Where it all began
Azhagapuri, capital of Kongunadu 1013 CE
“Marthanda!” Queen Naganandini jumped up from the golden chair she was ensconced in and rushed forward to greet her brother. Taking his hands in hers, she guided him to the chair next to hers and made him sit down. “Shall I ask a servant to get you some madhu? Or would you like to eat something maybe?”
Marthanda Bhupathi shook his head, his shoulder-length hair and the heavy golden kundalams he wore in his ears swinging from side to side with the movement. “No, my dear sister. Nothing for me just now. I came to speak to you about…”
“Oh yes! I also wanted to ask you about what you have done regarding... you know, the plan you and I had discussed a month ago. I…”
He raised a hand, stopping her in mid-sentence, giving a small shake of his head. Naganandini was the second wife of Raja Someshwara Thevar, the ruler of Kongunadu, a small vassal kingdom of the Chozha empire which was ruled by Emperor Rajaraja Chozhan. At the age of twenty-one, she was extremely ambitious. As for her brother Marthanda Bhupathi, he was four years older than her and the only reason he had consented to his sister’s marriage to Someshwara Thevar was that she should be made the queen.
Bhupathi was not very tall but well built; the muscles in his arms and shoulders rippling with every movement of his. But he was too fond of intoxicating drinks and led a decadent life which had begun to show on his sagging jowls and red-rimmed eyes. Which is exactly the reason why he wore a thick beard, doing his bit to cover his weak chin.
Things had not really gone as the brother and sister had planned. It was Someshwara Thevar’s first wife, Srivalli, who was still the royal queen of Kongunadu. No one could deny the fact that Naganandini was way more beautiful than Srivalli. Tall and with a shapely figure, Naganandini had a perfectly oval face with sharp and striking features. Only if someone noticed keenly did one see the thin lips that gave the clear appearance of a cruel person that she was.
Despite his love for his second wife, King Someshwara Thevar had not seen fit to make his new wife the royal queen of Kongunadu and that made Naganandini feel both angry and bitter. And it also rankled that the subjects were all too fond of Srivalli while they just about showed a mark of respect to Naganandini, more because they wanted to be in the good books of their king than for any other reason.
While the royal Queen Srivalli and Someshwara Thevar had a four-year-old daughter by name Chamundeswari, Naganandini had no progeny of her own, even after three years of marriage. Which truly rankled with the younger queen of Kongunadu.
Just now, Bhupathi gave his sister a warning look as two of her maids were in her chamber while there was a guard posted outside her doorway who could hear them talk if he chose to do so.
“I heard the king has arranged for you to learn to play the veena. How are you enjoying your lessons?”
Naganandini frowned at her brother, confused over the sudden change of subject. Her brow cleared when she realised that he did not want anyone else to be privy to their conversation about the ‘other’ matter that she had referred to. “I am yet to begin. Tch! In the meanwhile, I am at a complete loss when the king goes waging war over all our neighbours.”
Marthandan threw back his head and laughed as if she had cracked an absolutely amusing joke. “You are forgetting that Raja Someshwara Thevar does not have many neighbours, my dear sister. There is only Maharaja Rajaraja Chozhan who reigns supreme over the whole of Chozha Nadu.”
“Tch!” She shook her head, glaring at her brother as if it was all his fault.
“Alright, let me get to the point of my visit,” said Bhupathi in a dramatic whisper, “I have made all the arrangements and the execution will happen tomorrow before midnight.”
Her eyes lit up when she heard his words. “That soon?”
He shrugged, his voice bitter when he responded, “Well, I could not make it happen any sooner.”
Placing a hand on his arm, Naganandini pacified him, “Do not be upset, dear brother. All in good time. I cannot wait for you to complete the task.”
“Do not worry, my dear. Consider it done.”
“What about the calf? What are you going to do about it?” she asked, rather worried as she thought of her little step-daughter. The child was so affectionate that Chamundeswari had worked her way into the hearts of not only everyone in the palace, but also into her stepmother’s stony one it seemed.
“Leave it all to me, Naga. Shall I take your leave then?” Marthanda Bhupathi got to his feet, raring to go.
“Why do you not have some wine before you leave?” Naganandini did not want him to leave without partaking some kind of refreshment.
“I really do not have the time, dear sister. Maybe the day after tomorrow?” He gave her a sly smile before lifting his hand in a wave and stepping out of her chamber.
