The birds flew away, their fluttering wings the only sound for a while after the slap hit Shakthan square on his face.
"Have you any idea what you have agreed to?", his father said, and Shakthan saw the upper lip of his father twitching and he knew things were serious.
The Feudal lord stretched on his ornate chair like a cat after a nap. Shakthan could not muster the courage to look at his face. The attendees and students of the Lord and his father looked down.
"So now other than fighting for me you have now decided to make decisions for me too? Is the prisoner and the horse mine or yours?"The Lord asked, his droopy eyes darting between the father and son.
"I will win this. Like I have won the last thirty seven duels for you my lord.", Shakthan said, his head still down.
"Well, you won't be alive otherwise ", The Lord said.
Shakthan gave a quick bow and walked away from the courtyard of the Lord's Manor, his face still red and throbbing from that slap.
He could hear the exchange between his father and the lord as he walked away but the ringing in his ear drowned the words to illegible chatter and so he didn't hear Kannan follow him but he knew he would be behind him. Like always.
"I had to do it…You know that right? They would have come to know about it anyway. I did try to stop you. You should think before you accept a fight to the death… Are you even listening? I'm sorry…", Kannan spoke from behind.
He got no replies other than some grunts.
Shakthan walked into the practice grounds and picked up a sword. The glints along its blade told him it was the same one that he had used this morning. He picked up another and tossed it to Kannan who almost dropped it.
"Beat me and then I'll forgive you ", He said.
Kannan gulped and clutched the handle of the sword tight.
Shakthan came at him with all his grace and Kannan did his best to parry but he knew it was useless but he stayed strong deflecting the familiar blows yet still getting hit with the blunt side. When his hand was too numb to hold the sword anymore he dropped it and raised his hand.
"Enough!", he cried with his eyes closed as Shakthan came at him with a swing. When opened his eyes he saw the blade pointed right at his heart, its cold iron almost touching him.
"That's for the slap I assume?" Kannan asked, breathing heavily.
"You are too easy. I need to find another opponent to practice with ", Shakthan said but his breath said otherwise.
"I fought better than your opponent earlier today…That's why I'm telling you Shakthan to get away from this place. Stop being a blade for hire for these Lords.", Kannan said, still out of breath.
"You think I'll lose this Angam?"
"No…but that Arse clearly tricked you. You should be better than this…"
" And you, my dear friend, get married to that girl and stop following around me," Shakthan said with a sly smile and saw Kannan's face turn red.
"I like basking in your glory and that is why I ask you to become something greater…"
"Like what?"
"I don't know…Maybe a King?"Kannan said and they laughed all the way to the market.
The temple bells rang loud and the clouds moved away to shower another land leaving behind its duty to the trees which dripped even after the rain had stopped. Shakthan and Kannan walked towards the bustling market place with its inviting smell of spices and food pulling them in. The lower caste peoples moved away from them with practiced respect, others waved at him and smiled. He smiled back.
"See…This is life. How can I leave the people here and go to work for the king? There are too many people there and they won't even know me.", Shakthan said as he smiled at a small girl who was beaming at him.
"Well the thing is…", Kannan started saying and Shakthan saw his turn red again.
"What is it?"He asked and looked around.
"Since you have cooled down I'll tell you.
You know 'her' father is one of the King's personal guards, the Akampadi right?"Kannan said, his eyes down and intently staring at Shakthan's feet.
"Yes, So?"He asked, taking a mango from one of the baskets and searching the fold in between his Mundu for coins. Kannan was interrupted by the vendor who would not take money from Shakthan and gave one more mango to Kannan who took it. Shakthan glared at him for accepting it and paid the vendor for both of them.
"Yes, you were telling?"He asked, biting the mango.
"Well even you were also suggesting that I get out of your shadow and do something for myself right?"
"This is not ripe, no wonder that bastard wouldn't take the money. Shouldn't have paid him", Shakthan said, spitting out the mango.
Kannan's jaw tightened and he increased his pace walking ahead of Shakthan.
"Ok tell me…What are you implying?"Shakthan asked loudly from behind the angry Kannan.
Kannan stopped on his tracks and looked around to make sure no one was looking at them.
"She wants me to be a Soldier in the King's personal guards like her father. That way he'll let me marry her.", Kannan blurted out and looked relieved as he said it.
Shakthan dropped the mango from his hands and it rolled to Kannan's feet.
"I didn't know how to tell you this. You know i want to marry her…",Kannan said
"Well you should. When are you leaving?"Shakthan said, trying to hide the shock in his voice.
"As soon as possible…but only after your Angam."
Suddenly evening seemed to make sense to Shakthan. The constant nagging about becoming something better, the way he was practicing with Shakthan so often recently…everything made sense and it made him feel guilty. Now Kannan would have to wait for three more months before going to the capital city and enrolling himself into the king's guard…All because of a stupid Angam he decided on without thinking twice. Guilt turned to anger.
"What makes you think I want you here? It will be better without you anyway and it's been a long time since I wanted to get rid of your constant nagging", Shakthan shouted with a voice so loud that the entire market went silent with all eyes on them.
The guards came running to stop the fight and when they saw it was Shakthan they stopped.
Kannan froze. Never in his life has he been so humiliated. He looked around and a very familiar face caught his eyes. His lover Uma. They locked eyes and stood there.
Shakthan turned to look at what Kannan was staring at and saw Uma and realised what a mistake he made. He looked back at Kannan to see his eyes water and before he could do anything Shakthan stormed off, shoving the guards out of the way.