Chapter 22 - The Dark Side

The mint for minting gold coins was another small fort inside the Tanjore fort. The guard outside the Mint was as strong as at the gates of the Tanjore fortress. That evening, when Kundavai Devi and Vanathi went to inspect the mint, it was time for the goldsmiths to leave after work. The gatekeepers inspected the goldsmiths and prepared to send them out. Goldsmiths had gathered at the door. At that moment the palace chariot arrived and stopped at the door of the mint. Kundavai and Vanathi got down. On seeing them, the guards and goldsmiths stood mesmerized and shouted, "Hail, junior stateswoman!" The head of the Mint ran up and greeted the princesses enthusiastically. He took me inside and showed me the fire pit for brewing gold, minting moulds, minted coins, etc. 'On that day, there was a heap of cast gold coins on one side. The glitter of those green gold coins dazzled my eyes. Each coin bore the seal of a tiger on one side and the seal of a ship on the other.

"You see, Vaanathi! For a long time, gold was coming to this Chola Nadu from all over the world. It also came by land; It also came by ship. Hitherto, the responsibility of carrying all that gold had been on the women of Chola Nadu. They made ornaments and carried them without being able to lift them. For some time, that burden has been lessening for the women of Chola Nadu. Our treasurer Pazhuvertaraiyar has arranged to cast such dazzling gold coins!" said Kundavai.

"Sister! What is the convenience in this?" asked Vanathi.

"What's the matter? You are an ignorant woman! If this kind of gold is made into coins, it is convenient to value 'so much gold' without stopping. It is convenient for the citizens to pay taxes to the government. Merchants need not have to suffer in exchanging goods for goods in trading with foreigners. You can buy things with gold coins; Goods can be sold in exchange for gold coins. That is why the merchants of Chola Nadu congratulate our treasurer Pazhuvertaraiyar... Let me tell you one more thing. Listen!" said Kundavai Devi lowering her voice and saying: - "Those who conspire against the emperor and the emperor's family are more comfortable with these coins. Isn't it possible to make any honest people traitors with these gold coins?"

Kundavai's last words fell lightly on the ears of the Mint head who was standing nearby. The officer said, "Yes, Madam! We hear such terrible rumours these days. That is why the Mint has been under increasing guard for some time now. The number of people coming and going to the underground prison below this has increased!"

"There are those who come; Are there even those who go?" asked Kundavai.

"Why? There is also that. They brought a man this morning. They took him back an hour ago!" said the officer.

"Who could it be?" asked Kundavai a little surprised.

They looked at the various work sites inside the Mint and then went to the back. There was a small doorway in the back wall. They opened it and left. There was little light where I went. The roof was low. From all sides, there was a roar that made the listeners shiver. A footman stood holding a torch. Peering in its light, he saw many cages and tigers inside them. Some of them are tigers; Some leopards. Some were lying down; Some were pacing back and forth in the cage. Their eyes shone like embers of fire in the dim light of the place.

Kundavai held Vanathi's hand tightly and said, "Slave! Are you scared? Don't make me faint here!"

Vanathi laughed slightly and said, "Why are you afraid of a tiger, Sister? Isn't the tiger the protector of our tribe?"

"Sometimes the guards join the enemy, don't they? Wasn't there a lot of danger then?"

"Nope. Elder sister! Human guards may be treacherous. These tigers don't do that!"

"Needless to say, these Tigers have eaten so many traitors. Wouldn't their blood be mixed in the bodies of these tigers?"

"There is no fear," said Vanathi, her body trembling a little now.

"Sister! What do you mean, will they give live humans to these tigers as prey?"

"They don't do that. Didnt I tell you there was an underground prison under the Mint? There is only one way in and out. That way is in this tiger hall. If anyone tries to escape from the prison, he has to come into this hall. Then they will fall prey to tigers!"

"Shiva Shiva! What the hell?"

"That's what diplomacy is all about! There is mercy; There is also cruelty. Vanathi! At some point they will put me in this dungeon. If you had heard the younger Pazhuvertaraiyar talking to me today..."

"That's good, Sister! There is no one in the world who is capable of capturing them and imprisoning them. If someone tries to do that, won't the earth split open and swallow up this Thanjai city? I don't care. I am worried about our Pazhaiyarai doctor's son. That poor boy wouldn't have tried to escape, would he?"

"It's a scumbag! But you can't tell who will change when and how?"

The roar of the Tigers grew louder.

Looking at the guard, Kundavai said, "The tigers seem to be very angry!"

"No, Mother! They greet and welcome the emperor's daughter!" replied the guard evenly.

"Good welcome!" said Kundavai.

"And it's time to feed the tigers. They roar at the thought of their prey!"

"Then we can hurry up. Where is the prison gate?"

They had come to a corner of the hall by now. The guards moved away a tiger cage. There was a door embedded in the floor. Two men bent down and opened the door outwards. There were some stairs inside. One by one they went down through them. It got darker. A faint glow of smoke came from two torches held by two footmen. They had to go in single line through narrow paths crisscrossing them.

If the terrifying roar of tigers made the hair shiver, here on all sides the voices of men were terrified and trembling.

But in the midst of those cries – strange! Odd! – I heard a sweet voice singing!

"Ponnar Maniyan! Squeeze the tiger skin

Minnar is the one who wears a red robe!"

