As Sundara Chozha, emperor of the Chozha kingdom, lies unwell, powerful minister Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar plots to deny Crown Prince Aditta Karikalan the throne. Aditta sends his friend Vandiyatevan to warn the emperor and his sister Kundavai Devi. Will Vandiyatevan outsmart the conspirators, and can Kundavai protect her family? Start with Fresh Floods — don’t miss the exclusive excerpt!
At times, a trifling incident sets off events of great significance. Such an incident occurred in Vandiyatevan’s life at that very moment.
Vandiyatevan had been standing by the street and watching Pazhuvettaraiyar’s retinue go by. The last few troopers happened to catch sight of his horse, standing at a little distance.
One of them exclaimed, ‘Dei! Look at that horse!’ A jester among them quipped, ‘First of all, make sure whether it is a horse or a donkey.’
‘We will,’ said another as he approached the horse and tried to mount it. Recognizing that the man was not his master, the intelligent animal bucked and shied, refusing to allow the stranger to get on its back.
‘Cranky beast! He will allow only a member of an ancient royal clan to mount him! In that case, Tanjavur Mutharaiyan will have to return to ride this horse!’ This wisecrack drew much laughter as the Mutharaiyan clan had been extinct for well over a century. The Chozha flag with its tiger emblem flew over Tanjavur now.
Another gagster interposed, ‘Tandavaraya! Make sure that he’s a real horse and not the dummy horse from the temple festival!’
‘Let me check it out,’ Tandavarayan retorted as he twisted the animal’s tail. The horse kicked its hind legs and galloped away.
‘He is running! A real horse after all!’ The men’s cries incited the horse to run faster through the crowd of pilgrims gathered for the temple festival. A stampede ensued as people tried to save themselves from being trampled under the horse’s hoofs. But a few people did get hurt as the animal ran amok in a wild frenzy.
All this happened in a twinkling. From the look on his face, Azhvarkadiyan guessed that the horse belonged to Vandiyatevan.
‘Tambi! See what the Pazhuvur louts have done! Why don’t you show them the bravado you showed me?
Vandiyatevan was roused to fury but managed to keep it under control. The Pazhuvur men were large in number. It would be folly to attack them. Nor did they wait to engage with him. They moved on, guffawing over the runaway horse.
Vandiyatevan followed the horse in the direction it had taken. He knew that it would come to a halt after a short sprint. But the thought impressed itself firmly on his mind that, one day, he should teach a sharp lesson to the arrogant men of Pazhuvettaraiyar’s company.
He found the horse standing sadly all by himself in a deserted tamarind grove. The animal neighed at him in reproach. ‘Why did you abandon me to face this trouble?’
Vandiyatevan led it back to the road with a comforting pat. Several voices upbraided him, ‘Why did you bring this wild horse into the crowd? It kicked so many people to the ground!’ Others tried to mollify the accusers by saying, ‘What can this young man do, or the horse for that matter, when the mishap was caused by the Pazhuvur men?’
Azhvarkadiyan was still waiting on the street. Vandiyatevan scowled in exasperation, thinking, ‘What a pain! Why won’t he leave me alone?’
‘Where are you going?’ Azhvarkadiyan asked.
‘I? Well, I go west, take a turn to the south, go around to the east, then move along to the southwest.’
‘All I want to know is, where are you spending the night?’ ‘Why do you want to know?’
‘I have something to do in Sambuvaraiyar’s mansion at Kadambur, in case you are planning to stay there.’
‘Are you a magician? How do you know I am going to the Kadambur palace?’
‘You don’t need magic to know that! Guests from many different places are bound for Kadambur today. Why, Pazhuvettaraiyar and his retinue are going there.’
‘Is that so?’ Vandiyatevan exclaimed in surprise.
‘Didn’t you know? The elephant, palanquin and other gifts of honour have been dispatched from the Kadambur palace to welcome Pazhuvettaraiyar.’
Vandiyatevan fell into a reverie. To lodge anywhere with Pazhuvettaraiyar as a fellow guest was by no means an everyday occurrence. He might even find a chance to get acquainted with the great warrior. However, he could not get over his bitterness in his encounter with the Pazhuvur troopers.
‘Tambi! Will you do me a favour?’ Azhvarkadiyan pleaded.
‘What can I do for you? I am new to these parts.’
‘I am not asking for anything you cannot do. Take me with you to the Kadambur palace today.’
‘Why? Is some Saiva to be found there with whom you can argue about whether Siva or Vishnu is the greater god?’
‘No. Don’t think I am interested only in wrangling. A grand dinner will be served at the Kadambur palace tonight. Various entertainments will be showcased after dinner. I want to see the kuravai koothu12 performance!’
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