Vishnurayan, the king and queen’s most loyal employee, who was standing guard outside Queen Naganandini’s chambers, bowed low when Marthanda Bhupathi walked out of the room.
So! There was some kind of a scheme afoot! Vishnurayan did not trust Queen Naganandini an inch. She was a snake, just as her name suggested, and it was obvious, at least to him, that she hated the royal Queen Srivalli from the bottom of her heart. Naganandini did not even like the little princess Chamundeswari whom the whole palace adored, or that is what Vishnurayan believed.
But Vishnurayan kept his opinion to himself, only taking his wife Anagha into confidence. He could not help wondering what Queen Naganandini had meant by ‘calf’. And what was the task that Marthanda Bhupathi had undertaken? And planned to finish tomorrow, before midnight?
Raja Someshwara Thevar was blinded by his lust for Naganandini and would hear nothing against her. It was Rani Srivalli who had instructed Visnurayan to stand guard outside the younger queen’s chambers. It was time he warned the elder queen that some kind of a scheme was being perpetrated. And as for the ‘calf’ they had mentioned, well, there was only one child in the royal family and that was Princess Chamundeswari. Did that mean they planned to harm her in some way?
Vishnurayan waited for his duty to be completed before walking across to Queen Srivalli’s palace that was bigger and grander than the younger queen’s.
“Vanakkam Arasiyaare!” Vishnurayan bent low down to his waist as he greeted the royal queen.
Queen Srivalli gave the palace’s most loyal guard a royal nod, saying, “What’s brings you here today, Vishnu?”
Vishnurayan placed a hand over his mouth in a gesture of respect and spoke softly. “May I speak with you in private, Your Majesty?”
A small frown pleating her eyebrows, the queen stared at him for a few moments before ordering her maids to leave them alone.
Vishnurayan walked behind the maids and shut the tall and heavily carved wooden doors to the queen’s chamber before returning to stand in front of her, his arms folded across his chest. It was a strange sight to watch the huge man who was about seven feet tall with muscles to match, bowing in front of the diminutive queen. “Your Majesty! Marthanda Bhupathi came to visit Queen Naganandini.” He quickly repeated what he had heard the two of them say to each other. “They are planning something, Arasiyaare, and it is for tomorrow night.”
A thoughtful frown deepened the furrow between the queen’s eyebrows. “And you think they were talking about Chamundeswari when they mentioned the word ‘calf’?” she asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The intelligent and courageous queen thought for but a few minutes before saying, “I want you to take the princess along with you and your wife and keep her away from the fortress tomorrow. You may leave immediately after the first meal in the morning, you understand?” The queen was convinced that Naganandini and Marthanda Bhupathi were planning to harm her only child who was soon to be declared the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Kongunadu.
Vishnurayan bowed low before the queen, saying, “I understand, Your Majesty. I will do as you say.” He quickly withdrew from her chambers and went to his home which took him a while as he went on foot, covering the distance of half kaadha dooram—approximately five miles—in three naazhigais which was about an hour and ten minutes.
Opening the door to his thatched roof house, he called out, “Anagha! Anagha!” his voice louder the second time.
“Why are you shouting, old man? I am right here. One needs to walk into the house with the pot of water, right? Do you not have the patience to wait until then?” Anagha, who was a regular firecracker, placed the mud pot with a thud in the cooking area, pulling out the edge from the waist band of the cotton kandaangi selai she was draped in and wiping her face with it. She then walked forward to stand in front of her husband—and old man of barely twenty-eight years—appearing slim and beautiful in the drape of the bright red sari. Her hands fisted on her hips, her plump and rosy lips pouting, she gave him a mock glare, saying, “Now tell me, where is the fire?”
Vishnurayan laughed softly, his gaze gentle as he looked at his wife’s beautiful face. They had been married for ten years, but still had no offspring. Anagha, who felt it was all her fault, had even encouraged him to marry again. But he adored his wife and could not imagine another woman in his life, not at all. Taking her face in his hands, he bent down to kiss her on her forehead. “Listen, I have something important to tell you. I…”
She placed her hands over his forearms, giving him a brilliant smile. “Now I understand why you were calling out so urgently. But wait, will you have some neer moru first?”
He nodded. “Alright. Get some for yourself as well.” He spread a mat on the mud floor and sat down just as Anagha carried two small clay pots brimming with buttermilk which was flavoured with curry leaves, ginger and the right amount of salt.
