She went to the palace with the tulsi leaves plucked from the small orchard behind the temple. Poor Periya Piratti was down with fever. Aranmanai maruttuvar recommended tulsi kashayam. Nandini offered to collect the herbs from the temple garden. One of the palace attendants took the basket from Nandini.
"Did you get all the herbs?"
"Yes, akka"
She didn't even thank her. Nandini went to the small orchard behind the palace and sat under the mango tree. Ever since Kundavai started to treat her nicely, she made this her shelter. The girls in her neighborhood often mocked her. They believed that she did some black magic on the princess. They have been living here since they were born. Why don't the princess invite them to the palace?
"My mother said that she once sneaked into the palace and stole the princess's earrings"
"Did she steal earrings too? I saw her running with a 5 layered muthu malai."
"Wouldn't she have been punished if she stole the princess's jewellery?"
"That's the trick of that sooniyakkari."
Akka would fight them which something Amma didn't like. She too didn't want akka to get into fights on her behalf. Annan jokingly asked what kind of sooniyakkari would live in an impoverished archarakar veedu? That didn't help, at all.
No one liked her. When she was young, Annan used to play with her and tell her Andal's stories. But now she hardly sees him. Akka's friends are very nice to akka. No one used barbed words against her, not even the younger girls who teased her. Ilaya Piratti is nice to her but how can the only darling daughter of the Thiripuvana Chakravarthi be considered her friend? She is just being generous. All this is the result of some sin she committed in the previous birth. Isn't that why her parents abandoned her?
•-------------•
"Ey, penne"
Nandini who was lost in thoughts didn't hear anything that young boy told her.
"Looks like she is day dreaming, sithappa", Nandini's reverie was broken was by Aditha Karikalan's voice. She stood up, folded her hands and bowed. Karikalar was with a very handsome little boy who seemed a little older than Ponniyin Selvan. She looked around. Where is the sittappa they were talking about?
"Maduranthakasithappa, this is the girl I told you about. She brings herbs for paatti everyday."
Maduranthakan. Aha! This is Karikalar's Sithappa, Piratti's and Kandarathithar's only son. She has heard that poor Periya Piratti brought up their son as a devout Siva bhakthan.
"Thank you for your help"
"Aiyyo, don't thank me Ilavarasarkale. Who am I? The earth I stand on is yours".
"Amma is recovering fast. You won't have to bother much . . . akka", Maduranthakan hurriedly added.
"I am only bothered by Pirattiyar's illness, ilavarase. May she be healed soon".
"I am older than her but you never call me anna, kutti sittappa", Karikalan tickled him.
"Don't call me akka, thevare".
"See sithappa, consider her your marumagal from today onwards". Nandini's face reddened.
"Why are all of you so old?", little Maduranthakan tried to scrowl but he looked so funny. Nandini barely contained her laughter. Karikalan admiringly gazed at her.
"We should give her some gift. Shouldn't we, sithappa?
"Yes, yes", Maduranthakan nodded.
"Ilaya piratti has been very generous to us, Ilavarasarkale. She has given me everything I need and more".
"Did you hear this sithappa? She will accept gifts only from Kundavai. What's the use of being a war hero if the girls won't accept anything from these strong arms?", Karikalan flexed his hands. Maduranthakan poked his muscles. Karikalan tickled him.
Though she has seen him a few times after he returned, it was from a distance. Now she could see him closely. There were many small scars and cuts on his face and body. They looked healed but that must have been painful. She began to feel tears welling up in her eyes.
"I need to go Ilavarasarkale, I have to light the lamps", Nandini folded her hands again and suddenly walked away.
Marumagal - A term that can mean daughter-in-law and niece. Used as a pun here.
Tulsi - Basil
Aranmanai maruttuvar - Palace physician
Kashayam - herbal concoction
Muthu malai - Pearl necklace
Sooniyakkari - Sorceress
Archarakar veedu - Priests' home
Thiripuvana Chakravarthi - The Emperor of Three Worlds
Ey, penne - Hey girl
Sithappa - Uncle. Though he is two years younger than Adithan, Maduranthakan is Sundara Cholan's cousin. Sundara Cholan's father and Sembiyan Madevi's husband were brothers.
Bhakthan - Devotee
Akka - Older sister
Annan - Older brother
Kutti sittappa - Little uncle
Thevare - God, a term that's used for Kings and senior princes too as a mark of respect.
Ilavarasarkale - Princes , plural of ilavarasan
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Now that they have reached the talking stage, I am open to suggestions 😁 Does anyone have any requests about their romantic getaways?