The Three Puzzles

                PART 1: THE WARNING

Shantul the woodcutter met a beautiful girl Sarita in a garden while he was cutting a tree with his axe. He fell in love with the girl. He followed her to her house.

Her father Shravan stopped him and said," How dare you follow my daughter.  If you wish to marry her. You will have to pass the test."

"What kind of test. I will pass every test for her." said Shantul.

"You will have to pass three puzzles." said the father. "The first puzzle is behind that door and the second one behind that one. Third one behind that house."

He pointed towards the two doors, one at ground floor and the second at the first floor.

"But beware young man many of you have been through these doors. But only a few of you have returned." said Shravan.

          PART 2: THE FIRST PUZZLE

Shantul went inside the first door. He was standing on top of a hill. Pawan was a man on the other side of the valley. He called Shantul up and told him to rescue him.

"How will I cross and bring the man on this side without any help." thought Shantul.

He had brought an axe with him. He started to cut the hanging roots of an old banyan tree and made a rope out of it. He made a bow and an arrow out while cutting a tree. The rope was tied to the arrow. He shot the arrow which got stuck on rock on the other side. But Pawan cut the rope.

"Why did you cut the rope", said Shantul to the mad Pawan. But he ignored the question.

Shantul got really frustrated .Eventually he made a see-saw kind of a structure. Standing on one side he shot an arrow on the heavy rock. It fell down. His body flew in the sky and he was on the other side. He knocked Pawan unconscious before anything could happen. He fought with the men who had caught Pawan and defeated them.

With the bow, arrow and ropes he carried and brought him on his back. He walked and balanced his body on the ropes. Pawan told that these men kidnapped him and used him. Pawan thanked Shantul. The first puzzle was completed.

       PART 3 : THE SECOND PUZZLE

Shantul went on to the second door. He found a boy named Ashok. Ashok was being beaten up by some people. Shantul tried to stop them. They said," He has stolen money from the rich merchant’s house. He must be punished." Ashok said," He didn't even go inside the house. Someone just caught me and blamed me. I am innocent. You have to save me."

Shantul listened to Ashok. Shantul attempted to steal from the house. He went inside and opened the almirah. An alarm rang. He left everything and ran outside. He was seen by a few men, but he managed to run fast and escape eventually.

Shantul thought, "The same sequence of events would have happened when someone else tries to steal. It means that boy didn't even get inside the house. But how did he get caught and where is the stolen money?"

Shantul made a plan. He made a wooden man. He kept it under a tree. Only the shadow was visible in the streetlight. He picked and threw a heavy stone through a window. The alarm rang. Two men came on the road.

One of them said," You see that shadow. Someone is hiding behind the tree. Let us get him. We can beat him up. The rich man will come outside and by the time everyone around comes to know. You can get inside the house and steal from almirah."

"OK , let’s do this. I am ready" said the other one.

Shantul heard everything but wanted to catch them red-handed. He came down from the tree quietly on which he was hiding. He surrendered himself and kept the wooden man aside. While one them ran inside Shantul fought with the other one and knocked him unconscious. He ran inside the house to catch the other man. Shantul brought him outside after fighting him. Police caught both of them. Ashok was relised and thanked Shantul.

            PART 4: THE THIRD PUZZLE

Shantul opened the third door, he saw many dead bodies in a graveyard. A man named Pratap said," I want to die. I have lost my family in a stampede. Shantul came to the location which was a forest but couldn't make out where Pratap's family was lost.

Shantul stood on the bridge and watched people. He analyzed that people who were going at that point went on a pathway which couldn't be seen from the road.

Shantul asked Pratap," Where did you see your family for the last time."

He said," This is the road where I had seen them last time." One road was hidden by bushes and leaves of the Neem trees.

Shantul went on to the pathway. The forest was green. At the end of the forest he found a house. Campfire was burning in the centre and every one was bowing to a man named Arthur. Shantul watched Pratap family in the photograph which Pratap gave him. "What a disaster. Why are they acting like slaves to him and following Arthur's order." thought Shantul. They drank blue colored water in white bowls which Arthur gave them. Shantul got mixed in the crowd. Shantul acted like a slave and followed the crowd. He lived with them for some time.

The next day, he watched a house in which food was being cooked and a chemical was dissolved in water. Hallucination was being spread through water.

Shantul decided to free them all. One night after the party, he stood near Arthur, he was eating and changed the glasses. Shantul drank water. Arthur drank water mixed with chemical.

Shantul called Arthur on stage who was in a hallucination. He ordered Arthur to drink more blue colored water. Arthur became more unconscious. Arthur danced and bowed to every person.

Shantul ordered everyone,"Beat him until death and then you will be free from the curse of WHITE BOWL OF BLUE WATERS."

It was in the mind of every slave who drank the water. Ultimately Arthur was killed and they were all free.

Shantul handed Pratap his family. “I will never forget what you have done." said Pratap.

Shantul finished the final puzzle and thought about getting married to Sarita whose father Shravan had asked him to pass all the tests.

               PART 5: THE WEDDING

The marriage ceremony went off without a hitch and every one came and praised Shantul. Shantul and Sarita got well wishes from everyone. Party was on its full flow. The menu was delicious. Everyone enjoyed the food. Shravan was relieved that the boy is compatible to her beautiful girl Sarita.

Shantul and Sarita lived happily forever.

 

 

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