Vandhiyathevan followed quickly as he walked along the narrow path that led through the dense mango grove. It was difficult to walk in the darkness without bumping into the trees. On one occasion, when he was about to hit a tree, the woman turned around and said, "Why are you standing? Have you forgotten the way? You are the man who can see in the dark!" Instead, Vandhiyathevan put his finger to his lips and said, "Hush!" as she had said before. At the same time, there was a noise outside the wall. It sounded like human movement. Then they walked on again. When they had gone a little way, Vallavaraiyan smiled slightly. The girl turned around and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I didn't laugh; I'm laughing!"
"So??"
"Didn't you just hear the footsteps of those who came looking for me? I laugh that they were deceived!"
She asked a little apprehensively, "Is anyone looking for you? What for?" "Otherwise, why did he sit in this blind darkness crashing against the wall?" At that time, the branches of the trees parted due to the movement of the wind and a ray of the moon fell on Vandhiyathevan's face.
The girl looked at him in some surprise and bewilderment.
"What do you see?" he asked.
"I saw if it was you!"
"If it wasn't me, who else would I be?"
"The last time you came, you had a big moustache!"
"That's a good question! What if someone who climbs the wall like me doesn't change his disguise often?"
"You look younger now, don't you?"
"When there is excitement, youth come!"
"What made you so excited?"
"What is lacking in enthusiasm when you have your Queen's favor?"
"Don't be sarcastic. Today our mistress is the youngest queen. One day they will surely become queens!"
"That's what I'm saying."
"Is that what you're saying? You will even say that they became queens because of your magical powers! Even if you ask me to give you half the kingdom, you will ask!"
Vandhiyathevan somehow understood what he wanted to know. He said nothing after that. He walked on, thinking intensely.
Who is he going to meet? Pazhuvur may be Ilaiyarani. Or she could be the daughter of the younger Pazhuvertaraiyar who married Mathuranthaka Thevar. The woman thinks she is a magician and takes her away. Go, whoever that 'Ilayarani' is, how can I behave when I meet her? Oh my gosh! Don't lose courage! As long as there is courage, there is victory! Some strategy will not fail to appear in time! So far we have never failed in any crisis. Are we going to lose to a girl?
They approached a large mansion. But he did not go to the front door of the palace. Nor did he approach the back door. They approached the Sringara Lata Mandapam which was stretched out into the garden on one side of the palace. As I got closer, I saw that the Lata Mandap looked like a passage that converges two huge mansions. The two buildings were different in a way. The mansion on the right was ablaze with many flaming lamps inside. A variety of lively tones were coming from within. In the building on the left, not a single small lamp was lit. Its outer walls were tall in the moonlight. But inside the palace there was silence and darkness.
When Latha approached the hall, the woman who had brought Vandhiyathevan beckoned him to stand there. He stood still. It was only when he stopped that he felt the fragrance of the flowers that filled the place. What a smell! What a smell! It smells like a smell in your nose and makes your head dizzy!
As soon as the girl entered Lata's hall, she heard her voice and another sweet female voice. "Tell him to come at once! Why ask? Do you know that I am the one who has been waiting for so long?" That voice was that of Pazhuvur Ilayarani! No doubt! The next moment we were going to be in front of her. How are we going to deal with that situation? What would she think of the man in the palanquin instead of the expected magician? Will she be surprised? Will she be angry? Maybe she'll be pleased?... Or will she behave without showing any emotion?
Lata, the woman who had brought him, stood at the entrance of the hall and beckoned.
Vandhiyathevan reached where she was standing and looked inside the hall. In an instant, the scene struck him through his eyes. The flame of a lamp on the pillar of the golden lamp radiated a golden light. Some strange perfume must have been put into the lamp. So the smoke of the flame of the lamp smelled like a lot. A woman was reclining reclining on a couch strewn with multicolored fragrant flowers.
She is Pazhuvur Illayarani. When I saw her in the palanquin during the day, she looked beautiful. At night, in the light of a golden lamp, she looked as if the goddess of beauty had taken shape. The fragrance of flowers, the smoke of the lamp and the enchanted form of Pazhuvur Ilayarani made Vandhiyathevan intoxicated.
