Chapter 2: Seductive Net

Men who get married to younger women often dwell in a world where suspicion reigns supreme. They often regard strangers with distaste. Pazhuvetarayar felt the same when he saw Parthibendran outside his tent and added to that he didn’t like the way Nandini had come forward to talk to the Pallava Lord but he couldn’t chide her too!

He therefore replied to Nandini with a frosty smile, “Devi! There are many in this world that we do not know and we have nothing to lose, if we don’t.”

Parthibendran who had by then recovered his speech said, “Ayya! While it is true that you have nothing to lose if you do not know me, the loss is truly mine. Allow me to introduce myself to your wife. Devi! People call me Parthibendra Pallavan.”

“Oh! I have heard about you,” said Nandini.

“Parthibendra! Why did you omit all those titles that decorate your name? Since when did you turn so humble! Nandini! He isn’t just Parthibendra Pallavan, he is the warrior who won Vengai and Kalligam! He is the warrior who beheaded Veera Pandian!” said Pazhuvetarayar with a derisive laugh.

Nandini’s face darkened for a few seconds just as sudden clouds crowd on a clear blue sky. She regained her composure soon enough and laughed.

“Ayya! These days so many people are claiming the honour of beheading Veera Pandian that it is difficult to count,”

“Devi! Dhanadigari added those titles to my name out of respect but in truth, the honour of slaying Veera Pandian rests with Prince Aditya Karikalar!”

“Now I wonder why you say that? Don’t you want, your share of honour in killing a dead snake?” asked Pazhuvetarayar sarcastically.

“No, My Lord! Aditya Karikalar did not kill a dead snake. When he slew Veera Pandian, he was a live snake. When he drew his sword, a beautiful woman came in front to beg for the King’s life. If it had been me, I would have thrown that sword away and Veera Pandian might have escaped with his life,” said Parthibendran in reply to Pazhuvetarayar though his eyes were directed towards his wife.

Nandini who realized the dangerous route the conversation was taking, immediately turned towards her husband.

“Natha! Why are we talking about these old stories? Kindly enquire about his business hereabouts!”

Pazhuvetarayar immediately acceded and asked, “She is right. Let’s not discuss the old stories. What are you doing here? When did you leave Kanchipuram? Where are you bound?”

Parthibendran who had forgotten the purpose of his visit, soon remembered it.

“Ayya! Forgive me. I have come with news that would drown the Chola Kingdom in sorrow. Prince Arul Mozhi Varmar came along with me in my ship and when we were stuck in the cyclone, he jumped into the sea and has gone missing. We searched for him in the sea fruitlessly for an entire day. I came here hoping that he might have ashore…”

Even before he could finish his account, Pazhuvetarayar wailed, “What? What did you say?” and fell down in a dead faint.

Parthibendran sprang forward to hold him but Nandini pushed his hands away and sat down near her husband. Cradling his head on her laps, she shouted, “Water! Water!”

A handmaiden came running from the tent bearing a pitcher of water while soldiers and onlookers crowded them around. Nandini with a glance bid them to move away and sprinkled some water on her husband’s face and crooned lovingly, “Natha! Natha!”

 

Periya Pazhuvetarayar faints!

After a few minutes, Pazhuvetarayar opened his eyes and sat up immediately.

“Nandini! Did my ears deceive me? What did this Pallavan say? Did he say that Ponniyin Selvan was lost in the sea? I played with Arul Mozhi when he was but a wee child. I used to tell him tales while he rode on my shoulders! I held him in these very hands right from the time he was a babe! With these very hands, I put the seal on the royal decree to imprison him! Woe to me! What will the people of Chola Kingdom say about me and my clan?” wailed Pazhuvetarayar and beat his hands on his head. No one had seen the old man ever so distressed in their life, not even Nandini!

“Natha! Don’t distress yourself! The Pallava lord did not complete his message. Let us hear him out and decide what needs to be done,”

“Yes. You are right! Parthibendra! You said that the Prince drowned in the sea. Is that true? Or are you perhaps telling these tales out of some malicious intent? Do not play around with me!” growled the old man.

