*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 31

Soul whispers

Meandering paths but they are predestined


Teaching and that too to teach students who have just entered their teens is a tough ask and a hard task for most teachers and The faculty told subbu that.For Subbu aka subramanaim,it was the first day in the new school and although he had a few years of teaching under his belt,they were all outside chennai.

Subbu was 35,unmarried and lived with his retired father who had spent his youth,middle age in the revenue dept
and had such been carted around tamilnadu from madurai to coimbatore to salem and then back to madurai.
Subbu's mum mahalakshmi had just passed away due to uterus cancer and so both men,husband and son had come to chennai to forget their grief and escape their memories of madurai and memories of happier times.

Like his dad,subbu was a very soft spoken man and importantly a man of few words.He listened and only after listening for a long time and only when asked for an opinion did he ever venture one.But he somehow excelled at teaching and seemed to have a kind of connection with the students he came into contact with.He taught english for classes 8 to 12.Although not from chennai,his command over the langauge was without par and he spoke it even better without a trace of accent or diction that most from outside chennai have.

He looked at the rest of the faculty members as they bitched,complained about this set of students and warned him of that set of students from that class.A few even went the distance and gossiped freely and openly about other members of the faculty and subbu listened to everything and inside his head wondered about these souls and what made them do what they were doing.

The bell screamed that is was time for students to go back to the classrooms and get ready for their respective classes.

She came rushing in and she went rushing out and just for a brief moment,a very short moment their eyes met and exchanged hellos.

The soon to retire thyagarajan,school librarian whispered " her name is sanjana and she is our geography teacher.Mysterious woman and i say mysterious for though she has been here for nearly five years nobody knows anything about her but for the fact that she has a grown up daughter.That's it and try however much you will not know more than that.She is 32,single and lives with her grandmother.The only thing we are sure of his she is a really goodlooking woman and also very short tempered.That has been kind of proved when our History teacher,rajan tried getting to know her and none of us are sure what happened but a few say that they heard a sound that felt like a slap and rajan did not turn up to school for a few days and took medical leave.well all these could be true and then again could be gossip."

Subbu nodded and left to do his duty of teaching and thyagarajan left to the library to gather dust like the books around him.

Subbu's and sanjana's paths crossed often everyday in school and again in the bus they travelled to their homes.Paths crossed and were met with just hellos.but soon there were twinkles in each others eyes and they twinkle came from their souls where some connection had been sparked.It was as if they were meant to meet and yet the days passed in faculty room lunches,passed them both in the corridors and passed them in the bus trips.

The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.-Thomas Trahern


To be continued

Chapter 97

"I love you," he whispered, and that was the moment he knew what he was going to do. When you loved someone, you put their needs before your own. No matter how inconceivable those needs were; no matter how f**ked up; no matter how much it made you feel like you were ripping yourself into pieces." Jodi Picoult, The Pact


It seems just yesterday that i had to stand on a stool to see my face in the mirror over the basin.Like a dog,like many animals i have stood as a child before the mirror and asked who it was that looked back at me.Those were days when i couldn't identify myself with the reflection of myself.Soon i tip-toed and saw myself and now i stand and see myself for now my mind is better suited to the reflection,the wrinkles near my eyes,the grey more white near my ears and the fire that shimmers and blazes deep in my soul and its embers thrown up in the eyes.Every wrinkle,every white hair is my fight,a path that i have taken,a story of sadness and loneliness and yet the fire and twinkle are my happiness,my capacity to love and give it back to those in whose eyes and soul i felt them for the first time.they my kith and kin in whose smiles i took joy and motivation,they in whose tears my soul welled up love to protect,quietly,secretly and wishing,praying that they are safe and live life in peace.For in the end i have come to see,understand,realise and embrace that the real reflection of mine is that which shimmers in my soulmates and they are what make up my soul.



Gifts from the light of love and sacrifice


Kulashekaran pandyan used all his strength to get up and then shuffled slowly out of the small hut that passed as his abode.The soldiers who guarded him and the old queen stood quietly in a distance and when they saw him they looked worried and hurriedly fell to their knees.He raised a finger to his lips and whispered to them to remain where they were.Then slowly he shuffled away into the darkness.

Azhagan sat on the mountain in the very spot where his mother avini had died in his arms.

" Mother,it is coming to an end this tale which began with your womb.If you can hear me,then i want you to know that if i am born again and however many times i might be born then i want to be your son in all those lives.I want to thank you for all that you did and i know how difficult it must have been for you were blind and alone.I love you mother and you will be here always,safe in my heart."

The light burst from every pore of his skin,orange in its color and it blazed mightily setting the night on fire.azhagan closed his eyes and lost himself in contemplation and recollection.

Kulashekaran pandyan shuffled step by step and stood mesmerised by this sight of azhagan and he knew the man was special.But this strange and scary fire did not dissuade him from approaching azhagan for from the time he had come back he felt more like his child and the bonds had grown stronger.

Azhagan opened his eyes and looked at kulashekaran " my king,my father,my lord come closer and remember this fire will never burn you or hurt you in the slightest.come closer and sit by my side."

Kulashekaran entered the aura that seemed to float and blaze around azhagan and was surprised to find it cool and very rejuvenating.

Azhagan raised his hand and kulashekaran took and sat by his side.

" do not be put off or worried about who i am or why i am thus.Soon it will be all over and soon all will be forgotten.But for now listen to me for what i am going to tell you is very important."

