The Crown Prince and His Love

Chapter 24|Yaanai Paagan|

The mahout.

Arulmozhi X Vanathi

"Tell me what to do Lakshmi," Arulmozhi asked resting his chin on his fist. "I can't talk to her, like---" He scoffed and threw his hands in the air. "I get tongue-tied," He confessed to Lakshmi, who titled her head in confusion.

"Oh, I have gone mad! Completely mad!" Arulmozhi facepalmed, as he realized he was pouring all his emotions on an elephant. "I'm saying all these to you like you would understand," He said as he gently brushed Lakshmi's long trunk. But she was smart, she understood Arulmozhi's feelings she patted his shoulders with her trunk.

He fed Lakshmi another banana which she grinded down with her mouth."I know that I'm always thinking about Vanathi, how do I know if she's also thinking about me?" Arulmozhi asked. "I don't know if she could even recognize me now," He muttered. Lakshmi placed her trunk around Arulmozhi's shoulder to comfort him.

"Thanks..." Arulmozhi rested his head on Lakshmi.

Lakshmi reached out for another banana, she wrapped it in her trunk, and tried to feed it to Arulmozhi.

"No, No, you eat," Arulmozhi pushed it back towards Lakshmi who protested by flapping her large ears. Arulmozhi laughed. "I'm really not hungry, girl," Arulmozhi said, Lakshmi withdrew and placed the banana in her own mouth.

Arulmozhi sighed and continued dreaming about Vanathi. His little heart was filled with her thoughts. Even now he could see Vanathi in the distance, walking towards the Kaveri river.

Lakshmi trumpeted and nudged Arulmozhi's shoulders, He turned back and met Lakshmi's eyes.

"You can see her too?" Arulmozhi asked flabbergasted. "It's not my hallucination?" He asked. Lakshmi shook her head. He got up and stood on his toes to get a better glimpse of the Kodumbaloor princess, but she disappeared from his line of sight. Lakshmi pushed Arulmozhi forward making him almost lose his balance.

"You want me to go talk to her?" He asked. Lakshmi nodded, her ears flopping up and down. Arulmozhi hesitated. But what if she doesn't recognize me?

Lakshmi nudged Arulmozhi again, rushing him to go meet her. Arulmozhi shook his head, before he could plop back down, Lakshmi wrapped her trunks around his hip.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Arulmozhi asked, his feet were dangling in the air as Lakshmi lifted him up and placed him on her back. Before Arulmozhi could get down, She rose up from the ground.

"Set me down!" Arulmozhi kicked his legs but Lakshmi shook her head and started moving towards the river slowly.

Arulmozhi never thought, not even in his dreams, that an elephant would be a wingman for his love.

"I'm going to die of embarrassment," Arulmozhi groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Lakshmi reached the place where Vanathi was sitting and trumpeted loudly to get her attention.

Vanathi was startled. She audibly gasped at the sight of an elephant standing mightily in front of her.

Lakshmi nudged Arulmozhi to see Vanathi, Arulmozhi shook his head, without looking up, and pushed away her trunk.

"Are you trying to kill me Iyya?" Vanathi spoke out, her voice was like honey flowing into Arulmozhi's ears.

Arulmozhi gulped and swallowed his shyness."Who would think of killing someone as beautiful as you, Kodumbaloor ilavarsi?" Arulmozhi finally spoke out.

Vanathi perched her tiny arms on her hips and looked at the mahout. "So you know who I am?" She asked.

Arulmozhi felt a little disappointed at the fact that she couldn't recognize him.