No matter how brave a man is, he must fear his family. He could've won wars and sliced hundreds of heads but he must fear his family. One such person who Adithan feared and respected was Kundavai. 

"Anna!" Kundavai called out as she barged into his chambers. Adithan opened his eyes and rose up from his meditation. Kundavai smiled at her brother as she approached him.

"I was just wondering 'why my dear sister' hadn't come to see me yet," Adithan said jokingly. He sat on the dhiwan, Kundavai sat beside him.

"What to do Anna, I wanted to see you but I got stuck in a pooja at the temple," Kundavai said in a convincing tone. But Karikalan knew the real reason why she went to the temple. 

"Did the Pooja go well?" Adithan asked.

"Haan," Kundavai nodded. "Went really well," She scratched her eyebrows.

"Don't lie to me Kundavai," Adithan said in an accusing tone.

"W-what?" Kundavai's words stumbled. Her covers were blown.

"I know when you lie to me," Adithan muttered. "Your mouth might lie, but your eyes don't,"

"That Nandini told you everything, didn't she?" Kundavai scoffed, She knew Nandini would snitch on her the first chance she got, She was trying to turn her own brother against her, this made Kundavai's blood boil. "That snake," she snarled

"Kundavai!" Adithan raised his voice. Kundavai jerked back, She had seen her brother get angry with other people, but was never on the receiving end of his anger. "Don't--" 

"Don't what?" She talked back to him. "Look what she made you do! Have you ever gotten angry at me or raised your voice? after you started talking to her, You and I always fight!" Kundavai got up and went up to a window.

Adithan calmed himself down and approached her. "I'm your brother, don't I have the right to get mad at you?" Adithan asked. Kundavai turned her back to her brother and folded her arms.

"You don't understand, today you shout at me, tomorrow she'll manipulate you to do....something worse," Kundavai said.

"The only thing I don't understand is your hatred towards her," Adithan said biting his teeth to control his anger. "How could you hate someone as pure as her?" 

"Don't you see! She's using you to reach the simhasanam," Kundavai said with fury.  (Simhasanam - throne)

"Kundavai stop with your baseless accusations!" Karikalan's voice shook the room. Kundavai arched her eyebrows and looked at her brother with a disgusted look. Look how he had fallen into her trap, Nandini was like a fly trap according to Kundavai, First, it presents the fly with sweet honey, then it tortures them, making them suffer bit by bit before fully eating them. Kundavai was scared, what if her brother ends up in the same situation as the poor fly?

"My accusations are not baseless okay?" Kundavai said. Adithan laughed.

"So what proof do you have then? did you overhear Nandini conspiring against me or the empire?" Adithan asked laughing at Kundavai's face, Kundavai didn't find it funny. Her face reddened in anger

"The Jodithar warned about her," Kundavai said. Adithan's smile melted away. "He said, that a girl would stir up a storm in your life," Kundavai explained.

"So you immediately assumed it was Nandini," He asked rolling his eyes.

"Who else could it be?" Kundavai asked.

"Could be you," Adithan said casually, as if he was joking, but Kundavai didn't take it as a joke. Her face stiffened, why would her own brother say something like that to her? Would she think of any harm to him?

Nandini is making him think like this.

Adithan saw Kundavai's expression change. He immediately felt sorry about that statement. "Hey, I'm sorry," Adithan moved closer to her and apologized. "I blabbered something in anger," He ran his hands through his hair.

Kundavai sniffled and wiped her tears. "It's okay," She looked down at the floor.

"Kundavai," He held her shoulders and made her face him. "Look," He sighed, he didn't know what to say, and how to say it. If Vanavan Madevi or Periya Pirrati got to know about his love, they'll surely separate Nandini from Karikalan. Adithan knew this. Adithan swallowed his pride and decided to please with Kundavai.

"Kundavai, please don't say anything about Nandini to Sembiyan Amma," Adithan pleaded with her. Kundavai wanted to interrupt him by saying something but when she saw Karikalan tearing up a bit, she closed her mouth.

"She's my life, Kundavai, she's my everything," Adithan's voice broke a little. "Don't ruin it for me,"

Kundavai just stood there, not knowing what to reply. She avoided Adithan's eye contact and looked to the side. The silence in the room got uncomfortable for both of them.

Thankfully Arulmozhi interrupted them.

"Nobody told me, there was a siblings reunion going on," His cheerful voice filled the room.

Karikalan let go of Kundavai's shoulders and drew a smile on his face for his brother. Kundavai turned to the other side and wiped her tears.

"Thambi," Adithan greeted his brother with a smile.

"What were you guys doing?" Arulmozhi picked up an apple from the bowl and took a seat on the dhiwan.

"Nothing," Adithan said as he moved away from her.

Arulmozhi looked at his sister and frowned at the look on her face. "Why are you sad?" He asked Kundavai.

"Sad? Me?" Kundavai laughed. "No, Thambi, I'm not sad, me and Anna were just simply talking,"

"You guys hide everything from me," Arulmozhi huffed.

"You are too young--"

"Then you'll say I'm not old enough to understand, I know Anna save your breath," Arulmozhi said in a sad tone and turned his face away from them.

