Pazhuvettarayar was well aware that many people gossiped in various ways about his marriage at such an advanced age. He had even heard that among those who spoke disparagingly, Princess Kundavai was one of them. Yet, until now, no one had ever come to him and bluntly repeated what Kundavai had actually said. Now, hearing it from Nandini’s own lips, his heart became like the blazing furnace of a blacksmith’s forge. His breath came in hot, heavy gusts, as if mixed with fire.

Nandini’s tears only served as oil to make the fire in his heart leap higher and burn fiercer.

“My dear! Did that wretched, sinful woman truly say such things? Did she call me an old buffalo? Let it be; that woman… that woman… Watch what I shall do to her! Just as a buffalo tramples a lily creeper under its hoof, I shall crush her! And more… that woman… that woman…” Pazhuvettarayar stammered, unable to speak further in his rage. The terrifying expression that came over his face was indescribable.

Nandini tried to calm him. She took his iron-like hand in her own soft, flower-like palm, entwining her fingers with his.

“My lord! I know you cannot bear the humiliation that has befallen me. But a lion, mighty enough to split the skull of a great elephant and drink its blood, cannot simply pounce upon a mere cat. Kundavai is a female cat, but she is a great enchantress. With her magic and sorcery, she has everyone dancing to her will! She has the entire Chola kingdom under her sway! Her sorcery can only be overcome by a greater spell. If you do not wish it, tell me so. This very day, I will leave this palace…” she said, breaking down into sobs once more.

Pazhuvettarayar’s rage subsided; his infatuation grew stronger.

“No, no! Summon a thousand sorcerers if you wish. But you must not go! You are my very life! No, more than that—you are my life itself! What use is this body if life departs? Even now, your keeping me at a distance is killing me while I yet live! You know so many spells—will you not teach me just one?” he pleaded. “Natha! When you hold sword and spear in your hands, what need have you for spells? Leave those magical incantations to a foolish woman like me! Why do you, of all people, require magic and mantras?” said Nandini.

“Beloved! The moment your coral lips part and you call me ‘Natha’, my whole body shivers… When I gaze upon your golden face, my mind reels! It’s true that I carry sword and spear in my hands. I shall wield them on the battlefield, to strike down my enemies. But what use are those weapons here, in this flower-laden pavilion? Against the arrows of Manmatha, the god of love, I have no weapon at all. But you—do you not possess such power? You ask why I need magic! My body and soul are being