Chapter 3 – A Girl’s Madness

The sky was dotted with thousands of twinkling stars. A lovely half moon rose up on the sky near the sea’s horizon as moon beams danced on the sea waves. It was a beautiful sight worthy enough for a poet to describe. Sadly for Vandiya Devan there were mundane things to do, like washing off the mud.

“Why are you standing? Go and wash the mud. I have to go home or else my anni will not give me any food tonight.”

“Is the sea very deep here?” he asked timidly.

“I haven’t seen a faint-hearted soldier like you before. The sea here is very shallow. You can go all the way to the middle of the sea and find that the water just comes up to your hips. That’s why we have to light up the lighthouse to warn the ships to stay away.”

Vandiya Devan got into the water after much hesitation. After washing himself quickly, he walked over to her wringing his clothes dry. Just then, he noticed his companion, the physician’s son coming towards him in the beach along with the horses.

“Ayyo! He is coming here with the horses. What if they get stuck in the quick sand?”

“Go and warn him.” Said Poonguzhali walking after him as he ran towards the horses warning them to stay away.

When Poonguzhali joined them, she found Vandiya Devan holding the horse’s rein. She caressed the horse and spoke something to it that made it inch closer to her.

“My horse seems to like you. That’s good.”

“Why is it good?”

“I have to go to Eelangai. I thought I would leave this horse here with you. Will you look after it?”

“Yes. I will look after it. All animals like me. Its only the human beings who don’t.”

“Why do you say that? Senthan Amuthan has completely lost…”

“That’s because I prefer the company of animals to humans.”

“What harm did human beings do to you?”

“Humans and men in general are ungracious rogues. They are all full of lies and deceit.”

“You should not think about all men like this. I have known Senthan Amuthan to be a good man. And my companion here, the physician’s son is also a good man…”

“What about you?”

“I am also a good man. But it would be odd to talk good things about myself.”

“Why are you both here?”

“The Chakravarthy is not well. We have been sent here to gather rare medicinal herbs to make a potent medicine that would cure the king. That’s why the chief physician at Pazhaiarai has sent us.”

“You said that you would be going to Eelangai as well…”

“The herbs that are not available here will need to be brought from Eelangai. Which is why I am going there. It seems that a portion of Sanjeevini mountain that was brought by Hanuman is still in Eelangai.”

“Yes. That’s right. And that’s probably hundreds of people are dying there due to shivering fever.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know this. And I doubt if that Pazhaiarai physician also knew about this.”

“It seems that lying is a habitual occupation of all men. Two days ago, two men came here. They too lied, when asked as to why they wanted to go to Eelangai. But their lies were believable to some extent.”

“Who were they? What did they lie about?”

“They said that they were sent here by some mandiravadi. They wanted to go to Eelangai to get a tiger’s claw and an elephant’s tail hair to make a protective talisman for the king. My brother took them to Eelangai in his boat.”

“Oh! Is that so?” said Vandiya Devan. He was reminded of yet another mandiravadi that he had known briefly.

My God! Why did I get stuck in this murky business of carrying messages and spying? Compared to this, warring with the enemies in the battlefield is quite straightforward.

Who would be those two men who had left for Eelangai two days ago? How far can we trust this girl? What if she too is a part of that mandiravadi’s gang? No. No. She is an innocent girl. I might need her help in future so it is better to be friends with her.

“Poonguzhali! Let me to tell you the truth. I am going to Eelangai on an important and secret mission. I would like to tell you about it…”

“No don’t. Don’t you know, that women can’t be trusted with important and secret information?”

“Yes. They say so about other ordinary women in the world. But you are not an ordinary woman.”

“Says who? You have known me for precisely one hour now.”

“Poonguzhali! The minute I saw you sitting on the temple wall, I really liked you. I want to ask you something but you should give me a truthful answer.”

“Ask?”

“Is Senthan Amuthan truly not your lover? Will you not marry him?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Senthan Amuthan is my friend. I will not act in any way that would harm our friendship. But if he is not your lover…”

“Continue… why do you hesitate?”

