Vasundhara 1

Published by

Kavya Publishing HouseH.No. 12-13-830/13/B,

Flat No. 103, SSR Apartments,Gokul Nagar, Tarnaka,

Secunderabad - 500 017.email : kavyaph11@gmail.com

Ph : 9866559867

First Edition : February 2013

ISBN : 978-93-83057-01-6

Printed atCharita Impressions

Hyderabad - 500 020.

Price Rs. 60/-

Translated from Telugu

by

Rajakumari

Artist

Padmasri Dr. Bapu

2 I Am Five and I Am In Love

DEDICATION

Dear Sri Ramana garu!

During our college days, reading your works was a fashion! In university, yourcontributions to the then newly-founded ‘Jyothi’ Monthly were a sensation!Your genius through the film, ‘Raktha Sambandham’, followed by yourawesome journey through films like ‘Preminchi Choodu’, ‘Buddhimantudu’,‘Andala Ramudu’, and of course, ‘Muthyala Muggu’, which was a brilliantmanifestation of your verbal virtuosity, and your role in ‘Sri Rama Rajyam’ isto many a cause of admiration! For writers like us, you are a ceaselessinspiration!

You gave to Telugu literature a new form expression. You gave new life to Telugucharacters. You created a unique style in Telugu humor. Together with Bapu,you created wonders in the form of literature and films. Like the ‘Kanya Sulkam’,which is considered an unsurpassed brilliance among plays, ‘Muthyala Muggu’,is a masterpiece, everlastingly unrivaled.

Just as the ‘Raslila’ is a graceful romance only for Lord Krishna and none other,your ‘hasyalila’ is a romantic magnificence of humor, which is ridicule in others’pens. Without pretending that it is possible to replicate your style – and dueto our love for humor – we attempted a few literary works under yourinspiration. Our novel ‘Pelli Chesi Choodu’, was once such endeavor. We wereblessed that you read it along with your wife; elated that you liked it; andecstatic to hear that in your voice over the phone.

Great people are only born; they never die, and we know your all-pervadingexistence is now beyond our reach. Still, since your character ‘Budugu’, who isone among those that immortalized you, is inspiration for our ‘Nani’, we hopethis reaches you, wherever you are. As a humble offering to our mighty idol,we dedicate unto you, our work “I’m Five and I’m in Love”!

Please accept this along with our affections!

Yours Lovingly,

Jonnalagadda RamalakshmiJonnalagadda Rajagopala Rao

Vasundhara 3

4 I Am Five and I Am In Love

We are extremely grateful toPadmasri Dr. Bapu garufor delightfully shaping our

‘Nani’ with his brush.

Paruchuri Subbaiah(Publisher)

We express our sincere gratitude toSri ‘Rachana’ Sai garu,

the principal actor who pulled the stringsto make this book happen.

Vasundhara

Vasundhara 5

1. Paternal grandmother (father’s mother) 2. A word used in Telugu for chap or fellow 3. Mother4. Father 5. Paternal uncle (father’s younger brother) 6. Paternal aunt (father’s sister) 7. A Hindu ceremonythat introduces a child to education — the first lesson is given to a child during a sacred ceremony

Hi! I am Nani. This is my name. Because everybody calls me that; allexcept Bamma1. She calls me “Nani gadu2!” ‘Everybody’ includes Amma3,Nanna4, Babai5, Atta6, and our neighbors. And our neighbors include littlekids too. But in my house, there is only one little kid – me. Naturally, I amloved and pampered!

But all this love and pampering does not spoil me. I am now five, andtwo years have passed since my Aksharabhyasam7. I already know thealphabet very well. But this Raji gadu, who lives next door – he is older thanme by a whole six months, but, you see, he still hasn’t mastered thealphabet!!

Bamma always mentions this and cuddles me fondly.

6 I Am Five and I Am In Love

I love Bamma! Do you know why? That is because Bamma is a veryvery good person. Poor Bamma! She wakes up very early every morning –at four o’clock. She then takes a bath with real cold water. But these rulesare only for her, not for me. When Amma tries to wake me up early, shesays, “Why don’t you let the little fellow sleep for some more time?” Andwhen Amma tells me to have a cold water bath, she scolds her, and gets mehot water instead.

Bamma says people who suffer for others, but don’t allow others tosuffer are very very good people. And Bamma only told me that she is onesuch very very good person.

However Amma doesn’t agree. She says people who go about tellingeveryone that they are ‘very very good people’ are actually bad people.

Amma’s view ‘puts me in a dilemma’. You see, sometimes people saythings, which are partly true and partly lies. And it is not easy to find outwhich is true and which is lies. When people say things like this, elders saythey are ‘put in a dilemma’.

Vasundhara 7

8. A Hindu ritual for prayer9. Food offering made to God after the puja

Now let me tell you why Amma puts me in a dilemma: Bamma alwayssays that she is a very very good person. And I never felt that she is bad,because Bamma loves me, and I love Bamma. As little kids are avatars ofGod, so loving little kids means loving God. And people who love God mustbe very very good people – right?

Bamma also does many more good things apart from loving me. Earlyevery morning she performs the puja8 for God, and then gives me prasadam9.She always prepares my favorites for prasadam, and changes the menuevery day, because I get bored eating the same thing every day. For example,if she offers to God pieces of tender coconut today, she will offer sugarcandy the next day, and bananas the day after…and so on.

Not only that, Bamma also takes my side when I get into a tussle withother kids – usually I am the one who gets beaten up! At home, Ammaalways scolds me saying, “Why will anybody hit you, if you are nice? Whatdid you do? Come on, tell me!”

But Bamma says, “Look at that poor fellow, he is hurt! How can youscold him like that?”

Then she takes me into her loving arms, and asks me to show her whereI was hit. See, I am already hurt, and to add to that, Amma scolds me.Naturally, if someone says nice and kind things, you feel like crying. So Iburst out crying. Bamma holds me and fondles me till I am done with mycrying. And then she again asks me to show her the place where I was hit.

Now that puts me in a dilemma! It is true I got beaten up – but actually,I didn’t get hurt! But since Bamma asks me so lovingly, I got to show hersomething. I think deeply and decide on one spot, say on my legs, and showher, “Here!”

Bamma is really a very very good person! Amma usually says somethinglike, “I don’t see anything there!” But because Bamma is a very very goodperson, she gently blows at the place with her mouth and says, “Oh! Mypoor darling! How badly hurt you are!! Do you feel better now?” I like itwhen she does that – it feels good. So I go only to her for such hurts.

But when I am really really hurt, I go only to Amma. Because Bamma’sblowing doesn’t help then. These hurts need medicine, and plaster too. Ilove ointments and plasters! But Bamma doesn’t have all these things. OnlyAmma has them! And when I am really really hurt, Amma too doesn’t scoldme. She makes me cry, with her love and affection.

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