Parthibendra Pallavan 

“Ayya! Forgive me! I did not say that the Prince drowned and died. I cannot accept the fact that a storm can steal this Kingdom of its most beloved Prince. When the cyclone was at its worst, the Prince jumped from my ship into the sea. He might have escaped, if God willed it! That’s why I came here hoping against hope that he might be alive and might have come ashore…”

“He jumped from the sea during the storm! Why? What possessed him to do such a thing? Why did he come in your ship in the first place? What were you doing when he did such an insane act?” questioned Pazhuvetarayar one after another.

Nandini interjected saying, “Ask him to explain as to why he went to Elangai in the first place?”

“Yes. Tell me the truth or else you will never leave this place alive,”

“My Lord! I am not in the habit of telling lies. If for some reason, lies are called for even then, my tongue betrays me by telling the truth. We have been hearing disturbing rumours about the King in Kanchipuram. We also heard that the noble lords have gathered under the Pazhuvur Lord to conspire against the Crown Prince Aditya Karikalan’s right to succession,”

“Lies! Absolute lies!”

“I too wish that they were but mere lies nonetheless this is what we heard! This prompted noble Malaimaan to send me to Elangai so that I could bring back Prince Arul Mozhi to the Kingdom….”

Starting thus, Parthibendran recollected all the events that had occurred ever since he boarded the ship to Elangai. After listening to him, Pazhuvetarayar wailed, “Oh God! A great calamity has come to Chola Kingdom! And it came because of me. It was ‘I’ who sent those ships to Elangai to imprison the Prince!”

“My Lord! None of this is your fault. Even if you hadn’t sent those ships, the Prince would have travelled in the Pallava Lord’s ship to Kanchi and would have become prey to the storm. Pray, do not blame yourself for something that God had destined!” said Nandini wisely and then suddenly leaned towards her husband and whispered something in his ears.

Pazhuvetarayar’s face gained some colour after he heard her words and said, “Yes! Yes you are right! It didn’t occur to me at all!”

Next he turned to Parthibendran and said, “Pallava! I am going to go to your ship and inspect it. You will remain here under my guard, until then. Don’t try to escape or else my soldiers will hunt you down. You belong to the brave clan of mighty Pallavas and it would tarnish their fame if you were found wounded in your back!”

“My Lord! I have no intention of escaping from here. If I do decide to escape, none of your soldiers can hope to wound me and certainly not even in the back.”

“My lord! Don’t worry. I will take care of him. If he tries to escape, this dagger of mine will find its mark. You go to his ship and inspect it carefully. Speak to his sailors to verify his story.” Said Nandini with her hand clutching the dagger that she had taken out of her waist.

“Devi! I don’t want to burden you with this responsibility. You go inside the tent and take rest or else go to Thyaga Vidagarayar’s house. Our soldiers can keep him under watch until I return or else I could take him alone with me to inspect the ship…”

“I have no intention of accompanying you, My Lord. If I come with you, will suspect me again of influencing my sailors. I will not budge from here until you come,”

“My Lord! I have no intention of going anywhere too. I will be here waiting for you…” said Nandini and then leaned towards him to whisper in his ears again, “This Pallava Lord might have come here to spy on you, who knows? I will stay here to prevent such mischief. Moreover no one hereabouts should know the truth about the Prince’s fate until you come back from the ship…”

Pazhuvetarayar nodded his head and then took a boat to inspect Parthibendran’s ship that was anchored at some distance. Nandini stood looking at the boat until it moved away from the range of her eyes. She was also aware of the fact that Parthibendran was unabashedly staring at her face. She turned towards him expecting him to look away with embarrassment but the honeybee that has smelt the nectar will seldom turn away!

Nandini took the dagger back from her waist and said, “Don’t try to escape! You have been warned!”

“Devi! Why are you trying to scare me off with that dagger? How could a fish that has been ensnared in the fisherwoman’s net escape? Where would it go? I am truly caught in the net that you had cast…”

“What are you saying? Are you comparing me with a fisherwoman? If my lord were to hear this…”

“I am not worried about what he would think. But I did not mean to call you a fisherwoman. I was referring to your beautiful eyes that casts an alluring seductive net…”

“Chi! Chi! How dare you? Even if you had called me a fisherwoman it was excusable but you dare to call me, a woman of loose morals!”