Kundavai sat beside Arulmozhi and threw her arms on his shoulders. "So you're old enough to understand everything now?" Kundavai joked.

"Haan! I'm eight!" Arulmozhi chimed. Karikalan stifled his laughter. Arulmozhi arched his eyebrows and glared at Adithan. "You all think I'm still a kid, mind you I'm not! I know what you guys were talking about!"

"Then what were we talking about, Old man?" Karikalan asked folding his arms.

"You were talking about your love yea?" Arulmozhi said.

Karikalan raised his eyebrows and looked at Kundavai.

"Okay Ponniyin Selvare, what do you know about love?" Karikalan, the 'Kadhal mannan' in the room asked.

"Love--uh-" Arulmozhi scratched his head. "Love is love, what else can it be?" Arulmozhi asked.

"Go ask Vanathi that question," Adithan mocked him. Kundavai laughed, Even merely mentioning Vanathi's name made Arulmozhi blush. He turned red like an apple.

"I'm leaving," Arulmozhi got up fisting his hands and acting all manly.

"Where are you going?" Kundavai asked.

"To meet Vanathi," Karikalan laughed.

Arulmozhi stomped his feet and exited his room. Kundavai and Karikalan laughed at Arulmozhi's innocence. Then the silence returned. Before Adithan could continue with their previous conversation, Kundavai interrupted him.

"I'll take my leave," Kundavai said getting up. Before Karikalan could stop her, she left.

"Kundavai!" He called out. But only the jingling of her anklets came as a reply.

Karikalan rolled his eyes and fell on his bed. 'The world would be a better place if younger siblings listened to their older siblings,' Adithan thought.

***

Nandini waited by the lake for Karikalan to come. She stood on her heels and bit her fingers wondering where he was. He usually comes by this time to visit her.

Did he talk to Kundavai? What would have been her reply? Nandini thought nervously.

She frowned, did Kundavai stop him from meeting her?

Clearing all her assumptions, Adithan came, riding his horse regally through the banks of the river. Alongside him was his brother Arulmozhi.

Kundavai sent her brother to spy on them, Nandini rolled her eyes at that thought. Adithan looked at Nandini and gave her a smile from afar.

"Thambi, you go, I'll come," Adithan turned his horse.

"Where are you going?" Arulmozhi asked.

"Uh..." Adithan looked back to his brother and bit his tongue trying to think of a lie.

Arulmozhi saw Nandini standing near the river waiting for Karikalan, She turned away as soon as they made eye contact. A smile played on his lips. "Oh, Ooh, Anna! I understand," Arulmozhi chuckled.

Adithan ran his hand through his neck, embarrassed.

"Anna! I won't tell Kundavai akka," Arulmozhi winked. "Tell Nandini Akka I told her hello," Unlike Kundavai, Arulmozhi liked Nandini, he supported their love even though he doesn't know what love means. Nandini reminded him of someone, but their name stood on the tip of his tongue.

"Okay, okay, you go," Adithan said. Arulmozhi bit his Anna farewell and took off. Adithan sighed in relief and approached Nandini. He got down his horse.

Nandini smiled at him. "You're brother seems supportive, unlike your sister," Nandini said.

"Arulmozhi's such a sweetheart," Adithan chuckled.

Adithan and Nandini walked to the far side of the river where no one could see them. They held each other's hands while enjoying each other's company.

"Did you talk to Kundavai?" Nandini asked. Karikalan nodded. "What did she say?"

Adithan shrugged. "She didn't say anything..." Karikalan told her. Nandini arched her eyebrows. Kundavai's silence was more dangerous than her speech.

"That Jodithar said something it seems," Karikalan informed her what Kundavai had said to him. About a girl, and a storm she would cause.

"Do you think the girl is me?" Nandini asked with concern.

Karikalan laughed. "Of course not, the only storm you would cause in my life is that of love," Karikalan said dreamily as he rested his head against a tree.

"Will I cause any trouble, Karikalare?" She asked with a frown. She didn't want anything to happen to him. What if she was 'bad luck' to him?

Adithan looked at Nandini with a peaceful smile. "You're too pure to cause any trouble, Nandini," He said. "Everything which the Jodithar says will not come true most of the time yea?" Karikalan tried to convince her.

Nandini just nodded and rested her head on his shoulders. She was worried internally, she didn't want to cause any trouble to the man who gave her happiness, and provided her with a sense of love and affection, things that she never had growing up.

Adithan looked down at Nandini who was lost in her own thoughts. "Nandini, I swear, even if that Jodithar's words were partially true, I would happily accept any trouble you would give me," Adithan smiled. "Any torture you would give me would be a bliss," Karikalan said caressing her cheeks with his knuckles.

Nandini blushed a little as Karikalan's cold hands touched her warm cheeks.

Kundavai watched these antics from a distance. She scrunched up her nose in disgust. No matter where they went, Kundavai sniffed out their hiding spots. Maybe it was sisters' instincts?

She decided to talk to Nandini one more time before taking a final action.

A/N

Oh oh! Caught red-handed. What will Kundavai say to Nandini? Will Nandini accept Kundavai's proposition?

P.S

Am I the only one scared of their own siblings? Like the constant fear of her ratting me out scares me :/