Lakshmi

Chapter 20 At Tanjore

While Kattayya and Sasivarnam were speaking with the businessman in golden dress, there came in a nice horse chariot. Sasivarnam appreciated the elegance of the two horses tied to the chariot. After Yamuna and the businessman boarded the chariot, both  Sasivarnam and Kattayya followed them.

The chariot passed the market area through the east gate. Sasivarnam and Kattayya watched the magnificent palatious houses on either of the queen street, and finally they entered a small mansion, adorned with a beautiful garden.Sasivarnam got down from the chariot, followed by Kattayya. Sasivarnam helped the businessman to get down from the chariot. He held the left wheel of the chariot firmly for Yamuna to get down easily from the chariot, making the wheel not to move. Servants were watching it. Yamuna appreciated in her heart the gentleman attitude of Sasivarnam. She smiled at him

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Sasivarnam and Kattayya saw the excellently carved spacious dining table in that small mansion. It was in square shape  that facilitated four seats.  The business man was in his host seat at the head. Yamuna requested Kattayya to occupy the side seat on the right hand side of the business man. She requested Sasivarnam to occupy the seat next to her right hand on the other side of the table, as she was occupying  the tail head seat. Elegantly decorated china porcelain plates were dazzling in front of all of them. Two enchanting Maharashtrian women who were the kitchen assistants started to serve them. 

Served was a Maharashtrian cuisine. Aromatically  delicious, felt Kattayya. Sasivarnam saw the hot dishes. There were  pooris, white rice, tamarind rice mixed with ground nut, fried dhal, cucumber mixed with vegetable, beans fried, keer, and matta curd. Each of these items were on the plate, besides  in small brass bowls. Kattayya watched the businessman organising the bowls around the plate.

Yamuna was ready with few palmyra leaf hand fans, in case the guests needed them. A cool breeze was passing over the faces of the guests from the venetian windows. Serving women were standing nearby to attend to the needs of water, and to offer extra food items, at the call of hosts.

" Respected gentlemen!", the businessman spoke while all of the four had started to eat.

" I am De", the businessman once again introduced himself." Respected guests. I am delighted that the king of Tanjore had given me this wonderful opportunity to host you this evening. I was informed, that the king would meet you at noon tomorrow. Hence you both could stay at my house, tonight,  in my beautiful guest  room. I have stored good dresses for you in the chests. Yamuna stays in the next room of yours. She would attend  you in case you need anything. You can call her by ringing the ancient Buddhist call bell attached on the side wall in your bed room".

"Don't hesitate to call me", added Yamuna. "Lakshmi, my friend had sent messages through the artists  who came to buy the paintings from Krishna  Achari  at the Thirumayam fort, about you. But I never thought you would come here so soon", tilting her head in reverence. She added, " Father, why do we  interfere with the guests, while they eat?", chiding De.

Laughing slightly, De continued." Sirs. I know you are future kings of Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga. I am honored to have you", bowing down his turbuned head slightly. 

" You should know Yamuna is my daughter through my second woman. Yes,my second one, not legally. My first wife lives with my only son and  his family in a village far off from here, on the banks of the Cauvery river,  caring my four  hundred acres. I married Suha the mother of Yamuna thirty two years ago.  Suha was a woman, ritually dedicated to the temple services. Yet she refused the living by prostitution, and  learned to live through her classical dance of Chaturattam. She is Maharashtrian by birth. Yamuna had learnt dances  and singing from her mother. But I worry  daily about Yamuna about her marriage, as her age is nearing thirties", in a lamenting tone.

 Yamuna knew in herself that she was in love with an young boy of twenty two, a known person since her childhood, since he had  proposed her ever since he was in his  teen. Yamuna was in dilemma to marry him or not. Would the society allow a marriage of these age differences? Yamuna thought, saying within herself: "Nothing is new in this world. We live for happiness. A life in mutual understanding".

The food was over, and the soiled plates were removed. Servant women retreated into the  kitchen nearby, leaving the guests with De and Yamuna alone.

"I have offered all my  wealth in the name of my first wife, because my son legally fought with me, invalidating my relationship with Suha. Now both Suha and Yamuna are  living at Kumbakonam. I have given them a moderate house only with a small money. Yamuna came to see me yesterday morning on an obligation", added De.

Yamuna retorted. " Father, marriage is not an end in itself. I may get a good man on time. Now tell me what the king has planned for our guests tomorrow ".

De replied," Honorable kings, the king of Tanjore told me that sooner you both have to fight with the illegitimate claimers at your kingdom. He promises his support both as money and soldiers from Tanjore. But he wants one of you fight with the tiger he grooms. He wants you to claim his only daughter as a gift, and become also the king of Tanjore after him".

