Poonkuzhali hurriedly tried to untie the knots that bound her to the boat. It was not such an easy task. The wretched fiends! They had tied the ropes haphazardly, knot upon knot. Poonkuzhali’s small knife lay beneath the boat. If she could free even one hand, she could grab the knife and cut through the bindings. But the villains had tied her wrists tightly together behind her back. Poonkuzhali struggled mightily, bending down to grip the knife’s handle with her teeth. Holding it between her teeth, she managed to cut the rope at one spot. The bonds on her hands loosened a little. With great effort, she freed one hand from the binding. After that, cutting the remaining ropes became somewhat easier.

It took nearly a quarter of an hour to completely free herself from the knots. At that moment, footsteps sounded on the riverbank. Then, a shadow appeared. It seemed that one of those who had tied her up was returning! Or perhaps they had left someone behind to make sure she did not escape after untying the knots! As soon as she saw him, Poonkuzhali resolved to throw the knife at him and kill him. She gripped the knife, ready for action. But what a disappointment!

“Poonkuzhali! Poonkuzhali!” came the voice of Sendhan Amudhan.

The next instant, Amudhan’s frightened, frantic face peered over the edge of the riverbank.

Poonkuzhali tucked the knife into her waist. Amudhan had seen her.

“Poonkuzhali! Are you alive?” he cried, leaping down and running toward her.

“My being alive must be a hardship for you! If you want, kill me with your own hands and go! But where are you going to get the courage for that?” said Poonkuzhali.

“Shiva! Shiva! What cruel words you speak! Why would I want to kill you? It is you who kill me with your words!” replied Amudhan. “Then, why couldn’t you have come a little earlier? Do you know how much I struggled to untie those knots and free myself?” Saying this, Poonguzhali tried to rise to her feet. But her legs were still hopelessly entangled in the ropes, and as she stumbled and nearly fell, Amudhan cried out in alarm and rushed to catch her, steadying her before she could hit the ground.

“Oh dear! Did those wretches really tie you up like this and leave you here? Your whole body is bruised and swollen!” he exclaimed.

“Now you’re showing so much concern! Why didn’t you come a little earlier?”

“Why do you keep asking the same thing? How was I to know you were in such danger? You were the one who told me to go away, and so I left…”

“Then why did you come back? Was it just so you could cremate my body if I had died?”

“Lord Shiva kept the poison in his throat; you, it seems, keep it on your tongue. I came running back as soon as your sister-in-law told me you might be in danger. And see what a fine reward I’ve received for my trouble!”

By this time, Poonguzhali had climbed out of the boat and onto the riverbank.

“I was about to throw this knife at you. You escaped; but with this very knife, I’ll first stab my sister-in-law to death before I do anything else. Where is that wretch?”

“Why are you leaving me and going after your sister-in-law? Why such anger against her? Is it a crime that she told me something about you?”

“She’s the one who betrayed my aunt. You yourself saw her secretly talking to someone in the thicket, didn’t you?” Poonguzhali demanded.

“You’re mistaken! Whatever secret your sister-in-law was discussing with whomever, I don’t know. But I’m sure she didn’t betray your aunt. The men who kidnapped your aunt also tied your sister-in-law to a tree. They even struck her on the head and wounded her before leaving.”

“What is this nonsense! I can’t believe it. She must have deceived you! Fine, then—tell me why you came back, where you saw my sister-in-law—tell me everything in detail!” Poonguzhali demanded, her voice trembling with agitation.

Senthan Amudhan thus recounted everything in detail. He was traveling along the road to Thanjavur. He was proceeding with hesitation, his heart heavy at having to part from Poonguzhali. At that moment, shouts and cries were heard from the nearby forest. The sound of several people hurrying along reached his ears as well. Senthan Amudhan concealed himself behind a tree at the roadside. Seven or eight armed warriors, spears in hand, came striding swiftly along the forest path and entered the royal highway. In their midst, it seemed, was a young woman.

When there was a slight gap between the people, the woman in the center appeared to resemble Poonguzhali’s aunt. But she could not possibly be her aunt, Senthan Amudhan thought; it must be a trick of his mind.

Even after that group of warriors had passed, the anguished cries of a young woman continued to echo from within the forest. At first, Senthan Amudhan thought, “Why should I get involved in trouble? Can I not simply go my own way?” Yet his heart would not allow it. He decided to see who was crying out, and if he could help in any way, he would. He went in the direction of the cries. There he found Raakkammaal, tied to a tree. Blood was streaming from her head, her face a ghastly sight. Senthan Amudhan was afraid to approach, but steeling his heart, he went forward and untied her bonds. As he loosened the knots, he asked, “Who committed this atrocity? Why did they do it? Who were the people who just went up the road? It seemed there was a young woman among them—who was she?”

“Yes, brother, they have tied up your aunt and dragged her away. I tried to stop them; that’s why they beat me and left me tied up like this. Your cousin and your aunt were traveling in