Vikraman and Ponnan mounted their horses and got on their way. As they started riding, Vikraman asked, “Ponna, you were the cartman in turban, sporting a fake moustache, weren’t you?”
“Yes, my king.”
“When I was in prison, I feared you might have forgotten me.”
“Even if I had forgotten, there is someone who would not have let
me forget!”
“Who is it?”
“Who else? The lady who rescued you from the jaws of death!”
Vikraman’s heart leapt on hearing this. He wanted to ask more
about Kundavi, but suddenly felt shy to ask. After a pause, he asked, “Where
are we going now?”
“My king, we are going to Mamallapuram.”
“Ponna!”
“Yes, my king?”
“We must reach Mamallapuram before morning!”
“Yes, my king. That’s why I suggested we leave immediately.”
“The ship will wait until the afternoon.”
“We will reach before then!”
After another pause, Vikraman asked, “Where is Lady Kundavi now? I
will be pleased if I get a chance to thank her and bid goodbye.”
“It is not possible, my king!”
“What is not possible?”
“To be able to say goodbye.”
“It sounds that way. There is no time to go to Uraiyur now.”
“My lady is not in Uraiyur now. She is in Mamallapuram.”
“Ah!”, exclaimed Vikraman. He felt a sense of exhilaration on
hearing this news. This news combined with the sense of freedom after having
been imprisoned and the cool ride in the nighttime breeze made him feel as if
he was floating in the air.
“Then why did you say I can’t say goodbye? I need to see the
princess at least for a moment to thank her; I’d also like to entrust her with
the job of looking for my mother.”
“That is impossible”.
“How can you say that so emphatically?”
“I say that because I know how determined my lady is. She has no
intention of bidding you farewell. She is determined to leave with you”.
“Really? Why did you not say this earlier?”
“I was not supposed to say anything to you at all. My lady was
planning to surprise you after you boarded the ship!”
Vikraman was lost in his thoughts until Ponnan said, “Look over
there my king!”. Vikraman was brought back to the present. He saw a group
of ten or twelve men standing under a tree. One of them was carrying a torch.
They presented a ghastly scene in the light. They were wearing garlands of
skulls and had red sandal and Kumkum paste all over their bodies. Their swords
gleamed in the dim light.
VIkraman shuddered. After the horses crossed them, he remarked, “What
a horrific scene!”
“My king, they were waiting for you. Marappa Bhupathi had ordered
his soldiers to hand you over to these men. I preempted their plans. They
wouldn’t have expected you to ride like this. They will wait for you a little
longer and return to report to Kapala Bhairavan that you did not arrive.
Bhairavan is not going to be very happy with Marappan!”.
“Ponna, you did not save me just from the Emperor’s punishment and
the cult of human sacrifice. You saved me from the flash floods too. You have
been the guardian angel of the Chozha royal family. How am I going to repay you
for all this? We will part ways tomorrow. I am not sure when I will see you
again!”.
“What an odd thing to say?!”, said Ponnan.
“What?”
“Why would I part ways from you? Do you think I am going to let
you sail away, leaving me behind again? Valli is already in Mamallapuram with
the princess. We are both sailing with you!”
Vikraman paused and said, “Ponna, I am happy to hear this. If you
and Valli come along, it will be as good as taking my beloved Chozha country
with me. However, I have some misgivings. Who is going to look for the queen
now? Who will tell her of your decision to leave? I came home to see her but am
leaving without meeting her. Do we not need someone to stay behind to at least
give her my messages?”
Ponnan had this thought at the back of his mind as well. He had
been wondering if the sage had managed to find the queen. Despite his
misgivings, he said, “You don’t have to worry about that, my king. The sage is
all powerful. He will find the queen and take care of her.”
“You are right. Didn’t he say he would meet us at the sculptor’s
house?”
“We can’t take a detour now. If we go there, we are going to miss
the ship.”
“I realize that. But it is heartbreaking to leave without seeing
mother and the sage!”, said Vikraman.
Ponnan exclaimed, “My Heavens! What is this?!”
They had approached the wild river and the Mahendra Mantap that
was adjacent to the river. The scene in front of the pavilion astonished
Ponnan. There were seven or eight armed soldiers. Two of them were carrying
torches. A palanquin was on the ground.
“It's a night of of surprises!”, muttered Ponnan.
“Who could be here at this time of the night, Ponna?”, asked Vikraman.
“I don’t know, my king!”
“They don’t look like Kapaliks. Who could they be?”
“Perhaps Lady Kundavi has sent us help. But who is the palanquin
for?”.
They had neared the pavilion. Ponnan thought one of the men looked
familiar. Then he recognized him as Kumarappan, a member of Paranjothi’s
entourage that he had met in Thiruchengattangudi.
The man recognized Ponnan as well. He exclaimed, “Look who is here!
Ponna, do you know that the queen was rescued? She is inside the pavilion. She
asked about you too!”
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.
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