Ashoka comes in and finds noone and wodners where did sushim and tantric vanish. meanwhile, sushim gets atop the horse and rides away. ashoka, inside the cave, stealthily progresses ahead looking around everywhere, eyeing the black magic and tantric rituals afore him. he tries to observe, while outside, kaurvaki mumbl;es to herself, that this is her problem, that she always complies to what he says, and that since he hasnt returned till now, she shall have to go in and find out whats he upto. Meanwhile, ashoka, inside the cave, doesnt realise that the tantric stands right behind him. he plays a game of hide and seek with ashoka, using his black magic to inflict wounds on ashoka himself, through his sword only.
kaurvaki meanwhile steps in the cave, feeling dizzy. finally, ashoka manages to outsmart him and the tantric in the tussle falls on the ground. the tantric however used the sands to blind him temporarily, and when he recomposes himself. the tantric steps in behind him, and is about to fatally attack, when kauravki notices him behind ashoka and she screams. ashoka is alerted and he thwarts the tantric’s attack and gets him on the ground, unarmed and helpless. The tantric apologises saying that he didnt do anything at all, and he was merely bound to do this, due to sushim and charumatya’s insistence.
Ashoka says that its prohibited to use black magic and tantra vidya in Magadh, and that no person shall be allowed to do so. ashoka says that this crime shall be punishable right now, this very instant, and that he wont be allowed to present his case. he says that justice delayed is justice denied. he remembers how his tantra vidya had pained his mother too. he says that he shall be punished right now, and that too capital punishment. he picks up his sword, and embeds it deep inside his chest, while he breathes his last. he swers yet again that this is merely the beginning, and anyone who betrays his motherland and whoever intervenes, to make a united india, be it a woman or a man, friend or family, or enemy, he shall finish everyone. he says that the construction of a united india has started.
Sushim wakes up in his head, shocked and horrified, and slightly dazed. he takes off the covers and tries hard to gain his composure, but isnt able to as he sways around, with a dizzy head. he somehow manages to drag himself out of the bed, and come towards the corridor, where he hazily finds ashoka carrying an unconscious kaurvaki in his arms. he takes her and puts her to rest on her bed, and pulls the covers on her. he caresses her head and begins to leave, when she grabs hold of his hand, even in sleep, saying that he only belongs to her, and to noone else, and continues to rant the same. he smiles at her, and then puts her hand to rest too, and pulls the covers on her, while she sleeps peacefully. he thinks that he always was and shall always be hers, addressing her as kaurvaki. sushim meanwhile walks heavily dizzy and weak, as he traces some blood stains on the floor. he comes to kaurvaki’s room, tracing the blood stains, and then finding her asleep, he leaves and comes to ashoka’s room, and finds him asleep. he closes the door resignedly. after he leaves, ashoka gets up. Ashoka thinks that sushim’s game and time is over, and his has started, and whatever was happening, its time now that he reverts it. he says that now histiry shall be written.
In his room, Acharya has nightmares of blood streams gushing out of closed doors. he wakes up with a startle palpitating heavily. he wonders what this could possibly mean. he gets up and goes out of the room.
The next morning, everyone is shocked, as they all go out in the public courtyard, wherein they find Sushim’s tantric’s body, hung from a rope, with the noose around the neck. all are horrified, including Mahamatya, while sushim is aghast. sushim finds a note saying that this would be the fate of everyone going against gondna. siamak thinks that this isnt their work, then who did it. From a distance, ashoka thinks that sushim had killed his mentor, and halved his powers, and he just reciprocated the favour and that now its time to start the culmination of a united India, whose first chapter has just been written. sushim aggressively asks who dared to kill him.
Ashoka walks to them, while they all eye him tensedly. he says that its clearly mentioned that its Gondna. he intentionally taunts sushim, that he wonders who must have killed him so barbarously. he says that he is grieved to know what must the pupil be going through right now, as he must have had many disciples. he says that he can understand, as he had lost his own mentor. sushim remembers the tantric’s warnings, and says that he doesnt doubt, but has full belief, that ashoka did this, and eyes him angrily. ashoka asks him to talk it out clearly whatever he wishes to. sushim gets enraged, and understands that ashoka is behind this, and lunges at his throat. But bindu comes in just then, and asks whats going on. sushim is barely able to restrain himself. bindu arrives with dharma and eyes the body. the brothers restrain themselves.
Bindu eyes the letter too, pointing the murder towards gondna, and is enraged wondering what could be the possible motive, and how he is bearing one atrocity after the othr, and now he has resorted to killing too, and till now they havent found any intel on him. he orders them to be prsent right away in the courtroom. sushim asks them to dispose the body off as they wish to. he leaves in a huff. ashoka asks the guards to dispose the body with proper rites. he says that whoever it be, whether they are related or not, its the right of a dead person, to have his final rites. kaurvaki steps out and is shocked to find the tantric’s body, and has visions of last night, thinking that she saw him somewhere and wonders if ashoka is behind this.