The cells in the cellar were not in a row. The front and back were crooked and crooked. The guard went to the door of each room and held up the torch. In some rooms, there was only one person inside. Some had two. In some rooms, the occupants were chained to a ring of nails nailed to the wall. In some rooms, they were left unbuilt. When Kundavai Devi saw the faces of the people in each room, she nodded and everyone went upstairs.

In between, Vanathi asked, "What the hell is this? Why are they locked up like this? Isn't there a judicial inquiry?"

Kundavai replied, "There is justice for ordinary crimes. But only those who conspired against the state, foreign spies, and those who helped spies, would be put here. If they know the truth, they will let them out! But some people don't know the truth. If there was anything, would they say? It's hard for them to suffer!"

By this time, the song "Ponnar Meniyane!" had begun to be heard very recently. He went into the room and held up the torch and saw that there was a small child there. He is the child we already know; Senthan Amuthan.

அவனுடைய குற்றமற்ற பால்வடியும் பச்சைப் பிள்ளை முகம் இளவரசிகளுடைய கவனத்தை கவர்ந்தது.

Kundavai looked at him and asked, "Was it you who was singing?"

"Yes, madam!" he said.

"You look excited!"

"What's lacking in excitement, Mother! The omnipresent God is with me here too!"

"Are you talking like a wise man? Who are you, Dad? What were you doing outside?"

"I am not very wise; Not a little wise. Mother! When I was outside, I was making a garland of flowers and offering it to God. I am content to fabricate palm trees here!"

"You are not only wise; It seems to be a poet. Do you know this one song? Do you know more?"

"There will be a few more songs, but I've been singing this since I got here."

"Why?"

"I came through the Mint on my way here. I saw a mass of ten and a half alternating greens that I had never seen before. It reminded me of the image of 'Ponnar Meniyan'..."

"You're lucky! Many people have different desires when they see gold. You remembered the Lord. Don't you have any relatives, father?"

"Only the mother is there. She is outside the Thanjai fortress near the lotus pond."

"What is that woman's name?"

"Vani Ammai."

"I look at the lady and tell her you're excited here." "It's no use, Mother! My mother is deaf; I can't talk..."

"Oh! Is your name Senthan Amuthan?" asked the junior stateswoman in surprise.

"Yes, Mother! Do you know this poor man's name?"

"For what crime have they brought you here and imprisoned you?"

"Until yesterday, I didn't know what crime I had committed. I just found out today."

"What do you know?"

"It turned out that I had been arrested and imprisoned for helping a spy."

"What's that? Which spy did you help?"

"One day at the entrance of Thanjai fort I met a passenger from outside. He said he needed a place to stay for the night. I took him to my house. But I never dreamed that he was a spy..."

"Do you know what his name is?"

"He said his name was Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyathevan. He also said that he belonged to the old Varnar tribe..."

Kundavai and Vanathi looked at each other. Their hearts exchanged.

Vanathi looked at Senthan Amuthan and said, "Tell me everything in detail, father!"

Senthan Amuthan said so. He told me how he had met Vandhiyathevan at the fort gate to how the Pazhuvur men had caught him by seeing him on the river bank.

"Why did you go to such great lengths to help a stranger?" asked Vanathi.

"Mother! When we see some people, we immediately like them. It seems that you can die for them. What is the reason? If I see a few others, I think we can kill them. Today a man was kept with me for a while. My anger at him knew no bounds. Fortunately, Pazhuvur Ilaiyarani's men came a while ago and took him away...!"

"Is that so?" said Kundavai, biting her red lips with her teeth. Her eyebrows furrowed. There was a sigh of rage.

"Who was the man who was released in such a hurry? Do you know?" she asked.

"Don't you know? Some Pazhaiyarai doctor's son!"

"What is it, father, that he said bad words? You said you were so angry that you wanted to kill him?"

"My uncle's daughter Poongkuzhali is in Kodikarai. He said bad things about her. Thats why I was so angry with him. But he told me something good, so I let him go."

"What's so good, Dad?"

"He went to Kodikarai with my friend Vandhiyathevan. There this Chandalan betrayed my friend and tried to hand him over to the Pazhuvur men. It couldn't..."

"Can't you? So that spy escaped?" asked Vanathi and Kundavai in unison with curiosity. They came into this dungeon to find out!

"Yes, Madam! My friend escaped. Poongkuzhali took him in a boat at night and went to the island of Ilankai in the sea. The searchers were deceived. This scoundrel is also deceived!"

The two ladies looked at each other. The flowers on their faces expressed the joy in their hearts.

Kundavai looked at Senthan Amuthan and said, "Appan! Are you so glad that a spy escaped? It is right to keep you in prison!"

"Mother! If it is right to put me in prison for that crime, then you two should also be put in the room next to me!"

Both women laughed. Their laughter was as strange as Senthan Amuthan's song in that dark underground prison.

"You are very clever; Very wicked. If you are kept here, you will sing and spoil the others here. I should tell the fort commander to get you released and then look for another thing," said Kundavai.

"Mother! Don't do that! There's a man in the next room. He would tell me a hundred times a day, 'You teach me a song! If you tell me, I will tell you where in Ilankai I have hidden the crown and garland of the Pandya tribe.' Tell him to leave it here until I know the secret!" said Senthan Amuthan.

"Poor thing! Ill stay here until you go mad like that? Then what will happen to your mother Vaniammai?" said the junior stateswoman and left the place and the others also left.

Within half an hour, some servants came and released Senthan Amuthan from the underground prison and took him to the entrance of the Thanjai fortress.