the kitchen,” Kokila insisted, and dragged her friend away.
“Why did you ask her those questions? They were rude,” Kokila admonished Chetana after they were in the kitchen.
“Do you think Ramanandam Sastri and she are doing it?” Chetana asked, and Kokila groaned.
“Is your mind always in the gutter?”
“He has to do it with someone. My mother told me once that men just have to do it all the time, at least once a day, or their lingam shrivels.” Chetana spoke with an air of confidence.
“Your mother is a lying whore. I wouldn’t believe everything she says,” Kokila said wearily.
“But she knows a lot about a man’s lingam. ” Chetana giggled. “Have you seen one?” she asked, and Kokila shrugged.
“You have, you dirty girl. Tell me!” Chetana demanded with glee in her eyes.
Kokila made a sound and looked around to make sure Subhadra was occupied in the other end of the kitchen, then brought her voice down to a whisper. “I saw Narayan Garu’s once.”
“Really? How?”
“He was wearing that thin lungi of his, the blue one with red peacocks on it, and it fell open when he was sitting down. It was . . . I can’t talk about this,” Kokila said, her ears burning with embarrassment.
“How was it?” Chetana asked, undeterred by her friend’s embarrassment.
“What?” Kokila asked, confused.
“His lingam. ”
“It was small and . . . dark,” Kokila said, and called out to Subhadra before Chetana could ask any more questions.
That evening Charvi insisted that Kokila come for the evening walk with her. Kokila didn’t have the heart to refuse. Charvi had been depressed since Vidura ran away but with the arrival of Dr. Vineetha Raghavan, Charvi seemed to be even more withdrawn. Lavanya’s visit had not helped either.
Kokila didn’t like the eldest sister, Manikyam, much and she definitely didn’t like her two sons, Ravi and Prasad, who always spent the summer at Tella Meda. When they were younger they used to constantly whine and fight, but as they grew, the whines grew into angry outbursts, tantrums, and hysterics. Chetana spent more time with Ravi than Kokila liked but no one could ever stop Chetana from doing what she wanted. Prasad was almost always out of Tella Meda, whiling away the day and whistling at young girls as he sat with some rowdy friends of his by the cinema. If anyone bothered to tell Manikyam about her sons’ behavior she would accuse the person who told her of being jealous of her sons.
Ravi always came up with ways of looking underneath girls’ skirts and into women’s blouses. Manikyam fondly called it child’s play and naughtiness. Kokila couldn’t understand how Manikyam could condone their foul behavior. It was always a relief when summer ended and they left to go back to Visakhapatnam.
Kokila didn’t mind Lavanya much. She rarely came to Tella Meda, so Kokila didn’t have to spend much time with her. Lavanya seemed to be angry all the time, which was so different from Charvi, who was never angry. Even when she was insulted by someone, Charvi would answer with dignity in a very calm tone. Kokila respected Charvi for her ability to control her emotions and hoped she could be as sedate and controlled someday.
“Vidura spent a lot of time with you,” Charvi said to Kokila as soon as they reached the beach. “Did he say anything to you?”
Kokila bit her lip, not sure if she should hurt Charvi’s feelings by telling her what Vidura had said the night he kissed her.
“Say anything to me? About what?” Kokila said evasively.
“About wanting to run away,” Charvi replied patiently. She could see that Kokila was nervous talking about Vidura. “You can tell me anything. I won’t take offense.”
Kokila sighed. “He once told me that he hated . . . I don’t think it’s important. He just ran away, maybe he’ll come back—”
“It’s important to me,” Charvi interrupted softly. “Tell me what he said. If someone should know, it’s
“Why did you ask her those questions? They were rude,” Kokila admonished Chetana after they were in the kitchen.
“Do you think Ramanandam Sastri and she are doing it?” Chetana asked, and Kokila groaned.
“Is your mind always in the gutter?”
“He has to do it with someone. My mother told me once that men just have to do it all the time, at least once a day, or their lingam shrivels.” Chetana spoke with an air of confidence.
“Your mother is a lying whore. I wouldn’t believe everything she says,” Kokila said wearily.
“But she knows a lot about a man’s lingam. ” Chetana giggled. “Have you seen one?” she asked, and Kokila shrugged.
“You have, you dirty girl. Tell me!” Chetana demanded with glee in her eyes.
Kokila made a sound and looked around to make sure Subhadra was occupied in the other end of the kitchen, then brought her voice down to a whisper. “I saw Narayan Garu’s once.”
“Really? How?”
“He was wearing that thin lungi of his, the blue one with red peacocks on it, and it fell open when he was sitting down. It was . . . I can’t talk about this,” Kokila said, her ears burning with embarrassment.
“How was it?” Chetana asked, undeterred by her friend’s embarrassment.
“What?” Kokila asked, confused.
“His lingam. ”
“It was small and . . . dark,” Kokila said, and called out to Subhadra before Chetana could ask any more questions.
That evening Charvi insisted that Kokila come for the evening walk with her. Kokila didn’t have the heart to refuse. Charvi had been depressed since Vidura ran away but with the arrival of Dr. Vineetha Raghavan, Charvi seemed to be even more withdrawn. Lavanya’s visit had not helped either.
Kokila didn’t like the eldest sister, Manikyam, much and she definitely didn’t like her two sons, Ravi and Prasad, who always spent the summer at Tella Meda. When they were younger they used to constantly whine and fight, but as they grew, the whines grew into angry outbursts, tantrums, and hysterics. Chetana spent more time with Ravi than Kokila liked but no one could ever stop Chetana from doing what she wanted. Prasad was almost always out of Tella Meda, whiling away the day and whistling at young girls as he sat with some rowdy friends of his by the cinema. If anyone bothered to tell Manikyam about her sons’ behavior she would accuse the person who told her of being jealous of her sons.
Ravi always came up with ways of looking underneath girls’ skirts and into women’s blouses. Manikyam fondly called it child’s play and naughtiness. Kokila couldn’t understand how Manikyam could condone their foul behavior. It was always a relief when summer ended and they left to go back to Visakhapatnam.
Kokila didn’t mind Lavanya much. She rarely came to Tella Meda, so Kokila didn’t have to spend much time with her. Lavanya seemed to be angry all the time, which was so different from Charvi, who was never angry. Even when she was insulted by someone, Charvi would answer with dignity in a very calm tone. Kokila respected Charvi for her ability to control her emotions and hoped she could be as sedate and controlled someday.
“Vidura spent a lot of time with you,” Charvi said to Kokila as soon as they reached the beach. “Did he say anything to you?”
Kokila bit her lip, not sure if she should hurt Charvi’s feelings by telling her what Vidura had said the night he kissed her.
“Say anything to me? About what?” Kokila said evasively.
“About wanting to run away,” Charvi replied patiently. She could see that Kokila was nervous talking about Vidura. “You can tell me anything. I won’t take offense.”
Kokila sighed. “He once told me that he hated . . . I don’t think it’s important. He just ran away, maybe he’ll come back—”
“It’s important to me,” Charvi interrupted softly. “Tell me what he said. If someone should know, it’s
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