Chapter 47: The Captain’s Death

Oomai Rani on horseback

It is easy to guess who the woman riding the horse’s bareback was. The Prince immediately went near the horse along with Poonguzhali. The others lingered back watching and wondering how a woman could tame and ride an Arab horse with such ease.

Oomai Rani got down from the horse and cast a worrying glance at the Commander, Vaishnavan and the soldiers behind then. She then proceeded to speak with Poonguzhali in sign language.

“My aunt has seen something strange in the forest. She wants us to accompany us,” said Poonguzhali.

The Prince immediately decided to leave with her and asked her whether he is allowed to bring the others. Oomai Rani thought for a moment and then nodded her assent and they journeyed towards South East direction through the thick forest. As they followed her deep into the forest, they had to hurry to keep up with her and the Prince’s eagerness increased with each step. He intuitively knew that something of importance has happened or else Oomai Rani wouldn’t take him on such a long journey through the dangerous woods. The reason for this was soon upon them.

In a small clearing through the woods, they noticed bodies of slain men, soldiers and sailors savagely cut with bleeding wounds and the rotting stink of dead men. The Commander and the Prince who has seen countless wars were astonished by the savagery of the enemy who had cut down the men mercilessly.

The Prince looked around immediately and shouted, “Quick! Quick! See if someone is alive,”

The commander and his soldiers immediately checked the bodies of the sailors for life. Oomai Rani led the Prince through the clearing and under a tree was a man resting his head on the bark of the tree. His body was fully covered with wounds and blood. He had been dealt with a deathly gash on his head from which blood had oozed all over his body. He opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the Prince piteously. He tried to speak something and with difficulty opened his mouth.

The Prince went near him and carefully held him in his arms saying, “Someone get him water, now!”

“No. I don’t want water. This woman gave me some just a while ago. If she had not come here on time, I would have died. Ayya! I came here with the treasonous intent of arresting you and the Gods have punished me justly,”

The Prince who recognized him after hearing his voice, said, “Ah! Kalapathy! (Those days, the captains of ships were called Kalapathy, just as army commanders were called Dalapathy) What are you saying? How did this catastrophe happen? I cannot believe that you tried to betray me!”

“Ayya! I led two ships here on Pazhuvetarayar’s command to arrest you. Here is the royal decree with Chakravarthy’s seal,” said Kalapathy and took out an Oolai from his waistcloth.

The Prince glanced over the Oolai and said, “What treason did you do here? You followed the orders of Chakravarthy. When I learned that you are here, I hastened to meet you, to give myself up. Who attacked you? Tell me quickly!”

The Kalapathy then told everything that happened after he arrived in Elangai. He left for Elangai from Nagapattinam on two ships laden with sailors and soldiers. His heart was not in the task but he couldn’t say no to direct orders from the king. Pazhuvetarayar too had issued a few orders before he left. They asked him to anchor the ships at a safe secluded place and meet the Prince with Chakravarthy’s Oolai. They also cautioned him about Kodumbalur Periya Vellar and that he should not learn about his intentions to arrest the Prince under any circumstance. They asked him to find the Prince’s whereabouts first and then give him Chakravarthy’s message. They didn’t expect the Prince to revolt but if he did, the Kalapathy had orders to arrest him with force. Next Pazhuvetarayar provided him with a few of his own men to help the Kalapathy to fulfil his order.

The Kalapathy took the ships onto the sea with a heavy heart. His men had no inkling as to why they were going to Elangai and this made his mission all the more difficult. He knew that he would have to reveal the true nature of their mission to his crew when they neared their destination but he hesitated fearing the consequences. When they reached Thondaimaan river, he left for Gangasenan Sea Port to learn about the Prince’s whereabouts. He learnt that the Prince was near Anuradhapuram at the Port and then hurried back to his ship.

When he returned to the ship, he learned that Pazhuvetarayar’s men had revealed the true reason of their voyage. Kalapathy’s sailors swarmed around him asking him to confirm whether they would arrest the Prince. Kalapathy tried to pacify them saying, “We have sworn our service and sword to the King’s service and the King has ordered us to imprison his son and bring him back to Thanjavur. We cannot defy his orders,”

“We cannot do that. These are not Chakravarthy’s orders. These are Pazhuvetarayar’s orders!”

