After she left him alone in the tent Randhir was tempted to laugh out loud at the girl's words and if his shoulder was not hurting him he would have actually guffawed, he had refused to take opium for the pain for fear of getting addicted to the drug. The drama queen deserved an award for acting, she had gone to the extent of getting bitten by a snake and now had threatened to stab herself just to grab his attention. Though she was feisty he was quite sure she lacked the courage to pull off what she had claimed, but he had to give her credit for entertaining him. 

She had been resorting to tricks like bribing his horse with treats of carrots, fruit and lumps of jaggery until he warned her off for trying to rot the animal's teeth and ruining its foraging diet. In turn she had yelled at him saying that he'd make a terrible father if he was so stern with his kids, and he had retorted by telling her that it was for his wife to worry about, not her- at which she had dissolved into tears and run off, and continued to ignore him for a few days till she was back with carrots for Pawan, speaking to the horse affectionately in the Bengali tongue. Though Randhir was within earshot he could not follow her words, but he gathered that she was complaining to the horse about him.

When he saw Samsher enter the tent from the look on his face it became clear to Randhir that the girl had cajoled him to be let in. Randhir narrated to Samsher what had happened and as he was about to unfasten the chain so that it could be returned to its rightful owner, Samsher stopped him preventing him from taking it off. He told him that whatever the girl's actions her intention was genuine and the amulet was a close replica of the Shekhawat clan deity, turning away an omen like that may displease the Goddess and that Randhir should continue to keep it close to his heart. Samsher agreed that the girl was infatuated with Randhir and he would try to talk her out of making things obvious or she might invite her father's ire. 

The next day as they stopped for their mid-day meal a bunch of tribal women stopped by trying to sell them some forest produce including mahuwa liquor which they carried in pots. For anyone needing a quick drink they provided a leaf to be used as a cup through which they would pour the liquor from the pot. A curious Sanyukta went close to take a look and was stunned to see all women stood with bared breasts which were hardly concealed by the tribal necklaces they wore. A particularly buxom teenage girl with a smile on her face was offering a drink to Randhir who seemed ready to fondle her as she came dangerously close to him. Obviously Sanyukta had seen enough, flying into a rage she flung a rock at the girl's pot of liquor causing it to cascade over Randhir. 

He spun around and noticed her raging eyes threatening to burn him, he was livid now and forgetting decorum he sped toward the angry Sanyukta, dragging her to a hidden cluster of trees where he gripped her wrists firmly behind her back. He was almost kissing close to her and she could smell the heady reek of liquor off him. "If you don't know how to stay within your limits I know other means to make you comply. Stop fantasising about something that's never going to happen, get possessive about the idiotic merchant your father is about to marry you off to!" he spewed at her menacingly. "Don't you dare threaten me or I'll tell my father what you were trying to do with that tribal girl!" she replied angrily, her chest heaving up and down like a set of bellows, even as he stared at it. 

"He won't give a damn unless I fondle his daughter, and I am not about to stoop to the level of helping myself to somebody else's bride! The next time you see me minding my own business with another woman make sure you find a proper venomous snake to kick in the face unlike the last time." With that he walked off, leaving her burning with humiliation and with tears in her eyes which were flowing even on the slightest provocation nowadays. As she returned to her field kitchen she could barely focus on her work, causing her to burn her palms as she forgot to use a cloth to handle the pot of boiling dal, almost dropping it in the bargain. Her scream could be clearly heard in the camp, Randhir knew her voice by instinct and chose to ignore it, he was still upset with her. Meanwhile the women plunged her palms in a vessel of cool water, when her father showed up and told her off for being careless. 

"Your in-laws will only blame us for not having trained you properly, do you want them calling us names? How could you be so clumsy at such a simple task?" he screamed at her, paying scant attention to her pain. An already humiliated Sanyukta lost her head completely as she began ranting. "I will not to marry some unknown man of your choice living in a far off place, it was your idea, not mine!" No sooner had the words left her lips she knew she had said too much. There was a stunned silence amongst all onlookers and her father stood there furious at being dishonoured before his people and strangers alike. He knew he was being watched, he had to act, he had to make an example of what a father was capable of while dealing with a rebellious, defiant daughter.

Noticing a  leather riding crop he grabbed it and pulling his daughter into open ground he began beating her till she screamed in agony and the men in his camp rushed forward to stop him. As the women lead her away her ghoonghat slipped off giving a clear view of her delicate skin broken and bleeding in places where the whip had made the most impact on her body. Randhir stood still, having watched the scene, unable to judge how to react. As the crowd dispersed he could see the women soothe the still weeping Sanyukta's back and arms with a salve. He had a tempest raging in his heart and mind, yes she was the most annoying woman he had ever met in his life, and as per custom her father and her husband after him had every right to punish her for being insubordinate.

Then why did his heart ache so much seeing her lying on the ground writhing in pain! He recalled the debacle he had with her over the tribal girl, especially the words he spoke to her in his anger. He knew his words must have affected her, he knew she must have invited trouble by burning her hands because she was distracted during cooking, in short, he was indirectly responsible for her father whipping her till she turned black and blue, even shredding her clothes in the process. A wave of impotent rage surged through Randhir, he could not get the sight of the girl who had faithfully placed the amulet around his neck for his protection lying there helplessly on the ground being beaten and shamed while he remained rooted in place, playing a mute witness. To add to it he got to know that she was deprived of food and water all day and night!

It had all started with the feelings she had begun to harbour in her heart for him, and had culminated violently before his own eyes. Had he not been assigned to protect her from harm, even if it was from her own father? If her own father had treated her so shabbily how would she suffer the company of some unknown man she had meant to marry but had chosen to publicly denounce? And what if the said man was a Sadist? That night Randhir got himself completely drunk but his thoughts continued to torment him, he had promised himself he would protect her while she was on his watch, and now, right before him she was thrashed mercilessly and he had failed to do anything about it, he felt he had failed her both personally and professionally.