NandhininKarikalan PART- I

A Haunting Curse

Thillai Vannam,
Near the Hut,

The body of the man fell with a thud as the pandiyan Ravidasan and Soman left it to fall. Nandini felt that something was wrong

. The man pointed towards the hut before he left his life.

"Wait for me near the boat, I have a small work here." Told Nandhini as she passed her sword to Soman.

He got the sword and wiped it with a clean cloth. Nandhini gestured for them to leave.

Nandhini was curious to take a look inside the hut. She slowly opened the door, it had two rooms, one was big and connected to the entrance and another was closed.

Nandhini looked around the room and shrugged. She decided to leave the house and started walking towards the door.

Just as she was about to step out. she heard a voice from the closed room, "Magane, did you bring some water?".

Nandhini froze, her eyes widened, and she slowly walked towards the room. The door made a creek sound when Nandhini slowly opened it.

A man who could be nearly eighty to eighty-five years old was sitting on a mat on the floor," Please give me some water,magane" requested the man who had his eyes closed.

Nandini slowly neared the man and gave him a pouch, which Nandhini had bought with her.

The man seemed to need help for drinking the water. Nandhini slowly kept the pouch near his mouth.

Suddenly the man held Nandhini's bangle-laden hands, the man immediately pushed her hand away as soon as he realised that this wasn't his son.

He immediately opened his eyes. His eyes were as white as milk. Nandhini gasped and moved a step back. 'He is blind '. Thought Nandhini.

" You are not my son!" The man shouted in rage. Nandhini remained silent and gulped.

" Who are you where is my son?" Asked the old man as he got up from the mat on which he was sitting.

" Ayya I-I am The crown princess of Pandiya Nadu, Nandhini " informed Nandhini stuttering, She didn't know why she was frightened by this man.

"Y-Your son i-is out." Told Nandhini, and gulped again.

" Devanadha!" the man screamed as he stumbled towards the door, Nandini ran behind him.

"Magane! Where are you?" Called the man but only got silence as the reply.

" Where is my son " the man shouted. Nandini stayed silent. The man walked a few steps forward, his leg touched the body of his son.

The man fell, and Nandhini rushed to help him, the man pushed her hand yet again.

The man touched the body and traced the face of his son. " Ayyo, magane! Why are you laying here? Let's go inside." Called the man as he shook his son's body.

Tears started to gather in Nandhini's eyes. Nandhini slowly whispered, "He is dead".

The old man froze in his place. He snapped his head to the sound of her voice, "what are you saying? No, my son won't leave me alone" whispered the man as he continued shaking his body.

A couple of tears slipped down Nandhini's face, her heart ached to see the man shaking his son's lifeless body, this reminded her of the day her father died.

" He is gone, I killed him!" shouted Nandhini as she tried to pull away the old man from the body.

The man started to sob, " No, is this  what my son gets for trying to save  your father's life?" Shouted the man.