“What will you do then? Will you defy the Chakravarthy’s orders?”

“We will go to Maanthodham and surrender our service to the Prince,”

“But the Prince is not in Maanthodham,”

“If that is so, then we will surrender to Kodumbalur Periya Vellar,”

Kalapathy tried to convince them to give up this mutiny but they refused and a handful of Pazhuvetarayar’s men agreed to stay with him. With just ten men supporting him, it was impossible to sway the minds of over 200 men.

“If you are resolved to do this folly then leave now. I will not shirk my duties to my King and defy his orders,”

The mutinous sailors then took charge of one of the ships. At first they wanted to take the ship to Maanthodham but the others rejected the idea. Later, they decided to go there through land and in their hurry to leave, they failed to anchor the ship properly. The ship moved towards the land and ran aground.

After the sailors left, Kalapathy didn’t want to linger around their ship. So he moved his ship to a secluded cove and anchored it. He had heard a disturbing rumour about an Arab ship that sank near the Gangasena port. He had learned that fierce pirates from that ship were roaming around the region.

Kalapathy then decided to travel by land to meet the Prince and he wanted the remaining men to guard the ship safely until his return. The sailors were disheartened by the turn of events and Kalapathy was trying to pacify their concerns when they were attacked.

Just as he feared, the Arab pirates surrounded them and attacked them fiercely. The Kalapathy and his men who were not prepared for this attack and were unarmed. The pirates slaughtered them mercilessly and captured their ship.

“My prince! I alone escaped their deadly attack with grievous wounds. I wanted to tell someone about what happened to us. Thankfully through God’s grace I met you. I got my just rewards for my treasonous acts. Ponniyin Selva! Please forgive me!”

“Kalapathy! You did your duty even during the most perilous times. Why do you ask my forgiveness? If there is a heaven for brave souls, you have earned a seat of respect there,” Said the Prince and touched the forehead of the wounded captain. Overcome with gratitude and pain, Kalapathy clutched the hands of the Prince and gave up his life.

Chapter 47: The Ghostly Laugh

Now let us see what happened to those who were left behind after the Prince had left them. When the elephant ran through the woods with the Prince mounted on its back, the Senathipathy was shocked beyond words. He shouted and rallied his soldiers and tried to give a chase but not even their fastest stallions could match the speed of the rampaging elephant. Nonetheless, they plodded on through the forest and reached Yannai Eravu where their journey was interrupted. Vandiya Devan who was ahead of the party got stuck in quick sand and was extricated from it with great difficulty. With his horse maimed, it was difficult to proceed any further and their journey halted.

The Commander who was distraught and worried about the fate of the Prince, “I have never in my life made such a blunder. Why are you all standing quietly? Why don’t you speak up? How do we rescue the Prince now?”

Azhwarkadiyan said, “Senathipathy! I have been thinking about this for long and I have an idea!”

“Were you waiting for an auspicious time to tell this idea? Spit it out fast!”

“I don’t think that the elephant that Prince had mounted was mad,”

“Then who is mad, you?”

“No! No! I suspect the Prince learned about your little ruse of stalling him with village feasts. That’s why he led the elephant through the woods. He knows the language of the beast and could easily control it,”

The Senathipathy who thought about this for a while, then acknowledged that it could be true. Though he was piqued by the fact that the Prince would leave them unceremoniously thus, his heart was at peace with the possibility that Ponniyin Selvar might be safe after all.

“Alright. Be that as it may. Nonetheless, we should go to Thondaiman River to find out what happened,”

“Yes. Let us walk by the coast and see if we can hail a boatman to take us there, or else we will have to wait until Parthibendran comes this way on his ship,”

“Vaishnaverey! You are very cunning indeed. Did you plant this idea in the Prince’s head?”

