Karikalan: Nandhini Kissed Me!

Karikalan: Nandhini kissed me!

Arulmozhi: Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

Karikalan: It was unbelievable!

Arulmozhi: Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

Vanthiyathevan: Okay, we wanna hear everything. Arulmozhi, get the wine and unplug the phone. Karikalan, does this end well or do we need tissues?

Karikalan: Oh, it ended very well.

Arulmozhi: Do not start without me! Do not start without me!

Vanthiyathevan: Okay, alright, let’s hear about the kiss. Was it a soft brush against your lips or was it like a, you know, “I gotta have you now” kind of thing?

Karikalan: Well, at first it was really intense, you know? And then, oh God, and then we just sort of sunk into it.

Vanthiyathevan: Ohh... So, okay, were they holding you? Or were their hands on your back?

Karikalan: First they started out on my waist and then they slid up and then they were in my hair.

Arulmozhi and Vanthiyathevan: Ohhh.

*meanwhile*

Nandhini eating pizza in their house: And, uh, and then I kissed them.

Kundavai: Tongue?

Nandhini: Yeah.

Vanathi: Cool.

I am happy if you just listen to my chatter.

Mahanati (Telugu, 2018)

Reblog if this sight on your blog makes you smile and you would like your followers to talk to you more. 

Kundavai: The Thirukoilur Malayaman clan hates beauty, they think it is the enemy of valour.

Malayaman:  And, your father was also Arinjayan's only son. He was handsome as Manmatha when he was your age. Neither in the Chozha family nor in any other princely family in Tamil Nadu was there anybody as handsome . . . Kings and petty chieftains from Lanka to the Vindhyas performed penance in order to be worthy enough to offer their daughters to him in marriage. Neither the men or the women in my clan are known for their looks. The more battle scars our men had, the more handsome they were considered. And for our women, chastity and character were the ornaments, signs of beauty.

Malayaman brought up Vanamadevi by telling her that she was ugly, in a period when women were valued a lot for their beauty. It isn't like he inculcated confidence and independence in her by saying that such superficial things don't matter. He doubled down that women of his clan compensated for their lack of beauty by strictly following other regressive practises.

Vanamadevi too thought that beauty s an essential part of a woman's life. When Sundara Cholan expressed displeasure for dragging Mandakini to the palace, she asked her daughter to groom and beautify Mandakini.

The Emperor's disgust was evident in the way he referred to Mandakini as 'this'. Disappointed, Kundavai looked at her father . . .  Malayaman's daughter came up to Kundavai and whispered, "My child! Isn't she unbearable to look at. What is the point in being angry with your father? Come, let's see how skillful you are in the art of making her beautiful."

Unfortunately, it worked very well.

He (Sundara Cholan) was full of appreciation for Kundavai's skill at makeup. "You have transformed a wild looking being into Indirani of Devalokam. But did you have to choose an old woman like this? Can't you demonstrate your skill on young girls like Vanathi?" he teased.

Vanamadevi must have spent her whole life feeling ugly and unworthy of Sundara Cholan. Her father was a regressive pos even for 10th century and her husband (who talks about his lover in his sleep) was the most handsome man in the three worlds. She must have consoled herself that whatever affection she got was a big deal because Sundaran deserved and prefered prettier women.

Probably Malayaman threw a party when she burnt herself on her husband's funeral pyre and boasted that his daughter was more pious and chaste than older widows from inferior clans, like  Kalyani Devi (Arinjayan's wife) and Sembiyan Madevi.

To Him.

Falling for a man, out of reach. So far that the stars seem closer. As i live in a delusion of holding his hand, he lives his life not knowing me. And as i weep at night longing for him, he lives in satisfied bliss.

-Mithra

6- SHOORPANAKHA

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Anuradhapura

The welcome accorded to the Pandya envoy was as grand as usual. Honestly, they weren't expecting such a marvelous welcome due to their downfall. Ravidasan was worried about Udayan breaking the protocol to greet and hug him. What will the crown prince and his advisors think?

They all looked very impressed and the only thing Jatilan was a bit miffed about was the king refusing to show him the ancient crown jewels of Pandyas. Jatilan's great-grandfather Maravarman Rajasimhan had entrusted them to his counterpart in Anuradhapuram before he fled to Chera mandalam and no one has seen them since then.