“Forgive me! That’s not what I meant when I spoke about your beautiful eyes. There is nary a guile in them. The spider painstakingly makes a beautiful web as its home. When the flies fly into it, one can hardly blame the spider for enticing it inside…”

“So you are comparing me to a nasty spider. Do I look so horrible to you?”

“No! No! I should have compared you to the lamp. We light a lamp so that it relieves us from the darkness but the house flies and other pests are attracted to its beauty and they sacrifice their life at its altar…”

“A small wind can take care of this lamp. We can even blow off the lamp and extinguish it! That’s all the power that the lamp holds.”

“The lamp might be extinguished but is there any power in this world to dim the full moon’s light! The moon rises over the sea because of the natural order of things in this world but why does the sea try to reach it with its endless waves. Why does it constantly try to touch the moon with those scary waves?”

“I have heard that the Pallava kings appreciated art and imagination very much, today I have learned it to be true!”

“I never believed it when I read about it in the Puranic tales and old stories but today I am willing to believe it,”

“What are you referring to?”

“I have heard about who posses such unearthly beauty that they are able to enslave all beings in the three worlds. Didn’t Mohini enchant the Auras, just when they were about to partake the nectar? Didn’t the Apsara Menaka entice Sage Vishwamitra away from his austerities? Didn’t Kovalan fall prey to the beauty of courtesan Madhavi? Didn’t King Dasaratha banish Rama to the forest just to please Kaikeyi? Didn’t the glorious Kingdom of Rome lose its fame and glory when it bowed its head before the beauty of Egypt’s queen…”

“Enough! May I ask, why you are giving such examples to me?

“Devi! Can’t you guess why I am giving these examples?”

“If you are quoting these as an example for me, then you are making a huge mistake,”

“I doubt that. The women that I quoted as an example had as much power as you have,”

“I can prove that it is a lie with the help of your own words!”

“How so?”

“I sent my lord husband to the ship deliberately, so that I could speak to you privately,”

“I guessed your intent. That’s why I didn’t go with him,”

“A little while ago, you said that a woman tried to save Veera Pandiyan and that Aditya Karikalar didn’t accede to her request,”

“Yes I did,”

“Do you know who that woman was?”

“Yes. She is right now the beloved wife of Periya Pazhuvetarayar!”

“If I indeed were so enticing, wouldn’t I have saved the life of Veera Pandiyan? Why did I fail there?”

“It is true that Prince Aditya Karikalar didn’t accede to your request. His fury in war is legendary. But it is also true that for the past three years, he has been regretting his actions and is torturing himself for not granting your wish,”

“How is it that you know about this? Did he speak to you about it?”

“For three years, he had locked this sorrow in the deepest recess of his heart. I knew that he was troubled by something and begged him to reveal it to me. He opened his heart ten days ago, before I journeyed to Elangai. Since then…”

“Since then…”

“Since then, I have been wanting to meet the Pazhuvur Queen,”

“You said that if you had been in Aditya Karikalar’s position, you would have acceded to my request and granted Veera Pandiyan his life,”

“Yes I did,”

“Is that true?”

“Absolutely! You can test me if you want,”

“Ayya! I have a doubt. Can I tell you about it?”

“My ears are fortunate to hear anything that you care to say with your honeyed voice,”

“I think that you are testing me with your words. While you speak of the net that I am casting around, you are trying to trap me in your net! You are trying to gain my confidence so that you could learn all my secrets!”

Parthibendran was flabbergasted to hear Nandini’s words. He had indeed begun the conversation with intention of trapping her in a web of lies and to make her believe that he was smitten with her beauty. But what began with a deceitful intent soon became true for him and he became truly enamoured by her beauty. He was startled by the fact that Nandini was perceptive enough to gleam the truth out of his lies. Nonetheless, he tried to hide the fact from her and said, “Devi! If you truly believe that I have come here to spy on you, let the Gods unleash thunder and lightening upon my head!”

“Ayyo! Do not say that!” wailed Nandini.

“That messenger who came from your Prince, what was his name?”

