30.
The next morning, they started walking up the mountain before the sun could even show up. They have given their horses to the merchant who showed the route to reach the Siddhar and assured them that he'll keep it safe until they return.
Munching the grapes, Narenthiran walked looking at the uneven path. Aathiyan's eyes were everywhere and he had his dagger close in case an animal intruded on their path.
"How are we going to find the man who lives in this jungle? Look it's too huge, Aathiya, you should reconsider this," Narenthiran is on the verge of giving up. He's so frustrated with hours of walking and still has no clue regarding that man. He's losing his patience and Aathiyan can understand that.
The merchant said to Aathiyan that he will find a
31.Kayanangai's eyes were transfixed on the grant door, imagining how and when Aathiyan would emerge from that. For the last few days, she kept thinking a lot about him and starts to miss him so badly because of an incident that happened yesterday.She kept doing this and she didn't feel bored at all because while waiting, she can only think about him, and dwelling in his thoughts is kind of bliss.Even Though she's upset with him, she also sees the situation he is in. His father is sick, his mother is good for nothing, his brother is trying to pull his legs so that he can watch him fall and these demanding and cunning ministers are so critical about his small mistakes. Even now Aathiyan has traveled somewhere to find a healer to cure his father's ailment. No one knows which way he went and this information w
Aathiyan walked to the courthouse recalling the smile on Veera's face and the disgust on Kayanangai's face. He frowned and wanted to punch Veera as hard as he could."Aathiya," his mother's voice stopped him.She came near him and after taking a look around she asked, "Is there anything you are not telling me?" she asks."I told you everything, mother. But you are hiding so many things from me," "What did I hide from you?""I don't want to talk about this now," he said because there are a lot more important issues than this. And if he digs this, he's afraid to face the truth about his family."I hope your journey was sa
Aathiyan watched Nilakaran praying and he waited until he finished. He's here to discuss when and how he's going to perform the ritual to bring his father back to normal. He still has no faith in this ritual but this is the last option he got and he wants this to happen perfectly."Thanks for waiting," Nilakaran said."That's okay. I am here to ask when are you going to perform the ritual?" Aathiyan asks. "Very soon," Nilakaran smiles, after bathing and trimming down his hair he looked different and young."Have you found out who cursed your father?" he asks."Is that really necessary now?" Aathiyan questions.
33.While performing the ritual Nilakaran didn't allow anyone to see the room except Aathiyan and Narenthiran.He took blood, nails, and a few strands of hair from Aathiyan's father and dropped it in the copper bowl filled with goat's blood. He started chanting spells sitting inside the circle drawn out of oil lamps.As his voice intensified, the blood started to burn and black smoke evaded from it. The smell that came from it was unbearable to sniff,Aathiyan and Narenthiran are standing outside the room, watching it through the window.He never saw something like that before. Aathiyan thought these were just a magic trick until he saw that same dark smoke came out of his father's mouth; That instance
34.Kayanangai woke up from her sleep in the middle of the night. No one is around her and the sound of drizzles is heard from the outside. She had a very bad dream in which someone is telling her that Aathiyan is dead and she doesn’t believe it at all.It’s been a week since Aathiyan left the palace to fight King Maravarman. Two days before the message as he’s safe but after that there’s no new information about what he’s doing. Kayanangai passed every passing minute worrying about him.And now she starts to cry for having such a dream. She couldn’t sleep at all after that so she got down and looked outside. The rain is drizzling and the room is so cold. She came out of her bedroom and walked to the garden where there’s a small shrine under the b
35. Nilakaran gathered all the details that he heard from the people who had last seen and interacted with Ganthika. The more he listened to them, the more he became fascinated by her predictions which came true most of the time. And she hasn't talked much about herself or even uttered her name to anyone other than Kayanangai and that made him even more curious. The witch is so good at hiding and it took him five days to track her. According to an old man's account who's living nearby the forest -he saw Ganthika heading towards the sacred forest, where the locals fear to step inside. Nilakaran knows these places are the best for witches and dark entities. Now standing before the forest, Nilakaran saw gigantic trees in front of him. He could expect two things, either he will find out what exactly is happening in the King's family or he might end up dead
Nilakaran made his way inside the forest, his eyes were everywhere, even noticing the falling leaves, birds, and buzzing insects. He collected the herbs which he had never seen before. The aura of the forest is magnificent.He came across a path leading into a cave. Before he could enter, a half-naked woman came out with a seductive smile. When he looked closer at her face, he was stunned. She looked like his dead wife.After many years he felt like he's trapped and there's no way to escape. His hands shook, his skin trembled in terror and his eyes widened in fear when that woman came closer to him."You know I was searching for you? You waited for me and who are you?" he asks, flinching his hands when she touches his shoulders.