“If he is not your lover, I would like to fill in that vacant position. Poonguzhali! There is no feeling more divine than true love in this world. Even people like Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar sang their verses looking at God as their lover. So many great poets have sung such beautiful songs about love. Can anything compare with Kalidasan’s divine verses of love? Even Krishna got entangled in love with his gopis…”

“Ayya! Let me tell you one thing. Please listen to me.”

“Tell me.”

“I do like you and it doesn’t disgust me to look at you either but…”

“Thank God! I am very lucky.”

“But do not talk about ‘love’ or anything related to that with me.”

“Why? Why?”

“Senthan Amuthan is not my lover but I have other lovers…”

“Other lovers? Who? How many? Where?”

“In the midnight, I normally go to meet them. You can come with me if you want and I will show them to you.” She said and laughed.

Her laughter disturbed Vandiya Devan greatly. He thought to himself, ‘Looks like this girl is mad. I don’t think she would help my mission in anyway. It’s better not to tell her anything.’

They had by then reached the houses that stood near the lighthouse. Hearing them approach, an old man and a woman came out of the house.

Poonguzhali brings Vandiya Devan home

“Poonguzhali! Who are these men? Where did you find them?”

“I didn’t find them appa! They found me.”

“It’s all the same. I have told you so many times to come back home before it gets dark. Do you ever listen? Two days ago, you got two strangers here and today as well. Why are they here?”

“They have come here to search for medicinal herbs to make a medicine for the king, appa!”

“Ayya! Is that correct?”

“Yes. Here is a message from the royal scribe of Pazhaiarai.” Said Vandiya Devan and took out the message. And while he was at it, another oolai fell down from his waistcloth. He picked it hurriedly, angry with himself and muttered, ‘I am such a fool.’

Poonguzhali’s father took the oolai and read it in the light of the lighthouse. He turned towards his wife and said, “This is a message from Elaya Piratti. These men are here on royal business. We need to give them food and shelter. Go and tell your daughter-in-law to keep enough food for them.”

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Volume 2 - The Storm - Chapter 1 - Poonguzhali

With the sea waves weaving in and out of the beach, the dusky evening was peaceful in Kodi Karai. The sky was dotted with birds flying back home across the pristine white sands of the soft beach. The air seemed still in the woods near the beach and the sun was fast sinking behind a veil of clouds.

A small boat made its way towards the shore. A young woman was plying the oars of this boat and she reminds us of Senthan Amuthan’s description of his uncle’s daughter Poonguzhali. Yes. She is indeed Poonguzhali. To justify her beautiful name perhaps, she had decorated her hair with a flower and her lovely curly hair fell in cascades upon her shoulders. She had adorned her neck with a lovely necklace of shells but truly they seemed more pleasing to the eye, only because she wore it.

And what could be more alluring than a beautiful maiden plying a boat? Surely it would be her melodious voice. Sitting languidly on the boat, she sang a haunting song about the sea and it seemed as if the wind stood still to listen to her honeyed voice. Even the sinking sun seemed to be listening to her before it could usher in the night.

Listening to her, one might even wonder what sorrows this young maiden might be hiding in the deepest recess of her heart that seemed to give such a poignant tinge of sadness to her voice.

She was close to the shore by the time, the song ended. She plied her oars mechanically and came near the beach. She nimbly got out of the boat and dragged it behind her and let it rest near the many boats that were left on the beach. Then she looked around the beach and spotted the light on the lighthouse that acted as a beacon and a warning for ships lest they come too near the shore. On the other side of the woods, there was a temple that stood hidden among the many trees that grew there. Two hundred years ago, Sundaramurthy Nayanar had come to Kodikarai Kuzhagar temple and had sung his divine devaram about how Lord Shiva stood alone amidst the sea and the beach.

