The story starts with a view of a massive and ancient yet modern city in India, somewhere around the 18th century. The city is vibrant with trade and joy; everyone seems happy and enjoying their life in this grand city.
The scene shifts to the market.
The market and trade appear very prosperous, with a lot of buying and selling going on. Many people are in a hurry, as it seems that some religious or spiritual event is taking place.
The scene shifts to a temple showing a beautiful girl.
There is a woman named Tara, who is 20 years old. She is attending the festival with her mother. She was born into a very rich and powerful family called the Rawat family, as everyone in their family has served the king as military generals or high-ranking officers. The Rawat surname is a title given to the king's loyal servants.
Tara is very charming and joyful. As she prays to Goddess Durga, her mother enters the scene and politely joins her in prayer. Tara notices that there are many people waiting for their turn to have a sight of the goddess. However, since she is from a royal family, she receives VIP treatment from the temple authorities. She orders her guards to open the gate for the other people to enter the temple as well.
The temple authorities warn her that it could create chaos and trouble for her, but she says, "In the eyes of the Goddess, there is no one bigger or smaller. Everyone is equal, so everyone should get the same chance to pray."
By this act of hers, the crowd witnesses her kindness, even though she is from a royal family. Everyone thanks her one by one for her gesture, and her mother feels very proud — yet also somewhat worried.
The scene shifts to Tara's home.
Tara and her mother return to their home. Their house is huge, with many guards and maids serving them. In a hurry, Tara gets ready to go to the palace, to a place called the Darbar, where ministers and the emperor gather to discuss matters of the empire. (Tara was the first female minister at that time to become a member of the Darbar.)
As she hurries, her mother asks her not to go today, saying that it's a festival day and she should take a leave. But Tara replies that today is a very important day in the Darbar.