The Cloud of the Princess - Part 1 Chapter 23

Chapter 22 (a short English summary)

Imayaazh who had been pulled into a room by Kumudhini a few minutes back was as confused as a bat at the happenings around her. She tried to make sense out of whatever she knew from the Sevagan and Kumudhini, but none of the information that she had gathered had fit into one big puzzle. She decided the best possible solution to her confusions would be to talk to Sembaruhi, and so went to the Vaithiyar's room. To add to her surprise, the room was locked. She then decided to wait for Jayendiran to come back from wherever he had gone. Deciding so, she came out of the House again to look for Jayendiran. This is when she saw at a distance a group of unknown Soldiers in horses tying up her Sevagars with the trees. Three of the Soldiers then rushed towards Imayaazh on their horses. One of them started speaking in a rude tone. He said that the soldiers had orders to imprison the Sevagars and take them and the Pallakku along with them to Melur. Moreover he said in a even more rude tone that new Sevagars and Pallakku would soon follow to Araimedu. And then he along with the other soldiers flew away in their horses with the Sevagars and the Palakku.

Imayyazh who was already confused with what had happened over the last half an hour or so was now in the peak of confusion.

She stared blankly at the scene in front of her.

Chapter 23

Imayaazh had to make a decision. 'Should i wait further for Jayendiran or should i go to the hill temple and meet Kumudhini?' she asked herself. It was a tough decision to make. Especially because Kumudhini had asked her to bring Sembaruthi also to the foothills of Madiyamalai. 'Can i go inside the house and find Kumudhini?' she thought for a second. She dismissed the idea immediately. 'I can't go in now. The house is already getting crowded by the second. And a group of people have seen the Sevagars being forcefully carried away along with the Palakku. It would have already raised a number of doubts in their minds. They would have surely seen me talking with the soldiers on the horse. And if i go inside now, i for sure will have to face a few questions for which i have no clue what the answer is. Let me better go to Madiyamalai. And I need to go alone. I can't wait for Akka to come out now. Kumudhini might have already left for the hill temple through the back door. Yes. She would not have got a chance to go out of the house through the front door even if she wished to. Who would not get doubts if the bride goes out of the house the day before she has to leave to her husband's place? But it is true that Kumudhini wants to get out of the house. And that i am sure is not without a very important reason. She probably is in some sort of trouble. She might need some immediate help. Even if it is not her, somebody very important in the Kingdom is in trouble for sure. And there must be some link to that person with Kumudhini. Who could that be?'

The words that Kumudhini had spoken came back to Imayaazh's mind in a flash.

'KaarMeni Senkann Kathir Mathiyam Pol Mugathaan'

'Who could these words possibly point to?'

She began to walk in quick steps towards the Hill temple.

''KaarMeni Senkann Kathir Mathiyam Pol Mugathaan'

She repeated the words to herself once again.

'This possibly refers to a very powerful man in the Kingdom. And who else could be more powerful than the almighty King Kunjidhpadhanaar himself. But the King is not in Araimedu for sure. He was in Ponvilayur a week back when the Arivamudhar Thiruvizha happened. So he must be in Ponvilayur now. Yes. There is a remote possibility that he might have started to Araimedu after the Thiruvizha, but i can see no reasons why he should. Normally if the King went out of the capital, there would be a number of ceremonies that happen before that. All the chiefs of the Kingdom, the heads of soldiers, group of important ministers would gather together to discuss and outline a strategy as to what to do in case the enemy King from the other side of Amudhu declares war in the absence of the King. And when such a discussion happens, no women will be let into the King's palace for more than half a day's time. Nothing of that sort happened in the last few days. 'But From the things that have happened so far today, i can't dismiss anything just going by my instincts or by the normal routines. There seems to be a number of mysterious things happening in the Kingdom. And if i am guessing correctly, somebody is planning something against the King. Oh.. But what makes me guess that? I have no base for guessing so. Again, i am falling prey to my own instincts. Akka rightly says that women should not involve in politics. They are not for the softer species that god created. I can realize the truth of what she says only now. Am i not confusing myself with too many things that might never be true at all? Yes, it is true that I have tried to involve myself in knowing about the politics of the Kingdom as much as i can all these days.

