Five Days turned into five nights, as Tiasha's venture continued. Hastinapur, Pandavas, Kauravas, Sakuni, Yudhishthira, Draupadi, The throne of Kuru Kingdom, the war, the struggles at this moment she forgot everything and everyone. Only the dreams of seeing her motherland swirled in her eyes. Leaving behind the vast expanse of the Kuru kingdom and the land of Koshal far behind, She travelled onward, until finally, you could make out the borders of Magadh in the distance. Only a few more days... a few more days before she reached Banga.

Her soul ached for Banga's soil — the intoxicating scent of earth after the rains, the familiar hum of rustling leaves, the sweet songs of chirping birds. She thought of that little squirrel she used to feed every day. Each memory stirred her heart, filling her with both yearning and joy, so long...it's been so long since she left all of it behind. So much has changed since.

Banga awaited her, and with each step she drew nearer, its essence called to her like a mother's eager voice, beckoning her home. She knew that this Banga would be different from the Bengal she once knew. Yet, no matter how different it may be, her heart held steadfast to the belief that her motherland would forever reign as the queen of every land on Earth—'Sujalang, Sufalang, Sashyashyamalam, Mataram...' A thread of love wrapping her very being, always drawing her back to its embrace.

Her journey wound through countless small towns and humble villages, past ancient forests and across small, skittish rivers. In each village, curious onlookers caught glimpses of a lone traveller—a young man atop a majestic black stallion, with a gaze as unwavering as the wind itself. Tiasha paused only briefly, stopping just long enough to let her faithful companion rest. Yet sleep evaded her; the closer she got to Banga, the more restless she became.

--

Tiasha stood by the city walls and affectionately patted Bivhas, her only trusted companion for this long lone journey. He took long sips of water at the open horse shelter in the vast marketplace of Girivaraja, the capital of Magadh. 

Most of the Kingdoms in Aryavarth had built high walls around their capital cities to make them stand out and protect them from outside attacks. The Market of Girivaraj started just inside the walls on the northern side of the town and was stretched till where the residential area began. 

Out of all other cities in Aryavarth, Girivaraj's size could only be compared to that of Hastinapur but with twice the population. Here in the market nobody had the time to stop and breathe. One can hear the shopkeepers and Vendors from all around shouting, trying to catch the attention of the customers, and the buyers moving from one shop to the next to get everything that they need.

-"Come here, you won't get such fresh vegetables so cheap anywhere else in the market."

-"Yes sir, what did you ask for?"

-"I won't pay, one more rupee for this."

-"Oh sister come back, twenty more rupees discount for you...take it!"

-"Oh brother, How much for this?"

The morning was most probably the busiest time in the market. The customer bargained with the fisherman. The Vegetable seller argued with the naive lady claiming his vegetables were all fresh. Little kids danced in joy after finally receiving the sweet treat they had been whining for. Young girls crowded the jewellery and maquillage shops. Some things always remain the same, time or space doesn't seem to change them much. Like this market, a symphony of life — loud, energetic, and unapologetically chaotic.

She glanced down at Bivhas, who had finished his water and was now nibbling on some hay offered by a kind stable boy. She gave the horse an affectionate pat and muttered, "Not much farther now, Bivhas. Just a few days, and we'll be in Banga." Her words were drowned out by the cries of vendors, but her horse, sensing her excitement, gave a small, reassuring snort.

Tiasha held Bivhas's reins and walked her way through the souq. She noticed the Jarasandh's soldiers patrolling from time to time, keeping an eye on everyone and everything. Tiasha adjusted the Turban on her head a little. 

An old bangle seller tried to draw her attention to his items: "Oh, young man! Look here. I sell one of the finest bangles in the entire Girivaraja. You must have a beautiful wife back at home. Take these for her. The key to a happy marital life is to keep showering your wife with gifts to make her happy. Take it..."

-"I do not have a wife, good sir, I am too young to be married." Tiasha replied laughing.

-"Bunch of baloney, I can't believe a fine young man like you is still unmarried. Still, if you don't have a wife, you must have a sister, take these for her..." The Bangle seller persisted. 

-"I have to buy some essentials right now, Sir, I promise I will buy some Bangles from you before leaving the market..." Tiasha stopped and looked behind her as she heard a commotion and a woman's pleading cries. 

A Wealthy-looking middle-aged man was dragging an older Woman by her hair through the crowd. The woman cried and begged the man to let her go. But all her imploring fell on deaf ears. In exchange, she only got harder yanks on her hair from the bulky man. Everyone around kept still standing there watching the scene, not daring to oppose the man. 

Tiasha's blood boiled, and a frown appeared on her face. The old Bangle seller, noticing her furrowed brows said, "What are you looking at, young man?" A bitter, almost sad smile appeared on his face. "That old woman sells fruits right there..." He pointed towards a big tree. "Under that tree. Sanatan, that bulky man, is in charge of this part of the marketplace, officially here to collect taxes. But Sanatan takes far more than that." 

