The sun was casting its harsh rays upon the earth. This meant it was afternoon. There was silence in the arena. Some people felt fear, others excitement. The fear was about what would happen if Raghuveer won. How could a Shudra become a commander? Those who had such thoughts were afraid. Because now it was the final round.
Raghuveer vs Manas — the question was, who would win?
"This is the final match of the competition: Raghuveer versus Manas," said the announcer.
Pratiksha came near Kamratna. Kamratna was sitting behind Vikram.
"Oh Pratiksha, you… sit here," said Kamratna.
"No, I'll stand. I want to watch the final round," said Pratiksha, because she wanted to see Raghuveer. She looked very happy.
"Alright," said Kamratna.
"Oh Pratiksha… you're truly a great swordswoman. Reaching the finals is no easy feat," said Vikram.
"Thank you, king," said Pratiksha.
The ministers sitting behind had smiles on their faces. Because they had told Manas to kill Raghuveer, and now that moment had arrived, they were pleased. Kamratna was not part of this.
The spectators shouted with excitement and clapped. But the claps were only for Manas.
Both entered the arena. From all sides of the stadium, only one chant was heard:
"Manas… Manas… Manas… Manas…"
The people in the stadium were welcoming him.
Please God, let my Manas win, Sharvani was praying.
Manas was welcomed with great enthusiasm. He entered the arena. From the other side, Raghuveer entered. No one clapped for him. People looked at him with anger. Only Pratiksha clapped for him and prayed silently.
Raghuveer, I wish for you to win, she told herself.
All the ministers, Kamratna, and Vikram began looking at Pratiksha — because she was the only one clapping. But her focus was only on Raghuveer.
Raghuveer also entered the arena. Now Pratiksha stopped clapping. But her attention remained fixed on Raghuveer. Whether it was love or pity, only she knew.
As Raghuveer entered the arena, people began cursing him.
"You murderer, you're going to lose," said a Shudra boy.
"The demon will be slain. Demons never win," said an upper-caste man.
"This demon killed my brother. I won't spare him. After the competition ends, I'll take his life. That demon," said an upper-caste boy. His voice was filled with rage. One of the knights Raghuveer had killed was this boy's brother.
"Yes, I'll support you. How dare he attack soldiers?" said the person sitting next to that boy.
Raghuveer listened silently. There was no reaction on his face.
Where has the compassion of my kingdom's people gone? Vikram asked himself. Because even he couldn't bear Raghuveer's suffering.
Pratiksha was very angry, but she remained silent. Because she also felt pity for Raghuveer.
"Vikram, that boy is truly powerful," said Bharu.
"Yes… enduring all this is no easy thing," said Varun.
Vikram looked at Raghuveer.
Forgive me. I can't do anything for you. But if you win, something will surely change, Vikram told himself.
The ministers had smiles on their faces.
Bharat, who was standing guard outside, was also hearing all of this.
These people are truly mad, Bharat told himself. He too felt pity for Raghuveer.
"So, are both of you ready? Begin," said the announcer.
"You demon, today I will slay you," said Manas.
Raghuveer was silent. He said nothing.
Manas charged toward Raghuveer. "Today you will be slain," said Manas.
He struck hard at Raghuveer's sword. Raghuveer kicked him in the stomach and pushed him away.
"Demon, I will kill you today," Manas kept saying. His face clearly showed hatred toward Raghuveer.
Raghuveer didn't strike back. He was only dodging Manas's sword.
Manas wasn't just attacking with his sword — he was attacking Raghuveer's body too. Because he didn't just want to defeat Raghuveer, he wanted to kill him.
He attacked Raghuveer's neck, but Raghuveer dodged the strike.
"After I take your life, the people of this capital will be overjoyed," said Manas. He was trying to mentally break Raghuveer. But Raghuveer's face showed no reaction. He listened silently.
Manas now attacked Raghuveer's legs. But Raghuveer defended himself.
Now Raghuveer counterattacked. He struck repeatedly at Manas's sword.
"No matter what you do, demon, you won't win. Today your death is certain," said Manas.
Raghuveer stopped mid-strike. On one side, Manas was mentally tormenting him, and on the other, the people in the stadium were cursing him. Raghuveer's courage began to falter. His sword movements slowed. Taking advantage of this, Manas struck at his neck. Raghuveer brought his sword up to block. Manas's sword hit Raghuveer's sword. Manas had used all his strength in that strike. The blow caused Raghuveer's sword to fall from his hand.
Raghuveer looked down at the ground. His sword was lying there. Manas approached to take his life. But he saw that his own sword had broken into two pieces. One piece lay on the ground, and the other was in his hand.
"The winner of this competition is… Manas," said the announcer.
Everyone stood and clapped loudly for Manas. Joy appeared on everyone's faces. Sharvani entered the arena and kissed Manas on the cheek.
"Manas, I knew you would win," said Sharvani. She was very happy. She hugged Manas tightly in joy.
From all four sides of the stadium, only the sound of clapping was heard. Except for Vikram and Pratiksha, everyone was happy. The ministers were very pleased. They too clapped loudly. Joy spread everywhere. The sound of clapping could be heard even outside the stadium.
Pratiksha looked at Raghuveer. Raghuveer was looking at his sword. She felt deep pain because Raghuveer had lost.
Raghuveer, we've lost again. What do we do now? Should we just leave? Why should we stay in someone else's celebration? Let's go, Raghuveer told himself.
He picked up his sword from the ground, sheathed it, and walked away. Pratiksha watched him as he left.