“Senathipathy! I swear on my Lord, I haven’t spoken to the Prince ever since we started on this journey,”

With the bulk of the boats and the fisher folk who ply them, shifting to Manthotham due to the war, there were no boats visible on the coast. Nonetheless, Senathipathy and others stood by the canal watching for one. Finally, they found a small fishing boat cruising along the canal and he agreed to take them along when he realized that the man who was requesting him was the Commander of the Chola army. They decided to take the boat until Thondaiman river but by then the sun had set and darkness was descending upon them. The boatman refused to ply the boat in the dark and risk a collision with the jagged rocks of the coast.

Location of Parthibendran's Ship

Location of Sunken Ship

“Ayya! From here on, the trail of this canal will change directions abruptly and there are many jutting rocks all through the way and we need to navigate carefully even with daylight. We can resume the journey in the morrow,”

By then, the weary party was too tired to argue with him so they settled down to sleep in the woods for the night.

Vandiya Devan didn’t find any of this to his liking and was irritated by the turn of events, so he fought with Azhwarkadiyan instead, “This is your doing!”

“How is this my doing?”

“You reveal everything by half measures. Ever since I met you in Kadambur, you have been toying with me. You knew that the Prince is going to leave on that elephant, then why didn’t you tell me? I too would have got on it, along with Poonguzhali. After much difficulty we met the Prince and now we have lost him, all thanks to you. What will I tell Elaya Piratti when I meet her next in Pazhaiarai?”

“But your mission is complete, now that you have given her Olai to the Prince,”

“No. My mission is complete only when I escort the Prince back to his sister. But unfortunately I have you beside me to create hurdles,”

“Alright! If you feeling thus, I will take my leave from the Senathipathy tomorrow,”

“Oh! Now that your work is done here, you are trying to slip away. I always had a suspicion about you right from the first moment I set my eyes on you,”

They fought for some more time and then slept the night away. When the dawn broke in the morrow, Azhwarkadiyan woke up to the sound of a boat being rowed. The boatman who had rowed them the previous night was ferrying a few men across the canal that joined the sea. And what was more alarming was that a ship stood anchored in the sea and the boat was going towards it bearing a few men.

Whose ship was that? Where did it come from? Where is it bound? Who are the people on the boat? Why are they going to the ship?

All these questions coursed through his mind within a blink of the eye. He went near the Senathipathy and tried to rouse him, “Senathipathy! Wake up! Come here soon,”

Senthipathy, Vandiya Devan and the other soldiers woke up immediately and hastened to his side by the coast. They first saw the ship anchored in the sea and Senathipathy said, “O! That looks like a Chola Ship to me. It could be one of the ships that Pazhuvetrayar had sent. What if the Prince is imprisoned in that ship? Ayyo! Woe to me for sleeping soundly while my Prince is held a prisoner in this ship. Where is our boatman? Fetch him immediately! We need to go and catch that ship,”

That’s when they saw the boatman ferrying a few men on his boat. “There he is! Who are those men? Why are they going to the ship? Hey you! Stop there. Come back here!”

Vandiya Devan who was watching all this silently heard only thing from the Commander’s lament. What if the Prince is imprisoned in that ship? That thought alone made him jump into the water and swim towards the boat that was fast moving away from them. He didn’t have time to spare a thought to anything else. Thankfully, the sea tide for low and it was easy for him to swim very fast and reach the boat. But when he reached the boat, they were near the sea and the water level had risen and he panicked and shouted, “Ayyo! I am drowning. Please save me.” He heard someone laughing in the boat and then the boat stopped as the boatman lowered his oar to aid him and he got onto the boat.

Vandiya Devan looked at the men in the boat and was shocked to see that they were from the Desert Kingdom of Arabia. They were dressed differently and each one of them had a cloth trailing from their turban with which they had hidden their face, except for their eyes. He then looked at the rest of the men and found that they were not foreigners. To his eyes, they seemed quite familiar and that’s when he recognized Mandiravadi Ravidasan.

Didn’t he shout like an owl and come to meet Pazhuvur Elaya Rani? Didn’t he try to take Pazhuvur ring from me in that mandapam? Thank God I got on this boat. The Prince is indeed in great danger.

As they neared the ship, Vandiya Devan tried to talk to his companions but they were silent.

“Where are you going?” he asked

“Can’t you tell? We are going to the ship,” said Mandiravadi.

“Where is the ship going?”

