Aunt Sulochana looked from her elder brother, Madhava, to her niece, Satya, and back to her brother again. 

“This morning,” she answered, “I had a terrible fright. When I lit the lamp in the kitchen shrine, something blew it out, and it wasn’t the wind.”

Satya opened her mouth to protest. “But—”

“Wait, Satya!” Uncle Madhava stopped her. “Go on, Sulochana.”

“You know I light that lamp every morning ever since we came here. It’s my beacon. I know I’m not as skilled a wielder of fire magic as my teacher was, but my lamp is indestructible, I assure you. Only a truly powerful dark magic or something equally inauspicious can blow it out.”

Uncle Madhava frowned, knowing the importance of his sister’s lamp. “Are you sure you didn’t blow it out by mistake?” 

At any other time, the accusation would have outraged Aunt Sulochana. Today, her eyes grew sad. She shook her head in silence. “It’s the first time something like this has happened. That’s why I asked Satya to not go to school today. I believe she’s safer at home just for today.” 

The old man narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. 

“Please, Uncle Madhava,” Satya entreated. “It isn’t fair. I must go to school today. There's a seminar on head massages and a test on herbal medicine. I can’t miss them. Not for the world!”

“Princess—” The word escaped Aunt Sulochana’s lips. She clamped a hand on her mouth, her eyes wide. 

Satya and Uncle Madhava turned to her in shock. 

“Don’t call me that,” Satya whispered. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“I’m sorry,” Aunt Sulochana said. “I’m just worried about you.”

Satya locked hands with her aunt. “Trust me, there is nothing to worry about. My name is Satya and I am a student at the university. I live with my aunt and uncle in this village. This is the only truth of my life.” She turned back to her uncle, half expecting him to concede to her aunt’s suggestion. 

Perhaps aunt is right. It’s just for today. I won’t miss much.

Her obvious disappointment plagued Uncle Madhava’s heart. He waved his hand. “Go,” he said. “Go to school!” 

Both women stared at him in wonder. At first, the young maiden stood rooted to her spot, unable to believe her own ears, staring open-mouthed at her uncle. He smiled and nodded. Delighted, Satya skipped out of the yard, not waiting for him to change his mind. She disappeared down the road in a matter of minutes. 

Aunt Sulochana turned to her brother in disbelief. “You let her go?" 

He shrugged in reply and sat back at his woodwork. 

The old woman continued. “You know, don’t you? My teacher was Satya’s elder sister. Don’t you understand what it means if the flame blows off?” 

He nodded, gravely. 

She frowned. “And still you let her go?”

“Sulochana,” he sighed. “Please! Where's my breakfast? I’m starving!”

“So you’re just going to ignore me, are you?” She stomped off into the hut and returned with a cup of coffee and a plate of flat-breads steeped in homemade, clarified butter. She sat down next to him as he ate. 

“Have you eaten yet?” he asked.

She shook her head again. “I’m not hungry,” she said. “I can’t shake off this strange feeling. What if something goes wrong? What if someone recognises her?”

“Hush, woman,” Uncle Madhava hissed, irritated. “If someone hears you—”

Aunt Sulochana lowered her head in her hands. “I’m frightened.” She wept. “Every day, I worry about her. I promised to protect her. I was the first person to hold her when she was born. If anything happens to her—”

“Nothing is going to happen to her as long as I’m alive,” Uncle Madhava avowed. 

She looked up, surprised at his sharp tone. 

He whispered. “You’re not the only one who promised to protect her. I might be old, but I’m not dead yet. So, please, stop worrying like this.”

Aunt Sulochana gulped. Silence followed the old man’s words, plunging them both into deep thought. 

When they first arrived in Satvikshila three years ago, Satya had prepared to settle into the sedentary life of the hamlet. Within a couple of months, however, she had shown a remarkable affinity for herbal medicine. She used her rudimentary knowledge to cure some residents of a contagious skin rash. 

Acharya Dhanwantari, one of the greatest physicians in Satayu, and the senior-most teacher at the university, heard of her natural talent. He offered her a free scholarship to attend the medical lectures. Satya was the only girl in the hamlet who had received such a seat at the university. The rest of the inhabitants were neither literate nor inclined to education.

Since then, Satya’s life had revolved around going to classes during the day and attending to her chores at home in the evenings. Her aunt sewed clothes for the women and children of the hamlet and the families in the western suburbs. Together, the three of them had been living an idyllic life. 

However, Aunt Sulochana’s fears were not unfounded. After a brief pause, she spoke again. “Have you heard about the kidnappings in town?”

Uncle Madhava nodded, frowning. “Everyone talks about it all the time. Two girls from our village are already missing. The neighbours say some evil men are lurking about the streets. They kidnap young girls and sell them off in foreign lands.”

“Oh my god! Why doesn’t the mayor do anything?”

“He’s posted his own guards around town. Perhaps he’s still investigating the matter. But there’s still no actual proof. The general opinion is that the girls could have just run away by themselves.”

Aunt Sulochana scoffed. “Why should he care about two girls from this poor village? Do you see now why I am so worried? What if they kidnap Satya?” She burst into tears again. 

Uncle Madhava said nothing. He couldn’t deny that he was also worried about his pretty young niece. 

“Sulochana,” a voice called out from outside the fence, circling the yard. 

The old woman dried her eyes with the loose end of her sari and looked at the caller. A middle-aged woman stood waving to her on the beaten path outside. 

“Sulochana,” she cried, grinning from ear to ear. “Have you heard the news? The great general of Satayu, Senapati Veerata, is arriving in town today.”