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nidhi-writes · 3 months ago

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Kalvare - Vaanathi x ArulMozhi

The young maiden with her trembling hands as she walked into the chamber that will be shared by her and her love, the one that stole her heart for a long time, her Prince, her King and her husband now.

What if she couldn't satisfy him or his needs? What if she was not that beautiful for him to admire? Her covered body would be fully visible to his eyes now and only his forever. Will he leave her, seeing she is not a woman enough for him?

Each step she took made her heart thump faster, and at last, she reached inside. Her eyes looked around to find no one, as the dim lights made the place more surreal. Cold hair brushed her face and made her hair flow, and just like that, her eyes found the one she always searched for: her love and her heart.

He stands on the balcony, and the moonlight shines through him, making him look like Devendhiran(Indira), who could steal anyone's heart with his shining beauty.

And just like that, all the trembling thoughts left the young and beautiful princess as her husband's soft eyes shined upon her, pouring so much love out of them.

He slowly raised his hand and opened his palm, indicating her to place hers, which she did. A simple touch of their hands made their legs go jelly, but luckily, he was there to catch her, as always.

"Finally, my wife found the way to our chamber as she did with my heart," he whispered. The Arulmozhi Varman smiled at Vaanathi, his love and his princess, whom he would always cherish and never let go.

He placed her before him, her back resting against his chest, his arms encircling her protectively. They stood in silence for a moment, simply feeling the warmth of each other's presence.

"You find your comfort?" He asked, to which Vaanathi hummed 'Hmm' as she looked at the moon and the stars shining down upon them.

"Is the chilly weather okay for my Queen?" Arulmozhi chuckled as he whispered into her ears, causing Vaanthi to blush as she hummed again, 'Hmm.' This caused him to smirk as he looked at her, who was trying hard not to look at him because of her shyness.

"Will you tell me your wishes tonight? Or just humming with your sweet voice for me to decrypt it?" he whispered as his lips brushed against her ear, causing her chest to heave and her breath to be rapid.

Vaanathi turned slightly, just enough to look into his eyes. With a smile, she opened her mouth only for a beautiful melody to be left from her mouth.

En Aasai En Aasai Naana Solvaen En Aasai Naana Solvaen En Aasai Neeyae Sonnal Kannalae Aamam Enbaenae (What my desire is…I can always tell you. But if you can express (guess) it yourself. I will concur with my eyes.)

His hold on her tightened as he smiled at her words and how she sang her feelings. "Is that so?" He replied as he lifted her and walked down to their bed. He placed her gently like a flower and settled beside her. He chuckled once again at her shyness. "What happens next, then?" he asked, smirking at her. Vaanathi once again replied with a song as she continued her feminine desire to be outspoken with her song to her thief.

Engengae Udathum Poagum Angangae Uyirum Pogum Anbala Aalacholvaenae Valimigum Idangal Valimigaa Idangal Thamizhukku Therigindrathey Valimigum Idangal Valimigaa Idangal Thangalukku Therigindrathaa (Wherever your lips are going. My breath is following them. I am asking you to rule me with your Love. The parts that pain. The parts that don't. Tamil(ian) always knows. The parts that pain. The parts that don't. Do you know at all?)

Arulmozhi left her speechless as he smiled, 'Ahh.' He slowly lifted her face and cupped it, playing feather-like kisses all over her face. His hands started to untie her saree, slowly removing the jewels that had hidden her beauty.

Vaanthi smiled as he slowly made her lie down on the bed. He then started to worship her and teach her everything she needed, and soft music once again left her mouth for his ears alone.

Kalvarae kalvarae Kalvarae kalvarae Kanpugum Kalvarae kaikondu Paareero Kankondu Saereero Kalai Solli Thaareero (O Mr.Thief (!!!!)… Who is immersed in my eyes. Looking through hands. Entering through the eyes. Please teach me that art. )

The room dimmed with laughter, moans, and lovable words echoing through it, sealing the life of two gentle hearts.

Note: I am planning for another one-shot of my favourite couple, VanMozhi, where the gentle Prince teaches her the art of intimacy. Then, I heard this song, Kalvare, from Raavanan. My god, is this a coincidence or what? My hand couldn't wait to type everything so that I could read them.

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deadloverscity · 2 years ago

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do you ever just think about the elephant scene in ps2 where arulmozhi walks out like the king he is, and is unnecessarily hot as he makes an elephant kill the assassin and that all-knowing calmness when nambi and vandu are trying their best and then he turns back and gives this ‘wasn’t that impressive?’ smile ???? and in the background we have a vandhi hanging onto his life If I was there, as a vandu kin i too would be look at arulmozhi dreamily thank you

#ponniyin selvan 2 #arulmozhi varman #vandhiyathevan #Vandiyadevan #what is his spelling #and what are they called again?#vandhiya varman #??#anyways jayam ravi hot #he is THE #ponniyin selvan

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balladedutempsjadis · 1 year ago

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Ponniyin Selvan (The Book vs. Movie edition)

I've just today finished the five volumes of Kalki Krishnamurthy's epic historical novel Ponniyin Selvan, which was the basis for the two-movie series of the same name which I ADORED after I watched the first movie for the first time a couple of weeks ago. And ... I have some thoughts on the books and on the adaptation of the books. First of all, some general thoughts about the books:

I really wish I could read this in the original Tamil. In my understanding, these books are a beloved modern classic of Tamil literature, and the English translation, though perfectly fine and serviceable in terms of explicating the plot, rarely has memorable language.

Perhaps this is a function of the translation, or a different literary tradition, or the author's style (and I'll never really know which), but there is a lot of stuff that I can best describe as static. Actions and events are often described after they occur so as a reader, I felt distanced from what was going on in several scenes.

There are a LOT of coincidences (the entire Sembian Amuthan plotline is heavily based on coincidences) and repetition.

Even if I didn't know this was serialized, I would have guessed because of the repetition mentioned above, frequent flashbacks, and the padding out of some of the scenes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing (it reminds me of Dickens' novels, which I happen to be quite fond of) but it's definitely a hallmark of the novels.

I felt sometimes that Kalki was having a bit of a struggle with the historical characters having to do what they did in history versus his fictional characters like Nandini being able to do what they wanted. So sometimes I felt the characterizations were a bit lacking (and I definitely skipped some of Sembian Mahadevi's musings, SORRY!)

Now for the differences between the books and film versions (SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS AND BOTH FILMS BELOW).

In general, with one exception I'll talk about later, I think the scriptwriters did an amazing job of adapting this immense series to film. In fact, for a number of things, I think they improved the pacing of the narrative and cut out extraneous stuff that detracted from the momentum of the main story - these were things that may have worked in a serialized novel but would have drowned even a gigantic six hour film series. All that follows is just my opinion, of course!

First of all, a fair number of characters were just cut out of the story, which I thought tightened up the narrative. (For example, Manimeghalai was completely unnecessary IMO for the story to proceed and she really detracted from the scene between Aditha Karikalan and Nandini when Karikalan dies; the intensity of that scene would have suffered from having anyone else observe it.) Poonghuzhali's brother and father (her sister-in-law Rakkamal is still there but not related) are gone in the film version. And that's all fine, I think it would have made things more confusing and I don't even think a tv series would have been able to use ALL these characters. (Also, I think I like that Poonghzhali seems more stable in the movie.)

