[Enter: Police Constable (1) and opens the lockup.]
Police Constable (1): It’s over for now, but mind you; we’ll keep an eye on you.
[Narsimma and Srisailam come out of the lockup.]
Srisailam: Hope, a homely dasara would lighten this a little.
Narsimma: Having gone through hell, why not we’ve some fun at our place.
Srisailam: I would’ve loved to, but you know where my heart is pushing me to.
Narsimma: Well, let’s see how long I can hold out at this rate.
[Exit: Narsimma and Srisailam. Curtains down.]
Scene – 9
[Curtains up: Papa Rao Patel with the day’s daily on the dais of scenes – 4 & 6.]
[Enter: Shaukar Suryam.]
Papa Rao: Aayiye Shaukar Saab
Shaukar Suryam: Patel garu, I thought I was late.
Papa Rao: Well isn’t that the privilege of our dora,not of the patelsand thepatwaris.Lo, here he comes.
[Enter: Muthyal Rao.]
Muthyal Rao: What’s the news Papa Rao Patel?
Papa Rao: Dora, it’s all about annalu and their atrocities.
Shaukar Suryam: Oh, how difficult they’re making life for us these days. You know my brother-in-law in Burugupadu, they told him to move out or else. It seems they don’t want moneylenders any more.
Muthyal Rao: What is their dora doing there, hatching eggs?
Shaukar Suryam: Whatever it is, he’s shifting to Nizamabad.
Muthyal Rao: When lions are on the run, it’s the rabbits that chase them, don’t they?
Shaukar Suryam: When in dilemma one should go by our proverbs dora. Isn’t it said that it’s better to kick around than kicking the bucket.
Papa Rao: Thanks to dora, our ilaakais out of their bounds, at least for now.
Muthyal Rao: Where have Rami Reddy Patwariand Papi Reddy Patel gone?
Papa Rao: They went to Warangal dora.
Muthyal Rao: Why, to spy on their keeps. [He laughs heartily.]
Papa Rao: That’s the problem with keeping a woman dora, one has to keep an eye on her forever.
Shaukar Suryam: Our dora has to thank his forefathers for saving him the bother.
Muthyal Rao: What do you mean by that Shaukar?
Shaukar Suryam: Why, didn’t they make it your privilege to have the lowly brides in their nuptials beds? With bride a night, where’s the need for you to keep any, much less keep an eye?
Papa Rao [aside]: The women he takes to bed could be his half-sisters and most of the lowly youth must be his bastard sons. But here comes an exception.
[Enter: Narsimma bearing the bruises.]
Muthyal Rao: YeraNarsiga why those bruises, were you caught picking a pocket or what?