Nandini

Chapter 41- More Acting

"Kanmani, are you alright?", Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar enquired with so much worry and concern. Nandini nodded and groaned. She would have found it very adorable if she actually liked him.

"Penne, bring the medicines for cuts and bruises", Pazhuvettaraiyar ordered to a maid.

Nandini sat up.

"My Lord, I am fine. I just want to take a bath. Could you please ask them to boil some water? My whole . . . , nothing. Just some hot water". Nandini was going to say that her whole body is aching but she didn't want to give him an opportunity to offer "services" like massaging her body.

When Nandini saw Kalanthaka Kandar, she first thought was about lying. But the man is so unsettling and she might blurt out something. So she loosened her limbs and pretended to faint. She hoped that he or the soldiers will just transport her to the palace without examining her physically. She is her brother's wife, after all. That worked fantastically till Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar suffocated her with his clingy romance.

He took her hands and gently placed them on his cheeks.

"I was so worried about you. My Parameshwari, I got flashbacks to the day we first met. Don't you remember?"

Nandini flashed her teeth at him. "How can I forget, my Parameshwara?"

Someone banged on the door. Pazhuvettaraiyar returned her arms to the bed tenderly, as if she will break if he just stop holding her.

Come!

Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar entered the room hesitantly.

"How is Nandini Devi doing, anna? My girl and the other queens are dying to see her".

"I will go to them". Nandini tried to get up but Periyavar made her lie down again. "Ayyo, you are sick. Take rest. Slowly . . . ".

Kalanthaka Kandar watched his brother incredulously.

"Thambi, tell them that she is spending the night here. They can meet her tomorrow morning. She is so tired".

Oh! Will she have to enact the drama tonight too? Yes, she is too tired to perform today.

"Nandini Devi, what were you doing there, all alone?"

Why isn't this man going away? She concentrated on Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar's face. "My Lord, please forgive me. I made a mistake. I won't repeat it. Don't you know that I was brought up in a Vaishnavite family? I was tempted when I heard about that temple. I didn't know that it was such bad condition. I wandered around in circles as I tried to come back. There was a pond covered by weeds. You'd think it is land. Luckily, our brother found me. Otherwise I would have fallen into that pond and died".

Her husband held her hands.

"Don't say such things, dear. Thambi, if you haven't found her . . . I can't even imagine".

However, Thambi didn't sound convinced. "Why did you go to that temple? There are other well maintained Krishna temples in Pazhayarai. Also you could have gone in palanquin".

"I didn't want to humiliate our family by travelling in palanquin to popular Krishna temples. So I went to this small kovil. Even then I felt guilty. So I tried to come back without entering it but I lost my way. Today I realised that no god likes a woman who disregards her husband's wishes".

She saw Kalanthakar silently asking his brother to do something.

"Ah, Nandini. When you want to go to such places, please tell me. We can go together. Thambi recieved some intelligence. Some rebels have entered Pazhayarai. Durga Parameswari, what if one of those low born people . . ."

"Devi, did you see any suspicious looking people?

Nandini felt like laughing when she saw both brothers' faces. Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar looked so disappointed. It was obvious that his brother was supposed to ask this question but he ranted about rebels instead. She again concentrated on her husband's face.

"No. I saw some common people, but I didn't feel any suspicion".

Chinnavar was not in a mood to stop his interrogation.

"Why didn't you ask them the way back?"

"I didn't want them to know that I lost my way because . . .  because I was wearing jewellery. They could have beaten or killed me".

"They didn't look suspicious, right?"

"Thambi, what's this? She panicked when she realised that she is alone and lost. Haven't you called a meeting of all commanders who are staying back in the capital after your return? Concentrate on that. I will join you. Go".

Kalanthakar left the room unsatisfactorily.

"Ambe, forgive him. He is a rough man who doesn't know how to behave with women. We soldiers might not fear even if a thousand enemies come to kill us, but are women like that? Foolish old man".

Nandini's mind was rewinding the conversation with Ravidasan. She tried to find out where he is staying, are there others with him, etc. but he didn't say anything. But it is obvious that they are struggling for money.  She lured them with jewellery and asked them to meet her on Sunday. He will come. She will confess everything to Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar. But there there is one more thing she has to do.

"Darling, is Chinnavar going back tomorrow? When are we going back?"

"I will come back as soon as possible. You all can go back with him", Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar sounded so unhappy.

"Ummm, we just came here. It is so much fun with all the ladies around. We will return with you. Please, please, please. I even heard Kalyani paatti asking Karthyayini Devi if she will stay here for some more time". Nandini hoped that the old cousin did request something like that at least out of courtesy.

Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar considered that for a moment and then his face brightened. "Alright darling. I too don't wish to send you away. But I have to attend a meeting now. These wretched aapathudaivikal! Let me ask the maids to boil the water here. I will be back by the time you are ready to sleep".

"Oh! I am going to the ladies' quarters. I will bath there. What will these ladies say if bathe and sleep here?  I feel so embarassed. No, no . . .", she giggled and then ran away.

"This naughty girl! Don't run. Be carefull"

°---------------°

One more thing. One last thing.

She was foolish to think that she could escape aapathudaivikal by seeking asylum with a powerful official. He is a bigger headache than aapathudaivikal, to be frank. She thought aapathudaivikal will grow bored if they don't see her for sometime. But they are bound by their oath. Haven't she too taken that oath? How many oaths have she taken in her life? Could she keep any of it?

This will be your end, Ravidasa. If you hadn't brought that old man to my hut, I would have been living happily. Disgusting man. What all obscenities did he tell her? She reminded him of another woman it seems! Ewwww.

A small voice at the back of her mind reminded her that Ravidasan asked her to run away but it was she who stayed. She imagined Chinnavar and Periyavar beating Ravidasan and smiled. Oh, it wasn't Ravidasan who beat her. It was the fat guy with him who had beaten her multiple times when they tried to burn her alive. Damn, all these criminals deserve to be beaten. Can someone beat Kundavai and Sembiyan Madevi too? That's impossible. Concentrate on the possible things.

But Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar will beat her too when he comes to know about everything. Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar who always speaks honeyed words might even execute her. Ammu and all other queens will hate her. Let them! Before that, she has to meet him one last time and say goodbye. The last goodbye.