I also liked that they cut out the astrologer. I thought the book relied way too heavily on the astrologer's predictions and while that may have been an accurate portrayal of 10th century Chola society, it also removed the jeopardy from the characters. If Arulmozhi Varman's sister would be confident that nothing terrible could happen to him because of the lines on his palm, then it was really hard to generate suspense about him within the story. (I mean obviously as readers/moviegoers we might know that he became Rajaraja Chola and therefore survived the assassination attempts, but his contemporaries and the fictional characters in-universe didn't know that he would end up being a great king.)

For me, it was more powerful to see how much the kingdom mourned him and his family mourned him than to have his sister shrug and be like "oh well, the stars don't say he dies so he's probably alive." And the way that they mourned him also helped develop their characters (To be fair, I also can't figure out what Kalki believed re:astrology either, because occasionally the author's voice is very skeptical about the astrologer as well.)

More controversially, I think they were right to cut out the whole Senthan Amuthan storyline about being the real son of Sembian Mahadevi and the previous king etc. etc. The hidden identity heir business was just way too melodramatic for me even in the book, and I don't think it would have worked at all for me in the movies. I mean, SA doesn't really even have much characterization in the book anyway (he's there a lot and helps out when he can but other than the fact that he loves Poonguzhali and has a nice voice, I couldn't tell you much about him.) Plus that would necessitate that Fake!Madhurantaka be Nandini's twin etc. and that would also have not been believable.

Now ... onto the main characters books vs. movie:

Aditha Karikalan: I honestly liked him much more in the movies than in the books. He was the tragic hero of the movie, with a clear arc, and Vikram brought oodles of charisma to his role. But in the books, he was a lot more opaque to me (his love for Nandini is not his focus - so he maybe falls in love with Manimegalai? - and that moment where he chooses to die isn't as crystal clear.) Also, Book!Aditha is a bit of an asshole towards all of his friends, frankly, which movie Aditha is not.

His chief faults in the movie are that he's ruled by his emotions (which is both why he sins against Nandini by beheading an unarmed man - Veera Pandyan - in a fit of rage that Nandini is pleading for his life AND why he tries to atone for that sin by committing suicide, which of course doesn't actually solve anything and in fact embroils innocent people like Vandiyathevan in a horrible situation).I still think he wouldn't have made a good king, not least because he would not listen to ANYONE'S advice, whether that someone was his grandfather, his friend, or his brother or his sister.

Book!Aditha might have made a better King - he actually goes to Kadambur not just to see Nandini, but partly in order to find out and allay the different Chola clans and possibly cement one of their loyalties by marriage to MM, so I thought that made for an interesting contrast. Even in the books, though, Kalki compares how the people mourned Aditha (as a great warrior whose absence threatened their kingdom's survival) and how they mourned Arulmozhi when he was believed to be dead (as a beloved son/brother even if they didn't know him personally.) The book (and movie though to a lesser degree because it's so preoccupied with Nandini/Aditha) has a lot to say about power and responsibility (so there are constant contrasts between not just Aditha and Arulmozhi but between the Pazhuvettarayar brothers and Arulmozhi - for example, over whether the Chola kingdom should supply the army in Elangai or whether they should live off the land. AMV is much more farsighted and knows how important it is to not make a conquered populace feel subjugated because they will rebel.)

Nandini: I feel like she was a lot more fleshed out in the film than Book!Nandini, and as she and Aditha were the emotional focal point of the movies, it makes more sense. Her motivations seemed clearer to me, and I also appreciated that we actually found out what happened to her, and she didn't just disappear off the page. I also liked, as mentioned above, that they didn't bother with the False!Madhuranthakan who was actually Nandini's twin etc. I liked that they fleshed out the love story between her and Aditha and gave Kundavai a role and also showed how it was Aditha's impulsive declaration that she would be THE Chola Queen that directly led to Nandini - who had done nothing wrong - being unceremoniously bundled off to wherever. (Would I also have liked a little more of how Aditha reacted to his family's banishment of Nandini? I think I would. Like we got a little bit of that in PS1 when he blames Kundavai for being jealous but not much more than that?)

Kundavai was very awesome in both book and film, but she had a lot less to do in the second movie. As I mentioned above, I loved that she actually believed her beloved younger brother to be dead so we got to see her reaction compared to Aditha's. (Aditha basically goes into beast mode and is like “I can fight whoever to avenge my little brother” and Kundavai is, as usual, a lot more rational even in the depths of grief.) I also really liked that brief scene the film gave us with all three siblings together which was a nice addition to the story. I felt there were not very many differences between Book! and Movie!Kundavai - although the book definitely played up her influence over her younger brother a bit more. She is the mirror to Nandini and maybe Nandini would have been like Kundavai if she had not had such struggles in her early life? I do like that in both books and movie, the female characters are so strong (I mean, well-characterized) and different from one another.

Vandiyadevan is just a great character! His resemblance to D'Artagnan was even stronger in the books (he had time for even more adventures) and his verbal sparring with Nambi was great and nicely translated to screen, I thought. I did think his presence in Kadambur and his (partial) witnessing of Aditha's death and aftermath was handled with more pace and worked better for me in the film (again, no Manimegalai was a great decision. And the picnic that Nandini goes on with Aditha and Vandiyadevan and MM and others (I think?) It was late at night when I was reading and I was like WTF so I might be misremembering it) dilutes the Aditha/Nandini meeting a lot. Anyway, back to Vandiyadevan - still sooooo charming. I loved Karthi in this role and am going to watch Kaatru Velliyadai (although I understand he's very different in that one!) sometime this week. But I found Book!Vandiyadevan lovely as well. I think his character translated perfectly from book to screen.

Arulmozhi Varman - I thought the books would focus more on him than they did, given that he's the title character. And I was a little surprised that he still wasn't the main focus of the books (though there's more focus on him in the later volumes), but there were some nice little character moments that I wish could have come into the movie. (Though there were a couple of things in the movie that I also really liked which showed his character beautifully.)

I read Kalki's afterword about how the pivotal scene in all of the books is Arulmozhi Varman's sacrifice of his crown, because that is an amazing thing for any ruler to do, to voluntarily give up his own power and step back. The books talk about the Chola ancestor Sibi, who was willing to give up his own life to protect a pigeon from an eagle because the pigeon was under his protection. I believe we are meant to understand Arulmozhi's sacrifice in a similar light. He is all about protecting the realm, even if it means sacrificing his own ambitions and that makes him Sibi's worthy heir. (In the Mahabharata, Arjuna is the peerless warrior prince, but his brother Yudhishtira is the Dharmaraja - the best of all; and I think we are meant to see echoes of Arjuna (and his son Abhimanyu, alone in the midst of his enemies) in Aditha and echoes of Yudhishtira in Arulmozhi.)

The books and the movie handle this immense sacrifice a little differently; in the book, we get a lot more motivation for that action: AMV is steeped in the history of the Singhalese kingdom and horrified by how bloody their succession battles were (he references fathers killing sons and vice versa more than once) and he is super clear that he doesn't want to bring that mess to the Chola kingdom or cause a civil war or anything like that. But there are two more elements as well, that I mostly got from the book: he truly loves Vanathi and she has sworn an oath that she doesn't want to be empress, so he can't have both Vanathi and the throne (but it's also a political decision, since if he's King, and marries Vanathi, then he'll be seen as privileging her clan above all others unless he marries a bunch of other girls as well). I also genuinely think he also wants to go hang out with Vandiyadevan and have adventures (while also doing the necessary jobs of fighting pirates and expanding trade and all that other stuff.)