Kulashekaran pandyan nodded and azhagan spoke in whispers.

" They are coming my king,they are coming in huge numbers and will be here by tomorrow morning."

Kulashekaran recoiled in surprise " coming,who is coming.who are you talking about?"

Azhagan " rajendra cholan and his mighty army.but even that does not scare me the least but it is the other two sorry three that put fear in my heart for i do not know what or how i will face them if there is a battle."

Kulashekaran pandyan " two,three you say.pray,be more specific for it scares me when you a mighty warrior speaks about fear."

Azhagan eyes filled with tears " I speak about maravarman,thenmozhi and the son she is carrying."

Kulashekaran pandyan " son,thenmozhi is with a child.but that is great news.a news to be celebrated.but wait why do you fear that child and how can a child put fear in your brave soul."

Azhagan " thenmozhi has been wronged but it was done out of pure and a reason filled with purpose.she carries in her soul great anger which she might use to hurt me and others who stand by me.so i want you to be ready."

Kulashekaran pandyan growled like a lion " let them come and then they will see that there is still fight left in this old and crippled lion.my child,do not worry for i will stand by your side until the last drop of my blood drains out of my body and i fall down dead."

Azhagan smiled and nodded " i know but i hope it does not come to that for things will be different,very different."

Kulashekaran shrugged " azhaga,you speak in riddles and yet i trust you for i know you are here for some strange reason and a diferent purpose."


Azhagan stood up and looked down at the kulashekaran and then gently placed his hands on the old kings shoulders and whispered " Rise kulashekaran pandyan.rise now as the lion you are.rise now as a mighty warrior."

The fire erupted like an orange ball on the mountain and it entered kulashekaran pandyan and he rose.He rose steadily,strongly and mightily as the mountain he was.gone was the effects of paralysis and he rose crippled no more.The weakness fell away and a mighty strength surged and roared through his body and mind and he stood stunned and moved and then both hugged each other.

Kulashekaran pandyan realised who azhagan was or what he was and how it was all possible and they stood in the blazing fire father and son,king and king,warrior and warrior and both roared in triumph and ready for battle.

Far below appanar iyya stood sketching the amazing moments of light and redemption.They would travel centuries and one day come and find a home in the house of sadashivam.


Darkness returned and azhagan returned to where malar sat waiting for him.She sat quietly and azhagan watched her for many minutes before he made his presence felt.she stood up hurriedly and rushed to him.

" I could see the lights from here and i knew then that you were safe.It is only when you are in the dark that i worry for your safety."

Azhagan smiled gently and stared deep into her eyes and whispered " i love you."

Malar blushed and felt as if her knees were going to give out and she felt that her racing heart would jump out of its ribcage.

" okay,okay i too love you.it is pretty late and maybe it will be better if you sleep and rest for a while."

Azhagan shook his head " no sleep."

Malar " what do you mean no sleep."

" i mean no sleep for i want to spend the rest of the night making love to you."

Malar blushed red and she whispered " stop these games for i might just drop in a faint."

Azhagan kissed her deeply and malar melted in his arms.he kissed her ears,trailing his lips down her throat and malar moaned in pleasure and soon both sank into the ground and into each other.


Far away in madurai,deep in the halls of the palace,thenmozhi's eyes opened for she felt him in her soul and she knew that another woman had his love and now possessed him totally.She wanted to scream her anger and betrayal and struggling with her full womb she went towards the balcony and the tears came.

" you were the light,you were the sun and you left me in the dark.now i will bring darkness to you and to those who love you and stand by you.death to all of you."

She wrote quickly and in detail and off went the sealed message towards the coming king of cholas from gangai konda cholapuram.

The stage was set,the actors have chosen their roles and the drama begins.

"Theatres are curious places, magician's trick-boxes where the golden memories of dramtic triumphs linger like nostalgic ghosts, and where the unexplainable, the fantastic, the tragic, the comic and the absurd are routine occurences on and off the stage. Murders, mayhem, politcal intrigue, lucrative business, secret assignations, and of course, dinner." E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly

Chapter 98

It's so dark right now, I can't see any light around me.That's because the light is coming from you. You can't see it but everyone else can." Lang Leav, Love & Misadventure


Many times i have passed this huge tree,really huge tree and stood under it,feeling its shade,feeling it pulse and just enjoying the green of its roof.Tiny me under its immense height i have strained my neck and whisper questions to it,asking what it eats and drinks to put on so much height and weight.Many a time the tree snores and slumbers but sometimes it drops a few twigs on my head or leaves into my tee.I used to shrug my shoulders and walk away thinking if it only could talk,then maybe i coul have learnt its secrets.

One day i saw it bare,naked without its green clothes and i felt sad for it and looked on as its leaves were carried away,rolling,spinning,floating in a gust of wind.The trunk was too wide for me to throw my arms around it and console it.so i sat next to it on a huge root sticking up from the ground.It was a whisper,a small vibration and it sang " my leaves brown,dried and gone with the wind but i will bear new ones soon.such is life and all our lives for each and everyone is like the leaf,green today and dried and gone tomorrow.When green,my leaves sheltered you and other lives in its shade and when dried and dead they roll,float without any purpose and finally find themselves swept into the garbage bin.Purpose done and gone with the wind.so,what is your purpose or are you already dried up and dead."



