While Veerata sat in the banquet hall, Satya woke up inside a strange, cold, and dark basement. 

At first, her head felt sore from the impact of the wooden cane. When her eyes focused in the gloom, she remembered how she got here. 

Apart from the two young maidens from the hamlet, who she had seen being shoved into the palanquin, she found three more girls being held hostage. Of the three, two were also from the hamlet—the same missing girls—and the third was a stranger from outside town.

Satya asked how they’d got here. But the maidens were in complete shock, and crying bitterly. They remembered nothing of the palanquin ride nor the place where they dismounted. 

When she could stand up without her head hurting, Satya checked the entire place. The only door to the place appeared locked shut and guarded at all times. There was no other exit, except for a couple of narrow ventilator shafts carved high on one wall. 

Is there no way we can escape?

“Satya, I’m scared,” one maiden cried, trembling all over. 

Satya hugged her and patted her head. She had no words to reassure her. She didn’t know where they were or what would happen to them. 

After what seemed like ages, the door opened and two guards, dressed in masks and black attire walked in carrying a pitcher of water and a tray of food. 

The other girls screamed and huddled behind Satya. 

Without saying a word, the men placed the pitcher and tray on the floor. One of them advanced towards the group of trembling maidens. Up close, he looked huge and terrifying. Only his cruel eyes were visible above the mask that covered the rest of his face.

Satya stared back at him. “What do you want from us? Let us go!”

Ignoring her, the man bent forward and stretched his arm out towards the nearest young maiden, grabbing her wrist. She squealed in terror.

In a swift move, Satya raised her foot and kicked upwards at his bent head, landing a clean hit on his nose. He jerked backwards, howling in pain, his hands on his face. The other man rushed to his aid. The wailing maiden backed away to the corner of the wall. Satya was standing on her feet now. 

“What have you done?” the second man hollered. “You broke his nose.” 

Dark stains of blood appeared on the cloth covering the first man’s face.

“I told you!” Satya yelled. “Let us go! Why did you kidnap us? Why are you keeping us here?”

“Foolish girl, you won’t get away with this!”

“Foolish man, can’t you hear me? Let us go! Now!”

Annoyed, the man raised his hand to slap her. Everything happened fast. Satya ducked low and kicked his left leg. He slipped and landed on his face. The bruised leg smashed into the water pitcher behind. 

The earthen pot shattered. Its shards cut deep into the man’s shin. His cries brought more masked men through the open door. 

“What’s happening here?” A terrible cry thundered through the dark room. 

Satya recognized the voice. It was the last voice she’d heard before she fainted. Three more men stood behind him. 

Is he the leader?

His lethal aura pervaded the entire basement. The two men collapsed on the floor, began complaining about Satya’s behaviour. 

“She broke my nose,” the first man grumbled.

“She kicked me,” the second man cried. 

“Morons,” the leader barked. “Can’t you do anything right? I told you to bring one girl upstairs to Adipati. Do I have to do everything by myself?” 

Adipati? 

Satya knew the Sanskrit title. It meant ‘master’, and was used for feudal lords in Satayu who did not report to the emperor. However, Satvikshila was a university town, under Padmapani’s direct patronage. 

Brahmadatta is a government employee. Who is Adipati? 

Before she could think further, the leader approached her. Her fear resurfaced. The man seemed deadlier than the two men she had already defeated. Dressed exactly the same as the others, the only marked difference in his attire was a gold lining adorning his turban. 

On instinct, she backed away from him. The girls behind her squealed again. When the man grabbed her left wrist, she pounded his arm with her right fist.

“Release me,” she cried, struggling in his solid grip. “Release me, right now!” 

The other three men laughed at her plight. “She looks like a mouse hitting a lion,” they cried in glee. 

The leader seemed amused as well. “You little wretch,” he sneered. “How dare you hurt my men?”

Anger reddened Satya’s eyes. She spat into the man’s face. “You scoundrel! How dare you kidnap us?” 

He considered her for a moment, then turned to his men.

“Take this one upstairs,” he ordered. “She will learn some manners tonight.”

“But Adipati said—” 

“Take her upstairs!” 

The leader pushed Satya towards the three men. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the open door behind them. Before anyone could stop her, she pushed the men aside and ran towards the exit.