She said,
"Alright, I will help you. I will give you a power that will allow you to practice with even greater speed, and your body will remain filled with immense energy.
This power will make you very strong from the inside. Your strength will increase a hundred times, and no one will be able to defeat you.
But remember—never let pride enter your heart."
For the next few days, I trained deeply in the jungle. During this time, I became incredibly powerful.
Now it was time for me to return to my village. I set out toward my village along with the girl.
We were moving at such tremendous speed that it felt as if a powerful missile were racing through the ocean.
As soon as we reached near my village, the girl stopped and said,
"From here, you must go alone. I will return to my own village.
Remember, no one must know about your powers.
Live like an innocent and simple person—as if you know nothing, almost as if you are foolish.
And if you ever need me, just remember me in your heart. I will come."
After that, I slowly steered the boat toward my village.
When I finally arrived, everything had changed.
The floodwater had receded, and very little water remained in the village. People had started building new houses again.
But I noticed something important—this time, the houses were stronger than before.
Canals had also been built near the river so that if the water level rose again, the excess water could be diverted elsewhere, preventing trouble for the villagers.
When I entered the village, no one recognized me.
I walked toward my home, but my house was nowhere to be found.
Nearby, an old man was standing. I asked him,
"Baba, which house belongs to the Pradhan?"
The old man replied,
"Son, why do you want to know about the Pradhan? He is a very cruel man who oppresses the villagers."
I asked,
"Baba, why does the Pradhan trouble the villagers so much? Why doesn't anyone punish him?"
The old man sighed and said,
"Son, once we had a boy who passed away many years ago.
He used to be the Pradhan of this village. During his time, the people were very happy.
But then a terrible flood came. Everything was destroyed. We lost everything. That flood stole all the happiness of this village."
At that moment, the old man began to look at me carefully.
Then he said,
"My son, you have returned. Where have you been all these years? Now that you are back, everything will finally be alright."
I replied,
"Baba, I am not the person you think I am. How could I be the Pradhan?
I have only come here to meet a friend. It has been many years since I last saw him."
The old man asked,
"Friend? Who is your friend in this village?"
I said,
"We were separated when we were very young. I have come today to meet him after many years."
I was making up the story, but I did not know what to say next.
I knew the truth—that I had once been the Pradhan of this village.
But now, I was just an ordinary citizen.
Someone else had become the Pradhan, and he was cruelly oppressing these innocent villagers.
I decided that I would deal with him—but until then, I would not reveal who I really was.
The old man then said,
"Tell me your friend's name, son. I will tell you where his house is."
I began to wonder what name I should tell him.
He continued,
"Son, I may be old, but my memory and my eyes still recognize you clearly.
You are the son of this village—the one who was separated from us years ago because of the flood."
"Tell me the truth, son. How are you? We believed you were no longer alive. Seeing you alive today has brought great peace to my heart.
It feels as if the villagers will once again receive the happiness that this cruel Pradhan has stolen from us."
The old man became very happy and started shouting loudly, announcing to everyone that our son had returned.
But the villagers could not recognize me. They thought the old man had lost his mind.
One young man from the village said mockingly,
"Hey old man, who is this stranger that you are so happy about?"
Perhaps the villagers had forgotten me. After all, I had not been seen for many years.
Then the old man asked me,
"Son, you have returned after twenty-five years. Where were you all this time?"
Hearing this, I was stunned.
"Baba," I said, "I have not returned after twenty-five years. I have only been gone for one year."
I was trapped in a place from which it took me one year to escape. But you say twenty-five years have passed—I do not understand this."
He replied,
"No, son. You have returned after twenty-five years. In these years, many things have happened here. Many innocent people have died.
The Pradhan you see now is far more cruel than you ever were kind. No one knows how many people he has killed."
Anger began to rise within me toward the Pradhan, but I controlled myself and remained calm.
In a quiet voice, I asked,
"Baba, where is my house? I cannot see it anywhere.
When I left this village, my house was safe, but now I cannot find it."
The old man replied,
"Your house has been taken over by the Pradhan. He lives there now.
He has changed it completely so that no one would recognize it as your house.
Very few villagers know this truth—only old people like me. The rest have already died.
We do not even know when they were killed."
Then he said sadly,
"Son, in this village, our daughters and daughters-in-law are no longer safe.
The Pradhan is so cruel that he has sold many girls from our village to people in other villages.
That is why, son, I advise you to leave this place. If the Pradhan finds out that you have returned, he will try to kill you as well.
The villagers here have now become used to suffering everything in silence."