Vandhiyatheva! Beware! Only once did you drink! You know your intellect is disturbed! Then you vowed not to touch alcohol! Now remember that! Do not lose your wits in this delusion, which is more powerful than the intoxication of wine!
Pazhuvur Illayarani Nandhini looked at Vandhiyathevan in amazement as her coral petals opened slightly and showed her pearl teeth. It was to Vandhiyathevan's advantage that she was unable to speak at that time.
He gave a slight laugh and said, "Madam! Your nurse suddenly wondered whether I was a magician or not. How do you think she heard that? She said, 'Are you you?'" and he laughed again.
Nandhini smiled. A flash of lightning flashed in front of Vandhiyathevan's eyes! It poured honey.
"She's going to have some doubts all of a sudden! Vasuki! Why are you standing here like a tree? Go to your place! If you hear footsteps, shut the door! Nandhini said.
"Here, Amma!" said Vasuki Latha and walked along the corridor that led to the House of Light through the inner hall and sat down on the doorstep that was dimly visible at a distance.
Nandhini lowered her voice a little and asked, "Does she suspect that you are not a magician? Silly girl! Threequarters of the so-called witches are mere liars. You are the real magician! What magic did you do and come here at this time?"
"Mother! I didn't come here doing magic. I had to climb the ladder that was fixed on the wall!" said Vandhiyathevan.
"That's what you know! I asked her what magic tricked this woman on."
"I smiled in the moonlight. That's all! I was thinking of showing you the magic ring you gave me if I didn't get it."
"You've kept it safe, haven't you? Why didn't you come here openly in broad daylight when the ring was there? Why did you come stealthily in this blind way?"
"Mother! Your brother-in-law is the younger Pazhuvertaraiyar and his men are pure thieves. At first, they tried to steal my clothes and belongings. Then they followed me without a moment's separation. It was hard to be separated from them. After parting, I went through the alleyways and wandered around the wall of your palace. At that moment, when I saw the ladder on the wall, I thought it was you who had made this arrangement in memory of this poor man. I knew it was wrong. I'm sorry."
"There is no need to forgive!"
"How's that, madam?"
"You're not so wrong. Do you know why I wanted to get a magician?"
"I don't know, madam! I don't know magic; I don't even know astrology!"
"I've been thinking of you since I saw you yesterday morning. I wanted to know why you hadn't come to see me yet. That's why I sent for the magician."
"It's amazing."
"Which one?"
"That's what you just said. I've been thinking of you since I saw you yesterday!"
"Do you believe in the smell of past births?"
"What do you mean?"
"If two people had a friendship or relationship in their previous birth, they say that there will be such trouble in this birth too."
"I didn't have that confidence until yesterday. It was only yesterday that there was hope."
Though Vandhiyathevan had openly lied when he said this, he was thinking of the woman he had seen in the Kudanthai astrologer's house. But Nandhini doesn't have room to know anything about it, does she? She thought she was talking about herself.
"But that's why you didn't come to see me? Some Azhvarkadiar Nambi sent a message ..."
"Yes, madam, I wanted to see you first to tell you the message he sent me. After one look at you, all the old reasons are forgotten."
"Where did you see Azhvarkadiar? What message did he deliver?"
"I met Azhvarkadiar Nambi near Veeranarayanapuram. He tried to prove by the power of his stick that Vishnu was the supreme deity. At that time the elder Pazhuvertaraiyar's entourage arrived. He was followed by their palanquin. One of your golden hands lifted the curtain of the palanquin, perhaps to see what was going on. It was then that Azhvarkadiar came to know that they were and wanted to send you a message. Since I was staying at Kadampoor Sambuvaraiyar's palace that night, he sent me a message. But I could not see you in Kadambur. We could meet only on the road near the Thanjavur fort. That too because your palanquin hit my horse!"
When Vandhiyathevan said this, Nandhini was looking up. So, I couldn't tell anything from her expression. When she finally heard what Vandhiyathevan said, she turned to him and smiled lustfully. "Yes; The palanquin I am climbing is a very wicked palanquin!"