A cataclysmic battle had broken out at the peak of the Nilgiri Mountains. On one side was the flash of Prince Aditya's sharp sword, and on the other, the scorching blasts of fire from the terrifying Fire Dragon's mouth. Sparks flew repeatedly as the sword clashed against the dragon's tough scales. Using the Pavan-Paduka, Aditya constantly leaped into the air, dodging the strikes of the dragon's tail. However, after a while, both grew exhausted.
Aditya realized that defeating this dragon through strength was impossible. Setting his sword down on the ground, he spoke in a calm voice, "Stop, O Guardian of the Mountain! There is no gain in this bloody war. Do you know for whom I have come to take this Agni-Lata? Can you not look into her past for once? She is no ordinary girl."
The dragon roared with a tone of contempt, "Human hearts are full of deception! Why should I believe your words?"
Aditya said with a firm voice, "You are a magical dragon; your vision is deeper than that of humans. See for yourself who Arohi was. See how she sacrificed her heart's blood to save Junagarh, and how she extinguished the lamp of the accursed Mayanagari. If she dies, a great example of selfless love will be lost from the face of the Earth."
The dragon remained still for a moment. Its fire-red eyes suddenly grew dim. Using its divine vision, it saw all of Arohi's past sacrifices and endurance. It saw that the girl had truly saved a royal lineage without caring for her own life.
The dragon sighed and said, "Yes, Prince, Arohi is indeed a unique woman. She has fulfilled her duty. But the question is—are you worthy of her? Are you prepared to let your body turn to ash for her? To pass the test of your love, you must walk barefoot across this path of boiling lava. If you can reach the other side with an untainted heart, only then shall this Agni-Lata be yours."
In front of Aditya, a wide road of fire was now blazing fiercely. The flames seemed to reach for the sky. Aditya recalled Arohi's pale face once more. He took off the Pavan-Paduka and stepped onto the fire with bare feet.
With every step, the skin of his feet was burning; his entire body trembled in unbearable agony. Yet, in his eyes was an unyielding determination. He kept whispering, "Arohi, I am coming... I will not let you die." Blood dripped from the wounds on Aditya's feet, but the heat of the fire dried it instantly.
By the time he finally reached the other side of the fire, he was on the verge of losing consciousness. The dragon bowed its head before him in admiration. This time, its grave voice was filled with respect— "Blessed is your love, Prince! Today, this sacred Agni-Lata of the Nilgiri is rightfully yours."
Using its magic, the dragon handed the Agni-Lata to Aditya. Not only that, but with a touch of its wing, the dragon healed all the wounds on Aditya's feet in an instant. It said, "Go, Aditya, may your love be immortal. Go and heal Arohi." After finishing that terrifying battle and the trial of fire at the Nilgiri Mountains, when Aditya reached the boundaries of the Junagarh royal palace with the help of the Pavan-Paduka, only a short time was left before sunset. Aditya's royal attire was burnt to ashes in places, his face covered in layers of dust and soot, but in his grip, he carefully held that magical Agni-Lata. A faint red light was still emanating from the vine, as if it were not an inanimate object, but a fragment of life itself.
When Aditya landed on the massive balcony of the palace, the surroundings were as silent as a graveyard. The guards were stunned to see their Prince in such a state, but Aditya paid them no heed. Stumbling, he ran straight toward Arohi's chamber.
Inside the room, a wail of mourning had broken out. The Queen Mother sat by Arohi's bedside, weeping uncontrollably, while the royal physician was dejectedly packing his scrolls. Arohi's body had turned cold as ice, and her lips were blue. Aditya burst into the room like a storm and shouted, "Mother! I have brought it! I have brought Arohi's life!"
Eyes filled with disbelief turned toward him. Without delaying another moment, Aditya began to crush the Agni-Lata with his own hands. As he crushed it, a thick, deep red juice emerged. With extreme care, Aditya smeared that juice over the gruesome, blackened wound on Arohi's hand.
The very next moment, a miraculous event occurred. A faint smoke began to rise from Arohi's entire body. The color of that smoke was dark blue—exactly like the poison that had been slowly consuming Arohi. Gradually, a rosy glow returned to Arohi's pale cheeks. Her fire-like burning fever began to subside as if by magic.
About an hour later, when the morning sun had risen in its full glory outside the palace, Arohi very slowly fluttered her eyelids. Aditya was sitting there like a statue, pressing her hand against his forehead. Arohi's lips trembled slightly, and in a very faint voice, she uttered, "A...ditya...?"
The dam of Aditya's long-suppressed tears finally broke. He buried his head over Arohi's hand and sobbed aloud. The Queen Mother cried out, "Boroma! You saved us!" as she embraced Arohi with her other arm. The royal physician, overwhelmed with wonder, said, "This is a literal miracle! The Prince's love and the properties of this vine—together, they have returned Junagarh's fortune today."
Arohi looked at Aditya's burnt clothes and scarred face with blurred vision. She realized that to bring her back, Aditya had fought against the Messenger of Death and returned. Two drops of tears rolled down from Arohi's eyes as well. Outside the palace, the sound of the shehnai began to play—Junagarh was celebrating the joy of its new life today. A different kind of sunrise graced the sky of Junagarh today. Every corner of the palace was decorated with white sandalwood and garlands of flowers. An atmosphere of celebration filled the entire kingdom in joy over Arohi's recovery. It was announced with the firing of cannons that Princess Arohi was now out of danger.
Standing on that massive balcony of the palace, Arohi was waving her hand at the subjects gathered below. Today she wore a bright red silk saree, with a small sandalwood tilak on her forehead. Aditya stood right beside her, a strange sense of satisfaction on his face. He said in a low voice, "See, Arohi, because of you, all of Junagarh is smiling today."
Arohi looked at Aditya and laughed. A fountain of joy was flowing within her heart. She suddenly grabbed Aditya's hand and began to dance, spinning around. "Aditya, I am so happy today that it feels like I am walking on the clouds!"
Aditya burst out laughing. "Hey, hey, steady yourself, Princess! What will the subjects think if they see this?"
Without listening to a word, Arohi pulled Aditya and performed a dance right there on the balcony. Seeing that dance, the subjects below also broke into cheers of victory. Junagarh was swept away in this breaking tide of happiness. The Queen Mother, standing out of sight, wiped a tear from her eye and offered a prayer at Boroma's feet, saying, "Mother, may this smile never fade."
In this way, several days passed amidst great joy and festivity...
Peace had returned to Junagarh once more. The love between Aditya and Arohi had grown even deeper in these few days. Every afternoon, they would ride horses around the foothills of the Nilgiri Mountains. Aditya would teach Arohi how to wield weapons, and Arohi would tell Aditya fairy tales. It seemed as if the days of sorrow had bid farewell forever.
But perhaps, the writing of fate was something else entirely.