gaze toward her, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "What did you say?"
"I said, I can help you rescue your daughter," Tanvi repeated, sitting up despite the dizziness still clinging to her.
The bandit leader let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "And why would a noblewoman like you, running from one king, care about helping a bandit's daughter?"
Tanvi stood her ground, her voice unwavering. "Because I know what it's like to be a woman in a world ruled by men like King Chanda. If I don't help you, he'll destroy her. I can't stand by and do nothing. Besides," she added, her tone calculated, "I have no money and no allies now. Without your help, I won't survive. So help me, and I'll help you."
The bandit leader's eyes narrowed as he weighed her words. His men shifted uneasily, unsure what to make of her offer. One of them spoke up, "Boss, she's playing you. You can't trust her."
But the leader raised a hand, silencing his man. He studied Tanvi for a long moment, then said, "You think I'm going to just trust you? A woman who was willing to run from a king? What's in this for you, really?"
Tanvi met his gaze squarely. "Your daughter is in danger. I can help her because I know what Chanda's guards are like. I've dealt with their kind before. And for me? If I help you, maybe I'll gain allies who value loyalty over money. I have no one else left."
The leader's eyes flickered with uncertainty. He looked at his men, then back at Tanvi. "And how exactly do you plan to do this? You're just one woman."
Tanvi took a deep breath. "I've got the one advantage Chanda's men won't expect: I'm a woman, too. I know how they think, how they underestimate us. If we act smart, I can slip into his palace, find your daughter, and get her out. You don't have to trust me completely, but what other choice do you have? Will you let your daughter suffer because of your doubts?"
The bandit leader was silent for what felt like an eternity. Then, with a deep sigh, he nodded. "Fine. I'll give you this one chance. But if you betray me, if anything happens to her because of you—"
"You won't have to finish that sentence," Tanvi interrupted. "I'll get her out."
***
By the early morning, Tanvi had been given a chance to clean herself up and change into a simple outfit that would help her blend in. The bandits weren't wealthy, but they had enough resources to help her make a convincing entrance into Chanda's palace. She had learned a few key things during her time dealing with the nobles: how to talk like one of their servants, how to move unnoticed in a crowded room.
As they approached Chanda's palace, the reality of the situation hit her. This was a high-risk plan, but she had no other option. She couldn't abandon the bandit leader's daughter, not when she had convinced him to trust her.
Slipping past the palace guards was easier than expected. They were so used to looking down on women that they barely noticed her. It was exactly what she had counted on. The palace was a maze of opulence and cruelty, the air thick with the scent of incense and something darker, more sinister.
Finally, after what felt like hours of searching, she found the girl—locked in a small, dimly lit chamber, her face streaked with tears.
"You're the bandit's daughter, right?" Tanvi whispered urgently. "I'm here to get you out."
The girl nodded, her eyes wide with fear but also with a glimmer of hope.
Tanvi worked quickly, her heart pounding as she led the girl through the palace's hidden corridors. They moved silently, the sound of distant guards and the hum of palace life masking their footsteps.
But just as they were nearing the exit, Tanvi heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They were out of time. She pushed the girl forward.
"Run! Don't stop, no matter what!" Tanvi ordered, turning to face the guards who had spotted them.
She fought fiercely, using everything she had learned in her months of running and survival. But the numbers were overwhelming, and just as it seemed she might be caught, the bandit leader's men arrived, breaking through the palace defenses in a surprise attack.
In the chaos, Tanvi managed to escape with the girl, the two of them running through the dense forest back to the bandits' camp. The bandit leader was waiting, his face etched with anxiety.
"Did you—"
Tanvi nodded, breathless. "She's safe."
The leader's eyes softened with gratitude. "You... you really did it."
"I keep my promises," Tanvi replied, exhaustion weighing down her voice.
The campfire crackled softly as Tanvi sat with the bandit leader and a few of his trusted men. The night was unusually calm, a rare moment of peace in her otherwise turbulent life. Tanvi's mind drifted as she stared into the fire, wondering how she had gotten herself entangled in such a mess. The leader, a gruff man with a weathered face softened only by his concern for his daughter, broke the silence.
"You had every chance to run," he said, his voice a low rumble. "You could've escaped after lying to us, but you didn't. You kept your promise and risked your life for my daughter. Why?"
