Chapter 53 - Chapter 53

Athitha Karikalan did not faint when he heard the last words of the king of Thirukovalur Malaiamman who had matured with knowledge and experience like power. For a while, however, he was paralyzed. Parthipenthiran was also dumbfounded. The sound of the sea seemed to have subsided. Even the 'alelo' of people unloading goods from boats in the distance and loading them onto the ships had died down at that time.

Athitha Karikalan, who was ashamed of his surprise, suddenly looked up at his grandfather and said, "Grandfather! I also heard that some people were talking like this in the cities of the country. I thought it was just a false rumor. Are you so sure? Do you know? Can this happen too?"

"Why can't it happen? Before your grandfather, wasn't it your great grandfather Kandarathitha Thevar who ruled Chola Nadu! Doesn't his son have more rights in this kingdom than you?" said Malaiamman Miladudaiyar.

"Not at all! That utter scoundrel, who does not know how to speak four words, who does not know how to hold a sword in his hand, who was born as a man without being born a woman – does he have a right to this kingdom? The one who entered the battlefield at the age of twelve, the lion with the head of Veera Pandyan, the brave warrior who did not know defeat, the right of Athitha Karikalar? Sir! O Miladudaiyar! With old age, have your intelligence also faded?" hissed Parthipenthiran.

Karikalan scolded him and said, "Grandfather! This kingdom does not matter to me. If I want, I can establish ten such kingdoms with the help of my sword. But how is there justice in this? If I had said that the kingdom belongs to Mathuranthakan in the first place, I would not have stood in the way. How can I change now, having crowned the prince that I am the kingship for the country to know, to know the city, to know the people? Do you agree with this?"

"I don't agree, and I'm never going to consent. If you agree and say that you will give the kingdom to Mathuranthakan, I will first cut you to pieces with this sword. Then I will cut off your mother, who bore you for ten months. Then I, the one who bore your mother, will kill myself with my own hand and die. As long as there is life in my body, I will not let this Chola kingdom leave you!" roared the old man as a flash of electricity flashed in his pale eyes. His whole body trembled as he was exhausted with excitement.

Parthipenthiran said, "Say so, grandfather! Say so!" he shouted and ran and embraced Malaiamman. Tears welled up in his eyes.

Karikalan also looked at the deep sea for a while. Then he looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandfather! If that is your intention, why hesitate? We will immediately gather an army and leave for Thanjai. We will destroy the Pazhuvertaraiyars and their allies Mazhuvaraiyar, Sambuvaraiyar, Mutharaiyar and Muniyaraiyar once and for all and capture the Thanjai fortress. We will put Mathuranthakan in jail. We will release the emperor. If only we had your blessings, and if Parthipenthiran and I joined hands, who on earth could defeat us?" he said proudly.

"You can't win a battle; It's true. But what will you do if a combination of intrigue and conspiracy resists? As soon as you approach Thanjai with your army, they will fabricate a story that your son is coming to fight with his father! It will be said that the emperor died because he could not bear that humiliation. There may be people who believe it, can't they? What will you do, my child? Your mind will also be weakened! Can you bear the accusation of having come to fight with your father?"

Athitha Karikalan covered his ears and said, "Siva Siva! I can't bear to hear it!"

"That's why I said at the outset that great danger surrounds us!"

"What's the trick, Grandpa! What's the trick?"

"First of all, you have to send a trusted person to Sri Lanka. You have to send and bring Arulmozhi. He will not leave the battlefield, the soldiers under him, and come lightly. He must send someone who has the power to bring him back..."

Parthipenthiran came forward and said, "Sir! If you give your consent, I will go and fetch him myself!"

"That's Karikalan's wish; As you wish. But one who goes should not interfere in irrelevant matters like Vandhiyathevan....."

"See? Didn't I tell you?" said Parthipenthiran.

"Have you received any news about Vandhiyathevan, grandfather?" asked Athitha Karikalan.

"At first I even suspected that he had joined our enemies. Then that doubt was gone."

"You see, Parthipenthira!" said Karikalan.

"Let him tell the whole story. Are you in a hurry? Sir! Why did you suspect Vandhiyathevan?"

"I came to know that he was also there on the day of the meeting at Sambuvaraiyar's palace. But I found out later that he had nothing to do with the conspiracy.'

"Grandfather! How did you know all this?"

"I didn't get an invitation to the Kadampoor palace party. There was some doubt about it. Then I imprisoned Kundrathur Kilar who came there and went back to the town and took him to the prison of my Rock Fort. From him I learned all that had happened. Vandhiyathevan is a friend of Sambuvaraiyar's son Kanthamaran....."

