Adityan Keeps Watch
It was late when Chamundeswari and Anagha reached the house they were staying in, which was not very far from Brihadeeshwaran Koil, completely unaware of Sokkan’s attempt to kill the princess.
Velan, who was in charge of bringing Manu and his container home, went inside the house to bow in front of the princess. “Your Highness! I have brought Manu home.”
Chamundeswari tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Why did not you bring him inside?”
Velan could not stop the shudder that shook his body. “Please forgive me, Your Highness! But I…” Suddenly realising that he was about to directly refute his princess’s order, the young soldier squirmed before continuing, “What if Manu takes a bite out of me?” he asked pathetically, turning to appeal to Anagha.
Chamundeswari bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. What an idiot! “You may go, Velan.” She quickly walked out of the front door and directly to the cage. “Manu!”
The tiger leaped out of his cage the moment his mistress released the bolt, giving a soft growl of appreciation even as his nose quivered when he caught the scent of cooking meat.
“Come along with me and you can have your dinner,” said the princess, stroking his head lovingly.
Purring his delight, the tiger sauntered in the direction of the kitchen along with his mistress. Once Manu was fed and watered, Chamundeswari went to her room in search of Anagha. Surprised to notice that the maid was not there, she wondered where she must have gone. Only half her mind was on Manu who walked into the room and settled down on his own blanket which was spread in one corner.
Would Anagha have gone to meet her husband? Chamundeswari relaxed for the first time after they left Azhagapuri. Finally! Finally, there was a chance that they might get to know Vishnurayan’s plan, it seemed.
When Anagha did not return after another half an hour, the princess went into the dining room where two local maids served her dinner on a freshly plucked banana leaf. While the meat and vegetables were perfectly cooked and delicious, Chamundeswari’s mind was not on the food as she recalled her meeting with the stranger inside the temple sanctorum. Colour rushed to her face even as she remembered his gaze running all over her from head to feet.
Whatever he was, he was definitely a daring man! Will I ever see him again? She was startled when she felt a sudden sense of loss at the thought that she might never see him. What nonsense was this? He had been nothing but irritating from the moment she had sensed his presence next to her. And later, just before the dance began, she had seen him standing next to Manu’s cage.
Chamundeswari’s eyes went wide when it suddenly struck her that the man had been stroking her tiger’s head at that time. And Manu had not been protesting, not at all. How was that even possible? Though Manu was tame, he was not so friendly with strangers. At least, he was not meant to be. And she had noticed that her pet could be pretty unfriendly when he chose to be. How come the stranger who had irritated her no end, just with the expression in his gaze, had befriended her tiger so easily?
She gritted her teeth in frustration, her hands clenched into fists as she swiftly stepped into the garden and walked around in a circle, her gaze unseeing as she glared at the flowering plants as if it was all their fault.
She was simply draped in a cotton sari; all the heavy jewellery having been removed and locked up in her trunk. Even the flowers she had worn in her hair were all removed as they had dulled and faded over the evening. Just now, her thick hair was rolled in a knot at her nape with no ornamentation. Except for a pair of gold studs in her earlobes, a simple chain around her neck and a single bangle on each of her wrists, the princess was unadorned, appearing like any other woman from a middle-class household in her kingdom. Back home, she could have never got away with something so simple. Being the princess of her region, she was always decked in finery. But this was Thanjavur and was it not a good thing that very few people knew her?
A deep frown pleating her shapely eyebrows, the princess took another round of the garden, unaware of being watched.
The soldiers who had accompanied her were all staying at the quarters allotted to them in the adjoining street. There were only two hefty men who were in charge of this house and they were standing guard at the front; while the cook and maids had already settled down in their rooms. Chamundeswari was glad to have the place to herself as she paced restlessly in the compound.
Vijayendran sat on a high wall in one corner and watched the gorgeous princess as she went round and round, a soft smile in his face.
After handing Sokkan to the soldiers, the Chozha prince had gone over to the area in the temple where the crowd had surrounded Princess Chamundeswari earlier. But on reaching, he had been disappointed to note that there were only a couple of stragglers and some temple workers who were putting out the torches for the night.
He quickly walked out of the temple and wore his shoes which he had left outside before getting on the back of Kethu—his brown stallion with a long white stripe down the length of its face—and riding to the market area. He reined the horse outside a boarding house. He had the owner send his messenger boy around to find out where the princess was staying. While waiting for news, Vijayendran had his dinner at the same boarding house, the owner only too happy to serve the prince.
When the messenger boy returned with information about the princess’s whereabouts, Vijayendran took his leave of the boarding house owner and went on his way. After tying Kethu outside, here he was, sitting on the wall as he watched Princess Chamundeswari prowling around the garden.
He grinned to himself. Yes! Prowling was what she did, not all that different from her Manu. And was her frown fierce?! Too much so. Though he was not really surprised. He had correctly concluded that the princess must be upset because she had not had a chance to meet Vishnurayan. And who could blame her? What with murderers like Sokkan travelling as her escort? He could not help wondering how many others were also involved in the plot. After all, he did not think the commander-in-chief of Kongunadu would have given the responsibility to just one man. Vijayendran had found out that the princess had had at least ten soldiers travelling with her. Sokkan was one down. There were still nine of them.