36.Aathiyan and Kayanangai traveled to the northern kingdom where they were invited as a guest to attend a wedding ceremony. Kayanangai doesn't like to travel at this time but to be with Aathiyan, she needs to take a few risks. He wanted her to travel with him.The journey was quite easy, they traveled in a boat to the northern territory and from there a cart smoothly carried them to the great palace. There were many people waiting to see Aathiyan. He was quite famous for his notoriety and kindness. He's a contrasting character that fascinates people. Kayanangai was quite new to those people and she puts a smile on seeing them.At the end of the travel, Kayanangai loved everything; Aathiyan told her a lot of stories which he had never told her before. She went in a boat for the first time in her life, she has
40(3)It was a cold night after the wedding. After sending off the bride and groom to their home. Kayanangai and Aathiyan returned to their place. It was a great day. Kayanangai almost forgot everything when she was surrounded by so many people. But after coming back to their chamber, her anxiety knocked her down. Carrying this much sadness and yet acting like she was alright is troubling her. She couldn't take this anymore and wanted an end to this.Aathiyan went to sleep before Kayanangai, and she sat beside him looking at the dark skies for some time. Her mind is only thinking about how she could find that witch. It must be that witch because she knows there's no one capable of such an act.She laid beside Aathiyan and watched him sleep peacefully. Her heart desires only one thing, which
40(2)The next morning, when Kayanangai opened her eyes, Aathiyan was nowhere to be found. She tied up her hair and looked at the morning sun with a smile. She got up and saw Arulvarman was asleep. It's a surprise that he didn't wake up in the middle of the night and she couldn't understand how she slept even after the sun was up. She took him in her arms and nursed him while thinking about what happened yesterday. It's so new that Aathiyan left in the morning, without saying a word. She remembered about yesterday and how she felt unsure about him. But then she convinced herself that it was Aathiyan to feel better.Kayanangai waited for him, minutes passed and an hour passed but there's no sign of him. She bathed, had her breakfast and the guards have told her that they haven't seen Aathiyan since morning.
40(1)Life got a little more peaceful after Aarani stopped coming to the palace. Especially for Kayanangai. She felt so free and started to notice the changes that had happened in her life. She believes Aathiyan has ordered her to not come to the palace as he always hated her around here, but she doesn't know the truth that Aathiyan lied to her. Nakan was always there around them and Aathiyan didn't give any orders because he couldn't find him at all.Ever since Kayanangai saw Aarani smiling at her father's funeral she felt something strange and she decided not to keep her beside her after getting this doubt. She can't help but think whether Aarani is that witch. She has no answers and no one is going to tell her the truth unless she finds it on her own.Aathiyan spends more time with her and she's finally com
39(5)The rain is pouring heavily outside, and the loud thunderstorm echoed inside the absolutely quiet palace. Kayanangai returned to the palace, after two days of staying in her father's home. She met Aathiyan only twice in these two days but she understood what a great human he is. For all these days, she had contradicting thoughts about him. She always hangs in the middle and never believes he's totally bad or good. Now she has a perfect picture of him. She's so fortunate to get a man like Aathiyan, he cares about her more than she cares about him and the greatest favor he has done to her put him on the pedestal of her heart. If her father had asked that favor to her, she could have never done that.Aathiyan could have easily refused to release Veera from prison becaus
39(4)Aathiyan expected a message from his Guru but nothing came even after a week. He wondered how long it would take for him to find something. Aathiyan doesn't want to pressure him so he decides to wait until the message comes.Meanwhile, all of Aathiyan's attention was on Nakan; he's around Kayanangai all the time. Even Though he's in the form of a woman, he sees the admiration and lust in her eyes.The way Kayanangai smiles for his jokes and being affectionate on Aarani makes him frustrated but he couldn't do anything.He noticed that it's been so many days since he talked openly with Kayanangai. She doesn't seem to care about him like she used to. There are many times he tried to tell her the things she doesn't know but Nakan said that he'll face some s
39(3)"Mathinila, please listen to what we are saying. You should stay in the palace," Sumitra said."No, I can't. These people and the King punished my husband and I can't live in their pity concern," Mathinila retorted. It's been a week since Veera went to prison and the family is trying to cope up with the sudden changes in the family. Now Sumitra wanted to leave, she couldn't take people's strange gazes and murmurs behind her back. It's making her even more depressed."I have to protect my self-respect; my father has a big house in the town. I can live there peacefully," Mathinila said, walking carrying her daughter and a few things in the basket.Kayanangai was also there but she didn't stop her sister. She thought it would be better if she went to
39(2)"So Veera Pandya asked you to cast a deadly curse on my father? Is that right?" Aathiyan asked Ganthika, in front of the court. "Yes," she nodded. "He asked me to do that. He threatened me when I hesitated," Ganthika answered in her shaky voice. Like she's a victim too."I gave him a vial full of poison and he gave it to his father," she added."No, that's a lie. I never gave him anything to my father. Ask everyone," Veera Pandya begged.But nothing was heard in anyone's ears. Everyone was convinced of Ganthika's testimony. Even Aathiyan thought that's the truth but later he understood they were equally guilty."Now the
39(1)The next day, the people in the palace were talking about this matter but Aathiyan slept well that night. He has let his anger out after a long time and he didn't pay any attention to the consequences."I heard you have put your brother in prison?" Kayanangai asks when the moment he woke up from his sleep. He has heard this from one of her maids. "That happened last night," Aathiyan answered, leaving out a yawn."Why didn't you tell me anything?" she asks. "Because you were asleep when I came back so I thought I should tell you today," Aathiyan said. Kayanangai can't help but frown hearing his lethargic reply.
38(4)Kayanangai saw him and she couldn't help her worries seeing Aathiyan's face. "Is something bothering you?" she asks. Aathiyan turned to her, "No, I am fine," he answered and sat near her."Are you telling me the truth?" Kayanangai asked. "Yes," he smiled and placed his head on her lap."When you are near me, I am fine," he said. She smiled and caressed his hair. "Aarani didn't come to w