Nandhini stood at the garden door of Latha Mandapam and clapped her hands thrice.
It was impossible to tell whether it was the fear on her face or the dark shadows of the trees.
For a short distance in the garden we could see the huge trunks and the creepers that surrounded them. There was darkness beyond.
The magician came out from behind a tree, scratching through the darkness and removing the vines.
Nandhini went and sat on her flower bed. Her handsome face was now calm.
The magician Lata entered the hall. The glow of the golden lamp fell on his face.
It's a face you've already seen! Who is he? Well yes! He was one of the men who had gathered near the Thirupurambiyam school regiment in the middle of the night. He poured gold coins out of his pocket. This is Ravithasan, who told the others, "Kill Azhvarkadiyan wherever you find him!"
Anger boiled on his face as he arrived. When he saw Nandhini sitting serenely on the flower bed, his cat's eyes flashed with fury.
Sitting on the plank in front of the couch, he stared at Nandhini and said, "Hmm Hreem Hram! Bhagwati! Power! Chandikeswari..." He said some mantras. "Enough! Stop stop! The nurse must have fallen asleep sitting on the doorstep! Say what needs to be said quickly! 'He' has entered the fort!" said Nandhini.
"Adi pathagi!" said Ravithasan, sounding like a cobra hissing.
"Who did you say?" asked Nandhini calmly.
"Ungrateful Nandhini! Pazhuvur Ilayarani! It's you!" said Ravithasan, pointing to her with one finger of his hand.
Nandhini was silent.
"Girl! You seem to have forgotten some incidents worth remembering. I will remind you of them," said Ravithasan.
"Why the old story now?" asked Nandhini.
"Why now, you ask? I will tell you, I will remind you first and then tell you later," said Ravithasan.
Nandhini sighed as if she thought it was useless to stop him and turned away.
"Queen! Hear! Three years ago, in the middle of the night, a pyre was burning in the crematorium on the banks of the Vaigai river. According to the scriptures, there was no funeral with the help of priests. They brought dry wood, twigs and leaves from the forest and stacked the pyre. They brought a body hidden behind a tree and placed it on the pyre. Then they lit a fire. The wood was on fire. Then some people dragged you from the shadow of the forest. Your hands and legs were tied. You had a cloth stuffed in your mouth. Today, you are wearing a beautiful bun of flowers, her hair is spreading and rolling on the floor. They wanted to burn you alive on a burning pyre. 'Let the fire burn a little more!' said one of them. Leaving you there, the men took a terrible vow individually. You were listening to it. They shut your mouth, but they didn't blindfold you; He didn't shut his ears. So you were watching and listening. When they had all finished vows, they approached you. Until then, she was idle, trying to signal something with your bound hands. You rolled your eyes and frowned. One of them said, 'She wants to say something!' 'It must be an old story; Throw it on the pyre!' said another. 'Oh no! Listen to what she says before she throws it into the fire! Take the cloth out of your mouth!' said another. They took the cloth out of your mouth, because he was their leader. Do you remember what you said then, girl?" asked Ravithasan and stopped.
Nandhini did not answer; There was no looking back at him. The expression on her face betrayed the disgust and fear in her heart, and at the same time the determination of terrible resolve. Two tears stood from her dark eyes.
"Girl! You say you won't talk! Do not! I'll tell you that myself. Like those men, you said you were going to take a vow of vengeance. You swore that you had more reason to take revenge than they did. You said you would use your beauty and wisdom for that. You said you would help them in any way you could. When you fulfilled your vow, you swore that you had decided to give up your own life. Others don't believe you. But I was convinced. I believed and prevented you from being thrown into the fire. I saved your life, do you remember all this?" said Ravithasan and stopped.
Nandhini turned around and looked at him and asked, "Are you asking me if I remember? Isn't it written in my heart as if it were written with fire?"
"Then one day we were all going through the forest along the banks of the Broad Cauvery. Suddenly there was the sound of hussars behind him. Each of us decided to hide separately in the forest until they left. But you broke the resolution and stood on the way. Those soldiers caught you. Their leader Pazhuvertaraiyan was enchanted by you and fell into your trap of lust. You married him. All my people reproached me that I had been deceived. I didn't leave you. Somehow one day I got hold of you. I wanted to stab you traitor to death. Again you begged for your life. You said you had come to fulfill our vow. You promised to help us in whatever way we needed from this palace. Is all this true or not?" asked Ravithasan and stopped.
"It's all true; Who said no? Why do you keep repeating? Now tell me what you came for!" said Nandhini.