"Yes; Both of them were in our army, weren't they? Both of them were guarding the banks of the North. I know they have been friends since then..."

"Anyway, Vandhiyathevan was in the palace that day. It was impossible to know whether he was involved in the conspiracy or not. Then it found a way. When I came to know that Vandhiyathevan stabbed Kanthamaran in the back inside the Thanjai fortress and escaped ..."

"Grandfather! I will never believe this. Whether Vandhiyathevan does or does anything else, he is not one to stab someone in the back. Especially not a Chandala who can stab a friend in the back....."

"What if it turns out that the friend is involved in a plot against his master? If the friend had tried to include him in the conspiracy?.....

"Anyway, he would have fought face to face, but he would never have stabbed him in the back!"

"I admire your confidence in your friend, brother! Let the truth be as it may. The Pazhuvertaraiyars accuse Vandhiyathevan of stabbing Kanthamaran in the back and are hunting him down. That's all I know. Therefore, there must have been a fight between Vandhiyathevan and Kanthamaran in some way. Doesn't this confirm that he didn't join the conspiracy against you?"

"You don't need that much evidence. If Vandhiyathevan joins our enemies, then the earth will be turned upside down. The tidal sea will dry up. The sky will fall. The sun rises at night. The Chola tribe will be completely destroyed.....," said Athitha Karikalan excitedly.

"I agree with what the prince says. Vandhiyathevan will never betray us and join the enemy. There is only one crime I can tell him. Vandhiyathevan would get dizzy when he saw a beautiful woman's face. His mind will faint!"

Hearing this, Athitha Karikalan smiled. "Knowing that, I handed over the letter to the emperor and sent him to go to the junior stateswoman. If he saw the princess once, what was there to escape? Shouldn't I be her slave?"

Immediately Malaiamman Miladudaiyar said, "Oho! Is that how you sent word to Vandhiyathevan? I didn't know? Did you get any news from Vandhiyathevan after leaving Thanjavur? Or did you get a message from the junior stateswoman?"

"I'm looking forward to every minute. There is no news yet..."

"After Arulmozhi comes here, your sister should also be brought here. Then we don't care. We just have to leave all thoughts with the junior stateswoman and do as she says..."

"Grandfather! Are you worse than Vandhiyathevan in this regard?"

"Yes, Karikala! Your sister took the tyrant when she was two years old. She swayed me, your grandmother and mother and father as she pleased. It is still the same with me. What she put is the law for me. Karikala! Don't think you lack it if you tell me about your sister! It is nothing but pride for you. No one like the junior stateswoman Kundavai has ever been born in men or women. Don't you know what kind of person our Chief Minister Anirutha Brahmarayar is? If he himself asks the junior stateswoman for advice, what else should he say?" said Miladudaiyar excitedly.

Parthipenthiran, who was jealous of Vandhiyathevan, said, "That's all right; Who said no? But what if Vandhiyathevan had been enchanted by another woman's face before seeing the junior stateswoman? For example, if you had seen that Pazhuvur Illayarani aka Mohini?..." He said. He spoke the last words in a low voice so low that the old man did not hear them. But Athitha Karikalan heard. He turned quickly and looked at Parthipenthiran with sparks in his eyes. The sight stunned the Pallava warrior.

Malaiamman stood up from the rock and said, "Parthipenthira! You are leaving for Ilankai tomorrow, aren't you? You young people will have a lot to talk about. I am an old man, and I am slowly making my way to the palace. Say what you have to say and come back leisurely!"

After he had gone some distance, Parthipenthiran looked at Athitha Karikalan and said, "O king! My lord! There is some dilemma in your mind. Some pain is gnawing at your heart. I know that it is about Pazhuvur Ilayarani. Whenever there is talk of the elder Pazhuvertaraiyar's marriage, their appearance changes. Their eyes are red and spewing warmth. How long are you going to keep this pain to yourself? You have called me your 'dear friend' a thousand times. Why not open their hearts to such a friend? Cant you tell me what the pain is? Why don't you give me an opportunity to find a remedy? How long can I keep quiet and watch you suffer in agony?" he said with unbridled curiosity.

Athitha Karikalan sighed deeply and said, "Friend! My mental anguish is an eternal agony, a pain that must die with my life. There is no remedy. But I don't have to tell you. I'll tell you tonight. Now let us go to the palace with the old man. It is not advisable to send him alone!" and got up from the rock.