Madurai Meenakshi (OS) The Challenge- on Pg 28 - Page 9

Originally posted by: varaali

"I will personally come to marry her'" replied the sadhu.

Seeing the shocked look on their faces the sadhu corrected himself hastily " I mean...I will personally come to conduct her marriage'."

Varaali... I seriously love your version of Mahadev.. he is sooo Bholenath...😆😆

Great updates... informative mixed with perfect amount of humour...!! 😊😊

Thirteen years later

Location : Somewhere in the forests of Kongu Nadu (border of present day Kerala)

King Malayadhwaja was standing outside his tent, tensed and worried.

The military campaign he had undertaken against the Kossar tribes was going disastrously wrong. After two days of fierce battle, his troops, unaccustomed to fighting in the mountainous regions, had suffered heavy losses. The enemy had also cut of their vital supply lines depriving them of reinforcements.

It was too late to retreat now. There was only one thing to do now, he thought grimly - die fighting.

Mounting his horse, he rallied his troops and led the final assault. As his soldiers began scaling the mountain heights, the Kossar troops, well hidden in crevices and behind rocks began raining arrows.

Despite his exhortation, Maladhwaja's men could not move forward. The enemy seemed too many in number, spread everywhere. Maladhwaja saw his army being decimated in front

He looked up and saw at least half a dozen Kossar soldiers peeping at him warily, hidden behind boulders. As he loaded his bow, and lifted it upwards, he was surprised to see another set of soldiers approaching the Kossars, stealthily from behind. Another army was attacking the Kossars.

Malayadhwaja wondered whether this was a friendly army or another enemy, when his heart leapt. A young soldier carrying the Marsya Dhwaja ' the Royal symbol of Pandyas- was leading the contingent. Displaying reckless courage, the soldier plunged headlong into the battle, killing the Kossar soldiers.

The young soldier was more than a match for the Kosasar forces. Darting backwards and forwards on horse back, aiming arrows with unerring accuracy, brandishing the sword with ease, he was singlehandedly fighting the enemy- and winning.

Malayadhwaja's heart stopped when an arrow plunged into the soldier's shoulder. Pausing only to pull the arrow out and ignoring the red stain that was rapidly spreading on the sleeve, the soldier continued to rain arrows on the enemy

Hope surging in his heart Malayadhwaja regrouped his troops and launched a fresh assault. Attacked on both sides by the Pandian forces, the Kossar defences began to crumble and the few that were left of them surrendered.

Malayadhwaja could hardly believe his luck. He had been able to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. He wanted to reward the young soldier whose timely intervention and extraordinary courage was responsible for this victory.

The young man was sitting a little further away, nursing his injured shoulder. As the king walked towards him, a pang shot through the king's heart. If only the young man had been his son...

The king put his hand on the young soldier's shoulder. Wincing in pain, the soldier got up in a hurry. While doing so, the turban which had covered his head and face fell off and his long black hair tumbled out.

Stunned, on seeing the face in front of him, the king could only whisper "Thataatakai?"

Next part continues here