The movies don't make that explanation as explicit, but there is this golden thread of self-sacrifice that runs through Arulmozhi's scenes in the movies as well: first of all, he refuses to take the throne of Elangai, though it is offered to him by the monks who crowned all the kings of the island. (This happens in both the books and the movie, but the books make this a more political decision - AMV says Elangai is too small for the scope of his vision, and that he doesn't want it to look like he's setting up a parallel second kingdom to the Cholas in opposition to his brother - whereas in the movies, it is clearly a matter of dharma. And the movie really sells that.)

Then Arulmozhi jumps into a stormy sea to swim to a ship full of people who want to kill him, in order to save Vandiyadevan. (I mean also some breathtaking confidence in himself that he and Vandiyadevan by themselves can defeat the Pandya rebels. He definitely does not lack for confidence :)) I cannot believe I actually forgot about this and had to come back and edit this post.I guess I am too used for Arulmozhi being awesome for this even to register on the scale?

The third self-sacrifice is when Arulmozhi is recovering from his life-threatening fever amidst the Buddhist monks at Nagapattinam. In the movie, somehow the Pandya assassins find out he's there and rile up the crowd which threatens to destroy the monastery which they claim is hiding their beloved prince from them. Although AMV is encouraged to slip away to escape the Pandya assassins, he refuses to repay his hosts by allowing their monastery to be destroyed. So he goes out to face the crowd, despite knowing that he's putting his life in danger by doing this. In the movie, he makes a choice to reveal himself and once again we see that Arulmozhi will always privilege the good of the people under his protection (the people of Elangai, Vandiyadevan, the monks, and ultimately the whole populace of the Chola Kingdom) over his own desires, and even his own life if need be. Over and over again, he shows himself to be the true heir of Sibi. (I also thought the elephant-goad plot was REALLY well done in the movie; even knowing obviously that AMV survived this, I was SO tense during that entire sequence. The book version just wasn’t as tense. Anyway …) So in the movie we keep seeing WHY Arulmozhi will be the great king he becomes but also why he will not take the crown at the end - and by not taking it, he makes himself all the more worthy of it.

In the book, in contrast, he leaves the monastery because there's about to be a devastating cyclone and it's not safe there any more. His disguise is revealed against his will by Rakammal hailing him as the prince; he's not given any choice in the matter. And he has very good and valid reasons for not wanting to reveal who he is which are also an excellent lead-up to his giving up the throne. Book!Arulmozhi wants to avoid a civil war over the succession at all possible costs. And he knows the public is fickle and easily swayed (there’s a whole subplot about there are rumors that HE had Vandiyadevan kill Aditha Karikalan so he - AMV - could be crowned, which only one character says in the film and everyone ELSE is like “Arulmozhi would NEVER!” But in the books more people seem like they are could be swayed by that thought - and giving up the throne to his father’s cousin is one spectacular way to give the lie to those rumors. And here’s also me, getting so angry on behalf of a fictional /historical character ;))

I think the movie version and the book version of this event both work really well for their respective media in terms of establishing who this man is, and what his character is, which lead up to his ultimate sacrifice.

The last sacrifice is, of course, that he give up the kingdom that *everyone* wants him to have. I think in both the books and the films, it's clear that the weird succession situation from his great-uncle Gandaraditha's day (where the throne when to the younger brothers of the king, and then to Sundara Chola - AMV's father - Gandarathia's nephew - rather than to Gandaraditha's own son) was bound to create a locus for discontent and coups egged on by the enemies of the Chola Kingdom. And that internecine strife is, from Kundavai's and AMV's perspective, what killed their brother and even put AMV in line to the throne at all. (They don't know all the backstory about Nandini and Aditha's guilt and his essential suicide. Also, I think it’s an interesting contrast between Aditha Karikalan who offers to give up the throne - once to the council of plotters where he says he’d do it if he had an army to go get himself another kingdom, and once when he proposes to Nandini that they just run off together. Arulmozhi had his chance at a kingdom won by force of arms - Elangai - and said no, and when he gives up the throne at the end of the books/movies it’s for love of the country he was expected to rule, not for love of an individual.)

The one thing I wish the movies had done was flesh out the Kundavai/Vandiyadevan and Vanathi/Arulmozhi connections. The actors did a lovely job with what they were given just from facial expressions and eyes (Vandiyadevan looks hopeless in love in the course of a single conversation when he's dressed as Krishna's uncle) and I bought into Vanathi and Arulmozhi's love for each other with nothing more than him reading her message in PS1 and a couple of times they looked at each other (so much love for Jayam Ravi and Shobita Dhulipala's facial expressions which sold the connection), but IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE FOR BOTH THESE COUPLES TO HAVE A CONVERSATION! But I realize I've seen a couple of Mani Ratnam's Hindi films (Dil Se, and Raavan - though I really want to watch the Tamil version of that) and he does doomed romance very adroitly. (Although from reading the plots of his several other films, apparently he also does do happy endings sometimes and I sort of wish we could have shifted the focus from Nandini/Aditha A LITTLE BIT to maybe just get a tiny conversation between these two other couples the I also loved. But at least I got some crumbs in terms of the full videos of the songs of "Veera Raja Veera" (for AMV/Vanathi) and "Aga Naga" (for Kundavai/Vandiyadevan. (FYI, the Veera Raja Veera video song is super hot - Rajaraja Chola is looking at his beloved while she dances as though she is an extremely tasty snack he can't wait to sample :P)

ALSO, if anyone wants to make PS3 with these actors I WOULD LOVE YOU FOREVER. In my head, it would be about Vandiyadevan doing wild stuff and flirting with EVERYBODY while Arunmozhi Varman sort of sighs and goes along with him to try and exercise some control over him* because Kundavai will kill him if anything happens to her boo, and they keep getting embroiled in weirder stuff and getting hit on the head (Vandiyadevan) and chilling out looking at Buddhist cave art and talking to elephants (AMV) and Kundavai just sits back and continues to run the kingdom (because she knows that AMV will not let anything happen to her boo). And of course, Nambi would be keeping an eye on both of them as well. Meanwhile, Vanathi is doing lots of dancing and going on some of the art tours with her husband, and also hanging out with Kundavai and rolling their eyes over their husbands. That would be totally fine!

*one of the things I loved in the books was that Vandiyadevan is influenced by Arulmozhi to be more truthful and upstanding, while Arulmozhi gets more devious after he meets Vandiyadevan. I feel this dynamic (along with the real-life bromance of Karthi and Jayam Ravi - every interview I've seen with them is the two of them having a great time!) would be AWESOME.

OK, this is insanely LONG again but I really enjoyed the novels and the movies - each medium enhanced the other for me, and in my head, the version of Ponniyin Selvan is what takes the parts I liked the best in movies and film. So Movie!Aditha and Movie!Nandini, BOTH the Vandiyadevans, Kundavais, Arulmozhi Varmans and Vanathis live in my heart :D

And I've also acquired Anirudh Kanisetti's Lords of the Deccan (which is more about the Cholas' predecessors and opponents like the Rashtrakutas and the Chalukyas) and Kamini Dandapani's Rajaraja Chola, which is about Ponniyin Selvan (but also about his predecessors and successors.)