“You mean Vandiya Devan?”

“Yes. He tried to spy on me very cleverly and if your account is true, it looks as if the lightening did indeed fall upon his head,”

“Alas Devi! The lightening fell upon the ship and not on his head and that finally led to the Prince leaving the ship in the heart of the storm!”

“Poor Kundavai! Two people who were most dear to her heart are lost to her forever. How unfortunate for her?”

“Devi! Who are these two people?”

“Didn’t you know that Prince Arul Mozhi Varmar was most dear to Kundavai?”

“Yes I do. But who is this other person who is dear to her?”

“Who but that messenger that your Prince sent along,”

“You mean Vandiya Devan?”

“Yes!”

“Chi! Chi! How could Princess Kundavai, who is powerful enough to rule this kingdom spare a glance to that upstart and vainglorious Vandiya Devan?”

“Nonetheless, it is true. She was attracted to him and that’s why she sought to save him from my husband’s soldiers, by sending him away to Elangai to fetch her brother. My husband is berating himself for sending those ships to imprison the Prince but in reality it is Kundavai who is responsible for the brother’s death. If she had not sent Vandiya Devan to the Prince…”

“…then the Prince wouldn’t have jumped into the sea during the storm.”

“When my Lord husband comes back from the ship, I would be grateful if you could point this out to him,”

“Devi! Is there anything else that I could do for you, so as to earn your gratitude?”

“Ayya! I am but a helpless woman and there are hundred ways to earn my gratitude,”

“If you could tell me I would be much beholden to you. Aditya Karikalar got a golden opportunity to earn your gratitude and he let it slip away and regretted his actions for three years. I would never make such a mistake in my life,”

“Is that true, ayya? Would you go to any lengths to do the bidding of a woman?”

“No! Yesterday, if someone had told me this, I would have laughed. But today, after I saw you, I can’t help myself. Tell me something, anything! If I had hundred lives, I would sacrifice them for you, just to do your bidding. I would sacrifice a thousand kingdoms just to please you. Ask me to forgive my deadly enemy and I would do it for you. Ask me to behead my dearest friend, and it shall be done forthwith…”

As Parthibendran went on listing the things that he was prepared to gain Nandini’s gratitude, his body shook and his speech slurred, his lips trembled and his breathe became hot! Parthibendran transformation will be a source of great surprise for all the readers. But if someone had gone to him and said, “You will become thus!” he wouldn’t have believed it. Later, after many years, he would think back to this day and wonder how he could have acted thus!

This kind of transformation is not limited to a person like Parthibendran. It happens all the time, all around us. We haven’t unravelled the mysteries of the human body yet and it would take many years before we unravel the mysteries of the mind.

People who commit acts of unspeakable evil, one day become devout and renounce their old life.  There are others who spend their life immersed in devotion but irrevocably slip into evil ways.

Nandini who heard Parthibendran’s declaration with a smug smile, interjected him and said, “Enough Ayya! I would never ask you to do anything so terrible as you just described. I would only request you to do something that would make us both happy,”   

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Chapter 24: Wax in Flame

Periya Pazhuvetrayar

At first, they heard the screeching wail of the parrot and the gasp of the handmaiden, who was discreetly standing by the garden path. When Kandan Maran saw Periya Pazhuvetrayar striding towards them furiously with a screeching parrot in his hand, he trembled in all limbs. What if he had heard their conversation and the part where he had said that ‘he did not like Pazhuvetrayar’? What if he suspects him of trying to seduce his young wife?

He knew that old men who get married to younger women constantly suffer from doubts and insecurity and thereby making theirs and everybody else’s life miserable. Is that why this old man is very angry? Will he suspect that I have been having untoward thoughts towards his beautiful wife?

All these thoughts came and vanished in Kandan Maran’s mind within a few seconds. But he would witness a very astonishing scene that day. When Pazhuvetarayar neared them, Nandini got up and welcomed him with a beautiful smile saying, “My Lord!  I was afraid that you might be delayed. Thank God you came back early.”

