The White Light calling - 11

Episode 11:
Part 1:

The edge of the sword glistened in the moon light and it reflected in her eyes. He looked straight at her and kept smiling. He didn’t even move a muscle to defend himself. That slowed her down.

“Why are you here? And how did you escape the ‘paathala chirai?’”( dungeon). He merely smiled at that.

“Speak up? Why did you escape? You plan to kill my aunt don’t you? You cannot even dream of it until I am alive. I know all about the dirty plans You and your kilavan* are trying . You think if you can get rid of my aunt, you can do as you please in ramnad( as in ramnad district) and never pay your tributes to Madurai.” she was agitated.

(* kilavan sethupathi was the famous ruler of ramanad in 17th century while mangammal ruled over southern part of tamilnadu with tiruchi as capital. He had risen out from her control and was fighting for independent rule)

“Why the hell should we?” he asked casually. His face and his expression totally put her off guard. He was still smiling coolly.

“You think I cannot beat you in a duel, don’t you? You think I am just a woman.”Her eyes looked dangerous now.

“Oh no..Please I never think any such thing. Besides, the whole kingdom knows about your sword skill and your beauty” he added.” I am not thinking that” he said.

“Then why don’t you try?”

“We have only one sword and besides, I simply just can’t fight you. I cannot lift my sword or even my finger against that beautiful face. I wouldn’t be so cruel as to knock that beautiful body down, although in a different way would be inviting”, he smiled devilishly.

“Oh shut up and fight” she said hotly.

“I can’t. I am already defeated by the arrow from those eyes. I am just your slave now” he smiled again.

“You must really be very brave for speaking like this” she said sarcastically.

“Yes I am brave.“ he said in a grave voice. She gulped.

“Do you understand what might happen if I call upon the guards?”

“I know very well what will happen. I will again be sent to that silly old dungeon, the one you call so dangerous.” he laughed. His laughter echoed along but it sounded fantastic. She shook herself and looked at him while he continued.

“Although I know perfectly well that, that is not going to happen”

“How so?”

“Firstly, you have come here secretly and god knows why, so you wouldn’t probably want to give you out yourself. Secondly, you definitely don’t want to be caught like this with me” he came a step closer and she took one back “in this time of hour, here, alone and with this huge box.” She looked at him for a long time.

“You are my aunt’s enemy” she said flatly.

“Oh I wouldn’t be too strong on that. Your aunt is a queen who wants to hold on to all the land that is there below her. She is bound to have enemies like me who would die rather than fall under her rule. Those days are over my dear. Go and tell your aunt. My uncle, the great vijaya ragunatha thevar(kilavan sethupathi) will not bow down, not anymore. Do you understand?” He slowly leaned on a nearby pillar with hands folded and eyes on her. He looked so brave she wanted to bow down on his courage. She just smiled.

She understood him very well. After all, who craves for freedom more than her? It’s for that one reason she is running away, right now. In a bizarre way she found a companionship in the enemy in front of her.

“So what’s your deal?" She carelessly placed the sword in the sling at her back. He winced. Wouldn’t that hurt her, he thought.

“Ok.. The guards are outside” he said simply.

“what? Oh.. god. Why didn’t you tell that before itself?”

“relax..”

“How could you relax? They could come in any minute or they could already be inside.”

“So what? we will still manage to escape. They won't find a trace.You are not any ordinary woman and I am not an ordinary man myself” he smiled. She eyed him suspiciously.

“You are such a careless guy” she dismissed his flirting looks and aked him “Ok? What do you have in mind about our escape route?”

“’It’s simple. It will be the same way you came in” he said in an icy voice that stopped her on track.

“What way?” she turned away from him casually and asked.

“Oh come on. You think I am such an idiot? If you really are poongodi naachiyar, then you didn’t come here to steal this and certainly didn’t come in the usual way at this time of the hour. You surely must have used a secret passage. Let us use that now.” She grinded her teeth irritatingly.

“What if I say no to you?”

“Come on let us walk out together then” he tried to catch hold of her hand, and the sword magically appeared in her hand again.

