A Matter of Chance

chapter 15- Pandora's box

Nandini beheld the imposing stairs leading into the humongous fort gates, only accentuated by the plethora of courtiers, palace ladies and priests lining them.

The greatest threat however, was the beautifully coiffed woman standing at the top with a aarthi plate. Aditha’s arm went to her back, fearing she may run.

“Never let them see your fear” she mentally chanted. She loathed their smug self assurance. But she was no longer a nobody-the man escorting her was evidence- and all others seemed to fade.

The ones who derisively called her “princess of the temple pond” through childhood now looked at her with something akin to wonderment.

That woman herself looked at her with amusement. The gall of her!
If that woman was his sister, then she was his future wife. She was in no way her inferior.
Nandini made show of needing help, causing her beloved to hold her extra tightly as she walked up the steep staircase, ensuring she leaned into him as much as proper. Her Aditha could no longer be overruled by Kundhavai or Sembiyan Madevi now.

She relished seeing the noblewomen who dreamt of marrying her Aditha, greeting her with placid reverence.
The two siblings greeted each other with warm affection, relief flooding the younger sister’s face upon seeing Aditha’s confident expression. She then turned to her.
Suppressing her anger and anxiety, Nandini began to greet ilaya piratti Kundhavai devi with a vanakkam . She still has the gall to look at her afterall she’d done to destroy her life!
“A pleasant surprise to see you again, devi” said the imperial princess
“the Lord has sent me where he sees fit” was Nandini’s cryptic reply. Not that you cared when you ousted me was left unsaid.
“You’ve spent years in the temple. I hope you take to court life just as well” said kundhavai. Nandini, not wanting to see her any longer than needed, gently squeezed her darling’s arm and he led her in.

The Emperor and Empress, vague figures for someone who’d never lived in Thanjai, seemed miraculously polite. Surely they must’ve approved what their prodigal daughter and aunt had done?
Perhaps their relief at their son’s return surpasses their distaste for the orphan she ruefully thought.
They announced that they’ve decided on a wedding muhurtham falling on the last Friday next month at the palace temple, as the couple nodded their assent. Aditha’s smile radiated, true to his name. Nandini was privy to many such smiles, but the hearts of his parents rejoiced.
It was the emperor’s sympathetic glances that became the curveball she hadn’t anticipated. With every word, the old couple’s eyes seemed to soften and she didn’t know how to react.
The day was turning out to be far odder than expected.
As she and Aditha walked away, she swore she heard the empress whisper “is that truly..did she resemble her?” to her husband.

She was far too exhausted to think about odd aristocrats for the day. Must make use of my good fortune she decided.

Nandini was growing used to the palace environs and regalia, now that they were no longer tools to oppress her. She saw them as additional benefits to marrying the man she loved. Though still in disbelief deep down, she decided to accept the status quo.
It was the least she and karikalan deserved for the misery they underwent!

She had just made herself comfortable in the chaise lounge, surrounded by maids sorting flowers when a lady in waiting hurried in and announced
“Princess kundhavai, accompanied by a courtier, is here!” making Nandini’s eyes pop open.
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It was truly an odd day for Nandini, she had entered the palace whose owners had exiled her, as the fiancée of the man who crushed her heart brutally only to revive it later.
He tolerated her coldness and insults, sneaking back into her life and his parents didn’t seem to want to kill her anytime soon.
The woman she never wished to see again was seated in front of her, with her usual self important air.

But most shocking of all was the person accompanying the princess- her Anna thirumalai!
This was not what she had in mind when he described his job as ‘important’.

Krishna’s leelas know no end, she mused.

Her discerning fiancé apparently caught wind of his sister’s presence near her chambers, and barged in – ever ready to shield her. He marched over to behind her seat, hands beside her shoulders and glaring daggers at his sister.
Deivame! Everytime she thought to escape kundhavai’s presence, Aditha would arrive giving her a reason to stay.
“Your piety has finally borne fruit, Archagar veetu penne, you’ve reached your aim”
kundhavai had sworn to make amends for her bullying but old habits die hard. 
Her eyes reddened, she dared to mock her thus after causing her downfall. “Indeed ilaya piratti, it is futile to resist His plans no matter how powerful a mortal may be” She shot a sugary smile.

Kundhavai understood that the other woman’s presence is integral to ensure her brother remains in Thanjai and bound to duty, especially now that the subjects have warmed up to her. The princess elicited such resentment that Nandini forgot the presence of her brother till he spoke.

“My dear, I always wished for you to be the second Andal but the stars seem to have something else in store for you. Being married to a man so great is still a good way to work for humanity” thirumalai a.k.a Nambi affectionately said.

She felt betrayed that he worked for the ones she hated. Was his piety a mere façade? Knowing she needed contacts to survive court politics, she donned a pursed smile.  “It is a blessing to see you here, Anna”

Aditha, till now a mute bystander, egged his sister and their spy to get to the matter. He didn’t wish for her to feel overwhelmed and flee.
Her Anna took a deep breath and began
“Kanne, in my years here I’ve been privy to many secrets. There are some whom I know better than they do themselves. You have just become one of them”

Here eyes wildly shifted around. What did he mean? Why would she matter- she knew her life’s trajectory well enough!
Aditha sensed her unease and sat beside her, drawing a bangle laden hand onto his lap. He too looked on gravely as his sister.
“What I mean is- I know the circumstances of your birth – your real parents “ her Anna continued.

Nandini let out a mirthless laugh. “What? Is my ancestry worthy of noting now that I’m to marry a prince? They felt no regret abandoning an infant- what does it matter now?”

Even as a child she’d felt a restlessness- a gnawing need to find out her birth parents and question them. After her exile, she desired to find her birth mother and cry in her lap out of misery. But alas!

“My dear sister, karikalan’s soldiers found some shady people eyeing your hut few months back. They lured them away for interrogation. It was this that prompted him to visit the forest.
The people refused to speak up despite threat, bribery and torture. My associates did some digging to reveal that they were pandyan abathudavigal, staking out locations to hide their king before the Cholas attacked”

This unnerved Nandini, but she knew a lone woman living in the woods was prime target. “I thank you for chasing them away but …”
“They wished for you to join them. Your mother was the wife of our emperor by gandharva rites long ago. When he left for Thanjai, she was bereft and tried to end her life unsuccessfully- resulting in loss of memory. She was seduced by Veera Pandyan- her husband’s nemesis- before she regained her memories. Unable to raise her children alone, she gave you away”
Nandini felt her world crash- her father was the exiled pandyan king?
Before she could deny, weep or rage her brain caught onto one word- “children”

“Why the plural” was the only response, despite the storm of emotions.

“A woman who was dire straits to produce a living child assumed her son to be stillborn. Your mother gave your twin brother to be raised by her”
Silence reigned but the question was obvious.

“Sembiyan Madevi regrets the tumult caused” kundhavai said, looking abashed for the first time.

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