"No, girl! You don't remember. You have forgotten everything! You have forgotten your vow in the luxuries of Pazhuvur palace! Eating and drinking, wearing clothes and ornaments, sleeping on a silk mattress on the Saprakuta couch; You are a queen travelling in an ivory palanquin! How do you have old memories?"
"! Who wants this couch, this mattress, this dress and ornament? Do I live for these trifles? Not at all!"
"Or perhaps you have been mesmerized by the beautiful face of a young man on the way! Maybe you've forgotten the old vengeance, right?"
Nandhini was a little shocked. He immediately dealt with it and said, "Lie! It's a complete lie!"
"If that's a lie, why didn't you send your nurse to your usual place even though I had been told you I would be coming today?"
"I had sent it. Another man has climbed the ladder you had on it. The foolish girl took him for you and brought him away. Is it my fault?"
"What if it is someone's fault? In a moment my life was in danger. The guards who came in search of the young man were about to catch me. I drowned in a pond in the forest next to the palace until I suffocated, and escaped after they left. I was dripping wet..."
"You deserve it. You washed away the sin of doubting me with that bath!"
"Girl! Tell me the truth! Aren't you mesmerized by the young man's beauty?"
"! What a word is this! Does anyone talk about the beauty of boys? It is only in this shameless Chola country that they celebrate 'Arasan Azhagan'. Aren't the beauty of boys the scars of war on their bodies?"
"Well said; If you are telling me the truth, why did that young wayfarer come here?"
"I told you earlier that Vasuki thought it was you and brought him."
"Why did you give him your seal ring when you didn't even give it to me?"
"I gave him here to talk to him. Now I am going to take that ring from him..."
"Why did you bring him? What have you been flirting with him all this time?"
"I was flirting with him for an important gain. He will be of great advantage to accomplish our purpose."
"Hit me! Have you finally shown your femininity? Someone told our secret to a stranger ..."
"Why are you fussing in vain? I didn't say anything to him. It was from him that I extracted the secret."
"What are you doing?"
"He is carrying a leaf from Kanchi to Pazhaiyarai. He takes it to the tigress in Pazhaiyarai and shows it to me. I was telling her to bring me another letter. By then you had arrived."
"The letter is gone; The pencil also became. What's the use of all this to us?"
"That's all your knowledge flows! We have vowed to destroy the tiger tribe completely. But you are only counting male tigers. You have forgotten that even a tigress grows. Not only that; Who do you think is ruling this Chola kingdom now? An old man lying on a sick bed, weak and paralyzed? The princes of Kanchi and Ilankai?..."
"Oh no! Pazhuvertaraiyar is the treasurer who has the privilege of having you as queen. The world knows this!"
"That's wrong too! The world thinks so; The old man is deceived into thinking so. You've been disappointed too. In fact, the female tiger cub in Pazhaiyarai is ruling this kingdom. From inside the palace, that arrogant woman is pulling the shudra rope and trying to shake everyone! I will suppress her stinging. That's why I'm going to use this young man ..."
Ravithasan's face showed signs of surprise and respect.
"You are a great handmaid; No doubt; But what is the certainty that all this is true? How can I trust you?"
"I entrust the young man to you. Take him out of the castle by the tunnel! Take him blindfolded! Go near Pazhaiyarai and wait! Bring him back here with the other letter that Kundavai gives! If he tries to escape or tries to deceive you, kill him immediately," said Nandhini.
"Don't! Do not! You and him go anyway! The younger Pazhuvertaraiyar's men are now looking for him inside the fort; They will soon be looking outside. If I go with him, I will be in danger. Tell me about what I came for!"
"You still haven't told me what you came for..."
"Arrangements have been made for people to go to Kanchi and Ilankai. It is very difficult for those who go to Sri Lanka. You have to be very smart there..."
"What do you want me to do about it? Want more gold? Is there no limit to your greed?"
"Gold is not for our own use; Just to get the job done. Then why have we left you here? The gold coin of Chola Nadu is of no use to those who go to Ilankai; It would be better if there was Ilankai gold..."
"Why do you take so long to say this? I have taken it before you ask," said Nandhini and bent down under the couch where she was. She took out a bag and handed it to Ravithasan. "It's a lot of Sri Lankan gold coins. Take it and go! It's time for him to come!"
When Ravithasan took the bag and left, he said, "Wait! Take that young man out of the fortress! Then let him take a different path! I don't want to betray him the tunnel!" and she stood up and looked towards the dark palace.
There was nothing to be seen, and she gestured with her fingers; She clapped her hands lightly; Nothing worked.
She and Ravithasan went a short distance along the Latha Mandapam path. They approached the entrance to the enormous dark mansion.
But Vandhiyathevan was missing! He was not to be seen on all sides!