PART - 1

Once upon a time, in a prosperous kingdom, there lived a loyal king. He had a beautiful little daughter named Shangrila. Her mother had passed away, so the king raised her with immense love and care. The kingdom was thriving and peaceful, but it was plagued by a ferocious dragon.

This dragon caused havoc in the kingdom, and its terror forced people from neighboring lands to flee. The king and his army fought valiantly, but they were no match for the beast. With a single fiery breath, the dragon destroyed their weapons and reduced their army to ashes.

The dragon was enormous and powerful. It burned everything in its path and devoured any living being it encountered. The kingdom suffered immense losses, and the people were filled with fear. Though the king tried to rebuild after each attack, the dragon would return, bringing more destruction.

The people, unable to bear the dragon's repeated attacks, decided to abandon the kingdom. Before they could leave, an elderly man addressed the crowd and said, "If we leave, the dragon will eventually destroy everything. Instead of being its prey, why not offer it food willingly to protect ourselves?"

The king agreed but said, "Providing food every day will be a challenge. What do you suggest?"

The elder replied, "Our ancestors believed that large creatures like this dragon fall into a deep sleep after consuming a large meal. If we can understand its sleeping pattern, we can manage the situation."

The king then asked, "If it falls asleep after eating, why can't we kill it then?"

The elder explained, "It's not that simple. The dragon resides in a cave and is highly sensitive. It can sense danger from afar and can destroy any enemy with a single fiery breath."

Then the king thought for a moment, made a decision, and asked his soldiers, "Is there anyone here who can kill this dragon?" However, all the soldiers present were too frightened to step forward. The king then offered to reward the person with half of the kingdom's wealth, but still, no one came forward.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the king ordered food to be prepared for the dragon. Five carts of meat, three oxen, and five horses were placed near the dragon's cave. The dragon, sensing the offering, came out, devoured the food, and returned to its lair.

Hearing this, the people felt a sense of relief. However, the dragon's demands grew over time. Occasionally, it attacked the kingdom, seizing livestock and spreading terror. Its shadow of fear never left the kingdom.

Years passed, and the king's daughter, Shangrila, grew into a strong and capable young woman. She started managing the kingdom alongside her father. Meanwhile, a young warrior named Balaram gained fame for his exceptional skills in swordsmanship and martial arts. He participated in competitions across kingdoms and brought glory to his homeland.

Balaram, however, was rebellious by nature. He rarely followed orders and always concealed his face with a helmet. His unmatched skill and mysterious persona earned him admiration and fear.

One day, the princess, along with her companions, was traveling in disguise, observing the development of her kingdom.

Meanwhile, Balaram was on the road, catching thieves and recovering the stolen money from them. The princess, seeing this, mistakenly assumed he was collecting money from the farmers. She then said, "Hey, thief, stop! Return the money with respect!" However, Balaram ignored her and continued riding his horse. Not tolerating this, the princess said, "Stop! I am the princess of this kingdom, I command you to stop!" But Balaram did not listen. Angered by this, the princess blocked his horse, drew her sword, and pointed it at his neck, saying, "Return the money respectfully, or I will have to kill you and take it!" Hearing this, Balaram laughed, dismounted his horse, and drew his sword. Thus, a battle ensued between the two.

At first, Shangrila had the upper hand, but within three swift moves, Balaram disarmed her, sending her sword flying. She fell to the ground, sustaining minor injuries.

Without saying a word, Balaram mounted his horse and rode away. Though humiliated, Shangrila couldn't help but admire his skill and bravery.

This made the princess feel disappointed, yet she couldn't help but admire his skills and warrior prowess. She thought to herself, "It is impossible for someone with such excellent warrior abilities to be a thief." With this thought, she returned to her palace. Later, through her spies, she learned that he was not a thief but a brave soldier of their kingdom who captured thieves.

Upon learning this, she developed a deep admiration for him. However, she disliked his arrogance and stubbornness. Determined to break his pride and stubbornness, she resolved to win him over. To achieve this, she gathered more information about his background and character through her spies and devised a clever plan.

PART - 2......!

(A new part and new writings are released on every sunday)

The king, realising that his daughter had reached the age of marriage, decided to arrange her wedding. He approached the princess to seek her consent. Having eagerly awaited this moment, the princess readily agreed. Without wasting any time, the king summoned his minister and instructed him to prepare for a grand swayamvara ceremony, inviting mighty kings from distant lands to participate.

However, the princess added her own condition. She said, "Do not invite only the kings of far-off kingdoms but also the valiant warriors of our own land. I have one condition. I will marry only the one who fulfills it."

The news of the swayamvara spread across the entire kingdom and neighbouring states. Hearing of this, Balaram's parents insisted that he participate in the ceremony. Reluctantly, Balaram agreed.

On the day of the swayamvara, kings from far and wide assembled in the royal court. The princess entered gracefully, offering her respects to the gathered kings. Stepping forward, she declared, "I am free to marry any among you, but I have one condition. I will wed only the one who fulfils it."

The assembled kings agreed to her terms. The princess then revealed her condition: "I will marry the one who slays the dragon that has been terrorising our kingdom."