Eyes of spies who spied like mice


Rajendra cholan had sent three teams of three spies in each and he had sent them days before he started his march towards the pandyan kingdom.They were placed there in advance to notify him and inform him of all that was happening and most importantly the coming of azhagan.The crippled and old king posed no threat to him and hence he did not bother to factor him into his plans but he was now in sight of the pandyan kingdom and just as he had been preparing to fall asleep,word had been brought that all the spies had returned and they wanted to see him immediately.

Rajendara cholan splashed soem cold water on his face from the silver bowl and wiping his face with a soft cloth marched out into the counsel tent where his generals and advisors had gathered.

He stood in the center facing the nine spies and was surprised to see them nervous and scared as if they had seen a ghost.

He nodded to the leader " all of you were supposed to be patrolling the pandya kingdom and most importantly watching perumalvaram and azhagan.But all of you have come back against my orders and i hope you have a valid reason for it for if not then there will be no valid reason for you to breathe anymore."

The leader of the spies trembled in fear and then fell to his feet " mercy my great king.have mercy on us.we would never disobey your command even if it meant losing limb or life.but the situation was very different and one which we have never faced before and if we had remained then all of us would have been slaughtered and you would have never known what you were facing.that is why we abandoned our work and posts and rushed to see you."

Rajendra cholan growled in anger " what are you blabbering about you idiot.come now and tell me everything in great detail of what took place.Has azhagan gathered a huge army.has maravarman pandyan forged secret alliances with small kingdoms around him and in cheranaadu.tell me and leave no detail,small or insignificant."


The spy looked at him " they have come my lord and they have been gathering in great numbers."

Rajendra cholan " what do you mean they have come.who has come."


The leader of the spy team " lions,huge lions led by one which is so huge and black maned that even looking at him makes our stomach go queasy."

Another spy squeaked " my lord,not only lions but huge tigers and leopards.and they are all walking into perumalavaram together.They are forming a barrier between perumalvaram and the outside world.And what is remarkable is that the minute azhagan entered the boundary of perumalvaram the forest seems to have grown thicker and darker and it took us three days to get out."

Another spy from the team,eyes wide open whispered " lights my king,lights so bright that it looked like the sun had risen in the night at the command of azhagan."


Rajendra cholan was confused and did not know what to make of it and he turned to his generals and advisors and asked them to sit with the spies and learn everything of what they had witnessed in perumalvaram.He asked everybody to leave him but requested his most trusted minister Arulchothi to stay behind.He had served his father Kulothunga cholan and if he could trust anybody it would be him.

Rajendra cholan raised an eyebrow and smiled " what nonsense,lions,tigers and leopards together.they must have taken some intoxicating drug or drink in the forest and in that state must have dreamnt all these wild ideas."

Arulchothi " true.it must be so.but what if it turns out that what they saw was real.then what do you and all of us do."

A voice from outside the tent gently whispered that there was a messenger from maduari.

rajendra cholan asked him to be sent in and the messenger came in and bowed in respect.

" My king rajendra cholan,i have been sent by our queen Thenmozhi to deliver a message personally to you.This is not known to even the king for i am her trusted and sworn aide."

Rajendra cholan asked the messenger to place the message on the table and wait outside for his reply.

He asked for the physician to be sent to his tent immediately.

The physician came into the tent with a few birds in a cage and taking the message slowly unwrapped it and placed it inside the cage.

After a few minutes he turned to rajendra cholan " my king,it seems to be clean and there is no poison involved for if it had been so then the birds would have raised a cry and fallen dead.it is safe to read."

After the physician had left,Rajendra cholan unwrapped the message and started reading it and his body stiffened and a huge smile shone on his face " at last,finally a weapon we can use.now i have him and he will have no choice but fight and fight to death it will be."

He called loudly for the chief of his personal guard and when the man came in " request all the brothers of moorkan to come and see me immediately.The time for revenge is here and they and me can finally taste victory."



Far away in the forest,on the cloth that had wrapped the body of malar,both she and azhagan lay looking at the stars.

Azhagan smiled and malar placed her head on his chest and asked him what was so funny.

He smiled and shook his head " men and their plans.so many lives will be lost and all that just to satify the cravings of a few whose souls lie in the dark and they have been led astray by evil and vengeance."

He rolled her and cradled her in his arms and looked at the stars and his mind sang to the one,the one true source " I am azhagan.I am the son of avini.I have never prayed to you for anything but for peace and happiness for all lives.I have never wished anything for myself.but now i ask you,protect the innocents,protect my loved ones,keep them safe,those that stand by me for they stand in the light and out of love.if it is my life they want then i will gladly give it away but protect the weak and innocent."

Deep inside his soul the voice whispered " listen to your heart for it has never led you astray.listen to your soul for it is just and fair.That is the test of all tests and one you cannot cheat in or pass by any other means.listen to your soul for it will guide you and those that follow you."


Azhagan looked at malar and smiled " it will be all right.soon everything will be all right and there will be peace for now."

He kissed her forehead gently and the night started to slip into early dawn.

"You were you,
and I was I;
we were two
before our time.

I was yours
before I knew,
and you have always
been mine too."

Lang Leav, Love & Misadventure

Chapter 99

"No one person is the cause for or consequence of all that happens. I am just the tenth man, the threshold, the turn in the tide. I stand here on the shoulders of humanity, a mere instrument of Time.
- Govinda Shauri"? Krishna Udayasankar, Kurukshetra


one day,long ago

She could not see him but she felt him in her soul and her soul full of love for him guided her to him.He stood at the edge of the forest and hearing her he turned and took her arm and both stood staring,sensing the darkness of the forest.