Though he too really wanted to see the renowned crown jewels, Ravidasan consoled the young prince that such loyalty is commendable. Perhaps they even thought that this is Veera Pandyan's secret test. By refusing to show the crown jewels to anyone except the Thennavan himself, they have passed the test in flying colours. If Kotravai wills it, Jatilan himself might get to wear the necklace of Devendran when he marries Uma Maheshwari or ascends the throne wearing the ancient studded crown!!!

Lankans were very receptive to the plan to fight Cholas when they are already engaged in another war. He talked to the Chief Commander when the Prince and his advisors conducted discussions with the royals. An intuition told him that they were already making preparations for this and their arrival was highly anticipated. The Commander tasked a General with explaining their plans and Udayan joined them.

It was Udayan who revealed what really conspired behind the scenes. The splendour of Paranthakan's youngest grandson's beauty has reached the anthapuram of Anuradhapuram. His cousin, the King's daughter Hemalata declared that she accepted him in her heart and she will fast untill death if he their marriage isn't conducted soon. The king was overjoyed since he saw it as an end to his endless troubles. Needless to say, Cholas refused to entertain this proposal.

Though he told himself that these people aren't as trustworthy as their demonstrations indicated, Ravidasan was really moved by this one-sided love story. "Poor princess! It is a pity that she loved a man enough to die for him though he doesn't care that she exists."

"Hi hi hi. Your sense of humour is intact, anne. Now no one is more determined than our Hema to destroy the clan and reign of Cholas. We will get her married to Jatilavarmar in a heartbeat if his father allows it."

"Really! I thought the princess is older than him."

"She is, but who cares about such trivial matters when a lot is at stake? My uncle, I mean the king, is not going to embarrass himself again. But in case your advisors get such ideas, which is definitely going to happen after today's meeting, you should encourage it."

He was reminded of the words of his teachers: "A passionate woman, like a female snake, terrible from the condensed poison she accumulates within, will never, if injured, neglect to wreak vengeance."* Do they really need such a treacherous and toxic alliance? If Jatilan's sisters were unmarried, at least one of them could have been married to Udayan, Senan or little Mahindan. But who is he to make such decisions? It is indeed a good thing that he joined aabathudaivigal and became a brahmachari. He won't have to deal with such women.

°°°°°°

"Jatila, Jatila, kumaraya", Hemalata caressed the prince's forehead and hair as her attendants sprinkled water on his face. Ravidasan felt chills as he saw the princess who looked like bhadrakali. Isn't this the same girl who declared that Sundara Cholan is dearer to her than her own life? Who can guess what transpires in the deep recesses of women's minds!

Jatilan slowly opened his eyes, jumped up from the bed and stood up, seeing all the women surrounding him. Ugravikraman and Ravidasan caught him before he fainted again due to strain. The prince had been unwell since he got on the ship. Though they thought that this is normal sea-sickness, his continued bouts of fainting and shortness of breath were alarming. The royal physicians of Anuradhapuram too couldn't find anything wrong with the young prince's health, except fatigue.

Ugran asked their translator to convey to the ladies to leave them alone. Jatilan peered through the slits of his eyes and started giggling as the girls left the room. They heaved a sigh of relief. Poor Ugran's thoughts have gone from jumping into the sea to slitting his own throat in an instant when he saw Jatilan lying still.

"Ilavarase, are you alright? Please don't laugh and over-exert yourself".

"I am alright. Anna, please don't tell Uma that this Shoorpanakha akka touched my hair."

"Someone is going to be very displeased if she knows that she was called akka and Shoorpanakha".

"What will they do if Sundaresan deposited all the beauty in the world on Paranthakan's one grandson? He should have divided it and given a bit to all of us."

They stopped Jatilan from talking further and massaged his feet. Who knows whether they will emerge as Raman or Ravanan from this ordeal!

Thennavan - The Lord of the South, a title of the Pandya King

* Indian version of "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", from Kathasaritsagara.

Sundaresan - Lord Siva, Madurai Meenakshi's consort

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