Chapter 41 – The Vault
Vandiya Devan walked along the dark underground passageway, carefully placing each step firmly one after the other. The steps went down for a while and then a level floor; steps again after some distance. Another length of level ground. He stretched out his hands to find some grip but could find no wall. The passage must have been fairly wide. After some time the steps began going up once again. They began to curve around and wind upwards. How long must I grope in this utter darkness? What can I do? What is this … am I seeing some light, very faint light…
He could not find the source of the light which reduced the darkness in that passage. Perhaps it was a hidden window or a light hidden in some alcove. He stepped over some ledge.
Oh no! Not at all! What is this wondrous thing? Is this real? Is what I see true? Or, is it some hallucination of a deranged mind?
It was a fairly large, well proportioned chamber. A vault, carved out of the subterranean rocks. It’s roof was rough and low, almost scraping his head as he stood erect. But the dim glow was not moonlight shining from outside! There was neither a
fortune? The Gods of good luck and wealth must have brought me here! What a fantastic secret, what a fortunate secret I have discovered without any effort! How am I to make use of this good luck! Will I have the heart to leave this chamber?
He felt that he would know no hunger or thirst if he remained amidst all those riches. Neither will he need sleep amidst all that wealth collected by the Chozla armies in their campaigns over hundreds of years. The fortune of Kubera, the God of Wealth, was laid before him. Why should he go away, leaving all that?
Vandiya Devan wandered round and round that vault. He touched and felt everything. He thrust his hands deep into the pots of pearls and let them trickle through his fingers. His hands picked up the shining gold coins and showered them on his head. He threw the ropes of pearls and jewelled necklaces around his shoulders and took them off …. not enough, the other ones seem richer… He saw something else shining in the far corner and walked towards it eagerly. At first he did not understand what it was, but then he realized! He bent low and touched it with his fingers. Oh God! It is a skeleton! It is the skeleton of a man who was a living being with flesh and blood, skin and hair, eyes and lips, with life and strength once upon a time.
The skeleton seemed to move and make a rattling noise just like the trickle of gold coins. Was it sending some message to Vandiya Devan? Every hair on his body stood upright with fear! He felt that he had gone mad! Stupid! Idiotic! The skeleton is not rising. A rat was running out from the rib cage! See it ran over my feet … look, the skeleton is still there in the corner. But, it is definitely giving me a message! “Go away! Don’t hesitate! Run away from here!” It is warning me. I must get away from this vault and escape … if I hesitate, my fate will be the same as it’s own … once a living, flesh and blood creature…
Vandiya Devan decided to leave that vault, but, there seemed to be no way out! He could not find the opening through which he had stepped into that chamber. Along one edge of that vault was a deep precipice. He could see no floor in the darkness when he looked down the side. The steps by which he came up must be somewhere. He tried to find them, wandering here and there felling every inch of the wall on the opposite side. While he searched in this fashion, he saw in one corner, a pile of old gold coins. A spider had spun a cobweb to cover the pile. The cobweb made him think.
The learned ancients often compared the greed for land, women and gold to a spider’s cobweb. A spider spins it’s web and waits patiently. Insects fly in from somewhere and fall into that web, unable to escape …. the spider slowly, slowly draws the insect close and eats it up. All the three greeds, the lust for land, women or wealth was like that. Man wanders into the wrong path of desire and falls into the web of avarice.
Today, I have experienced the nature of all three types of lust. Nandini, a woman, the Young-Queen of Pazluvoor, tried to entice me into her wiles. She tried to seduce me with promises of attaining the lands of my Vaanar forefathers. And finally here in this dark dungeon, the demon of lust for wealth tried to swallow me! I have escaped from the first two temptations and must overcome this …. Why do I need all this? Why do I need a kingdom? Lands? Why wealth? Why want the company of women? The earth with the sky as its roof is my palace. All the world is my home and all men my kinfolk! My life is to wander from place to place; to look at the new floods in rivers and creeks; to enjoy the new buds blossoming on trees and shrubs; to climb the sky high mountains and cross thundering rapids; to gaze upon wonderful birds and beasts. I eat when hunger gnaws; rest when sleep beckons. That is a carefree life! Why should I give up this pleasant existence and seek a life of treachery, passion and danger? I must get out of this vault and escape from this Fort of Tanjore. Never again should I become embroiled in such complications.