Maybe I should spend the night right here on this wall! Vijayendran thought to himself. It had a great vantage point from where he could see anyone walking into or out of the house.
Where was Manu? It was in times such as these that the tiger would be extremely useful. Should the princess not let him roam the compound at night? Vijayendran was tempted to jump down from the wall and tell her about it immediately. What stopped him was the fact that she would probably stab him first and ask him questions later. Oh yes! He had noticed the kuthuval—a small but sharp and curved dagger that was tucked into her waistband. She was a fiery princess indeed. And somehow, he refused to believe Velan’s words when the man had said that the princess did not know anything about warfare.
Princess Chamundeswari had too much restless energy that made her stroll around the compound this late at night. If he was not mistaken, she had already walked five times around the garden that was at least set in two acres. And it did not look as if she was ready to retire. Was she not tired after the dance performance she had given earlier?
He smiled when he saw Manu walk out through the back door to join his mistress. Good!
Manu butted his head against the princess’s leg, making her forget to frown. “What? Could you not sleep either?” asked Chamundeswari, running her hand over her pet’s velvety head.
He gave a soft roar of acknowledgement as he fell into step with her. When they went round in a circle and reached the area where Vijayendran was perched on the wall, Manu stopped, sniffing the air. The Chozha prince slapped a hand to his forehead and laughed softly when Manu lifted his face up to let out a roar of recognition.
Princess Chamundeswari stopped in her tracks when she saw Manu lope towards the compound wall, wondering what had caught his attention. When he let out a roar, she looked up to see a man—not any man, but the one from the temple sanctorum—perched on the wall. What the hell was he doing here?
“You!” She rushed forward to stand next to Manu as she glared up at the man. “What are you doing here at this time of the night?”
“Keeping a watch, Princess!” replied the man with a smile, not just on his face, but his voice as well.
“On what? Whom?” The questions fell rapidly from her lips even as her chest heaved due to the deep breaths she was taking, doing her best to keep calm. His gaze was diamond sharp in the moonlight as he looked steadily down at her from his perch on the high wall. “Why do you not go about your own business?” she snarled.
“That is exactly what I am doing, Princess,” he responded, his voice shaking with mirth.
“And what would that be? To watch me and my tiger walking in the garden?” she asked, her voice heavily sarcastic.
And she might just kill me if I agree, thought Vijayendran, doing his best to control the laughter that was building in his chest.
“Er… Your Highness! I…” He was saved from replying when the back gate opened to admit Anagha. Phew! Saved by the maid’s appearance! Vijayendran continued to sit on the wall, leaning on the thick trunk of a tree as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.
“Anagha!” Chamundeswari forgot all about the stranger as she rushed to greet her maid. “Did you…?” Suddenly recalling the man, she stopped in her tracks to glance up at him. “You! Why do not you get out of here?”
“I cannot do that, my princess. Let me be. I am only doing my duty!” He said, crossing his arms across his massive chest even as he settled himself more comfortably.
Was he going to sleep right there on the wall? Chamundeswari could not believe her eyes. It would do him good if he woke up with a sore back or a sprained neck; or maybe even both. It was only that she did not want him anywhere near where she was staying.
“Your duty! And what would that be?” she asked angrily. She turned towards Anagha when she felt her maid’s hand on her arm. “Wait, Anagha! I had better get rid of him first and then we can talk peacefully.”
“My Lady! He is right,” said Anagha, her voice soft and pacifying. “He is Adityan and he is only doing his duty. It is Vishnu who has requested him to keep an eye on us.” Her eyes glowed with joy at having had a chance to spend time with her husband after such a long time.
Chamundeswari’s temper disappeared as she smiled at Anagha. “So, you met him?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes! Shall we go inside and talk, My Lady?” asked Anagha, a soft blush staining her plump cheeks.
The princess felt torn. She did not care for the stranger sitting on the wall, even if he was keeping guard. “Who did Vishnurayan say he was?” she asked, pointing her thumb behind her in the direction of the man on the wall.
“He is Adityan.”
“And how would you know that he is the man Vishnurayan had engaged?” asked Chamundeswari, unable to trust this ‘Adityan’.
Anagha gave a small shake of her head. “I think it is best that we go inside and speak, Your Majesty,” she said in an insistent voice.
Not left with a choice, Chamundeswari turned to her tiger. “On guard, Manu!” she ordered before walking along with her maid into the house.
Vijayendran laughed out loud as he turned on his side to gaze down at the tiger. “What? Do not tell me that you are going to climb on the wall and settle down next to me?” he asked, his voice shaking with mirth.
Which is exactly what the tiger did. Manu leapt on top of the eight-foot-high wall and looked around, sniffing. Soon, he climbed onto the thick tree branch closest to Vijayendran and settled down on it, washing himself meticulously with his tongue.
The Chozha prince laughed softly, reaching forward to rub a hand on the tiger’s head before lying down on the wall, settling into a comfortable position so that he could spend the night there, keeping a watch. He was glad for the tiger’s company, more because Manu was capable of sniffing out trouble even before him just in case something happened.