Avini whispered " azhaga,what is it.why are you so still ?"

Azhagan now three looked up at her " i sense fear.the forest is full of fear."

Avini could not make sense of her son's words and asked him to explain and make her understand.

Azhagan smiled " mother,the fear i was talking about is not in my heart but in the forest.the forest and all that make their home in its womb feel greatly threatened by my presence.I do not know why that is for it make me angry and upset that they should feel that way."

Avini gently touched his head and kissed it and hugged him gently " my son,when one does not understand another and is confused about the situation and has no way to go,then they lash out for they feel threatened and feel the urge to fight and kill.Many have done this and felt miserable later when they realised that they hurt and ruined was innocent.It takes time,patience,tolerance and understanding to be understood.So just be who you are and let time flow with love and understanding."

Azhagan toddled bravely into the forest and the light entered the darkness that seemed to cover it.

The silence was deafening and avini wondered if she had made a mistake in letting azhagan wander away but soon the squeals of joy from his tender body told her that all was well.The comforting growling sounds of his lion which was close by reminded her that azhagan was safe and nothing could harm him.

He came rushing back screaming " mother,mother they have become my friends.They are not scared of me anymore.I asked them why they were nervous and fearful of me in the beginning and they said it was because of the power that i wield and that the power was too close to the source and not familiar to them."

Avini lifted him and hugged him tightly " azhaga.promise me that you will never,ever misuse your power and strength.Promise me that you will weigh the situation and only when the weak and innocent are threatened you will make use of the gifts that have been given to you."

Azhagan chcukled " i promise mother.But promise me that you will never leave my side.Never,ever leave my side."

Avini smiled and both held each other tightly.


Today-war counsel-part one


The sun rose as it has risen from the time it was born in a blaze of nuclear reaction nearly 4.5 billion years ago.The gas clouds of hydrogen that lay spread in interstellar space over the length of a few light years started falling into one point at some moment millions of years before the birth of the sun and falling,falling and until the point when all that friction and gravity worked their magic and temperatures reached 15 to 20 million degrees and the sun our star came to life.In the moment of its birth,the new sun squealed and everything around it was scattered and many million years later they came together as our planets.

93,000,000 miles (150 million kilometers) away and yet the sun reaches out to touch us in 8.4 minutes and it reached out and touched Azhagan as he set on top of the mountain.Word had been sent and spread that he wanted to talk to everybody before war came upon them.For many who were still in the dark this brought back memories of the night when assasins had invaded the village and dozens included,avini had been brutally killed.But they knew that with azhagan back with them,they had nothing to worry about.

Azhagan closed his eyes as the sun's rays lit up his skin and he whispered " mother,i love you.I promised you that i would never misuse my power.But the time is coming when my work will be done and i must go to never return.One last fight for the power of right.One last struggle for light and i hope to see you soon."

He felt his mother's gentle touch as she ruffled his wild unruly hair and kissed his head.But the touch was too real and he knew it was her,malar.

Malar sat next to him and both stared at the rising sun over the mountains and forests.

She took his hand and kissing it " Is it going to be all right.will we all live in peace.something tells me that this uneasy calm is an illusion before the storm of war hits us."

Azhagan shook his head " no,i am the calm and i am the storm.I will not be misled or lulled into throwing caution to the winds.not any more.not after seeing the death of my mother,buddha and many of my villagers who were equal to my mother.This time i will be prepared for everything and anything that the enemy throws at us.this time i am prepared and will be ready.Heaven or hell.it will be for them to choose."

They looked down and saw that people from the village,people who had come from the chola kingdom to be with azhagan,the old king and queen,appanar iyya were slowly making their way up towards them.

But then from the forest which lay to the right of the small hill came bounding up a huge lion and everyone froze in fear although they knw it meant no harm to them.

Azhagan with a huge smile stood up and then went to his knees as the lion threw itself on him and both hugged and rolled in love and laughter.The lion sat with a huge smile on his face and azhagan smiled and put his head against the huge maned head of the lion and whispered " i feel you buddha.i feel your mighty spirit in your son and i will not let any harm come to him."

Everyone stood in silence and in awe as they saw the lion and the mighty warrior together and tears filled everyone's eyes.

I have been called many names.Pakalon,Maasilan,Kathiravan,Meykandan,Koman,Nikaran.But the name Azhagan is dear to me for that was the name she gave me even when i was just a month old and it was with that name she called me and it was that name she whispered as she went away from me.

Chapter 100

The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience,but where the stand in times of challenge and controversy.-Martin Luther King, Jr.


A king is crowned in Perumalvaram


Azhagan stood up and malar stood by his right and the huge lion stood by his left.There was absolute silence on top of the mountain and the people stood for their favourite son to speak.

Azhagan closed his eyes and took a deep breath and then looked at everybody " The news that rajendra cholan is advancing on us must have reached all of you.But there is nothing for you all to worry about.The chola king comes for me and i will face him and settle the grievances he has with me.But not many will be aware that our own king and queen,maravarman pandyan and thenmozhi are also coming with their huge army and soon all of us will be in the center of their combined attention.I know times have been tense the past one year and i beg all of you to forgive me for i think i am the root cause for all that has taken place."