Kings have fascinated me right from my childhood. I played when i was young, not with flowers and mud toys but with swords and knives. I did not know that women could not become soldiers at that young age. I dreamt of going to the war and fighting enemies, chopping their heads off, piercing through their flesh and relishing blood... but nobody told me that women were restricted from doing that. Only when the flowers of maturity blossomed upon my heart, did i understand the reality that life offered in Pavazhanaadu to women was so different from what i had imagined as a little child. Wasn't i shocked to understand that i would not be able to achieve what i dreamt of? Didn't i suck in all my desires of childhood into nothingness slowly then? Didn't i stop dreaming about what i really wanted to be? I had to do that to live peacefully. I had to do that to co-exist with other women. I had to do that to survive in this women unfriendly Pavazhanaadu. And slowly in a few years, the desire to be the most powerful woman in the Kingdom slowly faded off. But it so happens that god is not cruel always. He gave me one last opportunity .And that was when Akka had to go to Ponvilayur when she got married to the Dhalapadhi. Of course i knew i cannot go to the war and fight. That would never happen in my lifetime. But that gave me an opportunity to go to Ponvilayur, the capital of the Kingdom. The 'power-base' of the Kingdom. The place where all the crucial decisions of the Kingdom were made. My childish dream of fighting wars had put on matured clothes over itself then. It was no longer fighting wars that i was interested in. It was moving the pawns. Yes.... controlling and moving the crucial pawns of the Kingdom. Didn't i want to slowly understand how powerful men think and act? Oh yes...i did...i did. Did not this phrase called 'power' give me sleepless nights?. Oh yes... it did.. it did. But thankfully i no longer am a slave of this shapeless irritating monster called . Things that have happened in Ponvilayur for the last few years in my life have made me shed all my desires to be 'powerful'. I now clearly understand that it is much happier to live in heaven without power than to rule in hell with all powers combined. Oh my god... why am i thinking all these now? What has happened to me? Am i not the sweet, witty, engaging Imayaazh that people think i am? Am i not the loyal and dearest thozhi to Akka Sembaruthi, the wife of the most insightful Dhalapadhi in the Kingdom? Am i not any other humble girl in Pavazhanaadu who sees the King and Queen as the god and goddess? I have to be that. I have to be that. Is it not true that if you pretend to be someone for a considerably long period of time, you become that someone itself? I have been pretending a totally different life for years now. And i have almost become that someone whom i wanted that world to know me like. But what is happening to me today? Why am i going back to how i was years ago? Can't i get out of all this? Will i not be free again? I don't wish to rule anymore! I don't want power! I don't wish to be a princess anymore! I have had enough in the past! Let the clouds of confusion that cover this unpromising princess' eyes be shattered by the purity and love for Akka Sembaruthi and Pavazhanaadu that lies deep below my heart. Ayyo...Yes...I accept...I did go to Ponvilayur for that particular reason which i wish to forget. I have forgotten that completely now. I am not bound by anything anymore. The iron threads that had wound me tight are no more around me. I work no more for anybody. I am free now. Neither that nor him can trouble me anymore. All i need is peace. Eternal peace! "

Huge Fireballs exploded inside Imayaazh's chest and her heart was now full of smoke and ashes. She knew not where her legs were taking her to. She had lost direction. Her eyes were half closed. She was not in a position to recognize figures. She increased the pace of her walk. A constant heavy beat of huge drums were hearing on both her ears. She tried not to concentrate on anything.

'Am i in the middle of a forest? Or am in the middle of a fire? Am i shivering in pain? Or Am i standing in rain? Is the earth below my feat shaking? Or it it the brain above my forehead that is?'

The spell was broken!

It was Kumudhini.

Imayaazh realized that she had reached the bottom of Madiyamalai and it was Kumudhini's touch that brought her back to reality.

"What happened Imayaazh? You look so different than how you looked in the house?"

Imayaazh managed a smile. Her head was still swirling. She pulled herself back to being normal. Things that had happened over the past few hours came back floating into her mind at blinding speed. She answered Kunudhini's question without any confusion.

"I think i look no different Kumudhini. It is your eyes that are looking differently at me than how they were looking at me in your house. I saw a fear in your eyes when you pulled me into the room. And i have been trying to find out the reason for that without much success"

"Yes. Certain things have happened Imayaazh. And i really fear the consequences of it."

"I hope you are not referring to your marriage Kumudhini. I guess it is too late to fear the consequences now. And i am sure Sendaamarai is a perfect match to you ". She smiled hard after saying this.

Kumudhini waved the joke away.

"Imayaazh... i understand that you are in no position to know about the importance of what i am about to say. But before that, where is Sembaruthi?"

"Akka is discussing something important with your father i guess. The door through which I, Akka and the other girls entered your father's room is locked. I tried to open it, but was unable to. I thought i should wait for Akka to come out, but it was already late and so started to come here."

There was a sudden change in Kumudhini's expression. Imayaazh was sharp to notice that.