“That we will know once we reach the ship,”

Ravidasan then asked Vandiya Devan, “Where are you going?”

“I am going to the ship”

“Once you are aboard the ship, where will you go?”

“That I will know once we reach the ship,” replied Vandiya Devan cockily.

When they reached the ship, a rope ladder came down and they climbed over it to board the ship. Many were conversing in the upper deck of the ship in a language that Vandiya Devan could not understand. Vandiya Devan hastened to climb up and jumped into the ship shouting, “Where is the Prince? What have you done to him?”

 

Vandiya Devan fighting fierce Arab Warriors

When he looked around, his heart sank more, as all the sailors were fierce Arab warriors, tall and lean with bloodshot eyes. That’s when he realized the blunder that he had made through his hasty decision. This can’t be the ship that Pazhuvetarayar had sent. Except for Mandiravadi and his companion all were Arab warriors and sailors. It was unlikely that the Prince would be aboard this ship. He immediately turned and tried to hail the boatman who had ferried them thus far. “You there! Stop! I want to get down.”

A hand with an iron grip snaked around his throat choking him while he struggled to free himself. The Arab warriors pushed him to the middle of the deck and surrounded him. Angered by this, Vandiya Devan hit the sailor next to him and he fell down. He heard a fierce growling sound behind him and turned just in time to escape from a short curved dagger. Soon the warriors were around him and no escape was possible. One of them brought ropes and bound his legs and arms and then he was bodily lifted and taken to a room in the lower deck and dumped him unceremoniously down and tied him to the wooden logs that were kept there and left.

 

Vandiya Devan and Mandiravadi Ravi Dasan

Soon he could feel the ship moving had begun its journey. But where is it going, wondered Vandiya Devan.

If I escape from this peril, I will never jump into anything hastily. I would learn to live like Azhwarkadiyan, to think and weigh the consequences of each action carefully before acting on it.

A ghostly laugh was heard again and he turned his body painfully to see who it was. It was Ravidasan.

“My boy! I came here searching for that Chola Tiger. Though I didn’t get the tiger, I am happy to capture the jackal of Vanar clan, which is an unexpected luck,”

The boatman who witnessed the capture of Vandiya Devan came back immediately and told the others about what had happened.

Senathipathy and the others got into the boat and headed towards Thondaiman river. It was impossible to follow the ship on a small boat in the sea. When they questioned the boatman about his recent passengers, he knew no useful information.

“I was sleeping in my boat when those men woke me up. They offered me a lot of money if I could take them up to the ship. I agreed and took them since you were all sleeping, I went with them,”

As Azhwarkadiyan narrated this to the Prince and then added, “When Vandiya Devan jumped into the sea, I wanted to follow him too but sadly, I am not a good swimmer and I had my own doubts about that ship. I mentioned it to the Commander too. After Vandiya Devan was captured, we couldn’t follow that ship in a small boat, so we came here to check whether you were indeed imprisoned in that ship. We were very relieved when we found you,”

 

Azhwarkadiyan, Senathipathy Periya Vellar and Arul Mozhi Varmar

Arul Mozhi Varmar who listened to his narration intently said, “But I am not relieved to hear that my friend is aboard that ship. What if the Pazhuvetarayar catch him and send him to the dungeon prison?”

“My Prince! Why should we bear the authority of those upstart Pazhuvur lords? You just need to say the word and I will rouse an army on your behalf and we can destroy their clan,”

“Ayya! Don't ever imagine that I will take up arms against my father’s authority. Please do not suggest such schemes to me,”

 

Oomai Rani on the Arab Horse

Suddenly they heard the clip-clop hoof sound of a horse and they turned around to see a white horse ridden with no noose or a saddle being ridden by a woman.

Chapter 46: Heart Aflame

The Prince bid the elephant to stop and they both got down from its back urgently wanting to have a closer look at the ship that had run aground. The ship was indeed in a pitiable condition with its sails torn and mast broken. They clapped and called out hoping that someone might respond but the sailors who had come along with the ship must have abandoned it. The ship looked deserted.

They both got down into the water and climbed onto the ship. The base of the ship was damaged and the lower level of the ship was filled with water and mud. The Prince who had thought that he might be able to helm the damaged ship was disappointed because it would be impossible. It would take an army of people to repair it.

