"What do you apply on your hair?", a girl asked. Nandini was in the chamber of the Ilaya Piratti. When Kundavai invited her to the palace, she tried to decline, but her father insisted that she go with the princess. The haughty princess and the annoying girls with her were asking several unnecessary questions like this since she came here.
"Just coconut oil, Devi", Nandini felt awkward.
"She won't tell us her beauty secret"
"You silly girl, that's why it is called a secret, you can't tell that to anyone"
"You don't look like your parents, brother or sister", Kundavai, who was silent till now, said as a matter of fact.
"Do you know my brother?"
"Of course, I know Thirumalaiyappan. Who doesn't know him? But you don't look like any of them. You are different. Thirumalai, Thiruveni and Nandini"
She knows. Nandini realised. In their village, everyone knew that Nandini's parents adopted her but no one talked about that. She didn't know what to say. Do all these girls know?
"Do you like this red chela?", someone asked. Nandini nodded.
"I have many golden chelas, but my sister likes blue. What is your favourite colour?"
"She is a poor girl, she doesn't have many chelas. Why are you teasing her?", Kundavai scolded the girl. Nandini really really wanted to run away. She saw some girls murmuring something among themselves. What damned question are these devils conspiring to ask her now?
"Who is this new princess?", a male voice asked. It is the older prince. Has he too come to mock her? What was his name? "Princess of the pond side", the girls laughed. The prince too laughed. She didn't know what was she thinking at that moment.
She ran as fast as she could. She didn't notice the smile fading on the prince's face.
Chela - Saree
YOU ARE READING
Nandini
Fiction HistoriqueA reading of Ponniyin Selvan from Nandini's perspective. Nandini is the narrator of this story and the events are presented as she (could have) comprehended them. I don't own any of the characters or situations.