The priests widow " no,child.all that you have done is in the name of good and all that is just.The death of your mother,my husband and many of our villagers is due to the evil that lurks in others who feel threatened and insecure because of you and the love you have for us and this land.Their hunger for power,their anger against us will never end unless you and all of us join together and end it.So we are with you,whatever you decide and we will follow where ever you go."

Azhagan raised his hand " thank you,thank you for the trust in me.But i think you will be happy to know that someone more capable will lead you not just in this struggle but will guide you wisely for some time to come."

Many voices of disappointment were heard but since it was azhagan who was speaking they soon died down and all eyes and hearts waited to see who azhagan was referring to.

Azhagan turned towards Kulashekaran pandyan and gently took his right hand and raised it " I give you,your new leader,i give you a man whose soul is purer than a newborn,a man who is mightier than a lion and lastly one who is my father and who will be your father from now on.I give you our king,Kulashekaran pandyan."

A huge roar ripped through the air and everyone agreed that it was a wise decision by azhagan for their old king would be their new guide and leader.

Kulashekaran pandyan was stunned and was lost for words.But he was not the old king of before for a new light and life flowed in his body.A new understanding and awakening sparked in his mind and soul.That new light realised that azhagan was doing all this for a particular reason and so he humbly accepted the honor bestowed upon him and accepted it more as a responsibility to all the people who were gathered there.

Kulashekaran pandyan bowed his head to everyone " i was a king once and i lived in a great palace.I slept on silk and bathed in perfumed water.There were hundreds at my beck and call.I thought that was happiness and i thought that was life.But i know now and i realise now that it was all an illusion.i feel more like a king today with you honoring me as your guide and leader than all the years that i spent ruling you from the capital.I will be your leader in name only but in reality i will be your family and i hope you all accept me as one."

The people were moved by the great kings words and they thronged to touch his feet and get his blessings.

The sound of trumpets rudely tore through the love and peace that pulsed on the mountaintop and everyone turned to see that a few chola soldiers stood at the bottom waiting to deliver a message.

Azhagan asked everybody to wait including kulashekaran and alone he went down to greet the messengers of rajendra cholan.

One man handed over a sealed parchment and without a word azhagan took it and breaking the seal unrolled the message and read it.

He looked at the messenger with a smile and nodded "please inform your king that i will meet him tomorrow at the place he has chosen."

Azhagan stood watching them leave and then quickly ran up the hill and joined everybody.

He looked at kulashekaran pandyan and everybody " tomorrow morning our king,malar and me along with a few others will go to meet rajendra cholan and i do not want anybody involved in this.I repeat i do not want anyone there but the people i have mentioned.Go ahead with your normal daily routine and please do not try to venture into the forest to cross over to the place where we will be going.For from today evening until i say otherwise no one will be able to leave or no one from outside will be able to enter this land."


Everyone who were gathered there including kulashekaran pandyan wondered and worried what was going to take place and how so few would be able to take on the might of the chola army.

The day passed quickly and as evening set in azhagan with the lion entered and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

they came as always,the many lights and they stood before azhagan.

Azhagan looked at them " soon,i will be ready to leave.soon the time will come to keep your promise made to me and this village.But for my life,if even a single drop of blood of those who are under my protection should be spilt,then let it be understood that our bond and promise has been broken.they who spilt it will first answer for it and then all of you will answer for it.I have placed the security of this village in your hands,so guard it with great care."

The leader,the father smiled and nodded " child,son,our king it will be so and it will be done as you have commanded."



"In tragedy and despair, when an endless night seems to have fallen, hope can be found in the realization that the companion of night is not another night, that the companion of night is day, that darkness always gives way to light, and that death rules only half of creation, life the other half." Dean Koontz, Lightning

Wow.. Chapter 100.. Congratulations Satish.. 🥳

Thanks to all of you who have patiently and faithfully read what i write,rather scribble and pass off as stories.More power and love to all of you who have made this story possible.Be well.

Chapter 101

The mountains were splendid. But Wu Tang didn't care a whit for scenery. He and his son spent a lot of time hunting in these mountains. Wu Tang was a dead shot with his bow and arrow. He never missed. He was such a good shot that he barely had to aim. He just picked a target, pulled his bow, and shot it down. No animal was quick enough or agile enough to escape his arrows. Look, over there, a little fawn! A little fawn must be one of the most adorable animals in nature, but Wu Tang wasn't in the mountains to admire nature. As soon as he spotted it, he whipped an arrow out of his quiver and zoom! The fawn fell over dead. Then Wu noticed its mother a few feet away in the grass. He couldn't get a good shot at her from his angle, so he waited. She was terribly sad about her little baby! She let out a cry as she started licking her baby's wounds. Just as she was concentrating on that, Wu pulled off a quick shot and the mother deer died on the spot.

But that wasn't enough for Wu. He thought there might be more deer in the area, because he heard something rustling around in the grass. There was at least one more in there, maybe two. "Three deer is better than two," he thought, as he prepared. Then he located the source of the sound and shot at a shadow in the grass. He was proud to hear the sound of another dead body falling to the ground, but his pride turned to anguish when he heard a groan! Deer don't groan like that! That was a human voice! Wu rushed over and saw that his third shot had killed not a deer, but his own son, who had come out hunting with him!

Wu was stupefied. He seemed to hear a voice telling him, "Wu Tang! Now do you now what it is like to see your baby shot to death with an arrow? Animals love their young as much as you do. How much anguish have you caused animal parents!" Wu stood there, numb, too heartbroken to pay attention to a sound that came from the side. Then in a flash he realized that the other animal he had heard in the grass was not a deer, but a tiger! But he was too late ...