 

Nandini and Periya Pazhuvetarayar

Periya Pazhuvetarayar just had to hear her voice and see her beautiful smile and he transformed from a furious angry old man into a tame cat! With a slight smile, he said, “Yes. My errand got completed sooner than I thought, so I returned immediately.” And then he looked Kandan Maran and asked, “What is this boy doing here? Has he written a love poem in your honour?” and laughed at his little joke.

Kandan Maran’s face reddened but Nandini laughed harder at her husband’s joke and said, “My Lord, sadly, this boy doesn’t know anything about love or about poems. He knows to fight and get injured. Now that he has healed, he wants to go back home,”

“What do I say about today’s young men? I have seen 24 battles in my lifetime and proudly wear the 64 scars as a token of my bravery but I have never lain in the bed to recover from any of them. But then, I bore my wounds on my chest and shoulders while this boy got stabbed in the back. No wonder!”

Incensed by Pazhuvetarayar’s remark, Kandan Maran said, “Ayya! You are like my father. If somebody else had said this, I would have…”

“Is that so? Show me what would you do if somebody else had said this...” said Pazhuvetarayar and put his hand on his sword.

Nandini interfered and said, “My Lord! This boy is not only got injured in the back but he has also suffered a grievous wound to his heart. His friend’s betrayal has hurt him very much and we should not say anything that would hurt him more. We do know what really happened on the night he got hurt, don’t we, My Lord?”

Pazhuvetarayar understood Nandini’s meaningful look and said, “You are right Nandini. He is just a small boy. I will forget what he just said for his father’s sake. Nandini! I have something very important to tell you. It’s good that he is also here, as it concerns him. In Elangai, at Mandottam, our soldiers have caught a man suspecting him to be a ‘spy’. They found a message for Prince Arul Mozhi Varman on his person and along with that he also had our palm emblem ring. It looks like he might be Kandan Maran’s dear old friend. That boy is very clever, or else he wouldn’t have escaped our soldiers so easily…”

Both the men didn’t notice the slight change in Nandini’s expression.

“What? He escaped is it and that too to Elangai?” cried Kandan Maran with disappointment.

“My Lord! I am not surprised by the fact that his friend escaped. I have said it often enough that your brother is not fit to command this fort. It is small wonder that his soldiers are as inept as their master,”

“When you used to say this, I thought you were wrong but now I think you could be right. Do you know when our soldiers in Elangai questioned this ‘spy’ about our ring, he refused to answer them?”

Nandini sighed and said, “What game is this? How did he get our emblem ring then? What explanation does your brother give?”

“My brother? You will laugh if you hear what he says. He says that this spy could have got our emblem ring from you.” Said Pazhuvetarayar and laughed out aloud.

Nandini laughed along with her husband and said, “I admit, there is none wiser than my brother-in-law in this entire kingdom,”

“Do you know what else he is saying? It truly makes a good story! I can’t but laugh at his assertions! He says that this ‘spy’ met you when you were coming to Thanjavur in your palanquin and that’s when he got our emblem ring from you. He also says that this boy’s friend came to meet you here in the palace on that day when our soldiers were searching for him everywhere. He says that either you should have given him the ring or it could have been the mandiravadi, who comes to meet you. He is saying many such stories to hide his foolishness,” said Periya Pazhuvetarayar and laughed again. But this time, Nandini did not join him in laughter.

“It was wrong of me to have doubted my brother-in-law’s cleverness indeed. He seems to have outdone himself. But I am surprised that you thought fit to listen to all this without defending my honour,” said Nandini her casual expression of good humour had changed within a second to anger.

Pazhuvetarayar immediately stopped laughing and tried to pacify her. The man, who once bore many grave wounds in the service of the King, couldn’t bear the thought of his young wife’s anger!

“Devi, I did not listen to him quietly. I berated him for his foolishness most sternly. If you had been there, you would have felt sorry for him because my words almost reduced him to tears,”

Kandan Maran felt embarrassed and wanted to leave. The scene that he had witnessed made him to pity Periya Pazhuvetarayar more than ever and taught him to be wary of Nandini. He coughed a bit to gain their attention and said, “Ayya!”