The bangle seller's face grew sombre. "He demands whatever he wants from the vendors — their best goods, extra money — and he doesn't pay a coin for any of it. And if anyone refuses him, he'll ruin them — drive away customers, spread rumours, and turn their lives to dust."

The bangle seller sighed, "That poor woman barely manages a single decent meal each day. Paying him is beyond her reach. But this scene you're witnessing, young man... it's not a rare one. Every month, he picks someone new to squeeze dry."

-"What about the soldiers? Do they not do anything about this? Do they not inform the king about this?" Tiasha asked.

The bangle seller started to laugh, "Are you kidding Young man? The soldiers benefit from him. Why would they want to inform the king? Tell me, who wants to stop their extra source of income?"  Tiasha stepped forward. The bangle seller tried to warn her from behind, "Oh young man, don't..." She didn't look back at him.

-"Stop!", Sanatan was about to strike the woman when he heard a hard voice from behind. He greeted his teeth in fury. He turned around to find a young man not more than eighteen nineteen years old, had stepped up from the crowd and was standing in front of him with his chest puffed and head held high.

-"And who would you be? You don't look like you are from around here." He asked, slight curiosity and mockery present in his voice.

-"Leave her alone, now." The young man ordered. Sanatan was still holding the old woman by her hair. A crowd gathered around them.

-"Oh, or what else are you going to do?" Sanatan smirked. He yanked the old woman by her hair, harder than before. The last string of Tiasha's self-control broke. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed four men, probably Sanatan's attendants approaching her. She prepared herself. She approached Sanatan and those four men blocked her way. One of them pointed his sword at her throat. 

Tiasha took a deep breath. Without hesitation, she pivoted, sidestepping to avoid the blade's point, her movements fluid and precise. She seized his wrist and twisted sharply, forcing him to drop his weapon with a yelp of pain. In the same breath, she kicked the fallen sword out of his reach, sending it skittering across the ground.

-"I don't need to touch a weapon to teach you all a lesson." Tiasha smirked, challenging the rest of the three men.

The other three attendants closed in, their expressions shifting from smug confidence to surprise. The second man lunged, but Tiasha anticipated his move, ducking low and sweeping her leg beneath him. He stumbled forward, his balance lost, and she struck him squarely in the chest with her elbow, knocking the wind out of him.

One of the remaining men snarled, swinging a club toward her head, but Tiasha dodged, moving with practised ease. Grabbing one of the man's arms, she twisted him around and used his own momentum to send him crashing into his companion. They both staggered, momentarily disoriented.

Sanatan, still gripping the old woman's hair, watched with a mixture of disbelief and rage as his men were brought down one by one. He pushed the woman roughly to the ground and drew his own sword, his face contorted with fury.

-"So, you think you're a hero, do you?" he spat, advancing toward her.

Tiasha raised her chin, eyes blazing. "No. Just someone who won't stand by while you abuse your power."

Sanatan let out a growl and charged, his blade slicing through the air. Tiasha parried, her movements quick and controlled, meeting his blows with deft precision. The clash of steel rang out, drawing the attention of bystanders who watched, transfixed.

Sanatan swung wildly, his anger clouding his judgement. Tiasha saw her opening — she sidestepped his attack and struck him hard across the back of his sword hand, forcing him to release his grip. His weapon clattered to the ground, and she pressed her foot on it, trapping it beneath her heel.

Sanatan's face drained of colour as he realised he was defenceless. Tiasha leaned in, her voice low and unyielding. "If I see you mistreat anyone here again, you'll answer to more than just the people of this marketplace. Do you understand?" She put her feet on his chest to prevent him from escaping.

Sanatan nodded, his face twisted with fear and humiliation. He stumbled back, clutching his injured hand, and Tiasha turned her gaze to the stunned crowd. Slowly, they began to murmur in approval and awe, emboldened by her act of defiance.

Tiasha glanced down at the old woman, helping her to her feet with a reassuring smile. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're safe now," she said softly, her voice calm despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

The old woman's eyes filled with gratitude, and the onlookers, finally breaking free of their fear, erupted in applause and cheers. But these cheers didn't last long enough. The soldiers present in the market circled Tiasha. Sanatan somehow Managed to get away from beneath her and rushed towards the soldiers.

-"This...this young foreigner is abusing me. He attacked my men...see...see what he had done." He pointed at his attendants on the ground howling in pain.

-"Foreigner, we have to bring you to the King. You created commotion in the Market. You have beaten and threatened one of the Royal servants. Your actions will be judged by the king and the court and you will be punished accordingly afterwards. Now, do not dare to resist us or the consequences will be worse. You are under arrest..."

-XX-

Hello everyone, How are you all doing these days? I hope you are all doing safe and healthy. Here's an update for you. What do you think of it? What is going to happen next...

I promise I won't make you wait much to find out. Thank you all so much for your support guys. I mean you all are so lovely and supportive I cannot express how grateful I am to you. Even after I disappear for a literal month you all still patiently wait for the updates to come and shower every single chapter with your lovely comments...

Take care, Adiós my lovelies, I will see you very soon with another update. ❤️❤️