It begins today,It begins now


All through the night,the new life in her womb kept kicking and kept Thenmozhi awake.A sense of dread began to fill her heart and yet her soul raged with the memory of betrayal,her love for Azhagan and the thirst for vengeance.At dawn,maravarman found her sitting by herself staring in the direction of the east lost in her thoughts.

Maravarman could read her thoughts and he knew that facing azhagan again was going to be very hard on her pregnant body and as to the state of her mind,that he was really worried about.

Maravarman sat by her side " thenmozhi,my beautiful queen.You do not have to come to the battle field.I can handle things by myself.so stay here and take care of yourself."

Thenmozhi shook her head " no,i have waited this long for this part of my story to end and i will see it through.Pain is something which i can bear when i have borne enough in my body and soul."

Maravarman pandyan " we are here assembled with our own army and i am now wondering what the whole fuss is about.We both know Rajendra cholan is here for Azhagan and his total focus is on him only.Since we are still under the rule of the chola kingdom,maybe we will just ride out with a few hundred men and welcome the king to our lands and see what exactly he has in mind when it comes to us and our people."

Thenmozhi nodded " yes,but not even a few hundred,just a dozen will do for it should not appear as if we are attacking him or posing a threat in any way.Let a few of the soldiers carry our war trumpets so that in case we face any threat then our men can be warned and can rush to our rescue.But i doubt if the mighty chola king will attack a king and his pregnant queen who come unharmed and with a few soldiers."



Rajendra cholan stood with his massive arms by his side as his personal aides prepared him for battle.The shiny gold plated armour covered his huge chest and gold plated sheaths covered his arms with openings for the elbows so he could have free,uninhibited use of his arms.Gold plated armor with leather on the inside yet flexible enough were wrapped around his legs and calves.

Rajendra cholan looked at himself in the mirror and then reached for his sword and twirled it around and whispered " loosen the knots on the right arm a bit for i am not able to swing my arm properly."

The aides hurriedly loosened and stepped back for his approval.The king nodded and thought " It ends today.On this day i will regain all that i lost and win back my pride and power for me and my kingdom."

He strode mightily and jumped on to his horse and looked at all the generals " is everyone ready."

The generals nodded " all of us are ready and so are moorkans family."

One of the generals yelled out a name and they came,giants four of them,three brothers and the son of the late moorkan.Each one of them was seven feet tall and weighed nearly 300 kilos each and no man in his right senses would think of taking one of them,let alone all of them.

Rajendra cholan stared at all of them " are you ready to take revenge and regain your family honor.Are you ready to fight for me and our kingdom."

All four of the giants roared " yes.by the time we are through,azhagan will be broken and ready for you to plunge your sword in his chest."

They marched out king and army,villain and his henchman as they have been marching out throughout history.


From the east came King maravarman pandyan and from the west came marching the mighty army of king rajendra cholan.They marched to the dried up lake bed and in the center stood one solitary figure,dressed in a white and leaning casually on a thick stick.he stood with his eyes cast down and the gentle breeze lifted his unruly soft hair in its invisible arms and they streamed like creepers behind him.


The passing of the armies kicked up a huge dust clouds and the ground shook and vibrated as the feet of humans,the feet of horses,the feet of elephants made their way towards Azhagan.

Rajendra cholan raised his hand and the whole army came to a halt.He looked at azhagan who stood alone nearly a kilometer away and turned to his generals " is he really alone.where is this group of people who are his close friends,most importantly where is the woman who has been with him the past few weeks."

One general spoke " my king,our spies have kept watch in all three directions but for the direction of the south which is the forest behind azhagan's back.That area is now impenetrable for wild lions,tigers and leopards have assembled in huge numbers there.If any help should come,then it will come from that direction.But with our army here it will not matter."

The group of King maravarman pandyan,thenmozhi and a dozen soldiers arrived and faced Rajendra cholan.Both kings jumped down from their horses and met face to face as was the custom.

Maravarman pandyan bowed to rajendra cholan " mighty king,welcome to the land of the pandyas.Let your coming bring more peace and prosperity to our kingdoms."

Rajendra cholan smiled and bowed " yes,let there be more peace between us.but that will be only when that man is dead and his remains scattered to the winds.Tell me maravraman,do you have any problem with that."

Maravarman pandyan sighed in sadness and quietly shook his head " no my king,i have no problem with that.I am here merely to welcome you to our lands and to invite you as our guest to the palace for it will be a great honor bestowed on us by you if you so accept."

Rajendra cholan commanded his army to stay behind and asked only moorkans family of giants and a few of his generals to follow him.He asked maravarman pandyan and thenmozhi to follow them and together all of them rode towards the solitary figure of Azhagan.

He stood still and then slowly looked up and calmly took in everyone and everything around him.He threw his senses and like a radar they scanned every nook and cranny for a distance of ten kilometers.

Azhagan whispered and his voice was heard by everyone of his friends.From lions to tiger to leopards to malar to kulashekaran pandyan to thinnan and his tribal warriors and lastly and most importantly to the lights that hid the spirits of the forest.Azhagan's voice whispered for them to be patient and to move only when he asked them to move.Without even realising that they had just communicated with him they spoke to him through their minds and then all of them surprised turned and looked at each other,wondering if they had all done the same thing which was talking to azhagan.