Tanvi smiled faintly, her eyes tired but steady. "Because I know what it's like to be powerless, to be trapped. I couldn't leave her to that fate. Besides," she added, her voice gaining a bit of strength, "I didn't want to become the kind of person who runs when things get tough."
The leader nodded slowly, respect in his eyes. "You're different from most nobles I've met. There's no greed in you, no hunger for power."
Tanvi chuckled softly. "If only that were true. I have my own reasons for running. And now, thanks to Prince Ajay, I have to keep running."
The leader's face darkened at the mention of the prince. He leaned forward, curiosity in his eyes. "That prince... Ajay. What's his deal? Why is he so desperate to catch you? I've heard stories of him, stories that make him sound like a ruthless warrior, a man of great honor. But the way he's chasing you, it's... strange."
Tanvi shook her head, exhaling deeply. "I don't know. I don't understand it myself." She looked up at the leader, her expression growing serious. "Let me tell you everything, from the moment I first crossed paths with him until now."
And so, she told him. She recounted the strange invitation to the masked party, the unsettling encounter with Prince Ajay, how he claimed to have dreamt of her before ever meeting her. She described his obsession, how it had grown worse over time, and the terrifying lengths he was willing to go to, just to have her.
The leader listened in silence, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing moment. When she finished, he let out a long, contemplative breath. "I've dealt with men like him before," he said slowly. "But this... obsession he has with you, it's unnatural. He's supposed to be a warrior, a man of discipline. It doesn't make sense."
Tanvi rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of the past few months pressing down on her. "I don't understand it either. He claims I'm the woman from his dreams, that I'm his soulmate. But I have no idea why he thinks that or how he even knows me. It's madness."
The leader's eyes narrowed, deep in thought. "Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Men like him don't stop until they get what they want."
Tanvi sighed, leaning back against the rough wooden log behind her. "I know. That's why I need to keep moving. I can't stay in one place too long. He'll find me again."
The leader glanced at his men, who exchanged worried looks before he turned back to Tanvi. "You said you're looking for someone. Your friend, Rahul, right?"
Tanvi nodded. "Yes, but no one I've met so far knows anything about him. He disappeared from the kingdom without a trace."
"And this red diamond you mentioned?"
Tanvi's face tightened with frustration. "It's something Rahul and I were supposed to be researching together. A rare gem with... well, with strange powers, according to legend. But now, I don't even know where to start looking. It's like the whole world swallowed him up, and I'm just wandering around in the dark."
The leader scratched his beard, thinking. "We don't know anything about your friend or the diamond, but we do know ways to get around this land without being seen. There are hidden paths, forgotten by most, that stretch across the borders of kingdoms. If you want to disappear, we can show you the way."
Tanvi's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. "You would help me?"
He nodded. "You saved my daughter. I owe you that much. And... I respect your fight, your will to survive. The least I can do is give you a chance to keep running if that's what you choose."
She smiled for the first time in what felt like days. "Thank you. I don't know where I'll go, but anywhere away from Ajay would be a start."
The leader stood up, motioning for one of his men to bring a map. As they unrolled the old, weathered parchment, he pointed to several routes that crisscrossed the mountains and forests, far from the main roads. "These paths are known only to us and a few others. They'll take you through different kingdoms, and no one will know where you've gone unless you want them to."
Tanvi studied the map, feeling the weight of the decision before her. "I'll take these paths," she said after a moment. "But I'll need a new name. If Ajay's men are still looking for me, I need to disappear completely."
The leader gave her a nod of approval. "Smart move. Choose a name, something simple."
She thought for a moment before saying, "Arya. I'll go by Arya from now on."
The leader smiled, a rare sight from the hardened man. "Arya it is then. You'll be a ghost in these lands."
Tanvi—no, Arya—stood up, taking a deep breath as she looked out into the vast, dark forest. She wasn't sure where the hidden paths would take her, or if she would ever find Rahul or the red diamond. But one thing was certain: she was no longer the scared noblewoman running from her fate. She had a new name, a new identity, and a chance to carve her own path.
Before she left, the leader placed a hand on her shoulder. "Be careful, Arya. The world is full of dangers, not just Ajay. But if you ever need help, find me. You've earned more than just our respect—you've earned our friendship."
Arya nodded, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you. I'll never forget what you've done for me."
And with that, she disappeared into the night, a new woman with a new mission, ready to face whatever came next.