Nandini looked at him and said, “We have forgotten this boy amidst the stories that my brother-in-law has been telling. He wants to go home and wants your permission to leave…”

“He can leave immediately. His father is worried about him…”

“I wish to give him a olai. Do I have your permission to do so?”

“Olai? To whom?”

“To the Crown Prince in Kanchi.”

Pazhuvetarayar looked at Nandini and Kandan Maran with suspicion and said, “Olai for the Crown Prince? You have written it? Why?”

“Kundavai wrote a olai for her younger brother and sent his friend to Elangai. Then why can’t I write to the older brother and send him to Kanchi?”

“How do you know that the olai that his friend is carrying is written by Kundavai?”

“Then why do you think mandiravadi comes to meet me? I learned this through his sorcery. Now that we know how good my brother-in-law’s soldiers are, we do need his help. They told you that the spy was caught with our emblem ring, My Lord but they didn’t tell you that Kundavai wrote the olai, that he was carrying.”

“I didn’t hear this from my brother’s soldiers. I got this news from our Prime Minister Anirudha Brahmarayar who was in Elangai, a few days ago.”

“Did that wily Brahmin tell you about the Kundavai’s olai?”

“No!”

“My Lord! I have warned you many times in the past. All these people in the Kingdom are trying to fool you. They withhold important information from you thinking that you lack the wits to find out. Do you realize the truth in my warning now? But I did not believe in Mandiravadi’s words alone. I questioned the Physician’s son from Pazhaiarai whom your brother’s soldiers had captured. He confirmed whatever the mandiravadi had told me. It is true that Kundavai has sent a message with this boy’s friend to elangai.”

Pazhuvetarayar was lost for words. He couldn’t make any sense of what Nandini was telling. Irritated at large, he cast an annoying glance at Kandan Maran. He didn’t want to ask Nandini for explanations in Kandan Maran’s presence. Nandini understood her husband’s annoyance and said, “Let us not delay this boy’s journey anymore,” She then looked at Kandan Maran and said, “Ayya! I request you to hand this olai in person to the Crown Prince. If he writes a reply, please send it to me with a trusted messenger. And do invite the Prince to your palace at Kadambur,”

Confused and perplexed, Kandan Maran looked at Nandini and Periya Pazhuvetarayar and asked, “What do I tell my father? Shall I tell him that this is the wish of the Pazhuvur lord?”

“Yes you can. My wish is my Lord’s wish. Isn’t that so, My Lord?”

“Yes. Yes,” Nodded Pazhuvetarayar. He didn’t understand anything yet he couldn’t ask Nandini for explanations.

After Kandan Maran left on his errand, Nandini looked amorously at her husband and asked, “My Lord! I fear that the faith and trust that you had in me is dwindling day after day. I think my brother-in-law’s wrong counsel is corrupting your mind…”

“Never. Nandini! I might lose my faith in the heavens above but I would never lose my faith in you. I trust your words more than anything in this world,”

“If that is so, then why did you ask me so many questions in that boy’s presence. I felt insulted,” said Nandini with her eyes full of unshed tears.

Periya Pazhuvetarayar felt guilty and tormented. He tried to wipe her tears saying, “My love! Do no, please do not cry…”

After pacifying her, he said, “I can’t understand a few things that you do. Don’t I have the right to ask, why?”

“You have the right to ask me anything and I am beholden to give you my explanations. But please do not ask such questions before strangers and shame me thus. Ask me now, whatever you want to know,”

“Why have you sent a message to Aditya Karikalan? Why have you invited him to Kadambur Palace? Isn’t he our first enemy?”

“No you are wrong. Our first enemy is that snake in Pazhaiarai. I am calling Aditya Karikalan to Kadambur for the same reason why I had invited Kundavai to our palace. My Lord! Do you remember, I used to tell you that Kundavai has a separate plan in her mind for this kingdom? I have found out what that plan is. She wants this kingdom for her younger brother Arul Mozhi Varman after her father’s demise. I will counter her plans with my move. Now do you understand why I have invited Aditya Karikalan to Kadambur?” said Nandini and looked at the old man with earnest eyes.

Though he didn’t understand anything, Pazhuvur Lord nodded and said, “I understand now, Nandini.”

