2-Three Suitors
One should regard relationship too

Vikram again came after him, caught him, put him on his shoulder and started walking. Vaitaal said - "I pity you, O King, that you are making untiring efforts, without relaxing, to take down me there as if you wish to achieve something. However, you will realize the futility of the whole thing if you listen to my story. So just to pass time, listen to this story now." Vaitaal started his story and Vikram started listening.

Vaitaal said - "There was a city named Dharmsthal on the banks of Yamunaa River. There lived a Braahman named Keshav, in that city. He was a very religious and learned Braahman. He had a daughter, her name was Madhumaalatee. She was very beautiful. When she became of marriageable age, her parents started looking a suitable match for her.

One day Keshav went to one of his Yajmaan (customer), and he saw a handsome Braahman boy sitting there. He was very happy to see that Braahman boy. He talked to his parents about the marriage of his daughter to their son, they agreed, so he fixed her marriage to him. When he came home, he was about to tell this to his wife, that she said - "Our daughter is very lucky that she has got a good husband sitting at home only. You have heard the name of Tryambak Shaastree, did you?" He knew him very well. He was a a very learned Pandit and knower of Puraan etc. The wife said - "I have fixed her marriage with his son."

Keshav said - "I have also fixed her marriage at one place." and he told her his own story. In the meantime his son came and told them that he had also fixed his sister's marriage with a very qualitative boy. In spite of being agreeing with one another, they could not decide one boy to whom to marry her. So all the three boys came to their house and claimed to marry Madhumaalatee. All wanted to marry her because of her beauty. Madhumaalatee also liked all the three boys, so she was also unable to decide to whom to marry.

Now, by chance, Madhumaalatee went out in the courtyard and a black snake bit her. All the three boys started crying for her. Several people were called to cure her but she could not be revived and she died. At last she was cremated. The three boys were very sad. The first boy's name was Vikram, the second boy's name was Vaaman and the third boy's name was Madhusoodan.

Vikram tied her bones in a bundle, kept them with him and started doing Tapasyaa in a forest. The second one, Vaaman, had stored her ashes and started living in a hut. He used to cry a lot in her remembrance. The third one, Madhusoodan started wandering around assuming the guise of a Saadhu. Once he came to a kingdom in which he stayed in the house of a Taantrik. Taantrik came very late for his dinner.

The Taantrik didn't like the food, so he became angry and he threw his son into the fire. His son died. At this his wife started weeping. Taantrik got pity on her, so he took out his book of Sanjeevanee Vidyaa, gathered the ashes and bones of his son and brought him alive. Madhussodan got very happy to see this. He stole that book and ran away from there. He searched his other two companions. He met them. Vaaman gave him her ashes and Vikarm gave him her bones. Madhusoodan took out his book and brought Madhumaalatee alive.

Now all three started claiming her as their wife. Madhusoodan said - "Because I brought the knowledge to revive her, that is why she is mine." Vaaman claimed that if he had not preserved her ashes, Madhusoodan could not have brought her alive, that is why Madhumaalatee was his." Vikram said - "I have given the bones, that is why Madhumaalatee is mine." Now you tell me whose wife is Madhumaalatee?

Vikram pondered a little and said - "She was the wife of Vaaman." "How" "Listen O vaitaal, One has to see the relationship in this world. Madhusoodan gave her life, that is why he was her father; Vikram kept her bones, that is why he was like her son; and who has kept her ashes, only he can be her husband. That is why Madhumaalatee was the wife of Vaaman."

The King had broken his promise by speaking, so, saying "You are right." Vaitaal ran away laughing loudly from the king's shoulder and hung upside down from the same tree. The King Vikramaaditya got worried at this. He took out his sword and came back to the same place. At the same time a snake appeared there and changed into a handsome young man. He said to the king - "Excuse me Raajan." The king asked - "Who are you?" "I am the wishful snake. I want to save your life. One of those 32 figures in you throne, Manjaree is my sister. Vaitaal Taantrik is Satan. You should not involve in this matter. You may lose your life too."

The king got silent. That young man spoke again - "I just came to tell you the same only." And that young man went away again changing himself into a snake. The king stood silently for a while, but he was not going to accept defeat. He considered to follow Dharm as his duty - to fulfill his promise made to that Yogee. So he again went back to the tree, lifted that Vaitaal, put him on his shoulder, and started walking again. The king was holding him tightly and was walking fast.