Saddened by the fate of the ship, the Prince bent down and retrieved the tiger flag of Cholas that lay pinned among the sails. His face mirrored the desperation and sorrow that he felt in his heart.

“Poonguzhali! Is this one of the ships that you saw?”

“It looks like it. The other ship that came along with this must have drowned as well,” she said gaily.

“Why are you so enthusiastic about these ships drowning?”

“Why should I not be enthusiastic and happy when the ships that have come to imprison you are gone for good?”

“This is wrong Pooguzhali. Your happiness is misplaced. Something sudden and unfortunate befell this ship. I am distraught by the thought that our warships could suffer so. The sailors of Chola navy are very experienced in sea warfare I cannot believe that they wilfully lifted the anchor and allowed this ship to run into the ground. Why did they abandon this ship and leave? Where did they go? Let us go to the beach and see if the other ship is anchored there,”

“But it is getting dark. Where do we search?”

“Samudra Kumari! Where did you leave your boat?”

“My boat is almost midway through this canal. We passed by it because we came on the elephant,”

“Alright. Let us walk to the beach then, before it darkens even further.”

They left the elephant to guard the half sunken ship and walked all the way to the beach but there was no ship or boat in sight. After surveying the sea for sometime, the Prince turned towards Poonguzhali and said, “Poonguzhali! I will never forget the help that you rendered me. I think that we should part now,”

Poonguzhali stood silent.

“Did you hear what I just said? I have decided to wait in this half sunken ship. The commander and my companions will soon reach here. I will decide the next course of action after consulting with them. You have no other work here. Find your boat and go home. Just remember what I told about my father,”

Poonguzhali hesitated and then clutched a tree branch for support.

“Poonguzhali! What is it?”

“Nothing. I will take leave of you here, Prince. May the Gods keep you safe!”

“Are you angry Poonguzhali?”

“I have not grown so headstrong My Prince that I dare to be angry with you,”

“Then what is it? Why are you standing here?”

“I am not angry. I am tired. It’s been two days since I slept. I will sleep under this tree tonight and then leave in the morrow,”

It was the night after full moon and a glorious moon had risen in the sky. The Prince looked at Poonguzhali’s face in the light of the soft moon beams and noted the exhaustion that marred her beautiful features. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen due to lack of sleep.

“You say that it’s been two days since you slept. When was the last time you ate?”

“I think it’s been more than two days. I didn’t feel hungry when I was with you,”

“We had a feast this morning and like a fool I ate with my friends. It didn’t occur to me to ask you whether you ate. Come with me Poonguzhali. Let us go back to the sunken ship. I noticed a bag of rice and grains along with utensils to cook. We can clean and cook a meal. After eating, you can leave to find your boat,”

“Ayya! If I eat, I might just sleep off there. Even now, my head is swirling,”

“That’s fine then. You can sleep in the ship undisturbed while the elephant and I will keep guard. In the morrow, you can go in search of your boat,”

Saying thus, the Prince took Poonguzhali’s hand in his and supported her while they walked back to the ship. His heart was brimming with love towards this poor boat girl who had come to rescue him out of nowhere. He felt that even all the riches of the seven worlds couldn’t repay the love and kindness that she had showered on him.

 

Prince Arul Mozhi Varmar and Poonguzhali

As they neared the half sunken ship, they could see a smoke rising from behind the ship. Did the sailors who had once manned the ship come back to it? How would they react if we come in their presence suddenly? They walked slowly and stealthily and reached the ship but no sound was heard from it but a delectable smell of sweet potatoes roasting over fire stirred the hunger pangs of the Prince and Poonguzhali. The Prince who had by then realized the state of exhaustion that Poonguzhali was in, decided to throw caution to the winds and walked boldly to the other side of the sunken ship. There he found a woman preparing food on one of the urns found in the ship. It was Kaveri Amman!

She didn’t seem surprised to see him and welcomed him with a smile.  After the food was ready, she served the Prince and the hungry Poonguzhali with tasty rice and sweet potatoes roasted in fire. To the Prince, her simple fare of rice and vegetables seemed more delicious than the elaborate feast that was fed in his palace.