#ponniyin selvan #Ponniyin Selvan 2 #aditha karikalan #arulmozhi varman #kundavai #vandiyadevan #vanathi #aishwarya rai bachchan #vikram #trisha #jayam ravi #shobita dhulipala #mani ratnam

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grishaxverse · 2 years ago

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MY FAVOURITE BOYFRIENDS ARE BACK

#AHHHHHHH #Ponniyin selvan #Ponniyin selvan 2 #vandiyadevan #Arunmozhi varman #mani ratnam #a r rahman #karthi #jeyam ravi

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nspwriteups · 2 years ago

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En Ullam Kava Kalvan

This is a fluff-ish ArulmozhixVanathi oneshot and my first fanfic ever! Read and share your thoughts 😊

Arulmozhi Varman stared at the olai Vanthiyathevan handed him. " An olai from Kodumbalur Ilavarasi Vanathi Devi" Vanthiyathevan said with a knowing smile. It was popular knowledge that his Akka had been planning his marriage with the Ilavarasi with the support of the elders. And Arulmozhi had been dilemma. It would be a lie to say he never noticed the kind and gentle companion of Kundavai. He had heard of her calm demeanor, beauty and dancing skills, mostly from his Akka and more than once he had wanted to see her performance in person or have a proper conversation with her without a third person between them. But on the other hand he didn't wanted to end up like his Anna - completely consumed by love. This was his dilemma - he was struggling to find that right balance between love and duty. With a heart heavy with all these thoughts,he untied the olai and read Vanathi's letter.

Thodudaya sevian

Vidai eriya

Thoo venmathi soodi

Sudalai podi poosi

En ullam Kava kalvan

He recognised the lines as written by Thirugnana Sambandar about the beauty of Lord Shiva. Was Vanathi hinting that her love for him was similar to what the poet had for his deity ?

His eyes slightly widened as he released that perhaps all this while he underestimated the depth of Vanathi's affection - the genuine care she had for him. At that moment he felt guilty for not showering her with half the attention she had given him. Moreover, his heart was filled with warmth and happiness at the thought of seeing her again and maybe making her blush by indirectly hinting that he has indeed read her letter and that there was a part of him that felt the same affection for her.

He didn't realize that he was smiling the entire time he was reading her olai and suddenly snapped into reality - surprised at how far his thoughts took him in that single moment.

But then his overthinking found dominance again - What if there was a part of Vanathi which craved for the throne just as Nandini? His Anna's face flashed in his mind and he became restless once more. ' I have to talk to Vanathi ' He thought and surprised himself that he was now thinking of her as Vanathi and not as Kodumbalur Ilavarasi. When did that happen?

Even as he retied the olai and put it away, the last line of Vanathi's letter stayed in his mind, making him blush- En Ullam Kava Kalvan....

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nature-writes29 · 9 months ago

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An Oath fulfilled |Vanathi × Ponniyin Selvan

It was a quiet, silent Night. The city of Thanjai was getting ready to sleep. It has been 6 weeks since Sendhan Ammudhan's death. The throne was widowed within a night. With no Chakravarti to rule the place, the whole chola kingdom faced quite a threat from other kingdoms. Everyone knew that Ponniyin Selvan would ascend the throne sooner or later. It was inevitable and everyone knew it. The whole palace had started preparations for the coronation. Everyone seemed to be in the festive mood, exept the person who was about to get coronated.

Arulmozhi knew that one day he will ascend the throne. At first he didn't even had many problems with it, but now, it seemed impossible for him to do so. 13 years back, when he was to be coronated, he had faced a problem similar to his current one. Vanathi and her her oath.

He wanted to deny the fact that she had taken the oath, but he just couldn't. He wanted her to stay with him till his last breath. He wanted to hold hands with her even at an old age. He wanted to close his eyes with her face infront of him, giving him the last goodbye, and not the way around. He wanted her.

Yet, he found himself catching her fall after she fainted between a pooja 1-2 weeks ago. Yet he found himself tending to her high fever. Yet he found himself holding her hair as she vomited like there was no tomorrow. Yet he found himself comforting and cuddling her as she shivered from a non existent cold. Yet he found himself listening to the Vaidya say that she was getting nearer to see Vaikuntha (heaven). Yet he found himself being comforted by his Akka and Vanthyathevan as he cried like a baby after hearing the news.

Yet he found himself alone in their chambers with her . The night was quite and chill. Arulmozhi was laying beside Vanathi as she slept. His strong hands running through her now weakened and frailed hair. He hated how she looked right now. Her skin was almost sticked to her bones. Her usual bright doe eyes were sulking. Her hair were withered. And what he hated the most was, how sick she looked. He hated seeing her in pain, but he wasn't ready to let her go yet. A bit selfish? Yes. But she was just too precious for him. She was his brain, she was his heart. She was his soul. She was in every breath he took. She was a part of him. Inseparable.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt her stire beneath him. He quickly but cautiously pulled out his hand from her hair, as if she were a really fragile piece of glass.

Vanathi slowly opened her eyes. She felt someone was there beside her and looked over. There she saw her husband, her Ponniyin Selvan, her yaanai paagan beside her. He had a serious and... What was it? Sad expression of his face. She knew that he knew, and he knew that she knew. And since today morning she had been feeling that weird feeling far more strongly that it had in many days. She knew that her time was almost finished.

She looked at him, studying his face. His beautiful face, the same one she had fallen so hard for. But right now, there was something glistening around his eyes and cheeks. Then she understood, he had been crying. For her. Because of her actually. She felt bad for this.

"Swami-" Vanathi croaked out. Even slight talking was starting to feel like a big task to her. Arulmozhi quickly grabbed the glass which had her drinking water in it and he slowly made her sit a bit with his other hand, and started to feed her water little by little.

After she was done drinking, she quitly asked him.

"Swami.. Why are there tears on your cheeks? She asked in a low voice

" Tears? -" Arulmozhi hadn't even realized that he had started to cry. He quickly wiped them away but Vanathi stoped him and tried to do it herself.

"It's actually nothing chellam, I wasn't crying" He started.

"Swami, I know that I am not actually able to think properly right now, but, I do know when you are sad" She said. He looked at her more intensely after this. What had he done to deserve her?

"Aay.. Forget it, look what I got you few hours back." He pointed at the table beside her. It was a flock of Kodupul flowers. These flowers had always been the symbol of their love. He had gotten then for her in all of their milestones as a couple, or when he had gotten a bit too romantic.

"Kodupul? " She smiled a bit saying this. Remembering all those beautiful times. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Arulmozhi was quick to notice it.

"Kanne, why are you crying? " He asked slowly tilting her head towards his.

"It's nothing" She said. But she didn't wipe it. She didn't think that she had enough strength remaining for that. Amv took her hands into his own.

"Tell me, please. Don't hide what you are thinking, please. " He said with plea written all over his face.

"It's just... I was thinking of all our memories which are tied with this flower." She said. Her tone was getting lower and lower. He smiled at the thought. She continued. But it was evident that talking was getting harder for her. Yet she wasn't stopping. It seemed like she sense that this was going to be it.

"How many times you bought these for me... One time you even climbed a tree right? Just to give me these before our wedding. Our every single moment was tied with this flower in one way or another. Till now. It was great wasn't it? " She said while looking at him. More tears were forming under her eyes.

"Haan- wait- was great? Dear, we are going to have those moments again. We just have to wait till your sickness goes away! Look! you are improving! There is no need to say anything like this Chellam! " He said. Vanathi smiled sadly at this statement.

"Natha, I think we both know that I don't have much time left-"

"Don't say anything like that! You are going to recover. I know it!" Amv interrupted her.

"Natha, there is a thin line between what we want and the facts-"

"Vanu-"

"No! Let me finish. I have been wanting to tell you this Swami from a few days. I heard what the Vaidhya said. And I am also feeling myself slipping away. Initially I was scared of the very thought of leaving you. I want to stay with you for an eternity. I really do. B-"

"You can Vanathi, You can! Please listen to me,-" He took her hand in both of his palms "-I can't live without you! I want to listen to your laughter, I want to see your eyes in mine, I want to hold hands with you like this, I just... Just want you Chellam! " His voice croaked at the last word. Why was this happening to them, why was this happening to her! Why does parmeshawara opt to take the bestest of people first along with them! Why?