" We will see it", responded Kattayya, while Sasivarnam was smiling at him. Yamuna was bewildered. "Fighting with the tiger? Fatalistic! Death only!", she mused within herself. Sasivarnam noticed the face changes in Yamuna. 

De brought them back into their dialogue. He invited the guests. " Come with me to your room". 

After few minutes, the eyes of Kattayya, Sasivarnam and Yamuna froze because on one of the beds lay a bag full of gold coins". De said, " About five thousand pagodas of gold. A gift to the kingdom of Ramanathapuram, from the king of Tanjore".

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Kattayya and Sasivarnam were astonished at the Maratha palace and its interiors. They got astounded at the residence of the king of Tanjore with in the palace. All Maharashtrian in styles. Pendant flame lamps. Several chandeliers. A reception hall well decorated in. Several cushioned chairs facing the platform meant for recreations. 

Tanjore king, not only invited them but provided them a lavish noon meal  of Maharashtrian thali, a plate with varieties of curries and rice items. He introduced his only daughter Vatsala to the guests. While all of them began their eating in the dining hall, the king of Tanjore promised his support to Kattayya. He wished to see Kattayya and others soon  at his residence. 

Sasivarnam, while on the dining hall had noticed the mesmerizing beauty of Vatsala, the only daughter of the king. He watched her sadness and  gloom. Sasivarnam understood the pain,  behind the sorrow. He smiled at her, and prayed to lord Perumal to make the marriage of Vatsala soon. He measured her as of age around twenty, with a  golden complexion.

 He recalled Ahilandam, and compared her with Vatsala. Ahilandam to him was a wild flower with more honey than this Rose. Ahilandam was known to her bravery, with  her majestic nature,and  full of power of self confidence. He thought Vatsala could be timid and nervous. But he was not aware that in another few months  Vatsala would be learning sword fighting from his Ahilandam.

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When at the same time, Kattayya and Sasivarnam had left Tanjore for Ramanathapuram choosing the coastal road, Ahilandam and the king along with the king's wife were discussing of the new threats at Ramanathapuram. The king therefore sought the help of his subordinates and the palace priest to fix date for the marriages of Kattayya and Sasivarnam. 

The king sent messages of advance notices to the  close relatives of Sasivarnam, for them to prepare travel to Ramanathapuram from Sivaganga. The king counted  not more than one hundred important people altogether in the marriage at the small temple on the north street of the palace, facing the big tank. Of course there could be soldiers, whom could be retained at the palace itself, so he thought. 

He knew that the temple had belonged to Kali, the war goddess. The temple was an  insignificant one for a marriage from the family of kings. The king wanted to break the sentiment of celebrating the marriage in pomposity. He was not worried at the criticisms that his subordinates or soldiers or the priests at Ramanathapuram would rise up. He was determined to send information to his subjects  requesting them only prayers for the marriages. He was different.

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At the Thirumayam fort, Lakshmi and Karuppiah were constantly hearing the screeching of the owl, and the chirping of the night beard through out the night. Sleep however overcame them in their peace.

They awoke early in the morning to hear the tintinnabulations from the temple. After a brief time, Lakshmi brought to him a jug full of buttermilk. They were thinking of the activities of that day. They decided to postpone their entry into the cave on the next day, and therefore both of them walked over to the temple gate to meet the priest, and told him they require the fruits only tomorrow evening. They returned back to concentrate on the cleaning of their area. Karuppiah ensured another cleaning to the stable. He was in fact missing Ron and Seeta.

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On the coastal road, both Ron and Seeta were on their hooves now, as their masters were riding them towards the Adhirampattnam coast of the Bengal sea. Kattayya and Sasivarnam had to cross several big and smaller rivers on their path. They met estuaries, coastal forests and number of fishing hamlets. They crossed the kings inn river, the Ambuli, the Vellar, and the Pambanar finally to reach the shallow Vaigai near Ramanathapuram. Kattayya was delighted to describe the varied rivers and forests at its estuaries to Sasivarnam.They felt their journey not tedious as the moon had risen, illuminating their path as they reached Ramanathapuram. Both were happy as they were able to inspect their kingdom.

Before their arrival, the king had fixed the date for their marriages. The young men, who had arrived few minutes before at the Ramanathapuram palace,  got  excited and were thrilled to learn of their marriages soon coming. Sasivarnam noticed Ahilandam standing near the pillar,  leaning her body upon it, staring at him, in her blooming smile.  'She was competing with the moon', so Sasivarnam thought.

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At Thirumayam, Krishna Achari came in the afternoon  to the fort, carrying the news of marriages of both Kattayya and Sasivarnam at Ramanathapuram on the fifth day. He said he would organize the caravan to carry Sundari and Lakshmi along with the children, while he would fetch six horses, two for Karuppiah and Krishna Achari, and the rest of the horses for the guarding soldiers. Krishna Achari told the couple to ready for the journey to Ramanathapuram on the third day, at about the dawn.

