The Revenge of Nagin

The Revenge of Nagin

Once again, Vikram took Betaal on his shoulders and as usual to pass time Betal started narrating a story. The state of Harshiyat was ruled by king Hargovindas. In his palace a Naag and Nagin (snake couple) resided in the room of his maid servant Ganga. That day, it was the birthday of King Hargovindas's only son Prince Shaktinath. The King, his daughter-in-law Arundhati and her three daughters, all of them were busy celebrating. Every one was giving gifts to the Prince. Even Ganga came to wish Prince Shaktinath along with Naag and Naageshwari. Ganga told Shaktinath that even Naag and Naageshwari had come to bless him. The snake couple gave Shaktinath a flower each. King Hargovindas prayed Naagdevta to bless his daughter-in-law Arundhati for a baby boy. Once, Prince Shaktinath went hunting. Arundhati asked him to take along a servant but he refused. Prince Shaktinath was following a deer in the jungle and a Naag and Nagin were romancing in human form. Both of them were engrossed with love. Just then Shaktinath shot an arrow at the deer but the deer ran away and the arrow pierced the Naag's stomach. Shaktinath came running but they had disappeared and the arrow with blood on it was lying there. Meanwhile the Nagin had registered Shaktinath's image in her mind. Nagin took and oath in front of Naag's dead body that she would take revenge for her husband's death and would fill up her hair partition with the murderer's blood.

Meanwhile, Shaktinath reached home and showed his father the arrow with blood and told him about the mistake he had done. Just then a Nagin appeared in the court in the form of a lady and told the King that the Prince had killed her Naag and that wanted to take revenge by killing him as well. At this, King Hargovindas asked her to come along and he took her aside and explained that Prince Shaktinath had shot the arrow at the deer but by mistake Naag was shot. Nagin was not ready to listen as according to her, whatever the situation was, she had lost her husband. King Hargovindas then told her that Prince Shaktinath had three daughters and his wife Arundhati was expecting the fourth time and it was due just after three or four days. He then told her that this time they were expecting a boy child and so requested her to let the boy be born so that Shaktinath at least saw his face and he would surrender himself to the Nagin. Nagin agreed to his request and Arundhati called for her brother for Raksha bandhan. After tying Rakhi she told her brother that she was tying him rakhi for the last time. When her brother asked her the reason, she told him the story of Nagin and said that if her husband did not remain alive even she would not. Just then Prince Shaktinath came and Arundhati told him to go with her brother to his house so that Nagin did not reach him and once the child was born, she would follow him but Shaktinath refused to go, saying that he was a prince and he had to keep his promise. At this Arundhati’s brother said that he would kill the Nagin but Shaktinath strongly opposed him.

Mean while King Hargovindas once again asked for mercy plea in front of the Nagin but she counter attacked him asking him what he would have done if he was in her place. Arundhati dreamt of the Nagin killing her husband so she screamed and woke up. She took out the knife and went to Ganga’s room to kill the Nagin but Raghu stopped her from doing so. Later, Arundhati gave birth to a baby boy. King Hargovindas was very happy at the birth of his grand son but at the same time very sad as Shaktinath was to die. As soon as the Nagin came to know that Arundhati had given birth to a son she came to the palace to bite Prince Shaktinath. Just as she was passing through a room, she saw the three daughters of Arundhati feeding milk to her three children. She was shocked to see that and realized how innocent the daughters were and went away from there. She then went to the room where the King, Prince and his wife were performing yagya. As soon as Arundhati saw her she screamed and became unconscious. Prince Shaktinath forwarded his hand for the Nagin to bite.

Saying this, Betaal stopped and asked Vikram whether the Nagin would bite Prince Shaktinath or not. Once more he forced him to reply or else he would behead him. Vikram replied that the Nagin would not kill Prince Shaktinath because affection would win over revenge. Though the King kept his crown in front of her, it did not affect her but the moment she saw three young girls feeding her children, it shook her and her motherly affection came up. She realized that by killing the prince she was depriving those girls of their father and she could not do that. As for the promise that she had given her dead husband, she jumped into the fire of the yagya and killed herself so that she did not have to remain alive to fulfill her promise. He then said that a man could kill a man but even a Nagin thought twice before killing a man. Again as Vikram had talked Betaal flew away.