“Beware, I am not your normal woman” she warned him.

“I knew that the moment I laid my eyes on you.” he said.

“You..you..”

“Clung.” The sound of locks getting opened sounded very minutely that she would have missed it, if she had not been listening for it.

“They are here” she said flatly.

“Ok. Where is it?”

“She looked at him for a moment and decidedly she turned the other side and removed her ‘munthanai’ (the part of saree that covers the bossom) from her shoulders and twisted it.

“Close your eyes” she ordered. He smiled bewitchingly and chuckled.
”With pleasure” he said and closed his eyes. She went near him and blind tied him with her saree rope. She then turned him around and took him for a walk hurriedly to change the track and finally brought him near the bowing Ravana. He had lifted the jewel box and was carrying it on his head.

They could hear faint noises of clubs and swords clanging with the stone pillars in distance. They are getting close she thought and she heaved at the stone block which she had closed as she came out
of it.

She could feel him standing behind her dangerously close. Her heart beat was faster now and she pulled on the stone block harder. With a grating noise the secret passage opened. As she entered inside the tunnel he pushed the box behind her first and entered inside. He closed the tunnel shut behind him. She half heartedly removed her saree from his eyes.

He laughed.

“What?”

“Nothing “ he said.

“ Now can you tell me why you brought that box with you? To show off to your kilavan?” She asked him. Silence for a moment and then he said in a deep voice “ We are fighting for our freedom, we are not thieves”

“Sorry” she said.

“That’s alright. It’s natural to get a thought like that. We couldn’t have left it like that. Unnecessary suspicions would rise. Let it be with us at least until morning. “he said.

“Ok.” She said and they continued crawling in the small path.

“Why are you running away, you are running away right?”he asked.

“Yeah.. I want freedom. Just like you” she said breezily.

“I heard rumours that you were to wed that stu..that prince chokkanatha nayakar. Am I right?”

“Prince, my foot. He is not fit to be a horseman. Since the death of ‘Anna’ (elder brother, cousin) Renga Krishna, my Aunt is only ruling. Now she doesn’t have much hope on that chokkanathan so she wants to make me into another mangammal. All because my mom was fifteen years younger than aunt and I am conveniently aged for her grandson. By relation I am his aunt. But these people found out a loop hole in this ‘idiappachikkal’ family tree to bind me with him. She thinks I would marry that useless fellow and help him rule the kingdom. I would rather sell fish in the market.” he laughed at that.

Part 2:

“What?”

“I just imagined you as a fisher woman” he said laughing.

“Yeah very funny“ she said drily but smiled to herself.

“You really are giving up your royalty just like that?”

“yeah.. what royalty without freedom?”

“Sometimes for some people freedom is not the right choice to make you know? Just saying.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think how much reformations you can do if you really rule this country, like your aunt” he said.

“you praise my aunt?”

“I never disliked her. She is a great and able ruler. I bow down before her courage and ability, but I cannot give up my freedom. That’s it”

After a minute of silence she said suddenly “ You know you are right about that. Freedom is always not the correct choice.”

“You are a bright woman, I knew you would understand. So Is marriage the only reason for you running away?”

“Yeah. What woman would marry a man who wouldn’t win her in one single duel? He is hopeless” she said and he laughed.

“What?"

"You are like any typical woman. You want the bravest to marry you and then you want him to bow down before you.” He laughed again and she joined him.

“Yeah we are brave at heart but bow down before people. Can’t we expect at least this much in return?” she challenged him.

“I don’t know about other woman. But you definitely can” he said.She smiled.

“So where does thing go to anyway and what is really your plan of escape ?”he asked.

“I don’t know. As per my plan, I entered in one way and planned to come right to the temple where mani would be waiting for me. Then he would take me into the free world. “she said happily.

A total silence followed behind. Then he asked slowly “ who is Mani?”

“My horse, of course. Why?”

He let out a sigh and said “ I am saved”.