After eating, they came to the upper level of the ship. The sea was placid and calm and the air was still. The air around them was sultry and hot with nary a breeze to carry a leaf around. Sweating with the humid air, when the Prince commented about this to Poonguzhali, the mute and deaf woman whom we will henceforth refer as Oomai Rani pointed to the moon. There was a fog around the rim of the moon.

“When the clouds form a ring around the moon, they say that storm and rain will soon follow,”

“Let the storm come whenever it comes. I would settle for some breeze right now,”

Next he wondered about how Oomai Rani could possibly have come after them so fast.

“I am not surprised. My aunt can travel very fast and she has great affection and regard for you. There are many things that one can achieve through the power of love,”

Oomai Rani who must have intuitively understood this conversation pointed a finger and they saw a white horse standing next to the elephant that they had travelled. The Prince was surprised to see that the horse in question was a steed of a rare breed.

“Did she come here on this horse? Does she know to ride horses?”

“Nothing is impossible for my aunt. She knows the language of horses and elephants. She also knows to ply the boat on the sea. Sometimes, I feel that she knows to travel by air too, as she can travel so fast from one place to another,”

“This is no ordinary horse. This steed belongs to a high breed of family that is reared in the Desert Kingdoms of Arabia. How did this horse come here? Where did she get it?”

When Poonguzhali asked Oomai Rani about it in sign language, she said that the horse came ashore near Yaanai Eravvu and was galloping madly through the woods. Oomai Rani then calmed it down and mounted it to come after them. The Prince was even more surprised to learn that an Arab horse was found roaming around in the woods of Yaanai Earvvu.

Even as he spoke, the Prince didn’t fail to notice the yawn that she fought to stifle. “You said that you were very tired and sleepy. Why don’t you go and sleep?”

Poonguzhali lay on the upper deck of the ship and took one of the sails to cover herself and was soon fast asleep. The Prince watched her fondly as she slept but soon her lips were mouthing her favourite song…

Alai Kadal Oindirukka

Agakadal than Ponguvadathen

Aha! Vandiya Devan was murmuring the same song in his sleep last night. He probably learnt it from her. Later, when she is awake, I must ask her to sing it for me.

Soon his attention turned towards the Oomai Rani. Everybody’s heart is aflame with desires and passion but when they turn to dust, we cry about its loss to others and hear consoling kind words from our friends but for the Oomai Rani that was not possible. How many desires, wishes and yearnings did she lock in that heart of hers and for how many years?

Oomai Rani sat near the Prince ruffling his long hair lovingly and touched his cheeks tenderly. The Prince didn’t know what to do for a moment and then bowed towards her with his hands folded but she held his hands to her face and soon they were wet with her tears. Tears that she had held back for years filled the hands of the Prince.

After a while, Oomai Rani composed herself and asked the Prince to sleep while she stood guard. The Prince didn’t feel sleepy but he nonetheless lay down. For many long hours, his heart and mind were surging with memories of long past. At a late hour, the sea breeze set in and he slept only to wake in his dreams.

He had many strange dreams. He was mounted on the white Arabian steed and was galloping away towards the skies. Soon he reaches the heavens and the abode of devas. Indra the Lord of the Devas, welcomes him in Amravati and takes him on his white elephant mount, Iravatham. Next he is in the court of Indra and the Lord of the Devas offers his throne to him.

Prince Arul Mozhi Dreams

“O! I don’t need this throne. Instead, I would be very happy if you could offer it to my mother, Oomai Rani,”

“When she arrives here, she will ascend this throne,”

Next he gave him a vessel full of amritham. The Prince partakes it and says, “O! This is not as sweet as the water of River Cauvery,”

Next Indra takes the Prince inside the anthapuram and Indrani (Indra’s wife) asks him to choose a beautiful damsel as his consort.

“None of these beautiful maidens can compete with the beauty of Poonguzhali.

Suddenly Indrani vanishes and in her place Princess Kundavai appears, “Arul Mozhi! Have you forgotten my Vanathi?”