"Do you think i should have waited for some more time and brought Akka here?"

"No...may be Yes... I don't know Imayaazh. "

"Tell me Kumudhini. Is there some problem?"

Kumudhini was almost shivering as she spoke.

"Imayaazh ... I am not sure what is happening in my house for the past few days ... there are a few mysterious things that i have noticed but what you said just now seems to me the most mysterious of them all"

"Kumudhini... calm down a bit... let us sit somewhere and discuss" Imayaazh put her arms over Kumudhini's shoulders and patted her gently.

"No Imayaazh... we might not have time to sit and discuss things"

Imayaazh responded slowly.

"I don't understand anything... tell me everything one by one. First of all, tell me what was so mysterious about the statement that i made?"

Kumudhini looked straight into Imayaazh's eyes and asked

"Are you sure you saw the door of my father's room locked?"

"Yes i did"

"And are you are my father was inside the room when you left?"

"Yes. I am sure"

Kumudhini's voice was filled with fear.

"Imayaazh... i have been living in this house right from the day i was born. And until hearing to what you said just now, i was sure that none of the nine doors in my father's room had any kind of lock at all"

There was a shock in both the girl's faces. There were standing still for a few seconds. Imayaazh was the first to recover.

"Kumudhini ... let us not confuse ourselves over this thing... i might have not seen properly if the door was locked or not.... please tell me the reason you wanted me to come here. I think that is of more importance now than this trivial fact"

"This is not a trivial fact for sure Imayaazh .... In fact if my fears are true, it might be linked with why i wanted you and Sembaruthi to come here"

"But you haven't told me the reason yet"

Kumudhini looked at both the sides of her shoulders to made sure nobody was listening. She reduced her voice to such an extent that whatever she uttered was audible only to Imayaazh.

"Imayaazh. Do you remember the day when Sembaruthi met our beloved Dhalapadhi for the first time when she rolled down from the top of this very same Madiyamalai? I think it was almost three years ago"

"Yes i do remember it"

"And do you remember that i was trying to play a prank on you by giving a medicine that my father had prepared"

"Yes"

"Let me tell you quickly a few things that happened before i brought the medicine to this place three years back. On that particular day, a man and a girl had come from Lakshanur to meet my father. I had neither seen the man nor the girl before. My father received them well as he receives any other visitor and asked the purpose of their visit. The man told my father that the girl who was with him was his daughter and she had not found the right groom and she was getting older by the day. If you remember, i had told all you girls that my father gave the girl a 'manamarundhu' and asked her to go to the Sannidhi of the next temple that she visits where she will find her husband. I sometimes help my father with the medicines and so was there in his room on that day. I followed my father's instruction and took this medicine from where he told me to give it to the girl. It was then that i saved a piece of the medicine to show it all you girls later that evening. But what i wanted to tell you is different. It is not about the medicine or the incidents that happened later that day. It was about this girl whom i saw. There was something remarkable about this girl that i could not discern when i saw her first. After a few minutes, i realized that it was her blue eyes that had caught my attention. Yes. Her eyes were the most beautiful i have ever seen over a girl's nose. They were magnetic, i should say. In fact i had become jealous of those eyes that very instant. Oh, those eyes Imayaazh. You should see them to feel their magnetism. Their power to tie down the onlooker. We would have seen fishes floating in serene blue sea water. But those eyes were the exact opposite. They were like blue round clouds that were floating inside the vast expanse called the skies. She looked like a princess Imayaazh. A princess of the tales that our grandmothers told us. Princess of the far far away land! And though i never saw her after that, i could not get myself or my jealousy out of her eyes. It took me a few months to forget her and as years passed by, i slowly had forgotten her completely."

Imayaazh tried to finish the rest of the story.

"I am sure you saw her again somewhere. And what happened after that"

"You are right. I saw her at a distance unexpectedly in my house the day before yesterday. As you know there are too many visitors from all my family who have been staying her for the past week and i was initially surprised to see her. Then an unusual idea from nowhere crept through my mind. Since she had come to my house, i wondered if she was one of my distant relatives. I tried to remember how my father had greeted her father three years back but i was not able to. I don't know why, but i decided for sure that she was related to me. And that gave me a wonderful idea. If only she agrees, i would take her as my Thozhi to Eezham. The idea seemed amazing to me. I felt as if i had already achieved what i wished to. But i realized immediately that i had to talk to her and convince her. I went in search of her in the house. It was only later that night that i could find her. She was at a distance walking in between the crowd, moving upstairs. I followed her without any of my family members knowing about it. She walked to the terrace that could be reached through the stairs at the corner. I was for a second surprised. There was nothing in the terrace that could excite her. It was very small and could fit only one person comfortably at any time. I hid myself in the room below the terrace which no one had occupied. I locked the door of the room so that no one knew i was inside. I did this because, from the room to which i went, i would be clearly able to see through the moon hole what was happening in the terrace. And since it was not raining for some months now, all the moon holes in the houses were kept open. "

Kumudhini paused for a second and looked at Imayaazh.

