She said: "The women have their dancing lessons during daytime in the
dancing hall and return to their own quarters at nightfall. None will be in the dancing
hall at night. Come there tonight. I shall be waiting for you there. You can have your
will of me."
Kichaka reveled in happiness. That night, Kichaka took his bath,
perfumed and decked himself, went to the dancing hall and finding with joy that the doors
were open, gently entered the place.
In the very dim light, he saw someone lying there on a couch, no
doubtSairandhri. He groped his way in the dark, and gently laid his hands on the person of
thesleeper.
Alas! It was not the soft form of Sairandhri that he touched but the
iron frame of Bhima who lept forth on him like a lion on its prey and hurled him to the
ground. But surprised as he was, Kichaka was no coward, and be was now fighting for dear
life.
Grimly they wrestled, Kichaka no doubt thinking he had to do with one
of the gandharva husbands. They were not ill matched, for at that time Bhima, Balarama and
Kichaka were reputed to be in the same class in strength and wrestling skill.