"Swami, pleased don't make this difficult for me, I also don't want to die, but it is fate swami, fate! And I have also taken the oath-"

"To hell with your oath! I don't care about your oath Vanathi! I. Just. Care. About. You!! And the very thought of you- yo- not-" He fully broke down. His head bended down in defeat and rested on their hands. He wasn't able to comprehend this fact. He knew that she was telling the truth, but it. was. just. too. much!

Vanathi's heart broke down seeing this. She didn't wanted to die, but she knew that her life was going to be short the day she took the oath. So she had excepted this fact long ago, and used to cherish every single moment she had with him. Today morning when her Akka had visited her ( she used to be there in the morning and he used to be there for her at night time. ) she was also holding back her tears. Vanthyatevan had also been there and he was already in the crying state.

"Swami.. " She gently kept her free palm on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.

"We can't do anything about the oath, and I knew that this day was going to come. But now, I will have to take my leave-" She said breaking down a bit herself. Arulmozhi quickly stoped her by placing one of his hand on her mouth.

"Please don't say anything like this Vanathi. Please. We are supposed to get old together! And what about Madhu! He needs a mother. We were supposed to see his marriage together! When he first goes to battle, when he will be crowned the next prince, when he will become the chakravarti, whe were supposed to see all this together Priye! " After listening to this Vanathi grabbed his hand pulled it down. And said quietly.

"Do you really think that I will leave you that easily Swami? I will always stand with you, whether I am there or not. I will always look for your back, be there with you. And in the end we will meet again right? I will always wait for you Natha" She said with a weak smile. Arulmozhi just looked at her. Impressed by how greatly she was handling it.

He then took her completely in his arms so that one of her hand rested on his heart and his on her shoulders. One of both their arms were interlocked together. They were looking at each other. Comfortable in their positions.

He was comforted by the fact that she will at last be free of all of her pains. All he wanted now was for her to be happy. He quickly pecked her and looked at her with an expression which can only depict love, sadness, excepted fact, and adoration.

"I love and will always love you my Vanu" He said just after giving her a deep kiss.

This was all she wanted to hear. This is what made her heart free of every burden, worry and questions she was carrying. Her family will be okay. She will meet him again in few decades and she was sure about it.

"I love you, My Yaanai Paagan.. " She said in a soft voice. She knew she only had a few moments left. All of her energy was drained.

He looked at her peaceful expression as she closed her eyes. Her last thought being of him. The last thing she saw, was him. Her last breath was of his name. Her heart beated for the last time with only him in it. She was his, and she will always be his. For an eternity.

He stared at her lifeless body. Tears building up in his throat. His Vanu, his Kadhal, his Chellam, his Kadambur illavarasi was gone. He held her more closely. He bought her shoulders close to him and kissed her forehead.

"Vanu, you not only did just leave me, but you also took my peace, my love, my brain, my heart, the half of me, my soul with you Kanne. You took a big part of me with you chellam, you did. " He said hugging her close. She had left him to deal with this world alone, without her love, without her enchanting doe eyes, without her laughter, without.... Her. He had no one now to come home back too. She had taken his life away along with her.

_Epilogue_

Kundavai came rushing into the room after hearing the noises. Only to find the scene which shattered her heart beyond anything. Vanthyatevan came rushing behind her, just in time to catch her as she fell down crying. Her sweet best friend, her thozhi, his maya kanan had left them.

The night was filled with cries as Amv's other 2 wives were crying too. They also loved their Akka. Madhu's cries were the loudest, as he had lost his mother at the tender age of 12.

Arulmozhi didn't make any sound, but his grief made the loudest sound. He and his Akka, after some time, we're only starting into the abyss. Vanthyatevan was trying to console Kundavai but Arulmozhi had no one.

He was the one who had given fire to her. The whole country was in awe and shock... For the queen had completed her oath, but at the cost of her life. After persistent requests from his Akka, he did proceed with the coronation. He did it 'cause he knew that this is what his Vanathi wanted. His other queen sat on the throne with him, but in his heart, Vanathi was the only queen he ever lived for.

•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••

( A/N )

Ha ha ha, I made you all cry, didn't I? This is the longest OS I have written standing at 2300+ words. And of course, the saddest on also. I started writing this yesterday instead of studying for my Marathi exam. (It went well), and here I am completing this. Please tell me your thought on this. I hope that you guys liked this one shot. Instances mentioned are from the book. If any confusion let me know! :)

Any suggestions and feedback appreciated.

If you want to read more from my works, visit my wattpad page. Same Id name.

∆ Requests Accepted ∆

_ All work is original. Do not copy _

( I usually do not mention anyone unless it's an request, but, I want to hear your feedback :) and I got some of your id's from a fellow writter. And I won't tell who, but they told me to tag people, so it reaches to more ps lovers. )

@nspwriteups @thelekhikawrites @dr-scribbler @kovaipaavai @dosai-maavu @matka-kulfi @curiousgalacticsoul @harinishivaa @chiyaanvikram @celestesinsight @thegleamingmoon @ragkee @inlovewithfictionalbeings @voidsteffy @whippersnappersbookworm @hollogramhallucination @thereader-radhika @sowlspace @favcolourrvibgior @ponniyin-selvan @ponniyinselvann-blog

please tell me I made you cry :)

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beingmes-blog · 2 years ago

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*After Vandiyadevan and Arulmozhi jump in the sea on that dark and horrible sea stormy night*

Vandiyadevan:*By the time he clawed his way to awareness, it was light. Day seemed to have broken.The sun had undoubtedly risen somewhere – but where exactly, Vandhiyathevan seemed unable to decipher. He blinked away the mists of oblivion to notice the prince gazing at him with deep, if exhausted affection.

"My prince" * Said Vandiyadevan Getting up from the sand and sat on it*

Arulmozhi:"We have arrived in some unknown Island, my friend,” *he murmured* when I woke up I show that we were balancing on this price of wood close to this Island,so I brought us both here by swimming"

Vandiyadevan: “ Thank you my prince, you didn't had to do that for me..I don't know if I deserve this much honour”

Arulmozhi:“Don’t – don’t say that. You ought to know by now that I’d never give you up" *said Arulmozhi wiping away the sand on Vandiyadevan's face

Vandiyadevan: (He blushes) "My prince"*Said touching the hand on his face* "Thank you"

Arulmozh: *The hand on his face travel to his shoulder and pat his shoulder* "Now get up, let's see if we can find out, if anyone live inside this Island" (smiles)

Vandiyadevan: Yes of course my prince *try's to get up but fall down with a pain full sound* " Ahh my leg...it hurts" *touches his leg. Try to massage his leg (but it hurts more)

Arulmozh: *sat besides him, takes a hold on

Vandiyadevan leg gently and raises the dhoti up to his Kneecap* "Let me see" *he gave the injured leg a good look and running his hand up and down the leg* "It seems like you are in injuried really bad... you can't walk now"

Vandiyadevan: *Look at Arulmozh with frowning faces trying to hold back the moan coz of (Leg Pain)* "No my prince, I can walk it's not a big deal just give me some time"