“My Lord! Why are you here all alone amidst this lonely beach and waves? This place isn’t worthy of you? You are needed in a place where throngs of devotees would place their offerings at your divine feet and not a lonely stretch of beach.“

Kuzhagar Temple Today
Photo Credit: ancientindiantemple.blogspot.in

But even after two hundred years, Kodi Karai still remains a secluded stretch of beach, sand and woods during the time of our story. The thick woods around the temple were full of wild animals and hooting owls, making it more dangerous than it was two hundred years ago. There was however one difference. Two hundred years ago, there was no lighthouse here. It was built during the period of King Paranthakan I and since then the place became a home for a few families who took care of the lighthouse and the temple.

Remains of the Ancient Lighthouse Built by Paranthaka I
Photo Credit: madraswanderer.blogspot.in

Poonguzhali looked around her and thought of going towards the lighthouse. Then she saw the temple gopuram of Kuzhagar temple and decided to go there instead. Even as she decided to go there, the temple bells started ringing melodiously. What am I going to do at home so early? Let me visit the temple. I can ask the Pattar to sing the divine devaram songs and then take the prasadam home.

Deciding thus, she walked fast towards the temple. On the way, she saw a herd of deer running towards the forest and among them was a lovely young deer, graceful and childlike. Her enthusiasm crossed all boundaries when she saw the deer. She ran along with them as if she was going to catch them but no matter how fast you run, one cannot really compete with the agility of the deer. The herd outstripped her and ran gracefully ahead of her. 

At one place, all the deer collectively leaped as if they were escaping from a dangerous deep pool. All the big deer leapt safely and reached the other end but the one of the smaller ones fell in the middle. Sinking in the muddy quicksand, it tried to claw its way up but moaned piteously when the attempt failed. The mother deer and the rest of the herd had stopped running and were watching the small deer worriedly but they couldn’t help in anyway.

Poonguzhali immediately set about to help the little dear. She noted carefully where the quicksand ended and approached the place where the little deer was stuck. The deer herd and the mother deer looked at her suspiciously not knowing her intentions. But she cooed at them with a strange sound and that seemed to reassure them. She bent over the quicksand pool and grabbed the little deer’s legs and pulled it to safety. The little deer stood trembling from fear for some time and then turned around and ran to its mother for succour and comfort. Soon the entire herd started running at breakneck speed.

“Chi! Such ungrateful creatures!” she exclaimed and then comforted herself saying, “But they are certainly better than the humans who are worse than ungrateful.”

She started walking towards Kuzhagar temple into dense forest. The thick grove of forest was so dense that strangers who are unfamiliar with the terrain can easily get lost and roam around clueless for long. Nestled amidst the trees stood the old temple looking a bit desolate and deserted. She entered the temple and went straight to the inner sanctum. The temple priest looked at her in surprise and smiled. Visitors to the temple was a rare sight for him and among them attractive young boat girls were more than welcome.

After she finished her prayers, the priest gave her a coconut and the divine prasadam to eat and said, “Amma! Will you wait for a while? I will lock the temple and come along with you.”

“I will wait for you Ayya! I am not in a hurry. I can wait until you finish all your work here.”

Saying thus, she came out of the temple and nimbly climbed on one of the trees to hoist herself on the temple walls. Along the walls, there was a statue of Nandi, the bull. Sitting with her back on the considerable bulk of Nandi, she leisurely ate the coconut and the temple prasadam that the priest had given her.

Poonguzhali

While the darkness enveloped the temple from all around, she suddenly heard horses galloping. She looked intently at the direction of the sound and her heart was stirred with a long-gone memory that threatened to choke her with an indescribable sorrow. Who is coming here? What do I care who it is? There are too many strangers coming around here these days, citing royal duties. Yesterday too, two people had come here wanting to go to Eelangai. They looked so disgusting but Anna took them on his boat after they gave him a bag full of gold coins. May a thunder fall on their money! Who wants money here? What purpose does money serve when you are living amidst a forest? But Anna and Anni’s world revolves around money. They just want more and more!

As the sound of galloping horses came closer, she noted that there were two people coming there. It looked as if they had travelled a long distance and were very weary. The man on the first horse was quite young, handsome, broad chested and looked like a soldier. But when compared with that other face that she had enthroned in her heart, she found him downright ugly. To tell the truth, this man’s face resembles an owl!

