PONNIYIN SELVAN - Chapter-wise Summary - Book I - Chapters 41 to 50

CHAPTER 41 - TREASURY - நிலவறை

Vandhiyathevan (VT) kept walking in the darkness. After a while, he reached the treasury of the Chola empire. He couldn't believe his eyes. All the jewels and coins made of precious gems were sparkling and lit the place. He didn't want to move from there because the place was so beautiful. Then, he could see two groups of people in some distance approaching each other. In one group, there was Kandhamaaran (KM) and the guard (Returning). In the other group, there were Periya Pazhavettaraiyar (PPV) and Nandhini. The two groups met. PPV and Kandhamaaran exchanged some words. (Though what they spoke was insignificant by then, it had an importance later in the story. KM simply asked PPV if Nandhini was his daughter.)

KM stepped down in the stairs. Then, PPV gave a signal to the guard. The guard followed KM. VT knew that if he followed them, he could reach the exit. So, he followed them. At the end of the underground path, there was a wall. The guard twisted some lever and there was an opening in the wall. KM stepped into the opening.

What VT saw then, shocked him. The guard took a sharp knife and stabbed KM from behind his back. Suddenly VT ran to the guard and jumped on him.

CHAPTER 42 - IS IT FRIENDSHIP? - நட்புக்கு அழகா?

Vandhiyathevan (VT) knocked down the guard and took Kandhamaaran (KM) on his shoulder. He went out through the opening in the wall. The wall closed behind him again. Along the wall there was a river. VT crossed the river by holding onto a broken branch. He kept Kandhamaaran's body... Sorry, not yet... He kept Kandhamaaran down, and thought for a moment. Kandhamaaran (KM) opened his eyes and mistook that it was VT who had stabbed him. He shouted something in anger and fainted again.

VT took him to Sendhan Amudhan's (SA) house. Their gardens had been destroyed. VT guessed that CPV's men should have come there in search of him. His horse was still there. He asked Sendhan Amudhan (SA) to save Kandhamaaran. His mother gave him some treatment. VT took SA with him to tell him the way to Pazhaiyaarai. Both of them left on his horse. 

Soon after they left, some men came to their house. They forcefully entered into the house and saw the injured Kandhamaaran (KM). Then, they heard the foot steps of VT's horse. All of them ran in that direction. 

CHAPTER 43 - PAZHAIYAARAI - பழையாறை

It was a festival day in Pazhaiyaarai. It was Krishna Jeyanthi. Azhvarkkadiyaan (AA) alias Thirumalai sang many soulful songs. Sembiyan Madhevi (SM) was also present there. She asked AA to meet her that evening. Kundhavai also gave him a signal and AA nodded his head.

CHAPTER 44 - SHE WAS THE ROOT CAUSE - எல்லாம் அவள் வேலை

Azhavarkkadiyaan (AA) met Sembiyan Madhevi (SM) and told her about the following details. 

=> Parthiban, Malaiyamaan and Aditha Karikalan thought that PPV and CPV had kept the king under their control. 

=> The three of them also thought that Sembiyan Madhevi (SM) herself was also a part in it.

Though AA told these 2 things, the readers don't know whether they are true or not. 

AA also told her about the following.

=> How he met VT and how VT escaped from Tanjore palace.

=> The secret meeting held in Tanjore palace.

=> How VT and Kundhavai met at Kudanthai and at the river bank. 

AA warned Sembiyan Madhevi (SM) not to discuss anything in detail with Kundhavai merely because she was the sister of Aditha Karikalan.

CHAPTER 45 - GUILT SPY - குற்றம் செய்த ஒற்றன்

Kundhavai and Vaanadhi were having a casual talk. Vaanadhi spoke about Arulmozhi Varman, (AMV) her lover, and Kundhavai talked about Vandhiyathevan (VT), her would-be lover. They two teased each other. Then there was an announcement in the street. 

The announcement told that...

=> A spy called Vandhiyathevan (VT) entered into Tanjore palace showing a fake ring.

