#aishwarya

ok so like i just watched ps2 and OML the scene bw aditha and nandini actually destroyed me. i would literally pay to watch the movie again JUST to see their confrontation. the music, the visuals UGHH just everything was amazing.

so many people analyzing it from aditha's pov but let's look at it from nandini's view. she intentionally invited aditha to meet her. she's going to meet her childhood sweetheart, her first love who completely destroyed her life. she despises him. she hates him. she will kill him. she wants vengeance. not only for veerapandiyan, but for the royal life she was denied TWICE. both times because of the cholas.

but all thoughts of revenge go away once she sees him. because she doesn't see the blood-thirsty, war-hardened warrior who beheaded veerapandiyan without second thought. she doesn't see the carefree young prince who took her on horse rides all those years ago. she instead sees an anguished, tormented man, wracked with guilt. haunted by the horrors he's done.

nandini meant to show her superiority when she tells ravidasan he cannot possibly accomplish a task even she can't. but as she looks at aditha, she realizes that it's true. aditha won't let himself be killed by anyone else. only nandini can do it. in his eyes, dying by nandini's hands is his only way to redeem himself, at least in death.

how can she kill him now? her love for him, buried beneath her hate slowly springs back. she wants nothing more than to forgive aditha, accept his idea and run away, leave this conspiracy, this revenge and all this hatred in her heart behind. she wants playful games of hide-and-seek in the forest. she wants horseback rides by the banks of ponni at sunset. she wants the innocence and happiness of her childhood. because as much as she is HIS nandini, he his HER aditha. she doesn't know how not to love him.

but she's too far gone. it's not only about her anymore. the fate of a kingdom rests in her hands. she remembers her promise to veerapandiyan. she remembers how aditha refused to listen to her, even as she begged at his feet. she remembers how chola soldiers stormed into her house and forced her to flee. sembiyan maadevi's disapproval. kundavai's taunts. every injustice comes to the forefront of her mind and she is able to hate him again, for a fleeting moment.

she wishes she was stronger, because now aditha is pushing a dagger into her hands. she's close, so very close to her goal. barely a hair's breadth separated the dagger and aditha when she realizes she can't do it. she can't kill him. she CANNOT be the one to snuff out his life.

in the dark, aditha talks softly. no more yells, no more sarcasm, no more pleading. he speaks from his heart. he tells her that the man she loved died long ago. she starts to cry. she wants to yell that it's not true. the man she loved is here, right in front of her eyes, begging her to kill him. how can he ask that of her?

aditha embraces her. she's screaming now. because, this is all wrong. she cant do this. she cant. with whatever strength she has, she tries to stop the dagger from going in. but here again, she's weak. before she knows it, aditha goes limp in her arms. he stops breathing. he falls to the floor. nandini clings onto him desperately. she screams loudly, because surely aditha would hear her pain and come back. he doesn't.

someone drags her away. she's not sure who. she doesn't care. her hand remains outstretched. her fingers burn with the touch of his skin, his blood. as his face fades from her view, she catches a ghost of a smile on his face. a happy, satisfied smile. the one her aditha karikalan wore. he's finally at peace.