As the readers might have guessed, the first man on the horse is our friend and hero, Vandiya Devan. Behind him came the Physician’s son who had accompanied him from Pazhaiarai. They both were saddle sore and travel weary and were ready to rest somewhere. Yet Vandiya Devan’s face bloomed when he saw Poonguzhali lounging atop the temple wall, carelessly eating the coconut. When he saw that she too was looking eagerly at his face, his enthusiasm knew no bounds. He stopped the horse and looked at her with a smile. If he had known that she had been comparing his face to that of an owl, he might not be so enthusiastic to talk to her. Thankfully, God found it worthwhile to make humans hide their innermost thoughts and wishes from others.

When Poonguzhali realized that the man on the horse was staring at her, she immediately got up from the temple wall and jumped down on the soft sand of the temple and started running along the temple wall.

When Vanidya Devan saw her running, he too got down from his horse and started after her. Now who can divine why she felt like running away from a man who was staring at her or what prompted Vandiya Devan to take off after her. We can only conclude that each one of them was following their natural instincts in the order of the world. 

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Chapter 55 – Nandini’s Lover

“I was twelve years old, when I met Nandini for the first time. We were in Pazhaiarai then and I was playing with my sister and brother near the lake. We heard our Periya Patti Sembiyanmadevi calling us. We went to the kodi veedu and told her about how we went boating on the lake. She was not alone. There were three other people along with her and one of them was a girl who was about my age. Other two people were her parents. When we entered, they stopped talking and looked at us. I still remember her beautiful eyes, widened in surprise when she looked at us,”

Saying thus, Karikalan looked up the sky. A few clouds dotted the midnight blue stars but his thoughts were somewhere in the past. Did he perchance see the face of the twelve-year-old Nandini out there? We do not know

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Chapter 50 - Paranthakar Adhurasalai

It was a glorious morning in Pazhaiarai next day. A beautifully decorated royal elephant was brought to Kundavai’s palace. Climbing through the specially built platform steps, Kundavai and Vanathi sat on the elephant’s back that had a special seat. A mahout walked next to the elephant, leading them through the streets. Hearing the clanging bells of the elephant, many came out to see the princesses riding through their streets. Happy to watch their beloved elayapirati, many women followed her behind the elephant.

The elephant led the princesses towards the Padai veedu streets where the families of the soldiers lived. Small boys who were practicing with their swords and sticks left their play and joined the crowd. On the verandahs of the houses, many pictures of Lord Muruga and his legends were drawn, while some also had pictures of famous Chola Kings. When the elephant entered the street, all residents came out of their houses to greet the princesses. Soon there was a sizeable crowd behind the elephant that shouted, ‘Long live Elayapirati!’ ‘Long live Princess Kundavai!’

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Chapter 46 - Murmurs and Rumours

After meeting Queen Sembiyanmadevi, Azhwarkadiyan headed towards Princess Kundavai’s palace. On the way, the sights that met him at Pazhaiarai’s streets, filled his heart with enthusiasm. He happily noted how people celebrated Krishna’s birthday with such excitement. He felt no doubt about the fact that Vaishnavam was here to stay. For over hundred years, under the patronage of Chola kings, many Shiva temples were rebuilt, many grants have been given to them, countless jewels, land and wealth have been showered, yet it did not diminish the people’s enthusiasm to celebrate a festival for Maha Vishnu’s avatar, Krishna. There is no doubt that Krishna’s many miraculous deeds and endearing stories have captured the people’s imagination. So many troupes of street dancers and drama groups, have come here to celebrate this festival. He noted how people were clapping energetically at the performance of one of the dance troupes.