Imayaazh's curiosity was clearly showing up on her face. She could not wait to her what happened after that.

"Continue Kumudhini. What did you see and hear through the moon hole? Was there a secret lover to this cloud eyed princess? Was he someone you already knew of? Or... Or was there something more deadly than what i am imagining? I am not able to control the flight of my random imaginations Kumudhini. Please do not pause. Continue"

"I have to continue Imayaazh. I have to. The words that i heard there were deadlier than your wildest imagination could let you comprehend. Those words shocked me, froze me, and stopped my heart beating or whatever you call it. There were lethal words. Words that girls like you and me who know nothing about Politics and Kingdom will never utter. There were Imayaazh, words that had my head swirling"

"Politics... Kingdom.... So does this relate to what you told me in the room?

'KaarMeni Senkann Kathir Mathiyam Pol Mugathaan'... Is this what the blue eyed girl told?"

"If she had told only those, i would not have been interested. She spoke something more. Something that had to do with the man pointed to by the phrase you just told."

"What was that something?"

"Revenge. In the form of abduction"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know the details Imayaazh. And that is why i am too confused now. I don't even know whom she was speaking to. I could see no one through the moon hole. But even the way she spoke was not very discernible. She had a totally different slang. That i could not interpret very easily. The only thing i could make out was that there was somebody very important in the Kingdom who fits into that particular description against whom some group of people including her are trying to take revenge. And their first part of the plan is to abduct that person to some unknown place on the Povurnami day which happens to be today. Imayaazh, i might not have full details on this. But i am sure this blue eyed girl is not any other girl who has got out of her mind. Her slang may not have been very clear to me. But the intensity of her speech was absolutely death sharp. She was speaking as if she was passing on her part of some crucial information to a group of people. But i am sure not more than one could have been at that terrace at that time. I don't know to whom she communicated the information, but i am sure it has to be taken seriously. Moreover this girl has been probably roaming in Araimedu for three years now. Or if not in Araimedu, probably in Lakshanur."

"Did you tell this your father or your brother?"

"No"

"But Why?"

"Two reasons Imayaazh. The first reason was that I did not want to create confusions when the whole of my family had gathered to send me off to Eezham. I knew what i had heard might be something really important. But i dared not to speak a word about it to anybody in my family. Not even to Jayendira. He can be trusted for sure. But he is not the one who would sit simply once i said that. He would go in search for that blue eyed girl, put his sword across her throat and frighten her to get the information he needed."

"So what made you stop from doing that? That is what we need ... is it not so Kumudhini?"

"It is right. But there was one more reason which stopped me from explaining this to Jayendira"

"And that is"

"The blue eyed girl never came back from the terrace downstairs"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I know i sound silly. I sound foolish. And no one is going to understand what i am trying to say since i don't have the best of explanations for everything i saw and heard. First of all, i did not see whom she was speaking to. Secondly, I did not understand clearly what she was speaking except for a few facts. Thirdly, i do not know where she disappeared from the terrace. All of this sounds like a fairytale ...doesn't it? If you feel like this, then i don't know how Jayendira or my father would have felt. I would have told all this to my mother if only she was still alive. I needed a woman to tell this. A girl who would understand my feelings. A girl who is far away from politics and Kingdom. And that was the reason i was over excited even yesterday night at the dinner when i heard that Sembaruthi and you are coming to Araimedu. I decided to wait for you before proceeding on to tell this to others"

"Kumudhini. I understand your feelings. It will be no doubt hard for a girl who is leaving her parents and brother to know all these just days before her departure. Now that you have told it to me, release all the strings that were holding your head tight till now. We shall first find out who is this man indicated by the phrase and how is he going to be affected"

"I have been trying to think of different people over the last two days. I am not sure whom it actually points to"

"Tell me one final thing Kumudhini. Is there any specific reason you think what i told you about the doors of your father's room is linked with whatever you have told me just now"

Kumudhini started to say something. At this point, the girls heard a horse' footsteps at their back and turned swiftly to see who it was. It was Jayendiran who was smiling as he was slowly coming towards them.

