The Crown Prince and His Love

Chapter 21 |Orphan|

Kundavai composed herself and turned back to her brother calmly. "Looks like you're all fine now," Kundavai said as he walked towards them. Adithan sat up and looked at his sister intently. Nandini and Kundavai made eye contact for a split second. 

"My salutations to the princess," Nandini muttered and looked down. She could feel Kundavai's flaming eyes gazing at her like she had committed a war crime. Kundavai's eyes trailed down to Adithan's hands, which were holding Nandini's. 

Kundavai raised her brows and tilted her head toward her brother and gave him a 'really' look. Adithan looked everywhere except the place where Kundavai was standing. Nandini was literally squirming in her spot. The tension in the room started to thicken as they looked at each other, with different emotions painted on their faces. Fear, determination, and anger.

Nandini felt as if someone was suffocating her. Karikalan looked at her with a look of concern, he rubbed his finger on her hands tenderly, trying to calm her down.

"Isn't this your bedtime?" Adithan asked in a mocking tone. Kundavai looked away from Nandini and turned toward her brother.

"Anna, everything changes as we get older no?" Kundavai said. "My bedtime changed, just like you did," 

"I did not change, Kundavai," Adithan said. Kundavai let out a stiff laugh and shook her head.

"Yea right," She rolled her eyes. 

"Fine," Adithan straightened his spine, "How did I change?"

"You used to listen to me, You respected me, and You never showed your anger on me, but ever since this girl came into your life it all changed, she turned you upside down," Kundavai said furiously, breaking her composure. 

"I never had the need to listen to you, I'm not compelled to follow your words like a sheep, Kundavai! Arulmozhi might but I won't," Adithan's tone shook the room, even Nandini was taken aback by the strength of his voice. "I listened to you earlier because you always spoke the right thing, but just because of that don't think that I would blindly listen to you and your stupid accusations about Nandini," Adithan said spitefully.

Kundavai twisted her lips. "Happy now?" She turned toward Nandini. "You have successfully turned my brother against me, now what else do you want?" Kundavai asked crossing her arms. Nandini's eyes started to tear up. "Oh look! the magical tears of yours which enchanted my brother, what a sight," Kundavai said scornfully.

"Kundavai! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here talking to you," Karikalan got up. "Heck, even your dear Arulmozhi would've been dead right now," Karikalan said as he held Nandini to his chest, Nandini hid her face and cried.

Kundavai hung her head back and groaned at her brother's idiocy. "This is all her plot, Anna, Why don't you understand!" Kundavai was now yelling, Hatred was blinding her. "The Chozha prince shouldn't fall to the tricks of an orphan girl," Kundavai said without knowing how much those words would hurt Nandini. 

Nandini felt like thousands of daggers were piercing her chest at the same time. Getting called an orphan by Kundavai was like rubbing salt in her wounds, that one word haunted her. The countless nights she had spent crying for her mother and father flashed in front of her eyes. Her heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Kundavai, Apologise to Nandini," Karikalan ordered. Kundavai shook her head. "NOW!" said at the top of his voice. 

"I would rather die," Kundavai scowled. "Unlike you, I would not surrender to someone like her,"

"Kundavai, I swear--" Before Adithan could utter another word Nandini's sweet voice interrupted him.

"I don't want anyone to fight because of me," Nandini's voice shook. Kundavai mentally rolled her eyes, She started her drama again.

"Nandini," Adithan called out, Nandini shook her head and told him to let her go, the look she gave him made Adithan wince in pain, all he could see in her eyes was sadness and disappointment. The pain she hid all these years came crashing down on her at once like a wave. He loosened his grip as per her request, Nandini bowed down and ran out of the house at once. 

"You have gone mad," Adithan growled, the wound on his shoulders seemed more painful now.

"Me or you?" Kundavai stepped forward. 

"You're not the Kundavai I knew," Adithan also took a step forward. They were merely inches away from each other.

"Anna, You'll look back at my words when she stands here pointing a sword to your chest," Kundavai warned him, but Adithan didn't take it seriously.

"Tell me that the sun rises up in the night, I would believe you, But don't tell me a lie like this," Karikalan scoffed. 

Arulmozhi barged in all out of breath. "Anna!" He called out. Adithan shot Arulmozhi a look of betrayal, He told her that Nandini was there.

"Oh, Anna, don't look at me like that," Arulmozhi pleaded. "I told Akka everything, but she was in no mood to listen to me,"

"Your Akka is in no mood to listen to anyone," Adithan muttered, limping toward the door. 

"Where are you going now?" Kundavai asked, concerningly as she followed her brother. No matter how much she would fight with him or how much he would shout at her, Kundavai's love for her brother would never disappear. 

"Why do you care?" Adithan asked, his voice cracking a bit.

"I'm your sister, what do you mean 'why do you care?'," Kundavai scoffed. Adithan rolled his eyes and stepped out, the cool night air washed up on him. 

Arulmozhi scratched his head. He couldn't understand his sister one bit, one moment she would shout at her brother, and the next second she would turn all buttery and concerned like a mother. Arulmozhi shrugged and followed his siblings silently as they walked past the Kaveri River.

Adithan's mind was flooded with the thought of Nandini, The way her face withered when Kundavai called her an orphan was etched into his eyes. Karikalan fisted his hands tightly in determination.

No one should call his Nandini an orphan ever again. Not even his sister. No one should dare disrespect her.

He was tired of hiding Nandini in the shadows. He felt ashamed.

Is this what a man does?

He felt ashamed for hiding Nandini in the shadows, for not standing up for her,f or not defending her.

Today Kundavai will call her an orphan, tomorrow a random begger would. No, he was not going to let Nandini suffer that humiliation.

He was going to do something about the situation. After that no one in the Chozha Desam will speak ill of Nandini.

A/N

ouch, Kundavai crossed the line with this chapter.

What do you guys think of this chappy?