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Lakshmi said to Karuppiah, " Kala, in another few days,  we make  a big travel to Ramanathapuram. Before that we need to inspect the cave. We need the help of our kitten this night. We know that even though we are not calling her, she must be aware of what all were happening inside of the fort and at the kingdom.We shall call her this night after the fort goes into sleep. We need to ensure we hide inside the temple this late night itself. We shall call her after we were inside the temple kitchen". 

Karuppiah smiled. " My dear, I am getting amazed these days of you. I prefer we get into the temple when the night begin inside the fort. So we talk inside the temple", said Karuppiah.

" Agreed. But stay only with talking. No nuzzling, no nudging, no other thing" cautioned Lakshmi laughing profusely. 

" I don't bother. Who the god who could prevent me from touching my wife," questioned Karuppiah.

" Mission first, touching next.. Kala, tonight I share how I got interested in you", retorted Lakshmi bearhugging him in a deep embrace. Her lips searched his.

Hours passed. They now heard the voice of the priest approaching their room. 

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Darkness had engulfed the fort. But the darkness did provide a greater time of aloneness to the couple now hiding inside the temple kitchen. They had moved into the temple kitchen, after they rechecked that there was no movement inside the fort. They saw the kitchen had many things as the priest told. 

"Moon would rise up in another three hours on the horizon, as the moon is decreasing in its size on its journey towards new moon", thought Lakshmi, while Karuppiah was on her lap. The hands of Lakshmi was twitching his curly hair strands, in affection. Entry into the cave would take time. Lakshmi pondered. 

"Kala!"

"Um", came out a feeble voice of Karuppiah.

" You know how I fell in love with you?"

" Tell me," came out the soft reply from Karuppiah.

" It happened eight years before. I had just returned from Kumbakonam. Yamuna my friend taught me dancing and singing", said Lakshmi. "Chaturattam?", asked Karuppiah.

" Of course. It was a dance of the temple girls. Yamuna's mother was once a temple girl. But she lived a life of decency and she was married to a big businessman. Yamuna was her only child". " Will we meet her?", proved Karuppiah. 

"Kala, she is a decent woman. She must be five to six years more than you. She currently loves her friend almost seven years below her age".

" No problem. Do they love each other. Is that boy  specially talented with something?"

" Oh, he is a glorious singer in Carnatic music. In his life he would become one of the top singers in Tamilnadu. Yet Yamuna is in a dilemma whether to marry him, or not?"

"Why should Yamuna be afraid of her parents or parents of the boy. Or at the society. Love to me is divine.It emerges naturally between a true man and a true woman", saying these, Karuppiah pulled her face towards his and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

Lakshmi heard a screeching sound at the interior of the temple. She got up from the embrace of Karuppiah, went inside the interior of the temple. 

Her eyes noticed the kitten sitting at the door of the sanctum samctorium. She laughed at the kitten and said," Oh, my dear kitten, suddenly you have become the lord Perumal himself. Ha ha.. thanks for your modesty of not entering into the kitchen to seeing our indifferences in our dresses"

The kitten retorted," Lakshmi, my dear, I am a protector assigned by Dwarf Galaxy. And how do you expect me to disturb your intimacies. Well, the time is now; we go into the cave. Ask Karuppiah to get ready", advising.

While they were talking, Karuppiah joined them.They opened the door of the sanctum samctorium. There the three saw lord Perumal in their nudity, not adorned with cloths. Karuppiah smiled at the nudity of the statue, while Lakshmi chided him poking him with her finger on his hips. Now they were at the back of the statue. They were in between the statue and back wall. The wall was appearing polished in its tiger skin colour. Kitten told Lakshmi to check the minuscule hole on the wall. 

Lakshmi's sharp eyes could locate it. Karuppiah by then retrieved the needle from the waist of goddess Lakshmi.  He immediately said," Lakshmi, I took away the needle from your waist", jokingly. All of them together laughed at the way of the double entendre from  Karuppiah. 

Now the kitten was sitting on the right shoulder of Karuppiah. Lakshmi inserted the needle into the hole. Both Karuppiah and Lakshmi intertwined their index fingers and pushed the needle little bit deeper into the hole. They heard a crack sound. They saw a door was opening up on the wall. They pushed the wall and entered into the cave. To their surprise the cave was not dark. There was a dim sunlight coming into the cave from unknown ventilators. Then they saw the parallel mirror like cube rooms one on the left and one in the right. The excitement in Lakshmi and Karuppiah had increased. The kitten as usual was watching the couple. It had no interest over the treasure. It's only interest was on people, on Humanity.

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