Arulmozh: "That wouldn't be necessary coz" *He picked him up in his arms* "I'm going to carry you, if we wait your leg injury could get more worse, coz it's not looking that good so let me carry you, let's if we can find any types of medical substance from the island jungle. Hmmm." *Look Vandiyadevan in the eyes* (Smiling )

Vandiyadevan: (Shy and shocled) "my prince you don't really need to carry me" *looking away shyly to other direction from Arulmozh's eyes*

Arulmozh:*Smiling he said* "why so shy all of a sudden, you don't have to be that shy" *(Wink) at him* *Starts walking forward the jungle*

Vandiyadevan: (Blushing red) Yes my Prince *trying to hide his blushy red face from Arulmozh*

Arulmozh: "You know what I don't know if you are are blushing from embarrassment or maybe something else, but I have to say you really look cute when you blush" *smiling at the more blushing Vandiyadevan* "and I'm not complaining about it, coz I'm really liking it"

Vandiyadevan: *hides his face in Arulmozh's chest* "please don't mention it my prince" ( shyly smile)

😄 IDK I just wanted to write something on the PS1 Arulmozh and Vandiyadevan

@burningsheepcrown @budugu @bromance-minus-the-b @bitchy-bi-trash @boochhaan @eremin0109 @eenadu-varthalu @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @irisesforyoureyes @ladydarkey @lovingperfectionwonderland @hachinana87 @hufhkbgg @rambheemlove @rorapostsbl @rambheemisgoated @ronaldofandom @ronnoxandlumoss @teddybat24 @thewinchestergirl1208 @umbrulla @darlingletshurttonight @dumdaradumdaradum @doodlesofthelastpage @fangirlshrewt97 @fadedscarlets @filesbeorganized @mikabilis @milla984 @maru-likes-cats @meastradeur @mesimpleone @chaanv @carminavulcana @chaotic-moonlight @yehsahihai @obsessedtoafault @stanleykubricks @stuckyandlarrystuff @ssabriel @voidsteffy @veteran-fanperson @justahalfling @justmeand-myinsight @juhiiiiii @purple-out-of-red-and-blue @fishy006 @megandanvers08 @astrogations @grishaxverse

#Aruldevan #vandiyadevan #vanthiyathevan #ponniyin selvan #vandhiya varman #arunmozhi #arunmozhi varma #mani ratnam #ps-1 #karthi # fanfic #Jayam Ravi

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thirst4light · 1 year ago

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In Memoriam

This is my first try at Vanmozhi Fanfiction. Inspired from the PS 2 movie scene. Planning to do a two part follow-up of this prologue. Let me know what you think!

Prologue

'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all.’ (In Memoriam A. H. H., 27.13-17)

The sky of Thanjavur was strangely grey on a Vaikasi afternoon as the people waited for their beloved crown prince, Aditha Karikalan, to come home.

Only this time, there was no line of excited girls, wearing their best sarees, chattering away with their aarti thali on the steps of majestic Thanjavur fort, waiting to catch a glimpse of their handsome prince.

Instead, a grief-stricken royal family waited patiently. Chakrvarthi and the young prince, Ponniyin Selvan were waiting at the front, while the women of the royal family waited behind.

Slightly behind the royal family, Kodombalur Ilavarasi Vanathi was also waiting along with other royal women, looking over the sea of the people that gathered at the outer court of the fort. Since last night, as the news of the prince’s death spread, people kept coming from all corners of the Cholanadu.

While Vanathi waited, she thought of everything and nothing.

Such a contrast, Vanathi reflected, looking at the grey sky briefly before her gaze settled on the royal family who were clad in pristine white, a decorum when someone in the family passes away.

As if even the sky was mourning along with this family.

Vanathi’s thoughts got interrupted as people’s clamour suddenly increased, making her focus at the entry gate of the fort.

Finally, Aditha Karikalan had arrived in Thanjavur.

In the city where he grew up. In the city where he belongs.

A long procession of regiment came by foot, closely followed by the prince's beloved horse regiment, waving the chola flag.

From where she was standing, Vanathi could see the chariot carrying the prince’s body from a distance, closely flanked by his trusted fighting companions, Manamalyan, Parthibendran and Vanthiyadevan; not leaving their beloved prince’s side, even in death.

As the chariot slowly moved across the crowd, Vanathi could hear muffled cries while some people started to shower flower petals at the chariot, a sign of their last respect to their Ilavarase. A section of the crowd even started to tussle with the guards to touch the chariot and pray.

It took a long time for the guards to clear the way for the chariot to cross the short distance of the entry gate to the steps of the fort.

When the chariot carrying the prince's body finally stopped in front of the fort stairs, there was a momentary pause among the royal family members.

As if they could not believe what they were seeing.

The ailing Chakravarty was the first to break down as he could not support his weight anymore. Ponniyin Selvan gripped his father tightly, making sure his father could come down the stairs to meet his beloved elder son.

Raṇi varataṭcaṇai Sembiyan Mahadevi, Rani Vanavan Mahadevi, Iliya Piratti slowly started to walk behind the Chakravarty to meet their nephew, son and brother, Aditha Karikalan, one last time. Vanathi followed them as well, her steps heavy with grief.

As everyone in the family huddled at the front of the chariot and tried to caress the beloved prince’s face, the cries of the Chakravarti and Rani were the most heart-breaking. Vanathi, who was standing at the end of the chariot, could not take it anymore. She bowed her head, closed her eyes to drown out the sound of cries and desperately put her hands together in prayer.

Ishvara, may the Ilavarase join you in heaven. And…And give my beloved royal family and the people of Cholanadu the strength to overcome this difficult time.

Vanathi stayed still for a few minutes, hoping the cries had subdued. As she opened her eyes, she knew that her attempt at focusing on praying was futile.

But she had to try.

In desperation, her eyes searched for the only face that could give her strength at this moment.

As her eyes landed on Ponniyin Selvan’s face, Vanathi realized, despite being such a pillar of strength to his father, the young prince could not hold himself together anymore.

His face contorted with unspeakable grief; tears were streaming down his eyes continuously.

Vanathi had endured loss in various forms from a very young age. Her mother’s death, even though she had never met her, had left a deep wound in her childhood. Then her father’s death at Ilankai war, leaving her as an orphan in this cruel world. Then bidding farewell to her only father like figure uncle Periya Velar before every war, not knowing whether he would return alive from them was always tantamount to loss for her….Yet, no pain of these losses compared to the pain of seeing her beloved Ponniyin Selvan grieving at this moment.

Until this point, Vanathi did not realize that she had been crying along with everyone else. But seeing her Ponniyin Selvan break down like this, fresh tears blocked her vision completely. Her heart felt so heavy that for a moment she felt like she could not breathe anymore.

Wiping her tears with pallu, Vanathi took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

As the guards started to move to take the chariot away for cremation, on a whim, Vanathi decided to come at the front of the chariot and touch Ilavarase Aditha Karikalan’s feet, seeking blessings.

An opportunity she never had before.

While she looked at the crown prince’s resting face one last time, Vanathi realized, in death, Aditha Karikalan had finally found his peace.

The peace that he had been searching for a long time.

