Nala accepted to play the game of dice with Pushkara. He lost the game and had to go to the forest along with his wife Damayanti for three years. They wandered around the forest without food and water. One day he noticed a flock of golden birds and threw his garment over them to catch them. But the birds flew away with his garment. At night both of them slept on bare ground using Damayanti's sari as a blanket. The next morning, Nala tore a piece of Damayanti's saree and covered himself up with it and left the place leaving Damayanti alone. He walked for a long time and then suddenly he heard a cry for help from a Karkotaka Naga(Snake person) being swallowed by fire. He immediately jumped into the fire and saved the Naga. The Naga thanked him and offered to help him in return. He used poison to transform Nala into an ugly dwarf named Bahuka and advised him to serve King Rituparna of Ayodhya. He also gave Nala a magic garment that would transform him to his original form. He asked him to learn to play the game of dice from King Rituparna and left. Nala went to Ayodhya to serve King Rituparna as a charioteer as well as a cook. Meanwhile, Damayanti woke up and noticed Nala missing. She searched for him everywhere but to no avail. A deadly python saw Damayanti and opened it's mouth and caught her leg. Suddenly, a hunter's arrow hit and killed the python and he asked her to marry him!
PS: This story is to be continued...
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