Back in the village, everyone was very worried.
Since morning Ray, Chandra and Priyakant were away and nobody knew where they were. Their parents feared the worst and didn't know what to do. Search parties were sent out in every direction but all came back with no news of the boys. They tried looking for Priyakant thinking he might be able to give some clue but didn't find him too. Nobody knew what to do, when suddenly, one of the villagers mentioned that he had heard the boys talk about going to the forest. A faint glimmer of hope came into the hearts of the villagers and, lamp in hand, they instantly set out towards the forest.
Meanwhile in the forest the boys were led by the tribal folk they knew not where. Half walked ahead of them showing the way with Angamala at the lead and the rest walked behind them, spears at the ready. Two tribals carried Chandra for they thought his limp would slow them down. After walking for some time they finally emerged into a vast open space. Ray saw that many huts were arranged in a circular pattern and some distance away was a hut bigger and grander than the others; this Ray assumed to be where the head of the tribe resided. The three boys were utterly exhausted and weary due the ordeals of the night but they had no choice but to obey the orders given. Soon they were brought in front of a towering woman seated on a throne with a large crowd around her. Her face was painted, she wore big earrings and a nose-ring and had a powerful figure. The chief of the tribe was frightening to look at.
"I have brought them, Mother" said Angamala. Ray and his friends did not know what had happened to their Priyakant. They didn't know what on earth was going on and the entire thing made no sense to any of them.
"Good" replied the woman, "they will pay severely for all that they have done"
Ray, Chandra and Sulochan didn't know what they had done and how this forest tribe knew them; but they had not the courage to speak a word.
"You will serve us as slaves and obey our orders." Whoever gives you an errand, be it me, my son or any other tribal, it must be completed without delay. Any negligence on you part, attempt to escape or any other act that goes against us and you be boiled alive and eaten by our tribesmen." The woman thundered.
"But respected chief, isn't this too severe a punishment? They're children after all" one tribesman said with his head bowed low to the queen. She shot him one angry glance and the thing was settled there.
"Take them away" Angamala ordered one of the attendants.
"But ,Priyakant what have we done? Why are you doing this to us friend?" Ray said at last
"Angamala is my name and I am no friend of yours. I am the crown prince of the Garonama tribe. I was living as a spy in your village under the name of Priyakant. So foolish you villagers are; suddenly out the blue a person comes to stay in your village and not a glimmer of doubt enters your mind, ha! what callousness. I came there son could observe the village and its folk carefully so as to make appropriate plans of revenge."
"R-r-revenge? What revenge? What have we ever done to you or your tribe?" Chandra stammered with fright .
"You are the reason for our downfall" thundered Angamala. We, the Garonamas were living in Bhadrapur and ruled it till you people arrived. Suddenly, you aliens began to encroach upon our territory and treacherously drove us away from our own land. Your people tried fighting with us but could not defeat us. So you used deceit. Mother still remembers the death of my grandfather at the hands of you villagers. She was seven years old then and remembers the cries of her father after you dogs set fire to his hut in the dead of night. She fled with the tribe into the interiors of this forest land and built another village here over many years- she promised the soul of my grandfather that she will take revenge at get the land back.
"But what have we got to do with that? How will capturing us help? Ray answered, his voice trembling. His father had often told him how they had liberated the village land from an evil tribe; and he took it as nothing more than a story. But coming face to face with reality shocked him.
"Capturing you will help us because the villagers will come searching for you right into our lair and nobody can save them from destruction then." Angamala's mother said with delight.
A shiver ran down Hari's back as he envisioned the place filled with mauled corpses of murdered village folk. He winced. Chandra and Sulochan were stoic. They were led by two tribals and shoved into a tiny hut. "Sleep till you want boys because tomorrow is going to be--"said one of the tribals as he left them in the hut. They didn't know what to do. They were so exhausted that as soon as their heads touched the grass they were asleep. They awoke after around eight to nine hours and could hear sounds of a fight outside. They hurried out of the hut to see many other huts in flames, wounded tribals lying all around, some were even dead. They were bewildered and relieved at the same time. They could see a crowd in the distance and ran towards it only to find that it was the villagers! Ray, Chandra and Sulochan ran towards their parents with a cry of joy and embraced them warmly. They saw that the chief of the tribe, Angamalas mother, was captured by the villagers and was bound to a tree nearby. Angamala was nowhere to be seen.
You all here! How? How did you know we were here and how did you face this dangerous tribe? Ray asked a stream of questions to his father .He could not believe what he was seeing. "All thanks to Tirumala" answered the priest, pointing to a stout tribal standing nearby. "He came and told us that you were captured by the Garonamas. We were heading towards the forest to search for you and met him on the outskirts there. He told us everything, led us to the tribe through a secret way and we strategised as to how to overcome these people. Firstly, Tirumala mixed a sleeping potion in water and gave it to all the guards. Next, we quietly sneaked inside and surprised them by an attack! They fought ferociously, but we were more in number and eventually overcame them. We managed to catch Kantidevi but her son escaped. Ray heard the woman's name for the first time. "But we are successful" The priest banged his lathi on the ground and beamed with happiness.
"But who is Tirumala?" asked Ray."He looks very much like our barber in the village who went away some time back.”
"If the Garonamas can spy on us, even we can on them, can't we" said his father with a twinkle in his eyes.
Ray embraced his father with joy. The villagers took the prisoner with them and with a cry of triumph left for the village. Ray, Chandra and Sulochan were very happy even though they knew that they were going to be thrashed for their 'adventurous deeds' back at home.
Ray and his friends have had many more adventures since, specially after a new family came to stay in the village. The new boy, Pratap and Ray became intimate friends soon and Pratap accompanied Hari, Chandra and Sulochan wherever they went.
