Sahasra was getting restless. It had been more than a week since she had come to Mahishmathi and still she was not allowed to leave the palace. She hadn’t seen Kshitij for all these days and the thought of him being in the dungeons made her heart break in to thousand pieces. Sahasra wanted to break everything that she found in her sight but refrained from it. From the last few days she has been hearing from the maids that she was the daughter of Mahendra Bahubali and Avantika and the heir to the Mahismathi throne and how she was abducted by Queen Jayara’s people. Sahasra didn’t want to believe it for the first couple of days but the proof was against her. Sahasra looked exactly like Avantika and that gave away any kind of resistance she had put up against the truth. Sahasra hadn’t seen Mahendra Baahubali since the meet in the court. Rajmatha Devasena came once in a while and checked on her. Sahasra didn’t speak to her. But it was different with Queen Avantika. Whenever she saw the Queen she couldn’t stay angry or sad, all she wanted was to fly around her like a butterfly, without thinking about anything, but she couldn’t. No matter whatever had happened or is happening, the reason she had come to Mahishmathi was for the people of Sarayuha and their well fare and now she has caused her friend to be thrown in to the jail. Sahasra had to do something about it. Sahasra took the wooden sword from the scabbard and took position. She was not given any real weapons but as she was a warrior, she was allowed to practice every day. She was always surrounded by guards who didn’t allow her to wander off even to a different part of the palace. Sahasra tried many times to sneak in to the dungeons. But she was always caught. No one dared to hurt her but they didn’t obey her either.

Today she was not just angry but her insides were also burning. Sahasra was sitting in her room when a maid asked her to go to the royal hall at the top of the palace as there was a meeting going on. Sahasra who was now dressed in Mahishmathian clothes climbed the stairs and walked to the hall followed by the guards. When she reached there, she saw Rajmatha Devasena, Mahendra Baahubali and Queen Avantika. Sahasra had no idea why she was called.

Devasena: Sahasra, you took your time.

Sahasra only nodded.

Devasena: We have called you here to inform you about an important decision.

Sahasra: Please tell me.

Devasena: I hope you have heard what happened in Kuntala and how you were taken from us. We thought we had lost you. Your parents cried for years thinking that you were dead. Now that you have come back we have something to inform you. As there was no heir to the throne, I was to announce a new heir from the royal family today. The throne would have left our line forever but now as you have come at the right moment, we were thinking of getting you married to a suitable person and making him the king of Mahismathi, so that you can be the queen and our family will still have the throne and administration.

Sahasra was not able to process what Rajamatha had told her. She looked at everyone and blinked. Then she looked at Devasena and said.

Sahasra: I have been here only for a week and none of you have even talked to me or tried to know me and suddenly you want me to marry a person who I don’t even know so that you can keep the throne. I can’t believe that we had this conversation. I do not want to marry anyone or become any queen. And I think the king is still young and he can rule for another twenty years.

Devasena: Mahendra and Avantika took care of everything for years even when they were going through a lot of pain and they wanted to rest and that is the reason such a decision was taken. We had lost all hope and hence we had to announce that a new heir will be chosen. We had many tests to select the next suitable king but now you are here and it is important that you marry that person for the sake of your country and throne.

Sahasra: A country that I don’t know anything about. A throne that I hated all my life. I understand that I am your blood but that doesn’t mean that I have to sacrifice my life for anything. I don’t value a country that want a woman to marry to be a queen and if your throne doesn’t have the power to give its heir the choice of doing what she wanted then it has no value as well and I gladly give it up. I do not want the throne or a husband. My friends are in jail since a week, please release them if you don’t mind.

Sahasra walked out of the hall without turning back and she was fuming with anger. She couldn’t understand why everyone was so cruel to her. First Queen Jayara took her away from her parents and now her parents are forcing her to marry a person she does not even know. She thought about Varun and Sarayuha. Though she should have been angry with them all she could do was cry alone. Sahasra ran to her room and took the wooden sword and walked to the yard to practice. She was swinging the sword intensely when someone blocked it with another. It was queen Avantika. A smile appeared on Sahasra’s face involuntarily.

Sahasra: Queen, I don’t want you to get hurt. Please move away and let me practice.

Avantika: Won’t you call me mother?

Sahasra didn’t know what to say or do. She wanted to hug Avantika. She had heard how Avanti fought to keep her safe and how she bled for days after the attack.

Avantika: It’s fine. Call me what you like but I would like to know how good my daughter is in sword fighting. Attack me.

Sahasra: I do not want you hurt, Queen. You are an elder and I don’t think you can defend yourself against me.

Avantika: A warrior never gets older Sahasra, a warrior only gets wiser. Now attack me.

Sahasra attacked Avantika softly and Avantika defended. Sahasra was impressed with the queen’s fighting skills and she started attacking her harder and when she found a moment she hit Avantika’s sword hand with her wooden sword. Avantika was not expecting such a move and the sword slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. Sahasra smiled.

Avantika: You cheated.

Sahasra: Who decided the rules. I didn’t hear any rules before the fight.

Sahasra was laughing softly when she heard a clapping sound from behind, it was the king. Sahasra looked at his side and saw him walking towards her taking a steel sword from the scabbard.

Shivu: You fought really well, now fight with the king.

Sahasra: I don’t have a real sword. How would I defeat you?

Shivu: A real warrior does not need a specific weapon to defeat the enemy, the wooden sword is enough, I will go light on you.

Sahasra: and why would I want to fight you.

Shivu: Only if you want your friends freed. Defeat me.