“My Lord! This glorious kingdom was formed due to the brave deeds of your ancestors and our clan. I intend to see you ascend the worthy throne of this kingdom and I will not rest until I have achieved our goal. But if you lose faith in me, do unsheathe that sword of yours and behead me,”

“My love! Please do not talk such words and torment me.”

Chapter 23: Nandini’s Letter

Nandini Writes a Letter

That evening, Nandini sat alone on a decorated couch shaped like a swan in her garden. She was writing a letter on the palm leaf olai. She would write a few words and then hesitate and stop. Sometimes her body trembled like a small leaf caught in a storm and despite the soothing cool winds blowing through the garden and she had a handmaiden fanning her with a peacock fan while droplets of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“My Prince, I write this letter after much deliberation and hesitation. I hear a lot of rumours about the Kingdom and sadly your father’s ill-health is worsening every day. I hear that you have refused to come here despite the summons that he has sent. I am tormented by the thought that you wouldn’t come to Thanjavur, because I am living here. I believe that we could lay aside our differences if we could only meet once more. If you do not wish to come to Thanjavur, then can I request you to meet me at Kadambur Sambuverayer’s Palace? Today, I am married to a noble lord whose age matches that of your grandsire and that makes me your grandmother. I see no impropriety in our meeting at Kadambur. I am handing this message to the brave prince of Kadambur, Kandan Maran. You can trust him completely and send a reply to me.

Unfortunate and unlucky Nandini

After completing the letter, she read through it again and then turned to her handmaiden who was fanning her and said, “Go and fetch the Prince of Kadambur,”

When Kandan Maran came, he found it difficult to meet Nandini’s eyes. He looked down at his feet and somewhere aimlessly in the garden, unable to behold her mesmerizing beautiful visage.

“Ayya! Please sit down,” said Nandini. The slight tremor in her voice made him look at her face. Nandini continued with a smile, “I know that it would be difficult to see me with eyes that beheld and admired the beauty of the Princess,” Her words pained Kandan Maran’s heart, while her smile encouraged him to say and do many foolish things…

He said, “A thousand Kundavai cannot match the beauty of one Nandini Devi!”

“Nonetheless, if Kundavai were to say the ‘word’, you would even travel to the heavens to bring her King Indra’s throne. But you won’t heed my word and seat yourself, would you?”

Kandan Maran immediately sat down on the stone bench opposite to her couch and said, “Devi! You just need to say the word and I would even go to Brahmalokam and bring one of the heads of the Lord Creator,”

Nandini trembled at his words. She turned her head and said, “Lord Shiva left Brahma with four heads when he took one. Even if you take another head, at least he will have three more to live with…”

“Devi! I will listen to whatever you say but please do not talk about Princess Kundavai to me. I couldn’t stand the fact that she supported Vandiya Devan,”

“Still your flights of fancy were very impressive when you described the fight that you had with your friend,”

Nandini’s appreciation made Kandan Maran shy. He smiled foolishly and said, “I had to tell her something about how I met him, so I just allowed my imagination to take over but in the end he did stab me, so that was not a lie.”

“Ayya! I think it would be better if you could try to remember everything that happened that night,”

“Devi! Do you doubt my word then?”

“No. I believe you. But I think you have forgotten a few things that occurred that night. One day, our soldiers will catch Vandiya Devan and bring him here to stand trial for his crimes. Your testimony at the trial would be very vital and that’s why you need to make an effort to remember everything that happened…”

“I have no interest in that. I would like to forgive rather than condemn him to a life in the dungeons…”

“You have a forgiving heart. Nonetheless, I think it would be better if we could think back and decide among ourselves as to what happened that night. Do you remember what happened in the underground passage when you escorted Prince Madhuranthakan? Do you remember meeting me and Lord Pazhuvetarayar?”

Kandan Maran escorting Madhuranthakan

“How could I forget meeting you, Devi? No memory is more fairer or dearer to me than that…”

“If that is so, then you must also remember what you spoke on that occasion?”

“No. I remember meeting you that’s all. I can’t recall what I spoke…”

“Thankfully I do. You said, ‘Ayya!  I had heard many describe the beauty of your daughter but now I realize that mere words cannot pay homage to her…’ to my Lord Husband.”

