I spent a whole week and more drafting this one, as my hands and mind were never correlated, and as today's woman, I would never imagine nor can be with someone who supports polygamy; I find it hard to accept someone who married more than partner at sametime. But at the same time, I look back and read the ages as they were, and I realize that one has to take the time and principles are different. I am unsure how my mind put this beautiful piece together, but I am always more grateful for all the creative plots my mind could create. I hope you feel calm and serene as you read this. Love is all we have.

***

"I will always love you, Vaanathi. There will be no one for whom my heart will be surrendered to them" Her warrior husband's words on their first night together echoed as she sat with her eyes closed, and her tear-filled eyes leaked a streak of tears as her cheeks rose all the crying.

"My princess, the prince has arrived with Panchavan Madeviyar," Vaanathi's helper announced quickly. As the words reached her ears, she wiped her eyes and immediately smiled or made herself smile as she nodded. Before leaving the room, she rechecked her face to avoid showing her inner feelings.

As her feet walked from her chamber to the palace entrance to welcome the newlyweds, her husband and his new wife. Her heart was pounding, but soon, she was accompanied by Lokamadevi, her sister-wife, the one her husband married after her. A sad smile erupted on Lokamadevi's face as she watched Vaanathi, who she respected and looked up to everything. Also, she can understand her feelings even though she is somewhat in a dilemma, but both ladies know this is the norm.

"Do you want me to do this time?" Lokamadevi asked, trying to take anything that would relieve Vaanathi's stress.

Vaanathi straightened her shoulders and shook her head. She regained her posture and nodded at the helper to bring in the aarti plate. "As a Princess and the first wife of our Prince, it's my responsibility to welcome them, and I will do it," she whispered as the gates opened and she stepped out. Lokamadevi followed Vaanathi, who put on a smile that anyone would fall on as her eyes danced with innocence. 

There he is, walking towards her, like always, with broad shoulders and long hair flying with his moustache that tickles her every time they kiss. Just like the first time she walked the steps to send him off to the war and how his hands caught her when she fell, those memories are still imprinted in her brain and will be even after her body leaves this soil.

But this time, she is not a mere princess but a future queen of the dynasty and the wife of the great Chola Prince. Her eyes slowly passed to the young princess who was walking beside him. With her golden skin, fish-like eyes, and slender figure, everything perfectly matches the handsome Prince. 

"Did I ever look that beautiful alongside my Prince when we first entered?" She quickly shook those thoughts; now it's not about me. As her eyes remained between them, failing to give away any weakness or show sorrow, she welcomed them. Arunmozhi's eyes watched Vaanathi perform her duties gracefully and with a smile, and his new wife flashed a smile as well.

"Welcome back, my Prince. This Chola Desam is excited at your arrival," Vaanathi said as she turned to Panchavan Madevi. "Young Princess, you are the jewel to this Chola Desam, and this Desam is blessed to receive another daughter-in-law." Everyone smiled at the kind words.

As the day passes and the newlyweds enter their room for private time, Vaanathi's heart starts to beat faster. She is unable to sleep, as she did last time. She feels disposable now with the two other beautiful wives. What else could she offer more?

She smiled softly as her son Rajendra slept, his tiny arms clutched her fingers. She combed his dark hair, which was growing fast, like his Dad's. She chuckled as salty tears fell down her eyes.

She asked her helper to watch over the child and went out walking. She reached the gardens, where the path leading to the path was hidden from outsiders, but only royals knew this one. As she ventured in, she finally came out of the other side, the path to a small temple built for Vishnu. Kundhavai loves Krishna and Vaishnavam, and she adorned this temple with deepam.

Vaanathi slumped onto the ground with a whimper that left her mouth after a whole day of keeping her emotions inside; she finally let it out since no human was around her as the hours passed—only she and the god witnessed her tears.

Her whimpers, their melody rising like a plea to the heavens, seemed to gaze upon her with serene detachment—a calmness that only deepened the ache in her chest. The idol of Vishnu, resplendent in gold and adorned with fresh garlands, seemed to gaze upon her with a calmness that only deepened the ache in her chest.