Hearing this, the kings were taken aback and disheartened. One by one, the princess approached the kings to ask if they would accept her challenge, but none dared to face the dragon. One after another, they left the court, unable to fulfil the condition.

When the princess reached Balaram, she didn't even give him a chance to speak. Mocking him, she said, "What can you do when such mighty kings have fled in fear? What hope is there in your abilities? Leave the court, just like the others!"

This was the first time in his life that Balaram had faced such humiliation. Enraged, he turned to the king and declared, "Within one month, I will sever the head of that dragon and present it here in this court. If I fail, I shall leave this kingdom forever in disgrace." With this solemn vow, he stormed out of the court.

The princess, overhearing his words, smiled to herself, pleased that her plan was working. "He has fallen into my trap," she thought, revelling in her success.

When Balaram's friends saw him leaving the palace, they said, "Balaram, what have you done? It's impossible for you to slay that creature. It's a giant, powerful beast. What will you do now?"

Balaram, burdened by the humiliation he had faced in the palace, replied, "I know. I couldn't bear the disgrace, and that's why I made this decision. What can I do now?" He began to ponder deeply.

Just then, the princess, who had followed him out of the palace, approached Balaram and said, "Balaram, do you remember the insult you caused me? This is the trap I set for you, and you have fallen into it perfectly. Now go ahead, kill the dragon-or fail and leave this town in shame," she laughed mockingly as she walked away.

The princess's plan was to ensure that Balaram, who she believed could never defeat the dragon, would fail and leave the kingdom in humiliation. Once he had suffered enough, she would bring him back to the kingdom, reveal her scheme, and marry him. By doing this, she hoped to break his arrogance and prove herself his equal.

But little did the princess know, Balaram was no ordinary man. Hearing her mocking words, he was not frightened. Instead, his doubts cleared, and he resolved firmly to slay the dragon at any cost.

When Balaram returned home, his parents saw him and said, "Balaram, we know you are brave, but this reckless decision is not right. Abandon this plan. If needed, we can move to another kingdom to live in peace."

To this, Balaram replied, "What? Flee to another kingdom? That's impossible. I have made my decision. Either I will live, or the dragon will."

Hearing this, his parents were distressed. Seeing their worry, Balaram comforted them, saying, "Don't worry, Mother and Father. Have faith in me. I will handle everything."

The next day, Balaram, along with his friends, went to an elderly man who was knowledgeable about the dragon to gather all the information about it. They learned about the dragon's immense power, strength, and gigantic size, as well as the fact that none of the current weapons could harm it.

After understanding all this, Balaram decided to go near the dragon's cave.

Stay tune for PART - 3 🫡

Balaram and his friends arrived near a cave where a dragon resided. The cave was quite vast, surrounded by barren land, making it impossible to hide and launch a surprise attack. Observing this, Balaram noticed tall trees a little distance away. Taking stock of the situation, they returned home and began strategizing.

One friend pointed out, "It's impossible to kill the dragon inside the cave. If it detects us, even a single burst of fire from it could be fatal, leaving no escape." Another added, "Exactly! The dragon can attack from the air, making it difficult to fight it on the ground."

Listening to his friends, Balaram suddenly remembered the trees near the cave. He said, "We'll strike it while it's in the air and bring it down!" His friends, intrigued, asked, "How will we do that?" Balaram replied, "We'll need a sharp and sturdy weapon to kill it in one strike. The weapon must be so strong that it ends the dragon instantly."

When his friends questioned where they could find such a weapon, Balaram said, "I'll explain. First, we need a sharp and sturdy weapon to kill the dragon. It must be so powerful that it ends the dragon with a single strike. A weapon like that doesn't exist anywhere, which means we'll have to create it ourselves.

To make something sharper and stronger than iron, we need diamonds," he added.

"Alright, then let's search every corner of our kingdom. Gather as many diamonds as possible and bring them here," Balaram commanded, igniting a spark of determination among his friends.

Hearing this, they agreed and decided to search every corner of their kingdom for diamonds.

After a long search, they managed to collect only a small quantity of diamonds. They took them to a skilled weapon maker and instructed him to craft two large arrows. One of the arrows' tips was to be entirely made of diamonds, and the leftover fragments were to be fashioned into a sharp dagger.

With their weapons ready, Balaram divided his friends into three groups. Each group was assigned a specific direction near the tall trees surrounding the cave. He explained how to use the trees for cover and the weapons to prepare for the attack. His friends assured him, "Don't worry about us. We will execute your plan perfectly."

Hearing their confidence, Balaram felt happy. He said, "I will take responsibility for luring the dragon to your aims. Be ready!" They chose a previous day when their kingdom would send food to the dragon, setting the stage for the epic battle.

As the day for the battle drew near, Balaram's friends had completed all the tasks he had assigned. He called them all together and said, "I have a plan. If everything goes as we've prepared, victory is guaranteed. But if things go wrong, the outcome will depend on you. So, do not let confusion take over, and stay courageous." His friends agreed, and they set off to their designated positions and balaram get ready for the epic battle...!

PART-3 (Loading )...!