It was almost the end of the tunnel and they talked and talked until they reached the end. Poongodi felt weirdly that the tunnel should go forever. She didn’t even feel the faint suffocation which she felt the last time. They had detoured into a different route in one junction, which she thought might take them somewhere else instead of her aunt’s summer palace from where she first started this evening. As she thought, they reached a secluded place. They finally came out of a ‘bali beedam’ in an old neglected ganapathy temple at the foot of the hills. They came out as different people. Both knew that so much had changed within them. When he saw her she was not the same girl anymore. There was a mild shade of pink and her face had tilted a little to the south. Her lips had made a permanent curve.

She didn't even blind fold him this time. “So what next?” she asked. For the very first time she asked suggestion from someone.

“You tell me” he smiled at her knowingly. For a second there their eyes met. In that cloudless night the moon shining straight above their heads they stood looking at each other. Silence spoke thousand words, their eyes recited million poems.

It was a damn cuckoo that at last spoiled the magic of the moment. "Ah..hm.. what did you ask?"

"I don't remember" he said smiling. She laughed and then looked at the ground.

"Poongodi" Mahendran took a step closer and she looked up.

“I need Mani "

"What??"

"The plan.. Hello!.. I need Mani and you need to escape. I will go by foot and get mani here. You climb up into the hills and find a place to hide. I will ride him to you. Then we will decide.”

“You are going back? That is dangerous."

"Not as dangerous as you going back. besides I need Mani and just some horse won't do"

He smiled at that and asked concerned "Can you come back again safely?”

“No problem on that. It’s piece of cake for me. I will ride Mani to the..Oh yeah, there is this beautiful falls over there in the hills. The tallest one. Near the top cliff there is this huge tree. You wait for me there. I will come as soon as possible.” She said and looked at his glowing face” what?” she asked.

“glittering stream, silver moon, romantic night, the most beautiful girl to wait for- how fantastic could this night go?”

“Ok..ok..don’t dream anything stupid. I will be back soon” she smiled at him and Mahendran could see the tip of her mouth curl in a secret smile. Her jasmine face changing into the color of a lotus. She looked at him gave a last smile and then sprinted off. He looked at the fading form and stored it in his heart forever.

Part 3:


She was riding faster and faster now. Her heart jumped up and down every time. The wind and the slimy dewed leaves and branches were brushing past her, leaving behind a trail of wet marks on her face. She was like an arrow out of bow. Her destination was coming close. She could see that huge tree and yes he was standing beneath the tree waving hands for her. “Wh..ip” suddenly someone or something stopped her with a blow and off she fell on the ground. The hard rocky surface braced her face with a blow to her jaw. It felt like hell.

“Poongodi..poongodi..devi are you alright?” the hazy form of mahendran came into her vision slowly. She looked up at the sky. It will soon be early morning they need to rush up. She got up.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah I am..a little pain here but alright.”

“You should have been more careful, I saw that branch and that’s why I waved at you.”

“Oh.” She said distractedly rubbing on her now bruised cheeks. She looked disturbed.

“What’s wrong?”he asked.

“I don’t know boopathy, I have a very bad feeling about this. I feel like someone was following me all along. Boopathy are you listening to me?’

“Yeah. And you did have a pretty sharp feeling. Look” he pointed below. In a distance they could see hazy points of dull yellow lights moving up. “People are coming up my dear. Horse back people” he said deciding from the speed of the movement.

“Oh god. I am so sorry. I got you into trouble.”

“Please don’t apologize to me. Come on, let’s go.”he pulled her hand and she went in completely.

"What about the box?"

"Nowhere safe here. There when we reach the woods we will hide it somewhere. Come on"
Together with the box they climbed down a dangerous path.

“Boopathy, this path is too dangerous even in day light.”

“We have no choice.”he said and continued descending. It was a very dangerous climb down especially with that huge box in head. But thankfully the path was crooked but not slippery. Sweat and swelling heart beat almost blinded her eyes and closed in her ears. He was coming behind her and kept asking her now and then.It didn't take too long to reach a small flat surface.

