| BArya mATalu paTTiMchukOlEdu varadayya. 'iyyEDu rETu kAtta aMdukuMTE chAlu. bAkIlannI chustAgA tIripOtAy`' annADu. pogAku kADa tIsi madhyalO InE tISADu.
iMtalOki pakka vIdhi sUrayya pedda koDuku rAmArAvu vachchADu. chEtullO EdO kAgitAluMDay`. rAmArAvu biyyE chadivADu. udyOgaM lEdu. iMTi paTTunE taMDriki sAyaMgA nAlugekarAla polaM chUsukuMTunnADu.
'EMdirOy` pedda panimIdE vachchi naTTuMDAv`?' aDigADu varadayya chuTTa kona koriki nOTlO peTTukunnADu.
'EmuMdi mAvA! sAgar` nILlu mana polAlaki maLliMchAlani gavarnameMTuki kAgitaM. aMdari chEtA saMtakAlu chEyiMchi iddAmani. vyavasAya maMdtri pATUru vachchEduMdaMTa. appuDu kalusukoni ivvAla' cheppADu rAmArAvu. varadayya kUrchunna maMchaM mIdE kALla kaTTana kUkunnADu. 'mottaM mIda EdO okaTi tala peDatAnE vuMTAvu. nI asumaMTOLlu Uri kiddaruMTE chAlu. dESaM bAgupaDuddi' annADu sItArAmayya.
'I kAgitAla valla Emavuddi! iMtaku muMdu ennisAr&lu ULlO vALlaM kiMdAmIdA paDalEdu?' annADu varadayya tEliggA.
'marE EDELla nuMchI ItaMtu jarugutUne vuMdAye. okaDEmO iyyannI merakachElu, nILlekkavaMTADu, vuMkODEmO paMpiMg` skIm` peTTidDDamaMTADu. aMtA arisEtulO vaikuMTamE. nAlugumaiLlu dUraMlO kish&TakAlava pAratannA chukka nILlu aMdavAye' annADu sItArAmayya.
I mATalnnI kRush&NamUrti SraddhagA viMTUnnAdu gAnI saMgati vADiki sariggA arthamainaTTu lEdu.
'A pogAku kaMpenIlOLlE kAlava rAkuMDA jESAraMTagA' aMdukuMdi kamalamma.
'IsAri gaTTi prayatnaM chEddAM. elakshan&lu daggara baDatannay` gadA aMtA oka kaTTu mIduMTE gavarnameMTuni oka paTTu paTTochchu. kAnI mAvA saMtakaM poDuv`. iMkA paivIdhi kellala' toMdara peTTADu rAmArAvu.
'saMtakamA? mI mAvadi Elimudra gadabbAy`' aMdi kamalamma navvutU.
'OsOs`? akkaDiki nIkEMdO saMtakaM sEtayinaTTu' annADu varadayya ravvaMta sarasaMgA.
'nAku saMtakaM vachchunAnA! nEnu rAsEdA' aDigADu kRush&NamUrti ushArugA. varadayya navvADu.
'rEpu peddayinAka aTTane rAdduvu lEvAy`' annADu rAmAravu.
kamalamma lOpalikeLli kATikkAya techchiMdi. varadayya chuTTa avatala pArEsi eDama chEtivEliki kATika rAsukOni rAmArAvu pEru rAsina chOTa vElimudra vESADu.
I pillADeTTa saduvutunnADO ' kAtta paTti chukOyyA. nIku puNNEmuMTadi' cheppiMdi kamalamma rAmArAvutO.
'skUlu Pas&Tu vIDEnaMTannAru paMtulugAru. ayinA Sani,AdivArAlu nA daggiriki rArA' kish&TamUrtI lekkalu cheputA.
kRush&NamUrti buddigA talUpADu. rAmArAvu bAbAy` (aTlAnE pilustADu kRush&NamUrti) tanaki lekkalu chepitE iMkEM? bAgA chaduvukOni kalak&TaraipOvachchu.
rAmArAvu lEchADu. sItArAmayya kUDA bayaldErADu.
taMDrI koDukulni annAlaki lemmaMdi kamalamma. bayaTa gAli bigadIstAMdi.
(migatA BAgaM vachchE budhavAraM)
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