=> He then spied in the palace and escaped.

=> While escaping, he attacked two men with lethal blows. 

=> Whoever gave shelter to the man would given death punishment. 

=> It was the message to the country men from Thalapathy Chinna Pazha Vettaraiyar (CPV).

This announcement worried Kundhavai. A maid came there and told Kundhavai that Azhavarkkadiyaan (AA) was waiting to meet her. Kundhavai went to meet him.

CHAPTER 46 - PEOPLE'S MURMUR - மக்களின் முணுமுணுப்பு

While walking through the streets of Pazhaiyaarai, Azhvarkkadiyaan (AA) came to know about the discontent people had over Periya Pazhavettaraiyar (PPV) and his younger brother Chinna Pazhavettaraiyar (CPV) ). The people murmured among themselves about the announcement. The festival mood had been spoilt by the announcement. 

He then met Kundhavai in her palace. Kundhavai came to know what people spoke in the country. Then, AA told her about the announcement CPV had made. By listening to AA's words, Kundhavai realized that the announcement was about the man whom she had met at Kudandhai astrologer's house and at the Arasalaaru river bank. She requested AA to bring that man to her, if he met him. 

CHAPTER 47 - WORSHIPPER OF LORD SHIVA - ஈசான சிவபட்டர்

Then, Azhavarkkadiyaan (AA) went to his brother Sivapattar's house. Though initially Sivapattar was angry on AA for speaking ill about Lord Shiva, later he consoled him. He left home after asking AA to stay there. AA remembered an incident on the previous day. 

So many soldiers on horses chased a horse that carried a young man. They caught him and took him with them. AA wasn't sure what was happening. He thought about it for a while and went to the temple of Lord Shiva. There, he saw his brother helping a man to reach the river bank. AA followed them and came to know that the man was Vandhiyathevan (VT).

Both Sivapattar and VT took a boat to somewhere. AA went to Anirudha's palace. He went in and ordered the guards to lock the door from outside. From there, he took a secret tunnel and reached Kundhavai's garden. As he had expected, Sivapattar and VT arrived there. VT and Kundhavai looked at each other and forgot themselves.

CHAPTER 48 - WHIRLPOOL AND MESMERIZING EYES - நீர்ச்சுழலும் விழிச்சுழலும் (Kindly suggest a better translation)

VT and Kundhavai had a conversation - a conversation that was full of controlled excitement, humour, poetry and of course lots of love. VT explained how he departed Sendhan Amudhan (SA) on his way to Pazhaiyaarai in order to confuse the chasing men (It was Sendhan Amudhan whom AA had seen the previous day). Then, VT gave the letter to Kundhavai. 

CHAPTER 49 - INCREDIBLY UNBELIEVABLE - விந்தையிலும் விந்தை

VT explained to Kundhavai all the incidents that had happened (Beginning from Aditha Karikalan sending him with letters upto he delivering the message to Kundhavai). Kundhavai then wrote a letter to be sent to Arulmozhi Varman (AMV). She wrote the letter asking AMV to reach Chola country immediately. 

She gave the letter to VT and asked him to give it to AMV who was in Sri Lanka. While giving the letter to VT, Kundhavai's delicate hand touched his and you know what would have happened to Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyathevan.

CHAPTER 50 - PARAANDHAGAR HOSPITAL - பராந்தகர் ஆதுரசாலை

Kundhavai had built a hospital at Pazhaiyaarai. She had named it after her ancestor Paraandhagar. Kundhavai and Vaanadhi went there. Kundhavai enquired the people how they were all treated there and she got positive replies. The chief physician met Kundhavai. He told Kundhavai that the man sent by her (VT) had volunteered to go to Sri Lanka to get some precious herbals. (Actually it was a pretext). 

The physician added that his son was also going to accompany him. VT and Kundhavai met once again. The physician told that two letters on behalf of Kundhavai had been given to the two men so that they could get support from government officials on their way. VT left for Sri Lanka and Kundhavai left for her palace - half-heartedly.