They tried to cross over a small branching water puddle that looked oddly very dark. They didn’t see it fully first until they went too close but when they did see, it was already too late.

“Ayyo.. ‘perunkulichuli’” ( a deep pit of water created because of water falling at great pressure over a period of time. It also has a whirlpool which will pull anything falling into it to the depth of 300 feet - a death trap even for the toughest swimmers.)

Poongodi’s one feet was pulled inside and boopathy got her by her wrists. “Don’t worry I won’t let you go.” He said.

The happy mood which prevailed for just a few minutes ago had gone. They tried for several minutes to get out of it. Every passing minute only made it difficult and tiring. She started to cry.

“Please leave me and go. Your country needs you. Please go.” She cried at him.

“Don’t say a word. If I die, this would be the most perfect moment for me, for I wish nothing more than a honor to die for you... my love “ he said between tears. She sobbed. He gripped her hands tightly. He did all he could.

It was a hard fight. The pressure was too high and he had to use all his force to pull her. With one leg poised on firm gound he used his other leg to push the heavy jewel box near the hole to change the force of pulling. If the hole could take in the jewel box , she would be free , he thought. But the box got stuck in the middle of two hard rocks and didn't budge. The force was stronger now. He had to grip tight.

He knew time was running out. His grip was loosening. He looked at her lovely face which was full of love. How sweet of her to ask him to let her die. How much love could she have on me? He decided on that moment and told her

” I hope to god, that atleast in next birth we will be together” he said and made a sudden movement.

He came beside her and pushed her up aside in one stride making a suicidal movement into the hole which really proved fatal. As she fell down hard on the ground she turned around to see him pulled into the hole with great force. The deep hungry water swallowed him without a trace.

In a second he was gone.

"What..??"

She sat there all alone unbelievingly. Her dreams of bright future fading right before her eyes, with the only sound of falling water to remind her of the reality.
He is gone??
He really is gone??? she thought. He came like a flash in to her life and he is gone like a flash. That is not fair. How dare? She was torn into little pieces by rage and grief. She couldn't believe what had just happened.

She suddenly realized it.

How could she live without him?. How can she ever feel happiness without looking into his smiling eyes?

What’s there for her in this life any more.? Nothing.

She thought of his words about choice of freedom.

She could hear footsteps very near. She thought of her aunt and what it would be to marry that prince. Like a flash Mahendran’s smiling face came to her mind.

“No..”she said..

“Noo…..” she shouted.

“I can give up my freedom but not my love. I am sorry”. she said to the gurgling black water and in a split second she jumped in.



“uwack…” She vomited as she woke up..

“Sir she is back” the nurse ran out. And all her people came in.

Paandurangan was shedding tears continuously while meenakshi stood there misty eyed. They looked happy. She had finally come to her senses, they thought.

Chemba sat with a confused look when Meenakshi gave her a sound kiss on her cheeks. Chemba was still confused and slowly she seemed to come back to reality. She opened her mouth which was too dry. She wet them with her lips and asked softly.

“Where is smitha? Is oviya alright?”

“Yeah they are perfectly alright. Are you ok my dear?”

“Yeah, I am..” She was fine. She looked ahead for sometime and said again "Yeah I am fine" .

She was clear now. She now knew everything and she exactly knew what she had to do right now.

“Mom, Dad, I need to go back” Chemba said clearly.

Lovely piece of romance!!! And the plot thickens!!!

Wow! Great narration Malar! I love the historical episode- though I wished it was longer. And it's so sad to note what fate had bestowed upon the lovely Poongodi and Mahendran :(...Can't believe they're gone in the blink of an eye!

Very engaging narration throughout Iniyamalar! Great transition and use of dramatic/melodramatic language
I only have one small suggestion for you, you of course can take it or leave it...
I would only suggest that you watch that when the two characters of centuries ago converse their colloquial language stays realistic and doesn't jump to the use of today's diction....yes, it is a very hard thing to do but it will make the dialog that much more believable...

Otherwise I am immensely enjoying being immersed in your epic...I'm off to read more!!