In earlier times, people traveled with carts drawn by oxen, horses, and even camels. Journeys took a very long time, and there was always the danger of robbers or a gang of thieves.

For this reason, in every village there were men who were protectors. They accompanied people who hired them, from one village to another to make sure they stayed safe.

One of these protectors was the famous Gema. He had a reputation for being very brave and courageous. He was also well-known by bandits and thieves. They only had to hear his name and ran away as quickly as possible.

But with time, Gema became lazy and cocky. He no longer wanted to take on small, insignificant jobs, but only jobs that lived up to his status. He walked around saying to everyone: "Don’t you know who I am?! Have you never heard of Gema, the bravest and strongest?"

One day, he was called to a village fifteen kilometers away to accompany a young Rajput woman who was returning to her father’s home in Pachegaon. Rupali Ba had just gotten married and was expecting her first child.

At the house of her father-in-law, after the wedding celebration, Rupali Ba was shining in her wedding dress. Precious jewelry on her arms, neck, and body made her look like royalty. She was ready to go to her father’s house.

The region she had to travel through was desert-like. Nothing grew, except a few bushes. The land was deserted. Rupali Ba traveled in a wagon pulled by oxen. In another one sat Gema with two large barrels of water.

When it got dark, Gema fell asleep. The charioteer nudged him a few times and said, “Hey! Wake up, wake up, it’s night and it’s not safe to sleep."

Half asleep, Gema mumbled, "Why are you afraid? I am Gema. Nothing can happen. Keep calm and drive the wagon," he said while waving him off.

Rupali Ba sat quietly behind a veil and said to Gema, "Don’t go to sleep, Gema, you must keep watch now. It is dark, and who knows what can happen." But Gema didn’t bother and continued to sleep. Grooaargghh Shwuuu… Grooaaagh Swhuu...

Suddenly the charioteer pushed Gema. "Wake up, Gema. I see lights in the distance! You have to keep us safe." But Gema fell asleep again, whispering to himself, "I am Gema, remember I am Gema."

The lights were approaching. The charioteers were frightened and froze in their tracks. A dozen armed men appeared from behind the dunes and surrounded the chariots.

They first took Gema prisoner and strapped his arms and legs. They tied a stick under his knees and rolled him up like a ball. They threw him on the sand and kicked him off the road, where he ended up rolling into a bush.

The gang leader approached Rupali Ba and asked her to hand him the jewelry she was wearing. "Give me the jewels!"

It was customary, even among thieves, to have a code of honor that no jewelry should be taken from women. But this thief chief did not care about customs. “Take off all your jewelry and give it to me, including the silver anklebands you wear."

Rupali Ba took off almost everything she had on and handed the jewelry to the man. "The anklets are made of pure silver and very strong. I am pregnant and do not have the strength to take them off myself. But you can take them off if you like," she said to the thieves.

She put both her feet outside the wagon. Two thieves began to pull at the ankle straps but couldn’t get them off. Meanwhile, Rupali Ba looked around the wagon and found two sturdy sticks.

She took one in each hand and hit hard on the bent heads of the two men who were busy taking her anklets. Their skulls cracked, and they fell down dead. A sudden rage took hold of Rupali Ba, and everything went quiet...

The courage of Rupali Ba, the young Rajput girl, is still told in the village.