Blessed With Five Husbands

S02 Chapter 06 The Winner

"A tiger is wilder than a bear," Mithun said to Bali.

"A bear is bigger than a tiger," Bali said.

"If a bear and a tiger fight with each other, who would win, elder brother?" Mithun asked.

Bali contemplated it deeply. His brows became tense. But, he couldn't conclude.

"I have not seen them fight, so I don't know."

"What?" Mithun asked as he was stunned by his answer.

"It's adamantly clear that a tiger would win," Mithun spoke out to him. "Thus, I am the winner. I was the first one to return too."

"It's a tie. As I said before, let's wait for others to return," Kalighat's Chief said.

"How is it a tie? Of course, Prince Mithun is the winner. Killing a tiger bare-handed. Can you imagine?" Pirpan's Chief argued.

"Killing a bear twice the size of the tiger bare-handed is also unimaginable," another Chief argued.

"Prince Mithun killed a tiger bare-handed and returned first but he was wounded by the tiger while Prince Bali killed a bear bare-handed and there is not a single wound on his body. That's why it's a tie."

Kalighat's Chief's reasoning appeared valid and acceptable to the other Chiefs yet some others argued.

The argument was going on when the sound of a large herd of animals approaching them came from the forest. It felt like around eighteen to twenty animals were running towards them simultaneously.

"What are they?" A Chief said in fear. "Are they wolves?"

Prince Manan came riding on his horse from the forest and along with him came a pack of wolves. He stopped his horse at a distance from everyone. The pack of wolves stopped right behind him.

The villagers screamed in fear. The wolves were all alive. The village Chiefs and the guards took out their weapons.

"Don't shoot arrows on them. They are under sedation," Prince Manan said.

He came down from his horse and walked to Dhani. His right hand was behind his back. Something was hidden there.

"I knew you would be here," he said.

"You didn't hunt any animal, did you?" Dhani asked him.

Her eyes pleaded with him to affirm it. He nodded his head side by side and looked into her eyes.

"I knew you would not like an innocent animal to be killed. So, I didn't kill any. Instead, I sedated those wolves and brought them here alive."

For the first time in the day, she smiled after hearing his words. The smile came from her heart.

"And I fetched it for you."

He took out his right hand from behind. A tiny fawn was resting on his hand. Dhani looked at the cute fawn. Its beautiful eyes were half closed and half open.

"Those wolves killed its mother," he said to Dhani.

She took the cute fawn in her hands and caressed it. Bali and Mithun looked at her caressing the fawn and looked back at their hunted animals.

"Prince Manan, you failed the competition," Kalighat's Chief said. "It was about hunting down an animal, not about sedating them."

"I can hunt those wolves right now as well, but I don't want to. The competition was about proving that I am capable of protecting my wife from them and as you can see I am," Prince Manan said proudly.