Lover of Princess Chandraprabha

The lover of Princess Chandraprabha

Vikram loaded Betal on his back again and Betal started with an interesting story. Princess Chandraprabha of a city named Kusumavati fell in love with Manukumar. Manukumar wanted to get married to Chandraprabha but it was impossible as Chandraprabha’s father would never allow her to marry an ordinary man as he wanted his daughter to marry a prince. Chandraprabha asked Manu to forget her because if the King came to know about their affair, Manu would get a death penalty, so she forced him to go away. On his way to the jungle, Manu saw a magician’s team being attacked by robbers. Manu fought with the robbers and scared them away. He saved the life of the magician’s son. The magician was very pleased with Manu for saving his son’s life and told Manu to ask for anything in reward. Manu told the magician that he loved princess Chandraprabha and wanted to be with her in her palace but in such a way that no body found out about it. The magician gave him a magical ring which if worn on the right hand’s finger would turn him into a woman and on wearing it on the left hand’s finger, would turn him into his original form. Manu was very happy to get the ring. Later, the magician disguised himself to a Brahmin, Manukumar transformed himself into a woman and with the magician’s son all three went to the King’s court. When the King asked what he could do for them, the magician introduced Manu as his would be daughter-in-law and told the King that he and his son were going for a pilgrimage and he wanted the King to allow his would be daughter-in-law to stay in the palace till they returned. The King agreed and said that she could stay with his daughter Chandraprabha. Thus Manu started living with Chandraprabha in her palace as her friend named Manukumari. Chandraprabha used to be depressed all the time so Manukumar once revealed his truth to her. Chandraprabha was very happy. This way, when no one used to be around, Manu used to transform himself into his original form but when someone was around, he used to remain a girl. Meanwhile, the minister’s son fell in love with Manukumari and once proposed her for marriage but was rejected. After a few days, the King asked his minister why he was so sad. The minister replied that his son was in love with Manukumari and on being rejected by her he had locked himself up in a room and was not eating food since eight days and if Manukumari did not marry him, he would consume poison and end his life. The King asked him not to worry and promised to get Manukumari married to his son. Meanwhile Manukumari had injured her left hand’s finger and Chandraprabha applied medicine on the finger. Just then the King came and declared that he was getting Manukumari married to the minister’s son. When Manukumari refused, the King told her that it was his order and that had to be obeyed. Manukumari tried to change her ring to the left hand but she could not wear the ring as her finger was swollen. The King’s men came and took away Manukumari. Chandraprabha was very sad as Manukumari was forced to marry the minister’s son.

The magician Brahmin came back and got very angry with the King for getting Manukumari married to the minister’s son as Manukumari was his would be daughter-in-law. He turned into a magician and with his magic, created fire behind the king’s throne and made the throne fly along with the king. The King pleaded him to bring him down but the magician laid the condition of doing do only if he brought back Manukumari to him. At this the King said that Manukumari had already left but he could get his daughter Chandraprabha married to his son Shashi. The magician was happy to hear this. Meanwhile, Manukumari got this news and she once again tried to change her ring to the left hand and succeeded. She transformed to Manukumar and the minister’s son was shocked to see him. He asked him who he was but he ran away from there. Manukumar reached the wedding of Chandraprabha and Shashi and declared that Chandraprabha was his love and only he could marry him.

Saying this, Betaal stopped and asked Vikram whose wife Chandraprabha was, Manukumar with whom she lived for so many days in the palace or Shashi with whom she was duly married. Betaal once again forced Vikram to reply or else he would be beheaded. Vikram replied that Chandraprabha was Shashi’s wife as Manukumar loved her too much but she was ceremoniously married to Shashi and so she was Shashi’s wife. Betaal once again got a chance to fly away as Vikram opened his mouth and so he flew away.