Story so far: Padmini managed to get the gift she wished to give her father on his birthday well on time thanks to the efforts of Maanavendra and the palace carpenter, Vivek. On the day of his birthday, the King had to go for attending a funeral of a veteran ruler and thus was not available till evening. Padmini eagerly waited for him and as soon as news reached her that he had come, she hurried to meet him with the gift with great expectations. But alas! The King was already in a somber mood at the death of the former ruler and vent that on his daughter and by harsly telling her to go away! Padmini's expectations and happiness came crashing down and she returned to her chambers in tears. The maid Gautami tried to calm her down but in vain. Finally, the Princess fell asleep.
In this chapter 'A Remorseful King': Gautami, the maid, was relieved to see the Princess wake up in the morning and not cry like the day before. However when Maanavendra came to meet her, she again lost her emotions. The old minister was furious when he learnt from Padmini as to what had transpired yesterday. He assured the little Princess that justice would be done and met the King. In the meeting with Adirath, Maanavendra gave full vent to his feelings for the first time regarding the latter's indifferent approach towards his own daughter. The minister, then, stormed out of the chamber leaving the King thinking. What happens next? Would the King finally realize his mistake and make amends? Or would his love for mere physical beauty obscure his sane thinking? For answers, read the final part of this touching story.