Her thoughts churned in turmoil, spiralling deeper into despair. Is this how Rukmini must have felt, she wondered bitterly. When Krishna, her heart's love, took Satyabhama and others as his wives, did her heartache as mine does now? Did she wonder if her devotion had fallen short if she had not been enough?

Her whimpers became silent, leaving her cheeks with dried tear streaks and nothing else to do as she aimlessly watched the moon glow with light.

"Why is a gold that needs to be treasured doing alone in this stone temple?" Spoke the angelic voice behind Vaanathi

Vaanathi whipped her head behind as her eyes took in the figure standing a few metres away. Her eyes stuck with the angelic face of an elderly woman who seemed like the kindest and most divine of the ones she had read in the scriptures.

She whipped her tears as she tried to smile, but she never moved her eyes away from the woman who smiled and slowly sat next to her.

"What is the use of a treasured jewel when it can only be used for decoration and nothing else?" Vaanathi replied.

The elderly woman's soft hands took her face. A sudden surge of energy passed through Vaanathi's body. She was unsure whether it was just the heat from the women before her or something else. She quickly scratched the last option and settled with her cold body, reacting to the hot touch.

"Now, now, what's with the worry?" the angel-like voice asked her; Vaanathi's eyebrow narrowed. Who is this woman, and what is she doing at this hour? 

"With so many questions already," surprised Vaanathi, let out a quick hiccup. Wow, this woman can read minds. Was she a witch or some rakshasi that roams by at night? Vaanathi started to gulp, but the aura she was emitting made her feel calm.

"What's a woman's role in a man's life?" Vaanathi shook her head. "Wife role in her man's life." The elderly woman smiled.

"Hmm..such a big question, and you expect a simple answer," the elderly woman chuckles, which causes Vaanathi's eyes to narrow.

"Well, what a human role on this earth? To be born and fed by this earth's mother, to be provided warmth by the glowing sun, to feel safe as we lay our heads in her lap every night." The elderly woman answered more like asking Vaanathi as she continued.

"It's like two humans coming together in the name of marriage: to protect and provide, to cherish and love, and to share the pain and happiness." Vaanathi sighed as the women poured out their list of needs.

She chuckled and asked, "But what if the wife has to share her man with his other wives, who also cherish him? But what would the wife expect in this situation? No one to cherish, as now the man she loved is also the one she has to share." The silence prevailed as the elderly woman spoke.

"But isn't that a King's/warrior Dharma to marry more than one?" Vaanathi's sharp eyes snapped at the woman, now feeling much sorrow.

"Dharma? Marrying N number of women to ally a political alliance or to calm their urges of all kinds, why is it only Man's Dharma to marry whoever he pleases, but women should be devoted to her husband? Why did god make such complex rules for women?"

"Well, our same scriptures praise Draupadi, the woman who married five men, and the same Lord who is shining down at us now did at her as well," Vaanathi let out a salty chuckle.

"Was it Draupadi's choice and likeness to marry 5? She would only be with Arjun as his Pathni if she had a choice. She never wanted to marry five nor wished, yet she was pushed! She was ridiculed by the men around her who married more than her for pleasure, unlike her, yet they called her names and put her through the trauma all her life. Why did the same Narayan never question that or make the rules like Ram followed? One man for one woman and vice versa," Vaanathi sighed and wiped her tears.

"That's our Karma, dear. No one can run away from it. Even the same Narayan, in his every birth, had to endure along with his Lakshmi." Vaanathi listened to the words of the women before her, and now, oddly, she found herself wanting to hear more.

"As Ram, he has to let go of his Sita and endure the pain of being alone most of his life, away from his Lakshmi. Do you say Ram didn't love Sita?" Vaanathi shook her head as the women continued.

"As Krishna, his love for his Radha went above everything, yet he had to watch her go, only so he could reach her again as Rukmini. Who also had to watch her husband go to marry Sathyabama and others. Do you know what Rukmini did? Did she fight with Krishna for having other wives?" Vaanathi shook her head. She had always heard how calm and serene Rukmini was as a queen, wife, and lover.

