Sushim holds Ashoka from behind. You wont win every time, Daasi Putra. Ashoka recalls how he used to say the same thing to him in childhood. He pushes him back angrily and they continue fight. Siamak happily looks on from far. You were right Dadi Ma. They both are fighting to kill each other. It will be good if they both die while fighting with one another. It is important to gain the throne.
Ashoka and Sushim keep on fighting. They end up pointing swords at each other’s neck. Sushim tells him to tell his last wish. Ashoka says one wish is just about to come true. Bindu comes just then and asks both his sons to stop. No one will move from their place. Throw your weapons down. It is my order! Both his sons do so reluctantly. Everyone else gathers there. Bindu says history is repeating itself. Brothers are again fighting for ruling the state. Sadly, this has been the tradition of royal family where relatives fight with one another for power. I wont let it happen in Patliputra. Siamak thinks this old man could come a little later. Bindu tells his kids to hear and remember him well. You have my blood in your veins. I am not going to let you waste it as motherland has a right on it. None of you will try to hurt the other after today. If either of you die (any time), then I will announce death penalty for my other son as well. I wont see time or reason behind it. Everyone is shocked.
Bindu says none of you can understand how hard it is for a father to take such a decision but you dint leave any other option from me. I had come to feel in last 10 years that this lineage’s pride will finish soon. I spent them praying for another chance from Lord to keep this family intact. My entire family is together now. I am excited to take Magadh to new heights. I wont spare anyone who tries to break this thought or my family. Both the mothers will be responsible to make sure our sons oblige to what I said. He tells Charu to make sure Ashoka is not at all harmed or he will punish Sushim right away without knowing the reason behind it. He advises Dharma to keep tabs on Ashoka too. Sushim glares at Ashoka before they both withdraw from there. Everyone heads inside except Charu and Bindu. Bindu asks Charu if she wants to say something but instead tell her to sleep. It is late. He goes. She looks upset and hurt.
Bindu says I feel it is important to make our sons understand their duties. They always speak of killing others. It will be good to divert them into something constructive. Ashoka is here now. I am thinking to divide all the responsibilities between both Sushim and Ashoka. They will get a motive in life. Dharma seeks his permission to say someone. He nods. I came here to discuss it with you and hear your opinion. They wont try to hurt each other following your orders. They wont be able to do it for life though. I think it a wife who will be more suitable for this responsibility. He likes her point. I will send invitation to nearby states to invite all the Kings over with their daughters on Shraavan Mela. We will get our sons married. As far as I understand your point, you wish to calm our sons in their marital life. Do you like someone for Ashoka? She takes Kaurvaki’s name which tenses him.
I know Kalinga is not a friend but will there be a better way to make amends with Kalinga? He asks her if she thinks it is possible after all the differences between both the states. She nods. Kaurvaki has not just helped Ashoka in Takshshila but here as well. She had so much courage even in such young age. She understands him well which is her biggest quality. I am sure she will be able to calm his aggression, his anger. If they both unite then Acharya Chanakya’s dream will come true. He agrees to send invite to Kalinga too. I am impressed by your thoughts. There was no one in all these years who could guide me. Now I feel that Maurya lineage is not at all divided anymore but has come together. He opens his arms for her. She hugs him.
Everyone is gathered in the courtroom. Mahamatya says I sent an order to summon Nirankush here but he is away for some work purpose. He will be back in 4 days! Ashoka reasons that Nirankush is asking for 4 days to hide his wounds. Right Mahamatya? Bindu says we cannot wait for Nirankush to come and explain his stance. The situation is serious than what I thought. The captives brought by Ashoka dint mind getting punishment instead of speaking up. I wonder what is scaring them more than death. Who is it who is ruling under us so secretively that we dint even get to know? Is it some foreign power? Siamak says we know nothing as of now. There are many questions. It can also be an imagination of Ashoka. Ashoka reminds him that Indians don’t blame someone for no reason. those people are a witness to a lot of things. I have them as proof.