Tagging my enablers who I have on my profile: @harinishivaa @nspwriteups @balladedutempsjadis @celestesinsight @thelekhikawrites @reeeereeeereeereee @whippersnappersbookworm @sambaridli

Feel free to tag others/reblog if you like :)

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mysterioushimachal · 5 months ago

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Gaddis Chhatrari Yatra: Celebrating Tradition in Bharmour Himalaya

#bharmour #Butek Mahadev #chamba #chamba district #Chamba-Bharmour Road #Chhatrari #Chhatrari fair #Gaddis Chhatrari Yatra #Himachal Pradesh #King Meru Varman #Kunra village #Manimahesh Lake #river Ravi #Shiv Shakti #Shiv Shakti Devi #Shiv Shakti temple #The Gaddi community

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mahi-wayy · 3 months ago

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𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 | 𝑨𝑹𝑼𝑳𝑴𝑶𝒁𝑯𝑰 𝑽𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑨𝑵

• General • Romantic [both sfw and nsfw]

A/n : if you noticed the theme change being way to quick ignore it I have adhd my ass is too interested in too many things-

I - GENERAL

he is what we call lawful chaotic.

no seriously his ass invites more chaos it's way then the whole chola empire.

got in constant nonsense arguments with aditha as a kid and was babied by kundhavai.

he was PAMPERED like he was the prince AND the youngest so yeah he got away with a lot of stuff.

he is like infant- I mean he gets sleepy when he eats good, gets cranky if doesn't sleep much and is extremely sensitive to his surroundings.

expanding more on the last point he picks up on the things around him very quickly. something he learned in his early teens when there was underlying conflict between kundhavai and aditha because of nandhini.

he loved sweetness over spice.

has been close friends with vandiyadevan for as long as he can remember.

the amount of shenanigans these two used to pull I- lets just leave it at that.

is a GREAT swimmer like he is offical water sibling of the trio with aditha being the storm and kudhavai being the forest.

first time vanathi saw him was a teen arulmozhi coming to the surface of the water of the river in which vandiyadevan pushed him in during their playful banter.

has a special love for elephants.

he spends a lot of time with them whenever he can.

always has a dagger on him.

often seen as the sweet and gentle one by everyone which he is but that is until he is poked the wrong way.

most unforgiving of the chola siblings.

he was also really petty growing up.

has and still does fall asleep to the sound of sea waves.

sailing in the sea is his happy place.

not a very heavy sleeper but he falls asleep very easily.

has never "disobeyed" disobeyed his parents.

sometimes has a tough time saying no to people he cares about.

he prefers dressing in light and bright shades.

he is very VERY sensitive about his hair please don't touch them casually.

a very good diplomat.

II - ROMANTIC

SFW

makes the first subtle move.

sends letters and flowers anonymously.

courting rituals. planner coincidences.

makes flower crowns for them.

puts flower in their hair.

matching/complimentaing outfits.

sleeps as a big spoon.

NSFW

soft dom/service top.

he is gentle most of the time.

likes taking it slow so he can tease his partner.

loves leaving markes behind.

moans and groans.

loves his hair getting pulled.

sensitive thighs, neck and shoulder blades.

--------

tags : @mayakimayahai @warnermeadowsgirl @vijayasena @voidsteffy @jkdaddy01 @rambheem-is-real @allari-ammayi @mellaga-karagani @ulaganayagi @ahamasmiyodhah @ranisingsnew @myvarya @toomanyfanficsbruh @harinishivaa

#arulmozhi varman #ponniyin selvan #headcanons #jayam ravi #ponniyin selvan II

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nidhi-writes · 9 days ago

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Avalin Kadhal - Vaanathi's Love

I spent a whole week and more drafting this one, as my hands and mind were never correlated, and as today's woman, I would never imagine nor can be with someone who supports polygamy; I find it hard to accept someone who married more than one partner at sametime. But at the same time, I look back and read the ages as they were, and I realize that one has to take the time and principles are different. I am unsure how my mind put this beautiful piece together, but I am always more grateful for all the creative plots my mind could create. I hope you feel calm and serene as you read this. Love is all we have.

"I will always love you, Vaanathi. There will be no one for whom my heart will be surrendered to them" Her warrior husband's words on their first night together echoed as she sat with her eyes closed, and her tear-filled eyes leaked a streak of tears as her cheeks rose all the crying.

"My princess, the prince has arrived with Panchavan Madeviyar," Vaanathi's helper announced quickly. As the words reached her ears, she wiped her eyes and immediately smiled or made herself smile as she nodded. Before leaving the room, she rechecked her face to avoid showing her inner feelings.

As her feet walked from her chamber to the palace entrance to welcome the newlyweds, her husband and his new wife. Her heart was pounding, but soon, she was accompanied by Lokamadevi, her sister-wife, the one her husband married after her. A sad smile erupted on Lokamadevi's face as she watched Vaanathi, who she respected and looked up to everything. Also, she can understand her feelings even though she is somewhat in a dilemma, but both ladies know this is the norm.

"Do you want me to do this time?" Lokamadevi asked, trying to take anything that would relieve Vaanathi's stress.

Vaanathi straightened her shoulders and shook her head. She regained her posture and nodded at the helper to bring in the aarti plate. "As a Princess and the first wife of our Prince, it's my responsibility to welcome them, and I will do it," she whispered as the gates opened and she stepped out. Lokamadevi followed Vaanathi, who put on a smile that anyone would fall on as her eyes danced with innocence.

There he is, walking towards her, like always, with broad shoulders and long hair flying with his moustache that tickles her every time they kiss. Just like the first time she walked the steps to send him off to the war and how his hands caught her when she fell, those memories are still imprinted in her brain and will be even after her body leaves this soil.

But this time, she is not a mere princess but a future queen of the dynasty and the wife of the great Chola Prince. Her eyes slowly passed to the young princess who was walking beside him. With her golden skin, fish-like eyes, and slender figure, everything perfectly matches the handsome Prince.

"Did I ever look that beautiful alongside my Prince when we first entered?" She quickly shook those thoughts; now it's not about me. As her eyes remained between them, failing to give away any weakness or show sorrow, she welcomed them. Arunmozhi's eyes watched Vaanathi perform her duties gracefully and with a smile, and his new wife flashed a smile as well.

"Welcome back, my Prince. This Chola Desam is excited at your arrival," Vaanathi said as she turned to Panchavan Madevi. "Young Princess, you are the jewel to this Chola Desam, and this Desam is blessed to receive another daughter-in-law." Everyone smiled at the kind words.

As the day passes and the newlyweds enter their room for private time, Vaanathi's heart starts to beat faster. She is unable to sleep, as she did last time. She feels disposable now with the two other beautiful wives. What else could she offer more?

She smiled softly as her son Rajendra slept, his tiny arms clutched her fingers. She combed his dark hair, which was growing fast, like his Dad's. She chuckled as salty tears fell down her eyes.

She asked her helper to watch over the child and went out walking. She reached the gardens, where the path leading to the path was hidden from outsiders, but only royals knew this one. As she ventured in, she finally came out of the other side, the path to a small temple built for Vishnu. Kundhavai loves Krishna and Vaishnavam, and she adorned this temple with deepam.

Vaanathi slumped onto the ground with a whimper that left her mouth after a whole day of keeping her emotions inside; she finally let it out since no human was around her as the hours passed—only she and the god witnessed her tears.

Her whimpers, their melody rising like a plea to the heavens, seemed to gaze upon her with serene detachment—a calmness that only deepened the ache in her chest. The idol of Vishnu, resplendent in gold and adorned with fresh garlands, seemed to gaze upon her with a calmness that only deepened the ache in her chest.

Her thoughts churned in turmoil, spiralling deeper into despair. Is this how Rukmini must have felt, she wondered bitterly. When Krishna, her heart's love, took Satyabhama and others as his wives, did her heartache as mine does now? Did she wonder if her devotion had fallen short if she had not been enough?

Her whimpers became silent, leaving her cheeks with dried tear streaks and nothing else to do as she aimlessly watched the moon glow with light.