Later, as ashoka walks through the corridors, kaurvaki confronts him, taking him aside. he taunts her by searching whats it, that brings her to him always, attracted by something. Kaurvaki confronts ashoka, identifying the tantric, saying that this is the same person last night, atop the mountain, in the cave. he is tensed. she asks him point blank that he killed him. ashoka thinks that if anyone finds out that he killed the tantric and not gondna, then his plan shall be ruined. she asks him to speak up somthing, as she is tensed, and knows that she is helpless, but remembers something of what happened last night. she says that she ate some berries, that caused her vision to go hazy. bu she recollects everything, but says that being in the darkness, she couldnt identify who the tantric was attacking, then why is she casting baseless allegations at him, and tries to emotionally blackmail her asking if she actually thinks he can do it. she is convinced but asks what was he doing then. he says that he was spying on gondna. then he retaliates, he asks why was she following him like that, just to get close to him. she is at a loss of answer, wherein he continues to reprimand her for this unladylike behaviour, and asks her what if dharma had seen it. she is set to thinking, while he is relieved that he managed to successfully distract her.
Ashoka reprimands kaurvaki severely for having been so reckless and carelss, and unladylike in roaming around like this at night. she stands ashamed and embarassed. he says that whatever she came here for, would have stopped before evn starting. he then notices the berries in her hands, and asks her if she indeed killed the tantric, in the dizzy state after having consumed them. she is aghast and asks why would she do it. he says that she had a clouded judgement. she hurriedly gives them to him, and asks him to forget she ever said anything. she hastily leaves. he apologises in his mind, to her, that he had to do this, and turn the blame on her, so that her safety itself is ensured, and she doesnt have to face any trouble. he eyes her going tensedly. he says that if anyone gets to know that she went after him, they would harm her to get to him, and having lost her once, he cant afford to lose her again
In front of Bindu, mahamatya speaks, while all listen, that whatever happened was very wrong, and that he was a pious soul, involved in his own rituals and practises, and such a murder is a taint on the image of Pataliputra. he says that this is heights of gondna’s atricities, and now even saints arent safe, and hence their ruin is near. siamak speaks up saying that he doesnt think that its gondna behind this. bindu asks whats the base of his statements, as they got a clearly scripted letter. siamak says that simply putting something in written words, doesnt make it a truth. he points out the trend, that gondna has always acted secretively, then why publicly do something like this now, and that too to a saint, and what good can he get from that. all are set to thinking. Ashoka taunts him that the way he sides with gondna, it seems that he knows him veryw ell. sushim says that it can also mean that he is trying to insinuate that there is someone else behind the murder, and whoever has done it, has a motive behind it. ashoka asks sushim who does he think can be behind this.
Mahamatya says that maybe sushim is trying to point out the fact that he believs ashoka is the murderer. he says that his spies found out, that last night, ashoka went towards the very same mountain, wherein the tantric stayed. Bindu and others are tensed to hear this. Acharya says that his spies tell that before Ashoka, sushim was going towards the mountain and his spies can act as a witness to it. all eye each other, as it gets confronting. bindu says that if this is so, then why didnt they both inform him, and asks them the motive behind it. sushim says that very soon it shall be clear as to who went and why, towards the mountain. he asks ashoka how are these berries with him, and show it to the entire courtroom. all get tensed, and are boggled too. ashoka is nervous. sushim points out these berries are only found on that mountain, and seeing them it seems that they have been taken from the same mountain.
Acharya thinks that if ashoka doesnt give a tactful answer, then their plan shall be ruined. ashoka says that this is a fact that only that person can know who has himself been on the mountain, and that clearly means sushim was there. Mahamatya tries to distract bindu saying that the more important question is that ashoka has these berries with him, in his possession, and no plausible explanation for it. all get tensed. ashoka says that these berries were given to him by Padmavati, who can be called into verify the same. they are furthermore boggled. Princess Padmavati aka Kaurvaki is summoned into the courtroom. all eye her tensedly. ashoka desperately hopes that she doesnt remember anything at all, and that the success of his plan depends on what answer she gives.
Kaurvaki tells devi that she merely remembers that anindini wasnt there at the mountain. devi is aghast and reprimands her for having doubted her own love. Kaurvaki is silenced. while they are talking, one maid comes in and asks kaurvaki to be present immediately in the courtroom, by Bindu. she gets tensed.
