The next day, Indrajit Singh did not allow Madhavi to leave at the usual time; they spent half the night in laughter and playful conversation. After that, both lay down on their respective beds to sleep. The prince was already uneasy, suspecting that the dark woman would come that night, so he could not sleep. He lay with his face covered by a thin sheet, but Madhavi soon fell asleep.

The dark woman arrived at the appointed time. First, she stood at the door and peered inside. When she sensed silence, she quietly entered and gently closed the door behind her. Indrajit Singh sat up. She pressed her finger to her lips, signaling him to remain silent, and then went over to Madhavi to observe her. It was clear that Madhavi was sound asleep.

The dark woman took a pinch of sleeping powder from her pouch and gently sprinkled it on Madhavi...

She made Madhavi smell it. After standing for a little while, she checked Madhavi's pulse, and when she was certain that Madhavi had lost consciousness, she untied the key from Madhavi's sari, took out the key to the tunnel (the passage Madhavi used to come and go) from the cupboard, pressed it into wax to make a mold, and then put the key back in the cupboard, locked it, and tied the cupboard key once again into Madhavi's sari. She then returned to Indrajit Singh and said, "I have taken the mold. Now I shall go. Tomorrow I will make another key and bring it to you. Let Madhavi remain unconscious like this all night. Today she could not return to her usual place; just see how anxious she will be in the morning."

When morning came and some time had passed, Madhavi's eyes opened and she sat up in alarm. She tried to hide her feelings, but her face still betrayed her distress, from which Indrajit Singh understood that she had not woken during the night and had been unable to return to her usual place, which grieved her greatly. The next night, after midnight had passed, thinking Indrajit Singh was asleep, Madhavi rose from her bed, extinguished the lamp, took the key from the cupboard, and went outside the room to the same small chamber. She unlocked the door, went inside, and locked it again from within. Indrajit Singh, who had been hiding, slipped out of the room at the same time as Madhavi. When she entered the chamber, he looked around and found the dark woman nearby as well.

Half an hour after Madhavi had gone, the dark woman opened the chamber door with the new key she had made from the mold. She took Indrajit Singh inside with her and locked the door behind them. Inside, it was pitch dark, so the dark woman had to take out supplies from her pouch and light a candle. By its light, it became clear that this small chamber contained only twenty or twenty-five steps leading downward. Had they proceeded without light, they would surely have fallen and injured their heads, faces, or limbs.

They both descended the steps and found another locked door, which also opened with the same key. Now they faced a long tunnel stretching far ahead. Upon close inspection, it was clear that this tunnel had been constructed beneath the mountain, for there was no sign of bricks, mortar, or wood—only stone on all sides. The tunnel was about two hundred yards long. After traversing it, they encountered another locked door. Upon opening it, they found another set of steps leading upward, just like those at the entrance to the first chamber. The dark woman understood that the tunnel had ended, and opening this chamber door would surely bring them into some house or room, so she carefully examined the chamber and then extinguished the candle.

We have already mentioned above, and remind you again, that all the doors in the tunnel are fitted with the same kind of locks, which can be opened from both inside and outside with a key. In this way, the person who locked the doors could travel from one end to the other, for if the doors...

If there is no darkness on that side, then by putting one's eye to that hole, one can clearly see what lies beyond.

When the dark-skinned woman had extinguished the candle, a thin beam of light coming through the same keyhole became visible inside the room. The clever woman put her eye to the hole and saw a grand, luxurious chamber, lavishly decorated. In that very room, upon a priceless bed, sat Madhavi beside a middle-aged man, engaged in conversation and playful laughter. Now it was certain that Madhavi came here every day to meet this very man. There was nothing attractive about this man, yet for some unknown reason, Madhavi seemed to be utterly devoted to him, and if Indrajit Singh ever interfered with her visits, she would become extremely distressed.

The dark-skinned woman asked Indrajit Singh to observe the scene as well. The prince watched for a long time. Though he could not hear what they were saying, their gestures and expressions bore the unmistakable signs of love. After a while, both of them lay down to sleep on the bed. At that moment, Indrajit Singh wished to unlock the door and enter the room to punish those two scoundrels, but the dark-skinned woman stopped him and said, "Beware, do not even think of such a thing, or all our carefully laid plans will be ruined, and the grandest of hopes will be dashed to dust. For now, there is nothing better than to return."

Indrajit Singh had no choice but to heed her words and leave. In the same manner, unlocking and locking the doors as before, they made their way back and reached the door of the room where Indrajit Singh usually slept. Without entering the room, the dark-skinned woman led Indrajit Singh out into the