"Akka... i knew this young girl beside you would have hundred secrets to share with you... but why don't you share them in our house itself. When the whole of the family is searching for the bride in the house, here she is, at the bottom of the hill temple with an old friend discussing important things about the Kingdom i guess"

He laughed loudly after saying that. Imayaazh and Kumudhini looked at each other for a second. Jayendiran continued.

"Tell me Akka... what brought you to this place at this time?"

Imayaazh did not let Kumudhini answer the question.

"Jayendira... please stop teasing your sister. It was me who brought her here. And we were discussing how disrespectful are soldiers in Araimedu who would dare to take away the Sevagars and the Palakku of the Dhalapathi's dharmapathini without even giving an explanation"

Kumudhini was surprised to hear this, but did not let her emotions show out through her face. She knew Imayaazh was making something up.

Jayendiran sat up straight on the horse and spoke in a slightly higher voice with aggression.

"Soldiers in Araimedu being Disrespectful? I don't believe this! Tell me what happened Imayaazh. There should be a better explanation to what you think"

Imayaazh told him a part of what had happened about the soldiers who had come and imprisoned the Sevagars and taken away the Palakku. The moment she finished, Jayendiran jumped down from his horse. He spoke with increased aggression.

"Aah... did you say they will send new Sevagars and Palakku from Melur? How dare they think Araimedu does not have Sevagars and Pallaku? There is already political tension between Araimedu and Melur. Now this incident if known the honorable Oorarasar Sethupadhiyaar will surely result in a civil war between the villages."

"I don't understand Jayendira. Where is this Melur? I have never heard of that place before. And who is the Oorarasar there? "

"Melur" Sarcastically remarked Jayendiran. "That is the name they have given to their place now. They think they are higher than all other villages in Pavazhanaadu and hence call themselves the people of Melur. They already have strained relation with Araimedu because of some trading problems. The common man thinks that the soldiers in Araimedu are sitting idle, but this is the reality. There is a tremendous amount of training going on in the camps. An internal civil war will for sure happen sometime this year. And once that happens, we will be able to completely destroy and take over this so called Melur people"

"Jayendira...but that has not answered any of my questions except the reason why the Soldiers behaved rudely. Who exactly is the Oorasar in Melur? And why would their soldiers come and imprison our soldiers and take away our Palakku?"

"I don't have any explanation as to why they did all that. But i can tell you who the Oorarasan of Melur is. It is someone who doesn't deserve to be the Oorarasan at all. It is someone who took over the position just a year back because his brother who was the then Oorarasan died unexpectedly. It is someone who has no relation to the art of wars. It is someone who can only paint wars but not fight wars"

"And who is that person?"

"It is the idiot Chinnayan ... the man whom the whole of Pavazhanaadu is praising for the Kannadi Oviyam that he painted in the King's palace."

"Oh!" Exclaimed Imayaazh.

The puzzle fell in place.

She could understand both the behavior and the actions of the soldiers from Melur.

'Last evening, Akka had sent a Sevagan to rush to chinnayar's palace to inform him that they would not visit his place to stay. And that Sevagan might not have delivered the message in time. Chinnayar who had anticipated Akka to arrive in time would have got worried since there was no message from her. So he would have assumed that the Sevagars would have plotted something against Akka's wishes and taken her somewhere. So he would have sent his soldiers in all directions looking for the Sevagars and Palakku and to imprison them if found. Moreover from what Jayndiran says, there has already been political instability in the relations between the villages. And so there was no reason why the Soldiers from Melur acted so rudely to me'

Imayaazh's face without her knowledge looked up into the skies as she was thinking all this.

Jayendiran who was watching this keenly remarked, "I am really sorry for what happened Imayaazh. But i don't understand one thing". He smiled as he said that.

Imayaazh looked at Jayendiran with her beautiful eyes.

"What is that you don't understand mighty soldier?"

"I am not able to interpret the way you were looking above all this time. As if you were the Aandaal who sung Thirupaavai looking for lord Vishnu to come down from the skies and give you back the garland that you tried on yourself and then offered it to him"

Imayaazh blushed for a second. She knew she was talking to the man of her dreams. She knew these were moments that she would treasure for her life. She knew though there were hundred things to worry about, this conversation was making her feel on the top of the world.

But!

The words Jayendiran had just spoken sounded very differently to Kumudhini. It had triggered a new hidden cell in the corner of her brain. She jumped in excitement. The excitement immediately changed into fear. Her face became pale. She was shivering now.

Tears started to flow from her eyes as she panicked to her bones.

She had just found out whom the following words pointed to.

'KaarMeni Senkann Kathir Mathiyam Pol Mugathaan'

And then the Madhuoli warning shrieked!