Bindu asks kauravki to listen intently and speak only the truth. she complies. he asks where was she last night, and if she recognises the berries. ashoka finds her tensed and nervous. he says that she can speak the truth here in front of everyone. she says that she herself gave them to ashoka. all are shocked. bindu asks where she got. she says that she went out in the night, towards the mountain, and got the berries there, after consuming which, she went unconscious. he asks her if she saw anyone else there. she remembers ashoka’s reprimands, while ashoka wonders what shall she respond now. she replies in the negative. she says that after having consumed the berries, she felt dizzy and doesnt rememeber anything at all. ashoka is relieved. Ashoka says that his spies told that he was working with Gondna, and hence he went on that mountain, to investigate furthermore on it but before he could start his investigation, his eyes fell on Princess Padmavati a,d he came back to the palace with her.
Bindu asks her to take leave, but remember that it can be dangerous for her to step out in the wee hours of the night. he says that if she wishes to roam in the night, then from the next time onwards, she should also carry security guards with her, for her own safety. she complies. then kaurvaki extends her wishes and then leaves. ashoka eyes her tensedly. bindu then tells sushim, that he is disappointed with him, on casting these baseless allegations at ashoka. he says that ashoka has given his justifications. sushim starts fumbling. bindu lashes at him, while all get tensed. he laments that sushim, is still the irresponsible, rash child that he was ten years ago, and thast if brothers continue fighting like this, then the real danger lies in that, and not gondna. he says that whoever is the murderer, be in Gondna or not, he instructs Acharya and Mahamatya to get hold of the criminal asap. they hurriedly comply. he calls off the meeting, and walks off dispersing them. ashoka smirks as sushim eyes him angrily.
Sushim is enraged and frustrated at gondna for having killed his mentor, just when he was about to give him a tactic to get rid of ashoka, and Bindu has turned him helpless. helen and siamak are tensed. Helen brands them as idiots to even think that gondna is behind this at all. she says that they dont realise that its a trap from ashoka, to catch them. he says that he hasnt forgotten anything, not shall he let them forget and infact he took the perfect revenge of having lost his mentor, by reciprocating the same to sushim, and avenged Chanakya’s death and a mentor for a mentor. Sushim’s mother thinks that it might be true, that the gondna actually killed the tantric, as he wishes to see sushim powerless, so that he can rise. she says that its ironical that noone can be trusted here. helen says that had gondna feared sushim, he would have gotten rid of his powers long back, but that didnt happen.
Sushim says that they both are defending Gondna so much so, as if he is their own. all get tensed including mahamatya. helen guffaws it off, and says that its nothing like that, siamak too hurriedly stands up saying that its nothing like that, and says that if he doubts gondna, then he would do exactly what ashoka wants, and thats to distract him. he says that as it is, by killing his mentor, he has rendered him powerless, and now he wants him to be alone, unsafe and in his trap, and then he kills him. sushim pretends to be convinced. she says that ashoka has already started his victorious campaign. Mahamatya agrees with her, and says that ashoka’s thinking is as far fetched as his mentor, Chanakya, and that making him powerless, he has landed nearer to the throne. they instigate him together, while trying to convince him, that only killing ashoka is the mere resort.
Sushim says that he knows what needs to be done or not. he hastily walks out. After they all leave, siamak tells what happened in the courtroom, and how enraged bindu had become. he comes to warn helen, that ever since the tantric’s death was blamed on gondna, bindusara has totally lost his cool, and is enraged to find gondna and punish gondna. he says that now they wont sit quiet and that sushim shall not sit quiet too, since he too blames the gondna for his mentor’s death. helen tells him to keep an eye on both the brothers and ensure that their enemity keeps her identity as the Gondna always a mysterious secret. she notices sushim’s mother coming back in. She immediately takes her bent form and starts coughing, and changes the topic, as sushim’s mother enters back. helen asks whats the matter. she says that she wished to get alcohol, for her face, from greece where helen’s stuff came from. helen hurriedly complies. after she leaves, helen wonders if she heard or not, and then wodners what would she do with the alcohol, and maybe she wants to hide her old age. they both have a good laugh.
Later, acharya congratulates ashoka on his first victory towards the start of the first chapter towards a unified India. ashoka says that even Gondna’s camp much be dishevelled right now at this allegation, since he hasnt done it, and hence he would definitely react back, and that would expose him in front of their eyes. he says that he has full faith, that after this incident, the gondna and its people shall work out their next strategy. Ashoka points out, that chanakya had taught him, SAAM, DAAM, DAND AND BHED. ashoka says that he has assumed that there is some connecting link between sushim and gondna. he says that he tried to put misunderstanding between gondna and sushim, that sushim would be enraged at them, while he would try and prove his innocence to sushim. In both the ways, gondna is bound to react, and he is expecting some reactions, which shall be their biggest mistake, and they shall catch the people red handed then. acharya smiles appreciatively. ashoka is determined. the screen freezes on his determined face.
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