Rudradev was tensed. He said, "We need to do something. Kuvelapur is a very powerful kingdom. I think that we should attack Kuvelapur before they attack us."

Ojaswini looked into his eyes and whispered, "What is the necessity of a war when the problem can be solved outside the battlefield and with very little bloodshed? "

Rudradev giggled and said, "You are surely going to hell for all your misdeeds."

Ojaswini looked outside through a window and said, "I will rule the hell."

Everything was going smoothly in Kuvelapur. The king was sitting inside his chamber and taking a sip of sweet wine from his golden cup studded with a precious ruby. He had not yet informed anyone about his plan. He hatched the conspiracy alone and managed everything  on his own. He said to himself, "The situation is in my favour. I just need to disclose my plans before my ministers and prepare for the war."

He stood up but then, he could barely walk. He loved this intoxication. He fell on his bed with only one thought in his mind, 'Matangpur'. He said, "I heard that there is a very beautiful princess in Matangpur. Once the throne of Matangpur is mine, I will claim the princess too and make her my concubine. I will make sure that she receives enough humiliation that she is compelled to kill herself. But I will not let her die. She will live to  adorn my bed."

Of course the princess did not adore his bed but somebody else did. The king was asleep when a snake slithered into his chamber through the open window. It slithered on his bed.

The king felt a tickling sensation on his neck. It woke him up. He opened his eyes only to see a cobra on his chest. He was too shocked to make any sound. He started shivering. The moment he tried to move his head, the snake bit him on his neck twice and his face turned blue.

He was the king. He had the means to hire the best physicians. But when Yamraj comes to take you, even the best physician cannot save you. In the king's case, Yamraj took the form of a cobra.

The next morning, the king was found unconscious. The royal physician was called and the king was declared dead. The entire kingdom of Kuvelapur was immersed in sorrow.

'Their king had died of natural causes.'

However, people realised that the death of the minister Janmejaya was not at all natural. His death was being discussed in the royal court.

King Jayadev said to his courtiers, "How did Mantri Janmejaya die? Was it a murder?"

The prime minister Jayadev said, "Maharaj, he was found dead under a hundred year old banyan tree with a broken neck. He did not have a single scratch on his body. The people said that, there has always been something uncanny about the banyan tree. They are of the opinion that, the evil spirits residing on the tree killed him."

The king was not an ardent believer of omens. As a result, he found it difficult to believe his brother's words. He said, "Are you sure that it is not the work of a man?"

The prime minister thought for a while and said, "I cannot say that I am convinced by this story, Maharaj. But if it was really a murder, then I have to say that the murderer has not left a single trace of his existence."

The king nodded his head and declared, "The wife of the minister shall receive a monthly allowance until her son comes of age. This order must be brought into effect immediately."

Rudradev and Ojaswini shared a glance without being noticed by anyone else. After the dismissal of the court, Ojaswini walked towards her chamber. On reaching there, Pranlekha said to her, "No one knows anything."

Ojaswini said without looking at her, "They will never get to know about anything."

Just then, they heard some footsteps. Ojaswini said without even looking at the door, "What brings the crown prince of Matangpur here?"

Pranlekha turned around and on seeing the prince, she bowed. Rudradev entered the camber and said, "Privacy!"

Pranlekha bowed before him and left the chamber.

Rudradev approached Ojaswini and said, "We have received a message from Kuvelapur. The king is dead and we should thank the snake which bit him last night."

Ojaswini started laughing. Rudradev also laughed along with her.

After laughing for sometime, Ojaswini turned serious. She looked at Rudradev and said, "The time has come. Now, the crown prince must sit on the throne and rule over the kingdom."

Rudradev looked at her with doubtful eyes and muttered, "Now? Are you sure that my father is going to crown me as the next king?"

Ojaswini smiled at him and whispered, " 'Now' does not mean tomorrow. After this war, you will have to fight another war to clear your path leading to the throne."

Rudradev nodded his head. He walked towards the mirror and looked at his reflection. He turned around and said to Ojaswini with a rather low voice, "It will not be easy for me to sit on the throne because of your elder brother. We are cousins but he considers me as his enemy. He wants the throne for himself. He also has the support of some of our ministers. He is planning to bring all the ministers to his side and become the king with their support."

Ojaswini sat on a nearby chair and looked at Rudradev. She stared at him for sometime and said, "Your superiority over him is just like the superiority of the moon over a firefly. You need not worry. When the time comes, he will ask you to sit on the throne himself."

Seeing her smiling face, Rudradev smirked. He nodded his head in approval and walked out of the chamber. Ojaswini looked at the mirror and saw her reflection. She adjusted her necklace and smiled, as if admiring her own beauty.

Just then, a maid entered her chamber and bowed before her. She said, "Hail the Princess! The queen has asked me to inform you that, your elder brother, Rajkumar Vinayak will be returning to Matangpur from the kingdom of Devamatrika, the day after tomorrow." Ojaswini signaled her to leave. The maid bowed before her and left the chamber.

Ojaswini said, "So my dear brother has decided to return from our maternal grandparent's home."