“Ayyo! Did I really say that? No wonder he was red-faced with anger. Even now, I know that he does not like me much.”

Nandini laughed at him and said, “I does not matter if he dislikes you but you do like him, don’t you?”

“Devi! There is no use in hiding the truth from you. I too dislike him very much…”

“That is fine. I like him. That should make up for everything I think. I am very fortunate that God gave me a husband like him.”

Kandan Maran looked a bit embarrassed at her frank admission.

“Do you remember what happened after you met us there?”

“I followed the soldier who guards the underground passage. He had a fire torch and he opened the door of the passage and waited for me to enter. I entered the passage and that’s when someone stabbed me… Vandiya Devan must have known that I would be coming that way and was probably waiting outside to attack me,”

“Ayya! Your surmise is wrong. He was not waiting outside,”

“Devi! You too believe that he is not a ‘spy’ and a ‘traitor’,”

“No. He is a spy. But I know that he was not waiting outside the underground passage to attack you. I think he was waiting inside the passage.”

“But Devi, how is that possible?”

“You know that he vanished from the Fort that day when my brother-in-law’s soldiers were searching for him. I suspect that he somehow entered the underground palace and learned all its secrets. He must have seen you there and followed you. That’s how you ended up stabbed in the back… Maybe he felt remorse at having hurt you so he left you at the house of the deaf and mute woman…”

“Devi! You are right. I have been thinking about this for so long and I couldn’t understand how he came upon me so suddenly. Devi! I have just realized that there are people who are very beautiful but are witless and there are those who are very intelligent but not pleasing to look upon. It is very rare to find wit and beauty in the same person. Lord Brahma undoubtedly excelled himself when he created you with equal portions of beauty and wit.”

“Ayya! Do you really mean these words or are you trying to flatter me?”

“Devi!  I am not flattering you. I am merely stating the fact.”

“If that is so, will you do a task for me?”

“I will do anything that is within my powers to please you…”

“You will need to travel to Kanchi (Kanchipuram) for me,”

“I would go to Kashi also if you ask it,”

“You don’t have to go so far. Just Kanchi is enough. I have a letter for Prince Aditya Karikalan for you deliver. And you will need to invite him as a guest to your palace in Kadambur…”

“Devi! What is this you are saying? Don’t you know the arrangement and the oath that your husband and my father have sworn?”

“Yes I know but I also know many other things that these lords do not know. We are all at the brink of danger and sadly no one seems to know about this, except me. Do you know who is responsible for it?”

“No Devi! Please tell me.”

“The rakshashi who was here as our guest this afternoon is responsible.”

“Ayyo! Are you referring to Kundavai Piratti?”

“Yes, I am talking about that snake. I know the venom that Kundavai is made of. Do you know, she has sent your friend, Vandiya Devan to Elangai? And it is not for getting medicinal herbs for her father. She has no intention of saving her father from his ill health. After his demise, she wants the crown for her brother Arul Mozhi Varman. If he becomes the next king, she can rule the kingdom in his name as a ‘queen’. And do you know who the ‘king’ would be? Your friend, Vandiya Devan.”

“Aha! Devi! We have to stop this from happening somehow. Let us tell your Lord husband and my father…”

“There is no use telling about this to them. They will not believe it. We need to counter Kundavai’s moves through mine and it is not possible without your help,”

“Devi! I am at your disposal. Command me.”

“I want you to take this letter to Kanchi and hand it over to the Prince carefully. Will you do that?” asked Nandini with her hand outstretched holding the letter and its metal case.

Rendered witless over her beauty and beseeching words, Kandan Maran instead of taking the letter from her hand, held her hand and said, “I will do anything for you,”

Periya Pazhuvetrayar

At the same instant, they heard the sound of resounding steps that could only belong to Periya Pazhuvetarayar. Startled they turned towards the sound and saw him marching through the garden path towards them. A parrot that was chained was perched on a metal cage near the lata mandapam. With his anger matching his long strides, Pazhuvetarayar seized the parrot in hand and the poor bird, frightened out its wits gave a resounding shriek.