The Prince and His Friend
A long time ago there was a prince called Jayakumar. He had a friend called Abhiman. One day, Prince Jayakumar and Abhiman went into the forest to hunt. After a long time, they came to a temple in the forest. Prince Jayakumar decided to take rest. While he was resting, Abhiman went to a pool to wash. During Abhiman’s absence, a princess of the neighbouring kingdom Princess Meghala came to the temple with her companions. Prince Jayakumar and Princess Meghala fell in love the moment they met. But since her father the king of Khosala had already arranged her marriage they were afraid that their love was doomed. After she left, Abhiman came back and heard of the whole incident from his friend Prince Jayakumar. Abhiman was a clever man. He had a plan.
The next day they left for Khosala. Prince Jayakumar and Abhiman were in disguise. There Prince Jayakumar arranged for a meeting with Princess Meghala. According to Abhiman’s plan, he asked her to come wearing all her jewels. When she went to meet him, Abhiman dressed as a bandit robbed her jewels and ran away. He then went and sold it to a jeweller. When the jeweller tried to sell the jewels, he was arrested. The arrested jeweller spoke the truth to the king. The princess was summoned and as she was a truthful and virtuous woman she admitted to her father that she had gone to the outskirts of the kingdom to meet her loved one. The king was enraged and banished his daughter from the kingdom.
Prince Jayakumar took her to his kingdom. On the way, he told her the truth about the plan and why they had acted it out. “If I went to your father and asked for your hand he would have rejected me since he had already chosen a suitor for you,” said the prince.
Princess Meghala was overjoyed that the prince loved her so much. They were married in his kingdom and lived together happily.
Betal asked King Vikram, “Now tell me O King Vikram, who was responsible for the plight of Princess Meghala?”
King Vikram said, “Prince Jayakumar was not at fault because it was his duty to be able to win the hand of the one that he loved. Abhiman was a true friend and he acted out of loyalty. But the king made no attempt to find what was in his daughter’s heart. He acted out of arrogance and pride.”
Betal said, “O King Vikram, you really did come out with the right judgement. But you have broken your silence yet again and I have to leave you again.”
Betal slipped away again followed by King Vikram in hot pursuit.