"But If Krishna loved Radha, why did he let her go, and if Radha is Rukmini, why did he marry Sathyabama? If they both are his Lakhsmi and others, then why was only Lakhsmi born in a different form, not Vishnu? And what if the roles were reversed? Would the society still be praising Krishna as they are now for Rukmini if he has to share his Lakshmi with other forms of Vishnu?"

The older woman chuckled and shook her head. Vaanathi watched her with a look of bewilderment as she let out an uncontrollable laugh that made even Vaanathi's lips smile like it was contagious.

"Oh, that would be fun, wouldn't it? But it's a little too much to control all the Vishnu forms. " The woman spoke as her voice turned to mumble, but Vaanathi still listened keenly, trying to hear those words from her mouth.

"Man, it was hard enough keeping Krishna in line with my number of forms, and what an exhausting job I was doing over time. Maybe I should try this with Kalki." Vaanathi couldn't understand what the women spoke. 

"Ahm, what is it?" But the woman shook her head as she leaned in, taking the young woman's face. "Dear, were you angry at your husband and believe he doesn't love you?" Vaansthi shook her head as her life depended on it.

"Of course, he loves me, cares for me, makes sure that I am his priority, and showers me with love more than I could ever ask for." Vaanathi smiled, thinking about her husband and how spellbound he was when they were together.

She continued, "Not only in bed but also in the nation's crisis, he makes sure to get my opinion and shares all his fears more than anyone I know of." The elderly woman smiled.

"There's your answer. Just like Krishna loves Rukmini and shares all his love, fear, and happiness, so does your husband. Maybe if given a chance or the reality doesn't put Kings in the position of remarrying and putting the citizen first, he would have cherished you without looking at other women. But he married you first because he loved you and still does. So cherish that, my dear."

Vaanathi smiled. Yes, the situation was not what she hoped for, yet Arunmozhi was a husband that thousands wanted, but she was lucky to get. As a warrior and a King, his oath and prime concern was his nation's welfare, and political alliance was necessary if one had to safeguard and expand.

"And Rukmini always knows that even if Krishna's eyes wander to everyone, his heart is always looking for his Lakshmi in every one of them; she knows that she is the one he comes back home to." 

"So love is sharing?" Vaanathi asked as she immersed herself so much in the conversation.

The woman cupped Vaanathi's face, her touch firm yet tender. "Love is not measured by its fulfilment but purity. Krishna and Radha's love lives on, not in their union, but in the hearts of those who remember their story. And Rukmini's steadfast devotion is a lesson in strength and grace. Arunmozhi Varman's path may not align with yours now, but that does not diminish the sanctity of your love."

The woman continues, "The Lord teaches us detachment, my child. If you truly love Arunmozhi, let your love become your strength, not your sorrow. Offer it to the divine as a prayer, and you will find peace."

Vaanathi closed her eyes, the woman's words seeping into the cracks of her broken heart. The pain remained, but it began to shift, no longer a weight pressing her down but a bittersweet reminder of her humanity. Her position as a princess and a chief queen will soon be a queen mother who will one day pass all the wisdom and strength to her upcoming generation; she has the same duty as Arunmozhi has towards this nation and its people.

The elder woman began to walk away, her figures blending into the shadows of the temple. A sudden thought struck Vaanathi. She turned quickly, her voice calling out, "Amma, wait!"

The elderly woman paused, turning back with a faint, knowing smile.

"I didn't ask your name," Vaanathi said, her voice filled with wonder and gratitude. "What should I call you?"

The woman's smile deepened, her eyes twinkling with a mysterious light. "I have many names, child," she said softly. "But I would like you to call me Amma."

Before Vaanathi could respond, the woman turned and disappeared into the temple's dimly lit corridors, her presence lingering like a divine whisper. For a moment, Vaanathi felt as though she had been in the presence of something beyond mortal comprehension, and her heart, though still aching, carried a newfound serenity.

***

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