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| 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?”
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| 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,”
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| 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.
