Aprameyar was looking at his granddaughter Madhura. She was proposing a plan that is no less than a sin. She was a born narcissistic he thought. Partly he must have to blame himself. He did pamper her for she was an orphan. Instead of nurturing her high values, he had made her so intolerable that would not accept no. Today she has crossed all the limits, she wants to marry someone by almost forcing herself on him.
"Madhura, you cannot force him. You cannot build a relationship on a lie," he tried to invoke a rationality in her which she was oblivious to it.
" I love him," Madhura spoke in a dejected voice.
" It is not love, it is an infatuation," he pointed at her
" Whatever it is? I want him," Madhura looked at her grandfather and said in defiant voice.
" I always wanted you to be happy. I have done everything you have asked, but not this. This is a sin for which no redemption is possible at all."
" This is the one last time grandfather. I promise I would be nice girl afterwards. I would be a devoted wife".
"This is your exact problem. You always think about yourself. There are two other lives intertwined in this."
" Nobody bats an eye for a devadasi. Kulasekaran yes ! definitely he would be a problem for me but I can handle it. Nagalingam has some score to set with him," she smirked. Her eyes not spoke any language of love but a will that would destroy entire town for meeting her ends meet. The door knocked. Nagalingam entered the room.
"Madhura, you are a rajathantri. I think you should be a prime minister of some vast kingdom. Chanakya's rebirth."
"Enough! Madhura does not like the flattery. She is a woman of class. Thank your stars that we both have a common adversary."
" The thing is even Kulasekaran is my enemy,"Nagalingam spoke as he touched his scars on the face. It was given by Kulasekaran.
"No No", hastened Madhura " he is under that witch Vasanthika's trap, do not worry. Who will not fall in her trap, for sure she is bewitching and accomplished dancer."
There was a pin drop silence in the room. Aprameyar sidekick came with a thick concotion and mortar. He placed a chalice of wine. Aprameyar took some empty packets. He was giving direction to his assistant. Finally he powdered some herbs and added the wine to the mixture.
He rolled the mixture to a dough. He carefully divided the dough into three parts. He uttered some words to those medicine and looked at his granddaughter." Now spill out the plan."
"Alright! Grandfather by making the medicine your role is over. From now Nagalingam and Me Madhura should act. You take this to Ammangavalli ask her to feed to Vasanthika in milk. Make sure she drinks. Later let her lie in the bedroom . You and AMmanagavalli must remain quiet in the side room.I will go to Kulasekaran and bring him to her house under pretext of meeting Kulasekaran. I would drink this mixture. He would think me as Vasanthika. I would take him with me. You take Vasanthika to the king. Later I would say bad things about her and he will marry me."
"Everything is fine but how will this medicine will help?"Nagalingam asked confused
"That is the secret. It is the herb coming from Himalaya. He would marry me."
Nagalingam and Madhura laughed hysterically but Aprameyar was hesitant. He was sure Madhura is going to land in some situation. He wants to hope that this plan will get her the life she wants but not the life she gets.
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Vasanthika
التاريخيةSet in 13th century against the backdrop of temple city of Srirangam. The story is about a Devadasi named Vasanthika and her struggle between life and death during changing political scenario of south when ruling Pandya clan is ousted by a new imp...
