Commander
Kodumbalur Vellar stood at the banks Thondaimaan watching the Prince even as he
moved towards Parthibendran’s ship. He was pleased by the turn of events and
spoke to himself thus, “This just proves that the Gods are favouring us. The
auspicious marks on the Prince’s hand and his horoscope prove that he is
destined for greatness. Parthibendran will take the Prince back to Kanchi
safely and it is time that I took my troops to Thanjai and oust those who have
usurped the power,” When he realized that he had spoken his innermost thoughts
aloud, he looked around warily and spotted Azhwarkadiyan standing next to him.
“Vaishnavaney!
You are still here? Not that I am worried that you overheard me, after all
there is no secret in this world that the Prime Minister Anirudhar doesn’t
know. Alright, what do you intend to do now? Will you come with me to
Maanthodham?”
“No
Ayya! There is one more thing that my master had tasked me with…”
“And
what would that be?”
Azhwarkadiyan
looked towards Oomai Rani and stood silent. Oomai Rani was then speaking to
Poonguzhali through sign language.
“Is
it about that woman?”
“Yes.
My master once told me to try and bring that deaf and mute woman to Thanjavur
if it is possible,”
“That’s
a good task that he has given you. Taking her to Thanjavur would be as easy as
taking a cyclone along with you. I don’t know who she is but it looks like she
has a lot of love and affection for our Prince and he is very respectful
towards her. What else do you know about her?”
“I
know that she is deaf and mute and I also know that it would be impossible to
take her to Thanjavur or make her do anything that is against her will, yet I
can’t resist myself and try to make an attempt…”
“Looks
like that boat girl also knows her… see how they are conversing using signs.
Call that girl here, I need to warn her about something,”
Azhwarkadiyan
asked Poonguzhali to meet the Commander and then moved towards Oomai Rani.
Poonguzhali approached the Commander diffidently and stood at a respectful
distance.
“Now,
look here girl! You are very clever, that much is evident. You came at the
right time to give us news about those Pazhuvur ships. The entire Chola Kingdom
is indebted to you for saving its Prince. I will never forget your help. I will
reward you for this, at the right time,”
Poonguzhali
respectfully bowed her head and said, “Ayya!
I don’t need a reward for helping the Prince,”
“Ah!
I will not accept that. Let our affairs get settled first and I will… yes I
will search for the bravest soldier in our army and get him married to you. I
will ensure that you get a groom who is as valorous as Bheemasena and anything
lesser than that would be unacceptable as you can make anyone dance to your
tune,” said the Commander jocularly and smiled at her.
Poonguzhali
was silent. The Commander’s idea of a reward had infuriated her but there was
no point in showing her anger to the old man. She controlled her anger with
difficulty.
“However
remember one thing. Just because you have rendered a service for the Prince, do
not imagine that you can lure him with your tricks. There is a wide-open sea
for you to catch any fish that you fancy but don’t try the same trick on the
Prince. I am warning you now. I will not tolerate your presence around the
Prince anymore,”
As
the Commander’s harsh voice droned on Poonguzhali fought against rising anger.
She almost retorted a fitting reply to him but she couldn’t speak. Her voice
had clammed up and her anger manifested as tears in her eyes as they flashed at
him.
With
her head down, Poonguzhali walked away. Her pace kept increasing as she kept
walking. She looked Oomai Rani but found Azhwarkadiyan attempting a
conversation with her. Craving loneliness and solitude she started walking in
the direction of Yaanai Earavu where she had left her boat. She wanted to row
away to a place where there was no one around.
Men are such beasts!
Why do they talk so harshly to me? Why do they say such things to me? Why can’t
the God strike at them and turn them mute?
With
thoughts racing through her mind, she soon reached the place where she had tied
her boat. She couldn’t wait to get into her boat and row until she could sit
back and enjoy the silent sea with nary a voice to bother her. Only there, she
would find a balm to calm her anguished heart.
That wily old man!
What did he say?
“There
is a wide-open sea for you to catch any fish that you fancy but don’t try the
same trick on the Prince.”
How dare he insinuate
that I am trying to catch the Prince for my own desires? Chi Chi! How could
that old man think about me thus? His words have proved that animals and beasts
are far better companions than men. In truth, wouldn’t it be better if we were
just fishes swimming through the sea all day long. They have no worries, no
dreams nor do they experience distress like this. If only she and the Prince
were two fishes then there wouldn’t be people like the Commander trying to pry
them apart. They would be free to pursue their heart’s desire… no… that can’t
be. Even in the deep sea, a fisherman could cast his net and catch them one of
them leaving the other alone with despair and loneliness for company.
While
her heart was bleeding with anguish she untied her boat and dragged it into the
water and soon she was rowing towards the sea. The boat had been her refuge and
a safe haven that comforted her through many a storm.
I don’t really care.
The world can end today for all the difference it would make. Let that
Commander protect the Prince from all the young women in the Kingdom and he
could give his own niece in marriage to him. How can it affect me? I have my
boat and there is the sea. Samudra Raja! Even if the whole world turns against
me, you will give refuge to your daughter, won’t you? The Prince did name me
your daughter after all!
