Sometimes fate has to intervene rather dangerously in order to present a new possibility for initiative. Sanyukta was desperately looking forward to enlist Randhir's help to rescue her from an imminent wedding, her father having kept specifics of the matter from her, indeed it was tradition for a girl to meet her spouse and interact with him privately only on the night of their consummation. Daughters were brought up to think that parents knew what was in their best interest and that arranged marriages were considered to be the most respectable.

 She knew she was taking a bold step and there was every possibility of her being rebuffed by an indignant Randhir for making such a preposterous proposal but she was willing to try, she had to start somewhere. When they began the journey from their home in Bengal she had been resigned to her fate, as long as her father was her guardian things could not turn out differently. Meeting Randhir had changed everything, her heart had initially explored the possibility of a dalliance with him, but over the next few days the attraction had turned into something more solid and tangible. 

Each time she observed him carefully she was impressed with his commitment, his sense of honour and propriety and his leadership qualities. Never having had the chance to meet other young men in his league she had fallen hopelessly for him when, quite by irony he began avoiding contact with her having sensed her admiration for him. If he wanted to he could have easily taken advantage of a naive and vulnerable girl like her and she would have willingly surrendered to him without inhibitions, but he was firm in his resolve to maintain distance, carefully addressing her as Bai sa (Madam) whenever he spoke to her, that too in the presence of her people, rather than approach her when she was alone, much to her growing frustration.

 What she did not know was that she would get the chance to approach him under the most unusual circumstances. The route of their journey passed through challenging terrain- besides towns and villages there would be hills and ghats, streams, rivers and jungle to reckon with. The jungles of Central India were rich with fauna and flora. Mixed forests of teak, sal, bamboo, haldu and amaltas trees matched a maze of grasses and bushes. 

Flocks of chital or spotted deer crossed their path freely, handsome antlered sambhar, chinkara, nilgai, gaur or stocking-feet Indian bison and wild boar grazed without paying much attention to the passerbys, though their sharp ears always kept them alert to possible intrusion. Wild elephants were to be avoided because of their unpredictable temperament. Lions, tigers and leopards lurked in the night, staying in hiding when the sun was overhead, although jackals could be spotted during the daytime.

  They pitched camp to rest for the night in a secluded spot in the periphery of a forest which they were due to cross during their journey the next day when the risk of running into dangerous animals was relatively low. Fires were lit, meals cooked and eaten and torches that burn all night kept vigil over the campers along with sentries who kept watch in four hour shifts to avoid possibility of any danger. The scent of oxen and horses must have drawn the attention of predators. Just past midnight the sentry gave off the alarm when a leopard was spotted trying to attack the frightened oxen, rousing both Samsher and Randhir who rushed forward with their lances and daggers.

As Randhir drew near the leopard he noticed that the animal was injured, possibly in a hunt. Injured predators often turn on human settlements going after cattle that are an easier target than prey animals who need more effort to hunt down. If simply chased off the leopard would return later for a kill. The shouts and movement of feet near him startled the animal who found his escape route blocked. A cornered feline is a highly dangerous animal; due to its inherent need for self-defence it can turn on an opponent violently. The furious leopard snarled at Samsher and Randhir before rushing forth and swiping a mean paw on the arm of the younger man who was more accessible to him, drawing blood even as Randhir who regardless of being injured swiftly drove the lance through the animal's heart.

The commotion had woken up the camp, people watched as the heroic man was carried into his tent where his wound was tended and medicine applied to the deep gashes before it was bandaged. He was given a mild opium draught to help him sleep through the pain. Sanyukta, who had watched in horror the whole drama unfold before her eyes, was badly shaken up. As the sentries resumed their duty people went back to sleep but she could not bring herself to slumber, deeply concerned for Randhir. Next morning on enquiring she was told that he was fine, though still drowsy because of the opium. They resumed travel as usual and she waited patiently for a couple of days until she saw him move about and even ride his horse, albeit with some difficulty and a bandaged shoulder. 

After dinner as people drifted off to sleep she drew a shawl over her form and stole her way toward his tent, where she met Samsher with whom she had pleaded during the day to meet Randhir privately, and he had reluctantly consented due to her persistence. No words were exchanged as she made her way in, Samsher stood guard at the entrance after making sure no one had seen the girl enter. Against the dim backdrop of the torchlight outside she noticed that Randhir was awake and was surprised to see her before him. She dropped her shawl and let her ghoonghat slide to motion him to stay quiet by placing a finger on her lips. Her eyes roved over his wounded shoulder which had started to heal even as he impatiently whispered to her to leave reminding her that it was highly improper of her to be in there with him. 

She ignored him and went on to unfasten a silver chain around her neck with an antique rectangular silver pathri pendant in its centre, which had an ornate image of the Goddess Durga Bhavani. As he watched in fascination she strung it around his neck, the pendant now nestling close to his heart still feeling warm as it radiated her body heat on his skin. She told him softly that it was an amulet that held a charm in its core and she had always worn it since childhood. She wanted him to have it because she had seen him face danger and she wished that he did not encounter any serious harm again. She implored him never to remove it from around his neck so it could shield him always.

As he asked her why she was giving up her own amulet for his sake she said that she did not need it anymore as she was under his protection. He reminded her that she was his responsibility for just a few more days. In reply she tied a braided silken strand around his wrist telling him that it was a dev-rakhi, basically she had invoked perpetual protection, and he was under obligation to prevent any harm coming to her in return. He smirked saying  that he owed that only to his sisters, not to strangers like her. Her expression changed for a moment, then she suddenly grabbed his palm and laid it flat against her heart, holding it there steadily, as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

Having had enough of her child-play he drew his palm away giving her a look of irritation. She opened her eyes slowly and he could see a look of determination on her face. She told him plainly that a rakhi was not confined to siblings, Shachi had tied a rakhi on her husband Indra's wrist, if faced with the possibility of having to surrender herself to another man she would rather drive a dagger through the same heart that he had felt beating, just like he had driven a lance through the leopard's heart, and her blood would be on his hands. Leaving him to digest her words she veiled herself once more and turned her footsteps toward her side of the camp, thanking Samsher on the way for obliging her.