NandhininKarikalan PART- I

Nandhini's Secret

Madurai - Palace, Night

Everyone in the kingdom was fast asleep except one - Nandhini. The sound of crickets was vast.

Nandini who was sitting on the bed with her eyes closed got annoyed by it. She got up from the bed and opened the curtain and went to the balcony.

She stood there staring at the moon which Circle, indicating that it was a Full moon day. Nandhini looked at the moon and then at the ring on her left hand.

Her mind was flooded with memories of a few months back. When she was at her friend, Urvashi's palace. That temple she could never forget......

A few months back -
Veera Narayan Perumal temple, Kattumanarkovil,

Kattumanarkovil was a small kingdom located on the border of both kingdoms. Its ruler was Urvashi's father.

Nandhini went to meet her friend Urvashi there on her name day. "Akka! , What a surprise!, I didn't expect you to be here." Urvashi exclaimed in shock.

" So, I shouldn't come to visit my friend??" Asked Nandhini, suppressing her smile and pretending to be angry. She folded her arms against her chest.

" Akka, I didn't mean that. You are the crown princess of the empire, I thought that you would be busy. I am so happy to see you here" apologised Urvashi.

Nandhini smiled and hugged her friend even though she was just a friend she never saw her separate, she saw her as her sister.

Urvashi searched for something or someone behind Nandini. Nandini noticed and asked, " Who are you searching for?".

" No one," told Urvashi shyly. "Then why are you blushing?" Questioned Nandhini." Akka.. didn't your brother come?" Asked Urvashi.

"Hmm, now I see the reason for your shyness. From when?", Teased Nandhini. "Don't tease me akka " told Urvashi blushing.

During that time Urvashi's father entered the room " Greetings to the crown princess", told Urvashi s father as he entered the room. Nandhini nodded her head in reply.

"Urvashi, do you want to keep our princess inside the palace and suffocate her? Take her to the nearby temple. It's your birthday too. Take some soldiers with you for protection." Told Urvashi's father.

" Uncle I request you not to send any soldiers with us, I am capable of protecting both of us ." Requested Nandini.

Urvashi's father smiled, "As you wish, princess ".

Both of them planned to go on walking. They reached the temple in a few minutes, it was located in the middle of a forest. " Akka, why is nobody there in the temple? " Asked Urvashi.

" How am I supposed to know? You are the one who lives near the temple" replied Nandhini. Nandini and Urvashi were standing near the temple's kodimaram.

Suddenly they heard the sound of a horse coming towards them. Nandhini became alert. They waited for the person to come into the temple.

It was a man with shoulder-length hair. He had a beard. His skin was tan and his body was muscular. He had three stripes of holy ash on his forehead.

Nandhini kept looking at him as he got off the horse and started walking towards them he had a sword in his hand. Seeing this made Nandhini pull her sword out.

The man let the sword fall out of his hand. He came on face to face with Nandhini. Nandhini gulped and held her sword tight in her right hand.

Urvashi got scared and hid behind Nandhini's back. The man looked at Nandhini for a minute. Unexpectedly he fell on Nandhini's shoulder, unconscious.

Nandhini put her sword down to catch him from falling. Nandini sat down because of his weight. That's when she noticed the arrows on his back.

She pulled the arrows out, the mystery man flinched in pain. Seeing him suffer made Nandhini sad. She took off the shawl she was having and tied it around his back to stop him from bleeding to death.

Nandhini turned him to keep his head on her lap. She tapped his face " Ayya wake up". She told scared Urvashi to call her father here.

Nandhini was trying to wake him up but it ended in vain. Her face was filled with concern as she saw his face.

By that time Urvashi's came with her father. Nandhini asked Urvashi's father to lift him and take him to the vidhiyar.

Urvashi's father followed her order and lifted him up and took him to the vidhiyar. Nandhini's heart was beating very fast.

She wanted to know who that man was.

Nandhini sat down on the veranda of the Vidhiyar's house. The vidhiyar came out and greeted her. " Ilavarasi, that man had been struck with two poisonous arrows, but there is nothing to worry about as you bought him here at the right time."

Nandhini felt very happy that she removed a ring from her finger and give it to the vidhiyar as a gift. The vidhiyar got it and bowed at her. " When will he wake up vidhiyare? " Asked Nandhini. " He will wake up in a few hours, Amma " he informed.

Urvashi and her father who was standing beside her insisted her to go back to the palace. But Nandhini was adamant that she will stay here until he wakes up.

Nandhini went inside to see the man. He had a pained expression on his face. Nandhini sat down beside him. She kept staring at her for a few minutes. Until she got tired of staring at him and slept.

Nandhini was woken up by the sound of something falling. The man had woken up. He tried to reach for the cup of water kept on the table near the bed.

Nandhini got up and helped him by getting the water to him. She helped him rest his back on the wall. He drank the water and told," Thank you for saving me ".

" Who are you, what were you doing in the temple? How did you get hit by the arrows? " Questioned Nandhini.

" Hey, at least let me breathe. I came here following a deer. But some soldiers saw me in the forest and attacked me, that's how I got injured " told the man.

"Why would they attack you? " Asked Nandhini. " Because I am from Chola Nadu. " Told the man. " Who are you? What is your name?"Nandhini enquired.

" Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I am the Crown prince of The Chola Empire, Adhita Karikalan" the man introduced himself.

Hello, guys hope you enjoyed the chapter. What do you expect for the next chapter? Special thanks to RagKee for supporting.