Azhagan stood with the stick held in his right hand and his left arm hung loose.The markings glowed orange and for the first time in his life azhagan looked down at his left forearm and saw the markings and realised what they were and why they were.He closed his eyes and everything flooded back to him.Who he was,what race he belonged to and why he was so valued and why the prophecy spoke about him.

In the forest the king felt the aura of azhagan and tears of joy poured down his cheeks " at last,he rises.the prophecy is true,he is the true king who we have been waiting for.at last he believes who he really is.Rise now,rise now and take your place among the stars."

Azhagan closed his eyes and he whispered to his old master " master,bless me for i am here facing heaven and hell.for here i stand alone facing love and death.Bless me master and guide me through this hurdle."

The old mans feeble voice whispered " you are ready.you were ready from the time you were born with those markings.So rise now and face the challenge."

Azhagan bowed and then looked up and stood waiting boldly.Gone were his doubts,gone were his misgivings about what to do and what not to do.He was ready for them and he hoped for their sakes that they were ready for him.

"Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirva Bhavathi Bharatha,
Abhyuthanam Adharmaysya Tadatmanam Srijami Aham'.
Praritranaya SadhunamVinashaya Cha Dushkritam
Dharamasamsthapnaarthaya Sambhavami Yuge-Yuge."

"Whenever there is decay of righteousness O! Bharatha
And a rise of unrighteousness then I manifest Myself!"
"For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and
for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age."

Chapter 102


"Ask him why there are hypocrites in the world.'
'Because it is hard to bear the happiness of others.'
'When are we happy?'
'When we desire nothing and realize that possession is only momentary, and so are forever playing.'
'What is regret?'
'To realize that one has spent one's life worrying about the future.'
'What is sorrow?'
'To long for the past.'
'What is the highest pleasure?'
'To hear a good story." ? Vikram Chandra, Red Earth and Pouring Rain


Many many years ago,many chapters ago

I am avini,daughter of ponni and nannan.I was alone in my blindness and i was alone in my soul.But the spirits of the forest have breathed their elements into me and now the light has pierced my soul and filled my womb.I am the light because of the light in me that has been given to me.I am beautiful because of the light and the soul that twinkles its heart every second and my heart beats with its beat.

Avini lived in her own world and in her own light and she knew that her child would come in to this world during the months of rain or just after it.Slowly but steadily a fear gripped her as the truth and reality hit home and she began to wonder how she was going to look after herself and her baby.Both her parents were gone and death had also taken away the kind hearted Pattamma who had been her mother-in-law.

The night brought a strange dream for her best friend Appanar iyya came in it and whispered words of strength.In the dream,they both walked and he pointed to a mountain and strange lights that were descending on top of it and " the gods are coming my child and they are coming to protect you.They and i will be there next to you,every step and you will never be alone.If the need arises,call for the voice and they will surely come and all will be well.I am in the forest and i am the forest and everything will be fine."

Avini woke up from her sleep and she felt the tears on her face and wondered if she had been dreaming and she reached out to feel the softness of gayatri next to her.Slowly she sat up and placing her hands around gayatri she hugged the cow and the night marched on over perumalpuram and in the darkness and in the shadows they stood guard,spirits of the forest and the lion who prowled the boundaries in secret,keeping any eye on the light and the life.

Forces of war were gathering in madurai and in the palace,standing in a balcony overlooking the vaigai river, the pandyan king kulasekaran looked at nikantan,his minister " how much longer and how much more of this slavery do the pandyans have to suffer under the cholas.Havent we waited enough and how much longer do we have to wait for the signs.'

Nikantan calmly " lord,the signs are here but the wait will be for a while longer.Maybe a few more years for the signs are a bit confusing."

Kulasekaran stared at nikantan and then turned to one the guards and ordered him to go bring him his personal astrologer, Sahasranamam iyengar .

Sahasranamam the official astrologer and also the chief priest of the temple came in and after bowing to the king asked him how he could be of help.

Kulasekraran asked him to read the stars and see if it was time to begin preparations for a war against the cholas and to fight to get back their freedom.

Sahasranamam sat down and after placing the charts,closed his eyes and meditated for a while and then opening them looked at the king with a puzzled expression.Kulasekaran asked him to be frank and open with his findings and waited while sahasranamam went about writing a few things down.

The astrologer looked up and said " my king,my lord.although i have been in this field for a very long time,and my father and my forefathers have been in your service for a long long time,even i am confused by these signs.Yes,our clan of pandyas will eventually triumph and inflict a huge defeat on the cholas but it will not be under you,but someone close to you.and even that victory will come from an outside force,a force from the heavens".


Right now,right at this moment

Kulashekaran pandyan felt the words in his whole body as his memory flooded back with those prophetic words of the palace astrologer " yes,it is true.he is a force,a force that has come down from the heavens.It is all coming true.Today is the day that i free my people,today is the day that the pandyans will rise and strike a blow and get redemption."

Kulashekaran turned to malar " child,it is him.the saviour of the pandyas.I am thankful and greatful to the almighty for giving me the strength and courage to be here and to be part of this legend which is unfolding before my very eyes.I wish he would ask us to be next to him.oh,i wish he would give the sign for us to stand together,rubbing shoulders and even die together.What a glorious death that would be.my blood running as a stream on this sacred land."

The emotions were like a huge storm in kulashekarans chest and centuries of slavery under the cholas finally opened like a dam and tears of joy mixed with tears of anger and sorrow all flowed in one moment.