 

Princess Kundavai

“Akka! How long can I stay bound by your love? How long do I live like a slave? Your love has become prison for me so much so that I would prefer to live in Pazhuvetrayar’s dungeon prison. Release me! If you don’t I might as well become another Uttarra kumar (A scared prince in Mahabharata).”

Kundavai who is shocked by his speech keep a finger on her lips and says, “Arul Mozhi! Why have you changed so much? Who was responsible for it? Thambi! Love is a prison and will always be. You can’t bow down to the dictates of your heart,”

“No akka! I have seen love that does not bind you in any way. Shall I show it to you? Poonguzhali! Poonguzhali! Come here,”

When the dawn broke amidst the cheerful chirping of birds, Poonguzhali’s rouse from her sleep to the sound of horse hoofs. Her aunt, Oomai Rani had mounted the horse and was galloping away. Though she was intrigued by her aunt’s sudden departure, her heart was full of enthusiasm. She got down from the half sunken ship and walked ashore. The woods were full of birds chirping around. On one of the trees a huge parrot was perched almost royally and it looked at Poonguzhali with its beady eyes as though it was asking, ‘Where have you come?’

“Dear Parrot! In a little while, the Prince will leave me alone here. Will you keep me company?” spoke Poonguzhali to the Parrot.

“Poonguzhali! Poonguzhali!”

Someone was calling her name and at first she thought that it was the Parrot that was speaking to her. But she soon realized that the voice was coming from the ship and that the Prince was calling her. When she went aboard the ship, she found the Prince asleep and that he was calling onto her, in his sleep. She tenderly touched the Prince’s forehead and woke him up.

The Prince woke up amidst confusing dreams and reality mixed up in his head. It was dawn and the sun had risen gloriously while Poonguzhali’s beautiful face was lotus hued and free of the fatigue that he saw yesterday.

“You called me, why?” asked Poonguzhali.

“Did I? I must have spoken in my sleep then. You sang a song while sleeping last night, then why can’t I speak?”

Then he got down from the ship, “I have been asleep for so long. Where is your aunt? Where is Oomai Rani?”

When Poongzuhali told him about her aunt’s disappearance, he didn’t seem surprised.

“I expected that. Samudra Kumari! Looks like you are refreshed now. You can take your leave. I shall wait here for the Commander and my friends. Until then I wish to inspect this ship properly,”

“Look there!” shouted Poonguzhali suddenly and the Prince looked in that direction to see a large ship cruising along the sea, while a boat full of people was headed towards them.

“Aha! Now we will know what happened here,” said the Prince and came to the banks of the canal. Poonguzhali and the elephant too followed them there. The Prince smiled at her and then turned his attention towards the ship that was leaving. For some unknown reason, he felt that he ought to be on that ship. Yet another reason for his worry was that someone was missing in the boat that was coming towards him. There was the Commander, the soldiers who had come along, the boatman, the Vaishnavan but where is Vandiya Devan? That brave man who ingeniously escaped the Pazhuvetarayar’s soldiers only to bring him a message from his sister, where did he go? Though he had known Vandiya Devan for very few days, the Prince felt as if he had lost his childhood friend. His absence from the boat made the Prince feel as if he had lost a treasure!

When the boat came ashore, the Commander and the others got down from it and splashed their way to the banks of the canal. The Commander Budhi Vikrama Kesari came towards the Prince and hugged him saying, “Ayya! How could you do such a thing to an old man like me? We were so worried for your safety. How did you tame this elephant? I can’t believe this is the same elephant that tore through the woods with you on its back! When did you reach this place? Where are the warships that Pazhuvetarayar had sent?”

Commander hugging Prince Arul Mozhi

“Senathipathy! I will tell you what happened to us later. Where is Vandiya Devan?”

“That boy is on his way to wherever that ship is going. He is aboard that ship,” said the Commander and pointed his hand on the ship that was fast fading from their line of horizon.

“What? Whose ship is that? Why is he aboard that ship?” asked the Prince

“Ayya! I am very disturbed. I don’t think I can answer your questions. Ask this Vaishnavan. He knows all about you and about that boy as well,”

The Prince turned to the Vaishnavan with an impatient gesture and asked him, “Thirumalai! Why is Vandiya Devan on that ship? Tell me immediately!”