Yellaiah: Where is Sarakka?
Mallamma: Wonder why she hasn’t turned up yet.
Yellaiah[Making a move to get up]: Why not I better check up at her school.
Mallamma[Holding him back]: Isn’t it enough that you’ve been toiling like a mule all day long.
Yellaiah: Why their lot is any day better dear. They are well-fed by peddolluand attended by doctors. See, they’ve doctors to look after them but we’ve to put with the quacks. I hear even their lives are insured these days.
Mallamma: Well, mules have a price tag on them, but what about us. Don’t dalitscome cheaper by the dozen?
[Enter: Maisaiah on his way in a hurry.]
Yellaiah: O Maisaiah, where are you running to now?
Maisaiah: Running around on Shaukar’s errands, oh, how I’ve forgot about memsaab. She said she has some work for me before he returned from Warangal.
[Exit: Maisaiah.]
Yellaiah: Why, their women too boss over our men, don’t they? How I wish our Narsimma won’t have to put up with all that.
Mallamma: Why should he as Pantulayya says he’s bright. He feels the same way about our Sarakka, and Renuka. But I think Renuka is better than both.
Yellaiah: Don’t I know you’re always partial towards your brother’s daughter.
Mallamma: It’s as if I’m a stepmother to your kids.
Yellaiah: Why get hurt dear, I was just joking. But still our kids are hot heads while she carries a clear head? If not for you, wouldn’t they have become rebels by now?
Mallamma: Whatever, once he sets his mind; Narsimma is not the one to waver. And Sarakka too is developing the same traits, isn’t she?
Yellaiah: Well, how you’ve been drumming him not to get distracted from his studies.
Mallamma: Why not? You know how we’re undone by being unpad. I want all three of them to be well educated. I’ve been hoping that an educated Renuka makes an ideal wife for our Narsimma. But sadly vadina seems to have developed second thoughts about giving her to him.
Yellaiah: Don’t I see Anasuya is rooting for Saailu, her good for nothing brother. Well, we can only hope that your brother Yadagiri puts his foot down for once.
Mallamma: But can he do that? Any way, there is still a long way to go. Let’s see what the future has in store for them.
Yellaiah: What a wretched life ours is Malli? We don’t even have a say in our own affairs. It’s Papi Reddy Patelwho’s behind all this. And don’t I see his game plan?