“En Chellam[1]! I’m so proud of you”, said Meenaal, applying medicinal paste on the cuts and wounds Paavai had sustained during her graduation test.

“I thought you would be angry with me for testing her so rigorously, Meenaal”, said Sembuli, looking at his wife questioningly.

“Why would I be angry? You showed everyone how good my daughter is. Why would I be angry with that?” she asked. “I would have been angry only if you hadn’t given such an intense test”, she added.

Sembuli smiled at his wife approvingly. Meenaal held Paavai a little closer.

“Let her eat and take rest”, Sembuli said. It was past noon and the sun beat down harsh, the humid heat a precursor to the monsoon that would follow soon.

“Go and wash up, child. And come and have the food while it’s still hot”, said Meenaal and sent Paavai to the well behind the house to freshen up. As Paavai finished and was about to enter the house, she heard snatches of conversation that she knew was about her. So she waited, not immediately entering, not particularly to listen to what her parents were saying about her, but to give them a chance to finish whatever it was they were talking about.

“The date chosen by the Jothidar[2] is the day after tomorrow”, said Meenaal. “He asked us to leave on the fifty-seventh naazhigai[3]”, she added.

“Good. It’ll be light by then”, answered Sembuli. “Have you packed all that she will need?”

“I have packed whatever she has here. Whatever else she might need, won't they provide her at Thanjavur?” answered Meenaal.

“Yes, I suppose. Pon Nangai is known to be a caring as well as an excellent Athikaarichchi[4]. Prince Rajendra had a reason for choosing her to be Paavai’s guardian in Thanjavur”, said Sembuli.

“Will she get a chance to meet her father there?” asked Meenaal.

“I don’t know, Meenaal. The last I heard my brother Varamban was posted with the garrison at the northern border. I heard that there might be some trouble there in the near future”, answered Sembuli.

Paavai didn’t want to hear or wait anymore. She made sure to make some noise as she entered so that her parents would get to stop their talk.

And as expected, they did. Meenaal turned her attention to serving food to both her husband and her daughter and they busied themselves with eating the served food, thereby avoiding any talk about anything. Even though Paavai had done vigorous physical activity all through the morning, she didn’t feel like eating much, her appetite dulled by the multitude of thoughts swirling in her head. She was aware of the worried glances exchanged by her parents when they saw her eat less than her usual and also saw her Periyappa signal her Periyamma to just leave her be. Paavai finished her lunch and got up to go out of the house. When Meenaal was about to call out to her to stay home and take a bit of a rest, Sembuli stopped her.

“Let her go, Meenaal. Let her go and roam around. She may never get to see this place again”, Sembuli said softly to his wife.

“But we haven’t told her about the travel plans yet”, said Meenaal.

“We can tell her tonight. Now that her graduation is over she knows anyway that she’ll be leaving soon”, answered Sembuli.

Paavai walked out of the house and on to the bright hot sunny street. There was no one around, everyone staying indoors to shelter from the midday heat. By late afternoon, they will all be out and about, going about their pre-sunset chores. Paavai wanted to get back home before that happened. She was not in a mood to respond to or listen to anyone. And so she walked, her feet automatically taking her to her favorite spot, the shade below the banyan tree by the pond. She sat at her usual place, beneath the spreading branches, leaning back on the thick trunk and nestled between the prop roots that almost concealed her from the view of the casual passer-by.

A deep sigh escaped her, immersing her into the thoughts that had been buffeting her from the moment she heard her Periyappa announce her graduation test in front of her fellow students. And those thoughts all invariably led back to the one starting point, the day that had started it all.

[1] “My Darling!”

[2] Astrologer

[3] Unit of Time measurement

[4] Female Officer