Vikraman stood transfixed, looking at the approaching boats. He abruptly came alive and said, “Ponna, get me the sword!”
Ponnan seemed to have been lost in thoughts of his own. He moved
closer to Vikraman and said, “My king, you have to grant me a boon.”
“What a time to ask for a boon! You have to be quick. But what do
I have to give you at this time?”, asked Vikraman, surprised.
“My king, you should not fight Marappan’s men. There are too many
of them, and just two of us.”
“Ponna, is it really you speaking? Are you affected by the winds
of cowardice blowing these days in the Chozha kingdom?”
“No, My king. I am not afraid to die. My life is insignificant. I am happy to lay it down for a good cause. There are good reasons why I ask you not to fight. All
will be lost if you act in haste now. Don’t you want to see your mother, queen
Arulmozhi? There is something else to consider. Are you going to use your
ancestors’ sword first to kill your own subjects?”
Vikraman’s face fell. “Fair enough. I will not touch the sword.”,
he said in a resigned manner. He turned to Kundavi, and said, “My lady, please
keep this box safe. And return it to me if we meet again.”
It was not clear if Kundavi heard these words. She seemed furious.
She was gazing at the approaching boats with steely eyes.
The boats stopped. Marappan jumped off the boat, approached
Kundavi, and said, “My lady, I beg your pardon for the intrusion. I had to come
here without your permission in order to comply with the emperor’s orders.”
Kundavi, still looking enraged, asked, “Which emperor and what
order?”
“Your brother, Mahendra Pallavan issued the orders. He wants the
spy from Senbaga Island captured and brought safely to Kanchi. Here are the
orders”, said Marappan and gave her a scroll.
The scroll indeed contained the orders, with Mahendran’s seal.
Kundavi inspected it, and asked, “Who is the spy from Senbaga Island?”
“My lady, it is this man standing here.”
“He is not a spy. You may go back.”
“If he is not a spy, please enlighten me as to who he is.”, said
Marappan with feigned deference.
“Bhupathi, you seem to be forgetting your place. Do you know whom
you are questioning?”, asked Kundavi, giving him a fiery look.
“My lady, I am not forgetting my place. In fact, I don’t forget
much. For example, this man’s face seems familiar. Thinking more about it, I
seem to recall that this man was banished by our esteemed Emperor, Narasimha
Varman. If he is not a spy, he is a banished man. You know the punishment for a
banished man who re-enters the country. I need to carry out my orders. The
emperor won’t approve of me faltering in my duty, even if I did that to indulge
his dear daughter.”
Kundavi was shaking with anger. “Commander, this man is my guest,
and is under my protection. If someone harms him…”, she said, and moved in
front of Vikraman as if shielding him.
Marappan guffawed. “This is great! The scion of the glorious
Chozha royal family is hiding behind a woman!”
Vikraman’s face reddened with anger and embarrassment. He moved
around Kundavi and approached Marappan in a few paces. “Uncle, I am ready to go
with you.”
Marappan looked at Kundavi with a derisive smile. “Poor me! Why are
you venting your anger on me? If you really must save him, you can petition
your father or brother. The Emperor is merciful. If this man touches his feet,
begs forgiveness and agrees to be a vassal, he will surely issue a pardon.”
He was delighted to see that his words had found their mark. Both
Vikraman and Kundavi looked anguished.
Vikraman walked briskly and boarded the boat. Kundavi looked at
him, eager to reassure him through eye contact. But he did not turn back.
Marappan noticed this sequence and turned his attention to Ponnan. “Boatman,
you should come along too. Get on the boat.”
Kundavi gave him another burning look. “Why should he come along?
Do you have orders to arrest him?”
“No, I don’t have orders, but he has been an accomplice of the
banished man.”
“Ponnan is in my employment. He is here as my personal boatman.
You have no authority to take him. Watch what you say!”
Her tone of voice made Marappan hesitate.
Kundavi resumed, “If you were to capture people for aiding a
banished man, you should arrest me too.”
“Of course, my lady. If the Emperor orders me to do it, I will
have to do that too.”. He turned to the boatmen and ordered them to start
rowing.
Click here for the audiobook version
Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..
Art by Sujatha, unless otherwise credited.
No comments:
Post a Comment