Suddenly, piercing the silence in that vault, he heard a door open and shut somewhere … far away. Footsteps once again! There was no end to the mysteries and surprises of that night. No dearth of wonders as well as dangers! This time, the footsteps seemed to come from very far away. They seemed to approach him from two different directions. Vandiya Devan listened carefully. In a short while he was spectator to an astonishing scene!
The scene he witnessed was like the happenings on a stage, as might appear to an observer seated very far away from
their way? Vandiya Devan held his breath and watched.
They met. From the way Kandamaran stood — awkwardly, hesitantly, moving from one foot to another, he surmised that the meeting was unexpected. But, nothing untoward happened. Lord Pazluvoor seemed to ask something of Kandamaran and he replied something. Vandiya Devan could not hear either the question or the reply. Then, Lord Pazluvoor made a sign with his hand and pointed towards some steps descending to the underground passage. Kandamaran bowed low with reverence and walked towards that direction. Lord Pazluvoor made a sign with his hands to the palace guard behind him. That man with the torch, bowed his head in understanding, with his palm covering his lips and followed Kandamaran going down the steps. Lord Pazluvoor and his Young-Queen walked on, towards the left.
All these took place like a puppet show lasting a few minutes. Vandiya Devan realized that they were near a fork in the underground passage. How fortunate that I did not tarry anywhere in that passage, but wandered into this hidden vault. I must have accidentally taken another secret path and come down into this chamber. Oh God! If I had encountered any of those two groups, what would have been my fate! Luckily I escaped … and now, to get out of here, what next? I am sure that Kandamaran is going out once again by the same passage through which he had led Prince Madurandaka. If I follow Kandamaran, I will surely find the exit from this maze. And then I can escape outside the fort. Perhaps I may be able to even seek the help of Kandamaran by concocting some story. If he does not cooperate I can always handle him and his servant with my sword! Let me follow him.
For a few minutes, the torch light seemed to approach the treasure vault. Vandiya Devan waited with bated breath. Then the light appeared to move away. By then, Vandiya Devan had looked around and found the narrow opening through which he had stepped into the treasure vault. He quickly squeezed his way out of the opening. From there, in the faint light he could barely see the entry way. He walked silently, quickly following the torch light, neither moving too close nor staying too far behind. He could never have found his way through that twisting, turning, narrow passage which went up, down in all directions. Long live Kandamaran! How am I going to repay him for this help he is extending unwittingly?
Vandiya Devan did not realize that he would soon have the opportunity to do that. The passage came to an abrupt end at a heavy, roof-high wall. None could guess that there was an exit or doorway in that wall. But there must be a way. The secret underground passage must surely have an exit!
The servant changed his lighted torch from his right hand to his left. He placed the palm of his right hand on some spot on the wall and did something. Perhaps he was turning some mechanism. A thin line appeared on the wall to slowly widen till it became a narrow, alcove-like opening. Soon it became wide enough to accommodate a man. The servant pointed with his torch towards that opening. Kandamaran spoke some words to him and stepped into the opening. One leg was across the threshold of the opening and the other was still in the passageway. Only his back was visible as his body blocked the narrow exit.
Ah! What was this? What was the servant doing? He removed his palm from the mechanism on the wall and quickly drew a curved dagger from his waistband. Oh Lord! He has plunged the dagger into Kandamaran’s back! Dastardly, scoundrel! Knave who strikes from the back!
Vandiya Devan ran up from hiding in the darkness behind. In one swift leap he pounced upon the servant who turned on hearing the noise. As the torch fell to the ground, the servant could clearly see the angry, rage filled face of Vandiya Devan.