Malar whispered " patience mighty king.Please be patient.He has planned for all moves that could be made by the enemies and has prepared for all eventualities.Yet he strives for peace and he is going to try to resolve this problem without the need for a huge war which will lead to unnecessary bloodshed and loss of limbs and lives."



Azhagan looked up and face rajendra cholan as he rode up and came to a halt before him.Azhagan looked at him without any emotion and turned to face maravarman pandyan and thenmozhi as they halted before him.

Azhagan immediately went to his knees and bowed humbly " my king,my queen,my salutations to both of you."

Rajendra cholan laughed loudly " you bow to my vassal.you greet a king who is under my rule and yet you do not pay me respect."

Azhagan looked at rajendra cholan " I bow to king,queen and all men alike.But you are neither man nor king."

Rajendra cholan bristled with anger " here i stand in front of you with his huge army behind me.here i stand with this mighty crown on my head and yet you say i am neither king nor man.we will soon see about that after you have met the people who have come to play with you."

Rajendra cholan nodded and the general blew a trumpet and the giants came running towards them.For everyone who stood there they appeared as if a small mountain range was moving rapidly towards them.

They came with bodies as big as elephants,arms as big as legs,legs as big as tree trunks.they came running with the fire of vengeance in their souls.

Rajendra cholan smiled at azhagan " i was not there when you killed moorkan so i am not sure what magic you used.but i am here now and i am eager to see how you are going to defeat these giants and what magic you are going to use to do that."

Azhagan shrugged " no magic.just me.but then again my mother kept whispering that i was magic.so i am not sure what magic you are referring to.But you can surely stay and watch what happens.maybe then we can talk and come to an agreement."

Rajendra cholan " agreement.yes,we will surely come to an agreement after you are dead.But until then there will be no talk about solutions or any other such nonsense."

Azhagan closed his eyes and whispered and it was heard by those who were waiting for his signal.

From the forest on two horses came riding kulashekaran pandyan and malar and slightly to the right of the forest came a group of people.They were the ministers who had served under kulothungan cholan and they were the people who had carried his body to perumalvaram for azhagan to do the final funeral rites.


All of azhagan's people stood in a small semi circle around him and seeing them sent a wave of fear,guilt and shock in three of them.

Rajendra cholan saw all the ministers from his fathers time for most of them were his masters in all crafts and had served as personal advisors to his father.

Maravarman pandyan recoiled in fear when he saw his brother and the old king jump down from his horse like a young man and take position on azhagan's left side.

Thenmozhi took one glance and knew who the woman was.the hatred that welled in her soul was equal to the Halahala that was thrown up when the oceans were churned by the gods and demons who searched for nectar.

Malar looked at thenmozhi and smiled and bowed humbly and knew who she was.

Thenmozhi looked at malar and felt a bolt of lightning hit her soul for she saw the glow of orange in malar's stomach and knew it was a boy,the child of azhagan.

Her brain worked overtime and gears shifted as she raced through plan after plan to eliminate malar and her child.Thenmozhi knew that the tribal woman was unaware of what changes were happening in her body.so it must be just days old,this new life in her body.

" well,then she will die without knowing she is carrying a new life.that is the least i can do in a way fo showing mercy."

Thenmozhi prepared for the moment when she would let loose an arrow that would hit the tribal woman's heart and that would be sweet revenge indeed.She knew that azhagan could not be defeated in single combat,no matter how many people or giants were sent against him.But it would weaken him and then probably he could be killed and then their army could be called in and maybe maravarman could finish of the rest of the cholas who would be without their king.

Azhagan whispered and thenmozhi heard him in his mind " why,why do you plot thus.so much evil,where does it come from all this hatred.your anger is against me and not malar or anyone else.so if it is my life you want then take it.i gladly and willingly give it to you."

Thenmozhi shuddered in fear and quivered in anger and turned her face away and whispered " it is because i love you.all this evil comes from my love and need for you.if i cannot have you then nobody will.if you cannot be my side then there is no point in you still being alive."

Rajendra cholan's taunts brought azhagan back from thenmozhi and shaking his head in disappointment and also angered by the knowledge of what all thenmozhi had plotted the minute she had seen malar seemed to give a new sense of purpose to do what lay ahead.Azhagan had come prepared for rajendra cholan but nothing in this world had prepared him for the darkness that he saw in thenmozhis soul.He felt sad that things had come to such a state.But thenmozhi and her plans would have to wait for rajendara cholan had to be dealt first.

Maravarman pandyan was in an absolute state of confusion and panic and yet loyalty and love won the battle and slowly he got down from his horse and fell to his knees and bowed in respect " my lord,my king,my brother and my father i salute you."

Kulashekaran pandyan acknowledged maravarman " there seems to be hope for this land when a king and brother recognises the past and his ancestors.Rise now maravarman and be the king i groomed you to be.Rise now and become the king that i and the people who look up to thought you would become."

Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.------Michael Morpurgo

A young boy who had just gotten his driving permit asked his father if he could use the family car.

The father said he could use the car if he studied his Bible diligently and got his hair cut.

For a week the boy studied his Bible, but didn't get his hair cut.

"I'm glad to see you studying your Bible," the father said, "but why didn't you get your hair cut?"

"Well, Dad," the boy replied, "Samson had long hair. Moses had long hair. Noah had long hair. And even Jesus had long hair."

"Indeed they did," the father answered, "and I'm glad you want to use them as your role models because they walked everywhere they went."