"...it is dangerous to make you laugh, Ammani. When the flower blossoms the bee is mesmerised."
<p align=center>Sumeetha's Retelling of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan

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They heard the sounds of gongs and conches and the sound of the fort doors opening. Nandini, who was much distracted by the noise, listened intently. Her maid came running inside the mandapam saying, "Amma! The Lord has come!"

"I know. You go back to your place."

She turned to Vandiya Devan and said, "Periya Pazhuvetar has returned to the fort. After meeting the king and his brother, he will come straight here. You must leave before he reaches here. Give me Azhvarkadiyan's message."

"Ammani! That Veera Vaishnavaite claimed that you were his sister. Is that right?"

"Why do you doubt it?"

"Would you believe it if I were to tell you that a parrot and a monkey were born to the same mother?"

Nandini laughed and said, "In a way he is right. We grew up in the same family, in the same house. He took care of me like my own brother. He must be very disappointed in me now."

"In that case, let me give you his message. 'Dear Sister, Lord Krishna is waiting for you. Come with me and let's live the rest of our lives reciting his name.'"

Nandini sighed deeply and said, "I am surprised that he has still not given up on me. Please give him this message when you meet him next. Ask him to forget me completely. I am not worthy to even think about Aandal, leave alone become like her."

"I will not accept that, Devi."

"What will you not accept?"

"That you cannot try to be like Aandal. She had to compose songs and cry day and night for Lord Krishna before he appeared before her and married her. But you don't have to do anything of that sort. As soon as Krishna sees you, he will forget Radha, Rukmini, Satyabhama and all his other wives and come after you."

"You know how to flatter people."

"What is flattery?"

"When you praise somebody sky high right to their face, it is called flattery."

"In that case, please turn and sit with your back facing me."

"Why?"

"I won't praise you to your face. But I will praise you to your back!"

"You are very clever."

"Now it is you who is flattering me."

"Then you can also turn your back to me."

"Devi, neither in the warfront nor with women will I ever show my back. You can flatter me sky high right to my face."

Nandini let out a peel of laughter. "You are really a mandiravadi. It's been a long time since I have laughed like this."

"But it is dangerous to make you laugh, Ammani. When the flower blossoms the bee is mesmerised."

"You are not only a mandiravadi but also a kavi.

"Yes, I do sing some poems, but only in the battlefield. My poems are deadly - they can kill - that's why."

"My dear poet, you haven't told me what your name is."

"My original name is Vandiya Devan and my title is Vallavareyan."

"Oh! You are of royal birth, are you?"

"Yes, I was born in the old Vanar clan."

"And your kingdom..."

"The entire earth is under my possession now."

Nandini looked him up and down and said thoughtfully, "Nothing is impossible. If you wish you can regain your kingdom."

"How is that possible? My kingdom was annexed by the Cholas."

"I can recover it for you."

"Ammani, thank you but no. What little wish I had to have a kingdom of my own has gone ever since I met King Sundara Chola. It is not worth having a kingdom of my own if I have to depend on other people to rule it. Instead I prefer to be a free bird with no limits to where I could fly."

"I think the same too," said Nandini and then asked, "Why are Chinna Pazhuvetar's soldiers searching for you?"

"Just like your maid, they are suspicious too."

"About what?"

"They want to know where I got the palm tree signet ring from."

A mask of fear spread over Nandini's face. She immediately asked, "Where is the ring?"

"I have it here, Devi. I wouldn't lose it for anything," he said and showed it to her.

"How did they know that you have this ring?"

"I had always wanted to meet King Sundara Chola. So I used the ring to fulfill my wish. After meeting the king, Chinna Pazhuvetar asked me where I got the ring from."

"And what did you say?"

"I didn't tell him your name, Ammani. I told him that Periya Pazhuvetar gave it to me in Kadambur."

"Did he believe you?"

"I don't think he believed me completely. That's why he had sent his men to follow me. He probably wanted to find out more about me before his brother returns to the fort."

"You don't have to worry about Periya Pazhuvetar. I will see to it that he does you no harm."

"Ammani, I know the influence you have over Periya Pazhuvetar, but I have some very important task that I have to attend to. If you can please help me escape from the fort I will be grateful."

"What other important work do you have?"

"I have a lot of work to do. For example, I have to meet Azhvarkadiyan and give him your message. What shall I tell him?"

"Ask him to forget that he ever had a sister called Nandini."

"Not a problem telling him, but I don't think it is an easy thing to do."

"What?"

"To forget you. When a person like me who has met you only twice won't be able to forget you, how can Azhvarkadiyan forget you?"

Nandini's face flushed with the joy of admiration. She asked, "Why were you so eager to meet the king?"

"Who wouldn't want to meet the king? Ever since I was a little boy I have heard how handsome he is and about all his famous deeds."

"Yes, the king is indeed very proud of his beauty. But his daughter is prouder than him."

"Daughter? Whom are you talking about?"

"Who else but that vain Princess Kundavai?"

Vandiya Devan thought to himself, 'Vandiya Deva! You are lucky. Here is your chance to escape from her. Grab it fast!'

Nandini suddenly sat upright and said, "Ayya, I have something to tell you..."

"Yes, Ammani. Tell me."

"You and I can have an agreement. If you help me with something, I will help you escape from the fort."

"Ammani! You are the wife of the most powerful person in the Chola kingdom. And I am only a poor soldier. How can I be of any help to you?"

Wanting to know whether he really meant what he said, Nandini looked at him sharply. But Vandiya Devan stood looking at her resolutely.

"I need a trustworthy person who would do errands for me. If I get you a job in this palace, would you stay?"

"I have already agreed to do a similar job for another lady. If she says no, then I will come to you."

"Who is that?"

"You just now spoke of her very lovingly! Princess Kundavai."

"It's a lie! Lie! It can't be. You are joking."

"Devi, many people have already read this olai secretly. So I don't think there will be any problem if you read it too." Saying thus he took the olai that Aditya Karikalan had given for Kundavai.

Nandini took the olai and read it by the lamplight. After she finished, she looked up, her eyes flashing dangerously. Vandiya Devan was once again reminded of the dancing snake he had seen when he was young. It made him shiver.

Nandini gave the olai back to Vandiya Devan and said, "Ayya! Do you wish to leave this fort alive?"

"Yes. I need your help to do so, Amma."

"I can help you on one condition."

"What condition?"

"You must bring back the olai that Kundavai gives you in reply."

"That's a very dangerous condition."

"I thought you were a brave warrior who doesn't mind danger."

"I will undertake a dangerous mission, but only if the reward is worth it..."

"Reward? You will get a reward that you wouldn't have imagined in this life. You will get the prize that Periya Pazhuvetar has been wanting for years!" She then shot him an alluring glance.

Poor Vandiya Devan! His thoughts swirled before his brain issued one more warning: 'Don't lose your head.'

Thankfully for Vandiya Devan, a bat shouted from a tree nearby in the garden. It shouted not once, but twice and thrice!

Nandini, distracted by this, turned towards him and said, "The real mandiravadi has come. I don't need him anymore. Anyway I will have to talk to him and send him off. He might be able to help you escape from the fort. Why don't you just wait near that dark palace? I will call for you."<p align=center>Sumeetha's Retelling of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan

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