Nandini

Chapter 13- Janmashtami

A bunch of little girls asked Nandini if she can dress up as Kannan for their dance performance. Since the older girls don't give them main parts in their performances, they decided to put up their own performance. They have been practicing hard since last week. She spent the rest of her free time talking very inappropriate things with Karikalan. She has truly gone insane.

Earlier she had danced with her friends in the village. But it was just casual fun, not a public performance and Nandini certainly wasn't the central character. He too encouraged her to dance. The girls of her own age teased her for dancing with small kids but she has learned to avoid them.

She felt shy about performing before men but they assured her that they are performing inside the palace complex, away from public. Those Saivate princes didn't attend these functions. Girls used to dress up little Ponniyin Selvan in cute dresses and make him dance as Kannan but he no longer participates in the festivities because he is a big boy now. But this time one of them will be watching them.

People in Pazhayarai were having a great time. Someone almost poured turmeric water on them but they chased him away. One troupe was enacting a play about little Krishnan stealing butter from Yasoda. She saw Azhwarkadian singing songs with some other young men.

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"I look exactly like Maduranthaka Thevar"

That was Nandini's first thought. Are her biological parents connected to Sembiyan Madevi's family? Didn't she say that she resembles her grandmother? One of the girls' fathers lent her a blue shirt worn by men. They folded her long hair up and made a headgear out starched cotton, peacock feathers and beads. She lined her eyes to make them look bigger but since she isn't used to applying such thick eyeliner, it looked inconsistent and she had to ask for akka's help. Akka placed some flower garlands on her neck. "Perumale! Someone will steal you away", she pinched her cheeks and put a dark dot on it to avert the evil eyes. 

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The performance went well. They enacted a few scenes like Kannan lifting the mountain, stealing clothes of cow herdesses, and finally dancing with all girls.

For some reason, Sembiyan Madevi looked furious. Though Maduranthakan also came to watch their performance, Nandini saw one of her attendants escorting him back to the palace. Maybe the poor widow felt bad seeing their performances. They should have chosen some other stories.

Emperor's Chief Queen Vana Madevi and some other women too were present. They must be his other wives. But they all looked very friendly, too friendly in Nandini's opinion, like sisters and cracked jokes. How can all these women share one man and be so happy? But all these queens paled before the beauty of an old lady. This must be the esteemed mother of Sundara Cholan, Kalyani Devi. She thought Karikalan was exaggerating when he said that she was the most beautiful woman in all three worlds, a position currently held by Nandini in his opinion. If she looks this stunning in old age, she would have looked ethereal in her youth.

Kundavai cheered and clapped for them. Karikalan and Arulmozhi wore headdresses that looked like the headdresses of North Indian merchants, but Karikalan pinned a peacock feather on his headdress. Adada! Kalla kannan! Kundavai's gang was surprised to see the princes. To be honest, their aatchiyar kuravai performance too looked very beautiful. But they didn't know that Karikalar didn't come to see any of them. He put on a serious face and sat in the last row with Arulmozhi. Nandini occasionally winked at him during her dance and he blushed furiously. No, Nandini won't do such inappropriate things, will she? It was Kalla Kannan winking at everyone. 

Aatchiyar kuravai - Krishna dancing in ayarppadi (Gokulam) with gopikas, his brother Balaraman and lover Nappinai.