Azhwarkadiyan Nambi

The actors who were playing Vasudeva, Devaki, Krishna, Balarama and Kamsa were showing their acting prowess to the public. With the public were cheering loudly, the actors sang loudly and performed many interesting japes that attracted claps and frequent shouts. Azhwarkadiyan, stopped to see their performance. The scene was where Krishna was challenging Kamsa for a duel. Krishna was played by a small boy, who listed out the many crimes that Kamsa had committed and challenged him for a duel. In his reply, Kamsa who was played by a broad chested warrior wearing a mask, thundered, “Hey Krishna! Your magic prowess will not work with me. I am going to kill you now. I will kill your brother Balaraman and your father Vasudevan. I am also going to kill that Veera Vaishnavan, who is standing there with thiruman all over his body!”

Everybody now looked at Azhwarkadiyan and started laughing. The vaishnavan looked around with anger and his hands itched to bring his staff down on the actor who was playing Kamsa. But it was pointless, as he had hidden his face with a large wooden mask. He silently slid away and left. But something was niggling his mind. That Kamsa’s voice seemed a bit familiar to him and he felt as if the actor was shouting his dialogues, just to camouflage his voice.

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Chapter 45 – The Crime of the Spy

Two thousand years ago, the great King Karikala Cholan built the banks of cauvery river on both the sides. The banks protected the land for many years from river floods however when Pandyas and Pallavas rose to power, the Cholas star declined. When kingdom was torn apart by war, there was no one to safeguard the land, from flooding river waters. This resulted in floods that changed the geography of the river. Small streams and large lakes were formed where there were none earlier. There was one such lake that flowed near the palaces of Chola kings in Pazhaiarai.

Arisalaru River Today

Later Chola kings, deepened this lake and maintained it to delight their anthapura women with boat rides. It also acted as a natural security for the palace. Common people couldn’t venture near this lake easily and only those who were associated with the palace and its noble residents were allowed to take a boat through the lake. Many palaces were built along with this lake and since Pazhaiarai was once the capital of the Cholas, many beautiful gardens were laid in along the banks of the lake. Many palaces had private areas, where the palace women could swim, bathe and play in the garden away from the prying eyes of the public.

Royal custom decreed that when a new king ascended the throne, he would build a new palace here, while the wives of the old king retained their old one. In the same manner, Princess Kundavai’s palace was situated right next to Queen Sembiyanmadevi’s. It was the palace that her father had lived, when he ruled from Pazhaiarai and since he moved to Thanjavur, Kundavai became its mistress.

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Chapter 38 - Nandini - The Seductress

It was past midnight, when Pazhuvetarayar finally headed back to his palace. As he rode back fast, he was full of remorse for having shouted at his brother. He knew deep down that his brother was devoted to him.

"Maybe that's why he took the liberty of saying such things. But he has such a suspicious nature, why should he blame Nandini of all the people? Such is human nature. He wanted to cover up his mistakes, so Nandini became his target. That wicked youth escaped thanks to his foolhardiness and he goes around blaming his own sister-in-law!"

"Anyway since he has apologized, it is no use thinking about all that. But could it be true? What if it is true? Am I really becoming a womanizer after all these years? And I really don't know many things about her past. Am I being fair to my brother? After all, he was the one who has stood by me all these years, and fought along with me in so many wars. Why should I be so partial to her anyway? Sometimes even I get suspicious about her...

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Chapter 32 - Inspection

Chinna Pazhuvettarayar

When Vandiya Devan saw Chinna Pazhuvettarayar, he started walking towards him, while the three soldiers got up and ran after him and caught him.

But Vandiya Devan boldly looked up and said, "Dalapati! You have come here at the right time. These soldiers tried to kill me after stealing everything that I had. Is this how you treat your royal guests in Thanjavur? I am not only your guest. I am the guest of the King and Queen too. If you can treat a royal messenger sent by the Crown Prince like this, then I dare not think about the fate of others, who come here as guests. I am surprised that you have thieves for your servants. If this had happened in Thondai Mandalam they would have been dead by now."

Chinna Pazhuvettarayar was shocked to see that all his three soldiers were wounded by this, mere boy. Now he desperately wanted to recruit Vandiya Devan into his own army. So he spoke patiently, "Wait thambi! I don't think they could have done all this. Let me interrogate them."

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