Poonguzhali
plied the oars mechanically and soon she was nearing the sea. When she reached
the sea, she knew that a storm was brewing nearby. She was familiar with the
signs that portent a storm’s arrival and the previous night she had seen the
moon surrounded by clouds that clearly indicated a cyclonic storm. She knew
that soon huge waves would rise up tossing everything in its wake. She decided
to go to Boodha theevu and wait the storm there for the night and after the
storm has passed, she decided to make her way to Kodi Karai. There was no
reason to hurry her way back home.
The Prince is on his
way to Mamallapuram by now but why am I thinking about that now?
Poonguzhali
was not familiar with the navigation of big ships and didn’t realize that ships
too would be immobilized when the winds drop down before the storm. The
commander’s words had hurt her beyond anything and therefore she decided that
it would be better not to meet the Prince again. She rowed towards Boodha
theevu and was also soon looking forward to enjoying the storm’s terrible
beauty from the safety of the island.
The
island was very near to where she was rowing and within an hour’s time, she
reached there. She tied the securely in the coast and then climbed the tallest
stupa of the island to watch the storm. The winds tore through the trees making
them shake like blades of grasses and the fierce beauty of nature reflected the
storm that was playing through her own heart. The lightening and thunder that
accompanied the storm didn’t deter the boat girl’s strong heart. Her long curly
hair fell unwound rose through the wind with a life of its own. She stood for a
long time watching the storm play through the sea and the island. She felt as
though the storm had come there on her command just so that she could enjoy its
terrible beauty!
That
night she stood alone on the stupa enjoying the fury of nature and slept in a
cave. She didn’t find peace in her sleep and dreamt many unconnected dreams
about herself and the Prince. When she woke in the morrow, the storm had
abated. She walked towards the beach and found many trees uprooted by the
wind’s brute force. Near the beach, she saw a small raft floating by and the
waves brought it ashore. A man was clinging to the raft. Poonguzhali helped him
up and brought him some water to drink. He was a fisherman from Elangai who had
gone to fish the previous day. Describing the storm’s fury the fisherman told
her that his companion and friend died in the sea. He also had other important
news.
“Last
night, when the storm abated a bit, a lightening struck us in the sea and by
its light we saw two ships and one of them was burning. The people in the other
ship were trying to rescue someone from the burning ship that sank after
sometime,”
After
hearing this Poonguzhali felt a germ of worry growing in her heart.
What if this ship was
the one that bore the Prince? No. That’s not possible. There are many ships
traversing by this route. It could it any of those ships.
She
then decided to take her boat into the sea. There might be other survivors from
the ship that drowned. She felt that it would be worthwhile to help people
rather than bear a life that was bereft of her Prince.
She
immediately walked towards her boat and took into the sea. For some reason an
unexplained enthusiasm and happiness took over her heart and she started
singing the song that she normally sang while rowing her boat.
The
Prince and Vandiya Devan were floating endlessly, their hands clutching the
sail mast that had wrecked their boat. Though they were in the sea for a few
hours since that night, to Vandiya Devan it seemed as though he had ben
floating for years. He soon lost all hopes of reaching ashore and was sure that
he would die. Whenever the waves rose high, he was sure that he would die and
when he didn’t, he was surprised. He often looked at the Prince and said, “My
thoughtless actions has brought this danger upon you,” But the Prince tried to
console him with encouraging words. “I know people who have survived in the sea
after floating in it for three or four days,”
“How
many days have we been floating?”
“We
have been here for just a few hours, my friend,”
“Lie!
That’s a lie. We have been here for many days,”
Very
soon another torment was soon upon him. His throat dried up and he felt
extremely thirsty. He found it ironical that he was floating in water of
fathomless depths and yet there was nary a drop for him to drink. When he told
the Prince about this, he said, “Be patient, the sun will rise soon and we will
be ashore,”
But
Vandiya Devan couldn’t bear the torture any more, “Ayya! I can’t bear this anymore, please untie me from this sail
mast and survive this ordeal. Allow me to die in peace,”
When
the Prince tired to encourage him, he wouldn’t listen and instead tried to
untie himself by force. The Prince then hit him on the head and rendered him
unconscious. When he woke up again, the sun had risen from a nameless direction
and the Prince looked at him kindly and said, “My friend! Don’t despair. I am
sure we are near the coast. I spotted a coconut tree at a long distance. Be
patient for a while, we will reach the shore soon,”
“No,
my Prince. These are but mere words. Allow me to die,”
“Don’t
lose hope so soon. I will never allow you to die. Aha! Do you hear that?
Someone is singing!”
That’s
when they heard Poonguzhali’s beautiful song. For Vandiya Devan it signified hope
and life, after the deluge that almost took his life.
“That’s
Poonguzhali’s voice. She must be coming this way on her boat. Thank the Gods,
we are saved.”
Soon
they were able to see the boat at a distance. Poonguzhali looked at them with
an astonishment that was indescribable. The Prince untied Vandiya Devan and got
into the boat and then he helped him to get in while Poonguzhali sat
transfixed, unable to believe her eyes.
Volume 2 of Ponni's Beloved Ends with this Chapter |
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