Sushim reasons that no one has made such accusations before. No one came to seek help against that person. It has come in our focus since Ashoka is here. It might be a coincidence. Ashoka calls it his capability. I did now what you couldn’t do in 10 years! Mahamatya asks for some time to investigate. As far as I think, there is no one by the name Gondna. Acharya RG says I activated my spies already. My spy has told me such a man exists in reality. It is no imagination or coincidence. There is someone who is taking tax from our citizens in fear. They are so scared that they don’t raise a voice against him. They do it so secretively that it does not come in our notice. There is Gondna tax on every possible thing except the air we breathe. Bindu wonders where that tax goes to. Where are those people taken to? Ashoka replies that men are also turned barbarous who then abuse others. Women are sold.
Bindu says if Ashoka and Acharya RG can find so much info in such a short time then why can’t you Mahamatya? You have so much power with you yet you cannot do anything. Ashoka replies that his silence indicates he is trying to protect someone. Bindu is sure Gondna is behind all this. Who is he? Where has he come from? What is his motive behind all this? Did your spies say anything Acharya? Acharya RG denies. it is a secret. His own people haven’t seen his face. He stays in a dark cave from where he manages everything.
Gondna sits on his seat. Uttar and Dakshin read out the tax amount collected for him from all the possible places. Ashoka freed the people who Nirankush was going to bring yesterday. Bindu knows everything now. He has passed an order to find us. Gondna says they are good for nothing. I will do what Sushim could not do. I will kill Ashoka first and then Bindu. I will also kill Sushim. Only Siamak will be left. This royal family will die by my hands. He laughs.
Next morning, Bindu wants to find Gondna asap. How did he become so powerful all of a sudden? Why dint anyone inform me about him? Aren’t our spies active? I want my special soldiers to get ready for action. Ashoka says why take help from our army. We can ask Rajkumar Sushim only. He must know. As per him, nothing moves in Patliputra against his wish. How is Gondna operating then? He asks Sushim. Sushim replies that he is used to hear his baseless arguments. Show me some proof. Ashoka says it was his plan yesterday. Samrat came in between or a name in the list would have been cut down. Siamak asks him what has happened to him. You talk of backward countdown and list since you are back. Can you not put the past behind us? Ashoka replies that this is his problem since always. I don’t divert from my aims. My aim was betterment of the world and peace yesterday also and today too. I have no wish for fame. Bindu tells them to stop. I have come to a conclusion seeing you all.
Bindu says that the people are the priority, and that they are terrified of gondna and the taxe4s, and he needs to get rid of that fear and to make them fearless, and hence he wishes to divide the work between the three, which shall act as a test, to test their capability as a suitable choice for the throne. sushim immediately presents his candidature that he shall get rid of these illegal taxes within 2 weeks, and those people who are criticising the internal working of the state, shall be renedered speechless, hinting at ashoka. Ashoka taunts that its noteworthy that those who have been overlooking these taxes are talking about equivocal confirmation of the rules. all get tensed. ashoka says that there lies someone between them who is supporting them, helping them or aiding them, and instigating them furthermore. they are enraged.
Bindu says that if anything else, this is true that sushim was not able to protect the gondna taxes, and hence this duty allocation is taken away from him. all are shocked. sushim says that he is the eldest brother. bindu appoints him therefore, as the head of the external security and safety matters, and asks him to consider it his good luck. he then turns to ashoka and asks him to be in charge, of the investigation and abolishment of these secretive taxes, since he was the first person to have reported it, and since he started, he shall by fate end it too. he appoints him as the head of the internal security and safety. he says that since siamak has always been associated with money and likes it, he is in charge of the taxes and revenue generation, and that any internal amendments in the contemporary tax policy shall render the indebted people, some relief. he remembers dharma’s suggestion, and announces another decision, of an invitation to the princesses of neighbouring countries, in the Shraavan Mela, so that they can select their suitable wives from the same. they together protest against this decision.
