“The very first time I met Nandini was when I was twelve years old.

One day, in Pazhayarai, my younger sister, my little brother, and I were playing with a boat in the stream that ran behind our palace. When our game was over, we got out of the boat and walked back to the palace through the blossoming grove. On the way, we heard the voice of our great-grandmother, Sembiyan Maadevi. The three of us had been raised with great affection by our grandmother. Wanting to tell her about our boating adventure, we followed her voice and entered the kodivettu house. Besides our grandmother, there were three others in the room. Of the three, one was a little girl about our age. The other two, it was clear, were her parents. They were telling our grandmother something about that girl. As soon as we entered the kodivettu house, everyone turned to look at us. But all I could see were the wide, astonished eyes of that little girl fixed upon us. Even now, when I think back, that scene stands vivid before my mind’s eye…”

So saying, Karikalan gazed up at the sky, falling into silence. Whether he saw the face of that little girl within the drifting veils of thin clouds that wandered across the heavens at that moment, none could say.

“Sir! And then? Please continue!” Parthibendran urged, and Karikalan returned to this world and resumed his tale:

“It was my sister Kundavai who told our grandmother about our boating escapade. After hearing it, the queen mother said, ‘My dear ones! Did you see this girl? How bright and lovely she is! They have come from the Pandya country to stay at our Isana Sivapattar’s house. They will be here for a few days. This girl’s name is Nandini. Sometimes, include her in your games. She will be a good friend to you!’ But I could sense that my sister did not like this suggestion. As the three of us left for the palace, Kundavai said, ‘Anna! Did you see that girl standing there? How strange and ill-omened she looked! Why does her face resemble a clay doll’s? Grandmother wants me to play with her? If I look at her face, I can’t help but laugh! What am I to do?’” The moment I heard this, an important truth dawned upon me. That is, women are born with jealousy in their very nature. No matter how beautiful a woman may be, she cannot bear to see another woman who is beautiful.

“It is well known that among the women born in our clan, my sister is famed for her beauty. Even she could not tolerate the sight of another woman who was beautiful. Otherwise, why would she speak of that girl in such a manner? I did not let my sister off easily. Just to provoke her anger, I insisted that the other girl was indeed more beautiful. We often argued and quarreled about this. Our brother Arulmozhi, not knowing the reason behind these disputes, was left bewildered.

After some days, I set out with my father, who was leaving for the Pandya country’s war. We defeated the Pandya army and the forces sent by the king of Lanka to aid the Pandyas in several places. In the end, whether Veerapandiyan had fled and gone into hiding or died on the battlefield, we did not know at that time. After Veerapandiyan’s disappearance, the Lankan soldiers who had come to aid the Pandya army retreated and fled. Pursuing them, we reached the shores of Sethukarai. Except for the dead, the rest escaped by boarding ships.

My father wished to teach a lesson to the kings of Lanka, who frequently sent forces to trouble us by aiding the Pandyas. He decided to send a large army to Lanka under the command of the Kodumbalur Chinna Velar. It took some time to gather the necessary ships and equipment for this. Nevertheless, we stayed there, loaded the armies onto the ships, and sent them off. Only after we learned that our soldiers had safely landed at Mathottam did we return to Chola country.

By the time I returned to Pazhayarai, more than two years had passed. I had completely forgotten the priest’s daughter who had come from the Madurai side. When I returned to Pazhayarai, I saw that both my sister and that girl had grown so much that they were almost unrecognizable. I also saw that the two of them had become close friends. Nandini had not only grown up, but she now glittered with fine clothes and ornaments. I learned that this was my sister’s doing. Unlike before, Nandini now felt shy to see or speak with me. I tried hard to overcome this. I found a pleasure in talking and mingling with her that I had never found in anything else. I cannot express how much wonder this brought me at that young age. Like the fresh floodwaters swelling in the Kaveri, some new emotion surged and overflowed within my heart.

But I soon realized that none of those close to me liked this. From the time I returned, Kundavai began to show dislike towards that girl. One day— Our grandmother, the revered Mathevadigal, called me to her and said, “Nandini is the daughter of a temple priest; you are the son of the Emperor. Both of you have now come of age. Therefore, it is not proper for you to associate with Nandini.” She spoke with wisdom. Until then, I had worshipped my grandmother as a goddess, but at that moment, I felt anger towards her and a sense of insult in her words. Defying her wisdom, I sought out Nandini, found her, spoke with her, and became close to her.

But this did not last long. Suddenly, one day, it became known that Nandini and her parents had left for their native place in the Pandya country. At that time, sorrow welled up within me; anger