"Why is a gold that needs to be treasured doing alone in this stone temple?" Spoke the angelic voice behind Vaanathi

Vaanathi whipped her head behind as her eyes took in the figure standing a few metres away. Her eyes stuck with the angelic face of an elderly woman who seemed like the kindest and most divine of the ones she had read in the scriptures.

She whipped her tears as she tried to smile, but she never moved her eyes away from the woman who smiled and slowly sat next to her.

"What is the use of a treasured jewel when it can only be used for decoration and nothing else?" Vaanathi replied.

The elderly woman's soft hands took her face. A sudden surge of energy passed through Vaanathi's body. She was unsure whether it was just the heat from the women before her or something else. She quickly scratched the last option and settled with her cold body, reacting to the hot touch.

"Now, now, what's with the worry?" the angel-like voice asked her; Vaanathi's eyebrow narrowed. Who is this woman, and what is she doing at this hour?

"With so many questions already," surprised Vaanathi, let out a quick hiccup. Wow, this woman can read minds. Was she a witch or some rakshasi that roams by at night? Vaanathi started to gulp, but the aura she was emitting made her feel calm.

"What's a woman's role in a man's life?" Vaanathi shook her head. "Wife role in her man's life." The elderly woman smiled.

"Hmm..such a big question, and you expect a simple answer," the elderly woman chuckles, which causes Vaanathi's eyes to narrow.

"Well, what a human role on this earth? To be born and fed by this earth's mother, to be provided warmth by the glowing sun, to feel safe as we lay our heads in her lap every night." The elderly woman answered more like asking Vaanathi as she continued.

"It's like two humans coming together in the name of marriage: to protect and provide, to cherish and love, and to share the pain and happiness." Vaanathi sighed as the women poured out their list of needs.

She chuckled and asked, "But what if the wife has to share her man with his other wives, who also cherish him? But what would the wife expect in this situation? No one to cherish, as now the man she loved is also the one she has to share." The silence prevailed as the elderly woman spoke.

"But isn't that a King's/warrior Dharma to marry more than one?" Vaanathi's sharp eyes snapped at the woman, now feeling much sorrow.

"Dharma? Marrying N number of women to ally a political alliance or to calm their urges of all kinds, why is it only Man's Dharma to marry whoever he pleases, but women should be devoted to her husband? Why did god make such complex rules for women?"

"Well, our same scriptures praise Draupadi, the woman who married five men, and the same Lord who is shining down at us now did at her as well," Vaanathi let out a salty chuckle.

"Was it Draupadi's choice and likeness to marry 5? She would only be with Arjun as his Pathni if she had a choice. She never wanted to marry five nor wished, yet she was pushed! She was ridiculed by the men around her who married more than her for pleasure, unlike her, yet they called her names and put her through the trauma all her life. Why did the same Narayan never question that or make the rules like Ram followed? One man for one woman and vice versa," Vaanathi sighed and wiped her tears.

"That's our Karma, dear. No one can run away from it. Even the same Narayan, in his every birth, had to endure along with his Lakshmi." Vaanathi listened to the words of the women before her, and now, oddly, she found herself wanting to hear more.

"As Ram, he has to let go of his Sita and endure the pain of being alone most of his life, away from his Lakshmi. Do you say Ram didn't love Sita?" Vaanathi shook her head as the women continued.

"As Krishna, his love for his Radha went above everything, yet he had to watch her go, only so he could reach her again as Rukmini. Who also had to watch her husband go to marry Sathyabama and others. Do you know what Rukmini did? Did she fight with Krishna for having other wives?" Vaanathi shook her head. She had always heard how calm and serene Rukmini was as a queen, wife, and lover.

"But If Krishna loved Radha, why did he let her go, and if Radha is Rukmini, why did he marry Sathyabama? If they both are his Lakhsmi and others, then why was only Lakhsmi born in a different form, not Vishnu? And what if the roles were reversed? Would the society still be praising Krishna as they are now for Rukmini if he has to share his Lakshmi with other forms of Vishnu?"

The older woman chuckled and shook her head. Vaanathi watched her with a look of bewilderment as she let out an uncontrollable laugh that made even Vaanathi's lips smile like it was contagious.

"Oh, that would be fun, wouldn't it? But it's a little too much to control all the Vishnu forms. " The woman spoke as her voice turned to mumble, but Vaanathi still listened keenly, trying to hear those words from her mouth.

"Man, it was hard enough keeping Krishna in line with my number of forms, and what an exhausting job I was doing over time. Maybe I should try this with Kalki." Vaanathi couldn't understand what the women spoke.

"Ahm, what is it?" But the woman shook her head as she leaned in, taking the young woman's face. "Dear, were you angry at your husband and believe he doesn't love you?" Vaansthi shook her head as her life depended on it.

"Of course, he loves me, cares for me, makes sure that I am his priority, and showers me with love more than I could ever ask for." Vaanathi smiled, thinking about her husband and how spellbound he was when they were together.

She continued, "Not only in bed but also in the nation's crisis, he makes sure to get my opinion and shares all his fears more than anyone I know of." The elderly woman smiled.

"There's your answer. Just like Krishna loves Rukmini and shares all his love, fear, and happiness, so does your husband. Maybe if given a chance or the reality doesn't put Kings in the position of remarrying and putting the citizen first, he would have cherished you without looking at other women. But he married you first because he loved you and still does. So cherish that, my dear."

Vaanathi smiled. Yes, the situation was not what she hoped for, yet Arunmozhi was a husband that thousands wanted, but she was lucky to get. As a warrior and a King, his oath and prime concern was his nation's welfare, and political alliance was necessary if one had to safeguard and expand.

"And Rukmini always knows that even if Krishna's eyes wander to everyone, his heart is always looking for his Lakshmi in every one of them; she knows that she is the one he comes back home to."

"So love is sharing?" Vaanathi asked as she immersed herself so much in the conversation.

The woman cupped Vaanathi's face, her touch firm yet tender. "Love is not measured by its fulfilment but purity. Krishna and Radha's love lives on, not in their union, but in the hearts of those who remember their story. And Rukmini's steadfast devotion is a lesson in strength and grace. Arunmozhi Varman's path may not align with yours now, but that does not diminish the sanctity of your love."

The woman continues, "The Lord teaches us detachment, my child. If you truly love Arunmozhi, let your love become your strength, not your sorrow. Offer it to the divine as a prayer, and you will find peace."

Vaanathi closed her eyes, the woman's words seeping into the cracks of her broken heart. The pain remained, but it began to shift, no longer a weight pressing her down but a bittersweet reminder of her humanity. Her position as a princess and a chief queen will soon be a queen mother who will one day pass all the wisdom and strength to her upcoming generation; she has the same duty as Arunmozhi has towards this nation and its people.

The elder woman began to walk away, her figures blending into the shadows of the temple. A sudden thought struck Vaanathi. She turned quickly, her voice calling out, "Amma, wait!"

The elderly woman paused, turning back with a faint, knowing smile.

"I didn't ask your name," Vaanathi said, her voice filled with wonder and gratitude. "What should I call you?"

The woman's smile deepened, her eyes twinkling with a mysterious light. "I have many names, child," she said softly. "But I would like you to call me Amma."

Before Vaanathi could respond, the woman turned and disappeared into the temple's dimly lit corridors, her presence lingering like a divine whisper. For a moment, Vaanathi felt as though she had been in the presence of something beyond mortal comprehension, and her heart, though still aching, carried a newfound serenity.

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