“Now tell me,” she commanded, drinking from her pot after handing him one.
Vishnurayan told her the whole story from beginning till end. “Now, you and I will have to take the princess with us and go away from the fort for one day. I was wondering if it would be safe to go to Karur. The queen will provide us with a horse cart. You prepare enough food to last us for at least two days. I think it will be safe to return the day after.”
Anagha, whose bark was worse than her bite, listened quietly to her husband, absorbing his words reverently, nodding her head from time to time. “I only hope Queen Naganandini’s spies do not notice us taking Princess Chamundeswari with us.”
“I do not think we need to worry about that. We will leave before the younger queen steps out from her chambers.” Being a late riser, Queen Naganandini also spent most of the morning focussing on her toilette as she was keen to keep the king’s interest from straying away from her. She kept Raja Someshwara Thevar so busy that he rarely had time for his elder queen or his princess for that matter.
“That makes sense. You take some rest. I will quickly go to the market and get some essential provisions.”
“I can go if you want,” he offered.
“No, no. You must be tired. I can manage.” Anagha quickly picked up a cane basket and a few copper coins from a wooden box and left for the market, her mind running over the items that she had to purchase. It was past twilight, but it was absolutely safe for a woman walking the streets of Azhagapuri, the capital city of Kongunadu. In fact, the whole of Kongunadu was not just a safe place for the citizens, but also a prosperous one. The way to the market was well lit with torches on brackets fixed to wooden poles every ten feet; while the market place itself was bright and noisy with people purchasing not just provisions, but silk materials, gems and perfumes that had newly arrived from other kingdoms.
Anagha quickly picked up all the items they would be needing for the next two days before walking back home. She usually spent a pleasant hour chatting with friends and acquaintances, but not today. Today, she had to make a number of preparations for their forthcoming trip.
The next morning, soon after sunrise, Vishnurayan, who had gone to the palace like any other day, quickly went to Queen Srivalli’s chambers. Princess Chamundeswari, who was dressed in a long silk skirt and blouse in green, both heavily embroidered in gold, rushed forward to greet the guard. Her ears, neck and wrists dazzled with gold jewellery.
“My dear princess!” Vishnurayan bent down to his waist, bowing before Chamundeswari.
The princess laughed, the sound like tinkling bells, raising her arms up to him. “Lift me,” she commanded in a clear voice. “Amma says you are taking me out for a ride,” she said, once she was ensconced in his arms, a long way up from the floor.
“Yes, my princess. Are you ready to go?”
“Never more so, Vishnu,” said the queen, walking into her front chamber. “Is everything set?”
Vishnurayan placed the princess on the floor before bowing low to the queen, saying, “Yes, Your Majesty. Only…”
“Only what?” The queen’s voice was sharp as she frowned at the loyal palace servant.
“Does the princess have anything less conspicuous to wear? If I have your permission, Your Majesty, I will ask one of the maids to change the princess’s clothes. I…”
“Wait here!” commanded the queen before taking her daughter’s hand and walking back to her bedchamber.
Mother and daughter returned a few minutes later, the protesting princess wearing a skirt and blouse made of coarse cotton in a dull shade of brown.
“I do not like these clothes,” grumbled Chamundeswari, pulling at the neckline of her blouse.
“My dear Chamundi, it is only for today. You can change once you return from your outing,” said Srivalli in a soothing voice as she smiled down at her daughter.
Chamundeswari turned her face away from her mother, her whole body taut with protest.
“Listen, my princess!” Vishnurayan drew the child’s attention towards himself. “We are going to the forest, to hunt. You are better off in these clothes. Or the animals will all run away from you.”
“Oh! Will they do that if I wear grand clothes?” Chamundeswari’s golden eyes went wide in astonishment. When Vishnurayan nodded, she acquiesced, “In that case, I will go in these clothes only.”
The queen smiled approvingly at the effect of the servant’s words on her daughter. Speaking to him, she said, “I will not expect you before tomorrow.”
He brought his palms together in a gesture of obeisance before taking his leave. Lifting the princess once again in his arms, he carried her to the wooden cart waiting outside with two horses tethered to it. Seating the princess gently in the seat, he got into the driver’s seat and took the reins in his hand. “Shall we go, princess?” The plan was to pick Anagha on their way.
“Yes!” Chamundeswari clapped her hands in glee, unaware of how her life was going to change forever before she returned to the palace the next day.
