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