Sahasra saw her chance and smiled softly and took her position. Shivu attacked Sahasra and she dodged away. She wanted to use her sword but if she did judging by the King’s size, her sword will be broken in a moment. Sahasra was confused and she dodged more and more. She was only thinking about Kshitij and she didn’t know what to do. If she could kill, she would have done that by now but she can’t hurt her father. Sahasra was lost in thoughts and suddenly Shivu attacked her and she unknowingly raised her sword and it was cut in two and Shivu raised his sword to her neck.

Shivu: You lost your weapon and hence you are defeated.

Sahasra knew it was her moment she moved swiftly to Shivu’s side like the wind astonishing Avantika and she touched the jewels on both her elbows and two knifes came out of them and she dodge from Shivu’s attack and came round to his side and jumped on a table kept there and placed her elbow near his neck. Shivu’s sword fell from his hands when he saw what Sahasra had done. Shivu had never seen the elbow knife before and he couldn’t believe that his daughter was walking around with two of them when he thought that she was kept away from the weapons she had.

Shivu looked down and stayed silent for some time and then walked away from Sahasra. Sahasra was confused.

Shivu: You friends will be released today.

Avanti was shocked seeing the fierceness of her daughter. Avantika had been a warrior and had fought wars but her daughter was not just a warrior but a person who never accepted defeat. She could see that in Sahasra’s eyes. Sahasra was not someone they had thought was.

Kshitij was surprised when he and his crew were released from the dungeons. They were informed that they could leave and they are no longer the prisoners of Mahishmathi. All the days that they were in the cell; the guards didn’t hurt them. They were fed well too. The first thing he wanted to do after getting out was to meet Sahasra but the guards plainly rejected to it and asked him to get on a bullock cart arranged for him and leave for the port. Kshitij agreed to it. Kshitij reached the port and searched for his ship and crew and found them. The crew members were very happy to see him but they had something grave in their ways.

Kshitij: What is bothering you all?

Mahin: Something really bad has happened since we had left Sarayuha. Pirates attacked the kingdom and caused heavy casualty. They looted and kidnapped our people too. But the worst part is the warning they gave. The pirate king will attack Sarayuha with full force soon and they are planning to occupy our land and make us their slaves. The people in Sarayuha are not sure what they should do. Stand up and fight or leave everything and go.

Kshitij couldn’t process the information he heard. He covered his face with his hands and thought for long.

Kshitij: We are not going to run away. We will fight for our country and die for it. We have to leave now. I have to meet someone before we go. I will be back soon.

Sahasra was in the temple with her grandmother, mother and father. It was a special offering to Shiva as the princess had returned to their land. Sahasra was coming out from the temple when she heard the guards shouting. Sahasra listened carefully and when she heard his voice she ran towards Kshitij. Kshitij was held by four soldiers and he was trying to break free. When she saw him all she wanted was to hug him tight. She realized how much she had missed him and what he meant to her.

Sahasra: Kshitij. Leave him alone. I said leave him.

The guards moved away leaving Kshitij.

Sahasra: I thought you had left. (There were tears in her eyes and her voice was trembling)

Kshitij: I was about to leave. Then I came to know something. Sarayuha was attacked by the pirates while we were gone and they are planning to conquer the kingdom. I don’t have much time before I leave for the battle. I wanted to see you, one last time, before I go.

Sahasra: No, how can it be. Our people.

Kshitij: My people Sahasra. We are none to you. You are the heir of Mahishmathi and you should be caring about this nation and not mine. I am leaving now.

Kshitij turned around and walked away from her. Sahasra was heartbroken and didn’t know what to do.

At night Sahasra sneaked out of her room in to the armory and stole some weapons and warrior clothes. There were soldiers there and she had to knock out three of them before taking the weapons. It was not easy to sneak out of the palace without getting caught but she had to try. Sahasra was moving through the shadows when she heard her mother’s voice.

Avantika: I knew you will leave. I was waiting for you. I believe Sarayuha and its people are more important to you than your own country and parents.

Sahasra: It is not like that. I had made a promise to the people of that country that I will protect them no matter what. I am one of the guardians of Sarayuha and my oath binds me to fight for them.

Avantika: So what about your duty to your mother.

Sahasra: I will come back to you mother. I promise. I came back once right? I will come back again. Where else would your daughter go than where you are.

Both Avantika and Sahasra hugged each other. There were tears in their eyes. Avantika wiped her tears and said.

Avantika: There is a spy door in the palace. I will get you there. Follow the tunnel and you will reach the border to Sarayuha. I will arrange someone to get you a horse and to open the doors to the country. Land will be easier and faster than sea.

Sahasra: Thank you mother.

Avantika took her daughter to the spy door and wished her luck and hugged her good bye. Avantika knew it was wrong of her to send her daughter away. But before she was a mother or a queen, she was a warrior and warrior’s promise is worth her life.

Sahasra was waiting on the horse for the gates to open when she heard a voice. It was King Mahendra Baahubali. She knew that she will be followed but she never thought that the king will come himself.

Shivu: I thought you will hate Sarayuha and its people after knowing the truth. But you are leaving your nation and your parents for an enemy. What did we do wrong to be treated this way?

Sahasra: It’s not about love or hate father. At least not now. I understand that the people of Sarayuha have hurt us, took me away from you. But that is not all of them. It is just one person. For that one person how can I let all the people die and not try to help them?

Shivu: They have killed our people Sahasra and still you want to fight for them.

Sahasra: The people who hurt us are now dead. They are in the past. The ones who are alive have only suffering in their life. I came to this country for them. Because I had made a promise to safeguard them. I am a guardian of Sarayuha and I have said my oath to protect the country and its people no matter what. A warrior cannot break a promise. I have to go now.

The gates were opened.

Shivu: I don’t want to lose you again, Sahasra.

Sahasra: Then help me.

After saying this sahasra rode her horse in Sarayuha leaving behind Mahendra Baahubali who watched her till she was out of sight.

Amrutha