A Modern Girl in an Ancient World Part II

 

Mahi was roughly pushed forward into what looked like an old, dark dungeon. She was surrounded by soldiers carrying spears, not modern guns. Everything felt unreal; she kept telling herself it was just a dream and she needed to wake up. Her hope ended when she was violently shoved into a stone cell and the door was locked.

Mahi stayed there for a whole day. The next morning, soldiers took her to a room where King Yash and Prithvi Kadam questioned her deeply. It was here she finally understood the truth: she had traveled back in time. Desperate, she tried to convince these powerful, suspicious men that she was not a spy and meant no harm to Prithvi.

Suddenly, a soldier rushed in with urgent news for the King. The dam that needed to be finished in four months before the heavy monsoon rains would be delayed. The reason: the bullocks used for transporting the materials were sick with a contagious disease.

The King was very stressed and immediately turned to Prithvi for help. As they discussed the crisis, Mahi heard key words and realized they were talking about the famous Godavari River dam—the one that was still standing strong in her time.

Mahi saw a chance to help. She quickly told the King she could solve the transportation problem if given a chance. But neither the King nor Prithvi would trust a possible spy. They harshly refused her offer, and the King ordered her back to the dungeon until the crisis was fixed.

Two Months in Solitude

Mahi stayed in the dungeon for the next two months. They gave her old clothes to wear since her own were deemed improper. To fight the boredom, she bothered the guards until she finally got a piece of charcoal and some parchment.

She spent her time drawing the exact blueprint of the dam, recalling it perfectly from her modern-day visits. She also thought hard about the transportation crisis, sketching solutions and working out plans in her mind.

Meanwhile, Prithvi was having terrible days. None of his solutions were working, and the dam construction was still too slow. He was exhausted and stressed, losing his temper easily. The King was growing annoyed with the lack of progress.

One day, the dungeon guard—a friend of Prithvi’s—happened to see Mahi’s detailed dam sketches. He was amazed at how much they looked like the ideal design Prithvi was struggling to create. He decided to take a risk and present Mahi's drawing to Prithvi.

The New Alliance

When Prithvi saw the sketch, he was completely shocked. This girl had drawn the exact effective dam design that he and his team of scholars couldn't figure out. He immediately ran to the King.

King Yash was equally amazed. Mahi was quickly brought to a meeting. She was questioned intensely about her drawings, and the team was impressed by her knowledge and smart answers.

The discussions were successful. King Yash decided to accept Mahi’s help, assigning Prithvi as her supervisor. This meant Mahi was moved out of the dungeon and given nice quarters in the palace. With Mahi's modern ideas and solutions, the team now had a real chance to finish the dam before the heavy rains arrived.

A Complicated Love

Mahi and Prithvi began spending many hours together, working closely on the project. Soon enough, they fell in love. But Mahi kept her distance. She was afraid her time might call her back home to her mother, Dove. Her heart wanted to go home, but it didn't want to leave Prithvi.

What will happen next? Stay tuned...