Anand Neelakantan - The Rise of Sivagami

westland publications ltd

The Rise of Sivagami

Anand Neelakantan is the bestselling author of Asura: Tale of the Vanquished , which told the story of the Ramayana from Ravanas unique perspective. He followed it up with the hugely successful Ajaya series. Ajaya Book I: Roll of the Dice and Ajaya Book II: Rise of Kali narrated the Mahabharata from Duryodhanas point of view. Both Asura: Tale of the Vanquished and Ajaya Book I: Roll of the Dice have been nominated for the Crossword Popular Choice Awards in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Anand has also written the screenplays for various popular TV shows, including Star TVs mega series Siya Ke Ram , Sony TVs Mahabali Hanuman and Colours TVs Chakravartin Samrat Ashoka . He has also written for major newspapers such as The Hindu, The Times of India and The Indian Express . Besides English, he also writes in Malayalam and has published stories as well cartoons in various Malayalam magazines.

He lives in Mumbai with his wife Aparna, daughter Ananya, son Abhinav, and pet dog Jackie the Blackie.

Anand Neelakantan can be reached at:

website: www.anandneelakantan.com

email:

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Also by Anand Neelakantan

Asura: The Tale of the Vanquished

Ajaya: Roll of the Dice

Ajaya: Rise of Kali

Bhubali: Before the Beginning

The Rise of Sivagami

Book I

Anand Neelakantan

westland publications ltd

61, II Floor, Silverline Building, Alapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai 600095
93, I Floor, Shamlal Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002

First e-pub edition: 2017

First published in English by westland publications ltd 2017

Copyright Anand Neelakantan 2017

All rights reserved

978-93-86224-44-6

Typeset in Bembo Std by R. Ajith Kumar, New Delhi

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, circulated, and no reproduction in any form, in whole or in part (except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews) may be made without written permission of the publishers.

To my sister, Chandrika and
brother-in-law, S. D. Parameswaran,
for making me what I am .

Contents

S. S. Rajamouli

W hen we created Bhubali we were in a dilemma. The story-world of Mahishmathi kept growing as we worked on the theme. There were so many stories to be told. The stories of Mahishmathi could not be contained within the two-and-a-half hours of a film, even with two parts. We did not want to let go of the fascinating story world that was emerging. There were characters lurking in the shadows, waiting for their stories to be told. There were secrets that had to be unveiled, there were whispered conspiracies that could thrill and terrify. We knew if we went back further in time, a series of interesting stories would emerge. We needed someone to go hunting into Mahismathis past, for more stories.

In my younger days reading was something of a favourite pastime. I wouldnt just read books but, consume them. Thrillers, mysteries, dramasthe category didnt matter. However, as I grew older and got busier with other pursuits, reading faded from my life. Its true that one reason for this was the paucity of time but the main cause of my turning away from my beloved childhood habit, was that the books I read stopped moving me. I would still buy books, hundreds of them in fact, and try to rekindle my love for reading but to no avail. A few chapters in and I would lose interest. And then, one day I got my hands on Asura: The Tale of the Vanquished .

Not only did I finish this book but it left me shaken. Certain scenes in the book were so powerful, indeed so moving, that I had to pause and reflect while I held back tears. Even today I believe that the writing in that book is comparable with the best in the world. After I finished Asura , I knew I had to meet its author. His writing had not only blown me away but had brought back the reader in me. Thus began the story of my association with Anand Neelakantan, the author of Asura and now The Rise of Sivagami . As we sat and discussed our individual creative processes, I decided that Anand should be our official story-hunter who could travel back into the forgotten annals of Mahishmathis history and bring them back to light.

As he developed the story, Anand would send me ten chapters at a time to read. As soon as I was done with one lot, I would call him, mail and message him; I needed to read the rest! The wait for the next instalment was excruciating. I am certain that you, the reader, will understand my eagerness when you are through with this phenomenal book.

I am amazed at what Anand has created with the few inputs I shared with him at the conception of this book. As one of its first readers, I can vouch for the fact that the story contained in the pages of The Rise of Sivagami will not let go of you easily.

I may have brought Sivagami to life on screen but in The Rise of Sivagami , Anand Neelakantan has given her wings.

Sivagami

A fiery young woman she is extremely intelligent and is a trained warrior. She is the daughter of a nobleman of Mahishmathi kingdom, Devaraya, who was executed as a traitor by the king. The wounds of her childhood have scarred her.

Kattappa

A twenty-one-year-old slave, he is dedicated to his work and takes pride in serving the royal family of Mahishmathi. Kattappa is deeply honoured to have been chosen to serve Bijjaladeva, the elder prince of Mahishmathi. He is the son of Malayappa, the personal slave of Maharaja Somadeva.

Pattaraya

A rich and ambitious nobleman, he is a bhoomipathi, a title of great importance in the Mahismathi kingdom. He is known for his cunning and ruthlessness. He is a self-made man who rose from poverty to riches through his intelligence and hard work. He is dedicated to his family and loves his daughter Mekhala more than his life.

Shivappa

The eighteen-year-old younger brother of Kattappa, he resents being born a slave and dreams of freedom. He loves his elder brother but is often at logger-heads with him. He wants to build a new world and dreams of joining the Vaithalikas, the rebel tribe that is fighting against Mahishmathi from the forests. He is deeply in love with Kamakshi, a friend of Sivagami.

Prince Bijjaladeva

The firstborn of Maharaja Somadeva, he is anxiously awaiting the day he will be declared crown prince. He demands respect and is slighted at the slightest show of irreverence by anyone. He is surrounded by a coterie of sycophants who back him for their own selfish reasons. He is contemptuous of his younger brother and resents his popularity with the masses.

Prince Mahadeva

A dreamer and an idealist, he treats everyone with compassion and love. He is conscious that he is not a great warrior. He looks up to his father and respects him but wilts under his domineering mother. He loves his elder brother but is afraid of him. He is a poet and a romantic.

Jeemotha

He considers himself a great trader but actually is a pirate. He is an expert sailor and sails often at the precipice of illegality. He is aware of his charm and the effect it has on any woman. He often uses his wit to get away from tricky situations but does not desist from violence if the situation demands it.