Bindu says that its good they agree on something atleast, which means his decision is right. ashoka tries to interrupt, but bindu says that his advise isnt solicited and its an order. he then takes leave, and disperses the meeting. ashoka and sushim eye each other tensedly. ashoka walks out tensedly in the corridor, and almost ignores acharya, who asks about his wounds. he talks about his wrestling with shushim. he says that he had no idea sushim was so powerful. as they sdtart strolling together, ashoka says that something has changed in the past ten years, which is inexplicable, as he has matured and bettered his performnace. he is told that the change in his power and mentality, is due to the tantric, who brought this change, and they need to eye him. ashoka says that isnt priority. he is more concerned about gondna’s taxes. he asks about the work of the spies. acharya tells him, that in his ten years of anonymous exile, to protect him, dharma and vit, was a priority, so that they could return to patliputra safely. ashoka says that now they have returned. he says that now they need to outsmart sushim in the Gondna matters. Ashoka tells Acharya to depute some secret spies, so that they can monitor the working strategy of the Gondna Tax.
Acharya notices Gondna people blackmailing people, marking a checkpost, beyond which entry is allowed only after they pay some tax. they are also threatened through knives, to put as per their capacity, so that they can be safe from troubles, literally warning them. the spies notice how secretively the people working for Gondna are doing their job, in the disguise of common people. unabashed and unashamed, they keep working as per their strategies, and then finally they grab hold of a commoner, not able to pay the taxes for a month now. but he is confronted by ashoka, seeing whom he gets petrified, and runs away, with ashoka in toe after him. the onlookers are surprised. while running after him, he collides into kaurvaki. a romantic eyelock follows. he gathers her up, and then finds the rogue running away. she stares at him overwhelmingly.
He reprimands her for interfering in his work every single time, and asks why is she following him. she gets into a verbal scuffle with him as usual. its interrupted by devi, who is happy seeing ashoka, and then asks about dharma and vit. but before he could answer, she gets again in his way, and asks how dare he accuse her. he ignores her and turns to devi. he asks devi not to be formal, and she can address him and his family as usual, as that shows personal relations, and they are indebted to her and her father. kaurvaki thinks getting jealous, about his double behaviour in front of her and kaurvaki herself. just then, attendants come to take care of ashoka, while devi iontroduces kaurvaki to him, but he chooses to ignore. she stands tensedly, while devi talks about how much she loves him, like a wife. kaurvaki says that her introduction isnt needed, so that she can know whats in his mind. Kaurvaki is surprised, as people greet ashoka and talk to him about the imvitation being extended for his matrimony. to tease her, ashoka all the more asserts about the same. he then wishes them and leaves. Ashoka aims at the bull’s eye, while practising his archery and bow, when acharya comes and warns him indirectly about the impending danger, from the enemy. ashoka is interested and he is taken away.
Acharya shows the dead body of a man hanging in the middle of the crossroads, who he recognises as the same man who he had run after earlier in the day. acharya tells ashoka that this is a message, that he could have reached gondna through him, and hence they killed him. he says that whoeevre tries to go after him, would meet with similar fate. ashoka is enraged, and says that before gondna does anything else barbaric to any other witness, they should hold all gondna workers captive, without any further delay. acharya complies. Later, while gondna workers continue with their activities, they are stealthily and secretively held captive. Meanwhile, kaurvaki storms ahead, when devi asks her to introduce herself, as she doesnt have time to play these games.
kaurvaki is adamant that she wont, as if she does, then how would she know, whether he remembers her and her love or not, and whether she holds any importance for him or not. she says that love isnt forced but untuitive. devi tries to make her understand, that she needs to introduce herself. a leering person follows them, and devi somehow manages to distract them, while kaurvaki is about to retaliate in anger. as they move ahead, they are stopped and confronted by two more guys. The screen freezes on their tensed faces.
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