Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Hello..!"
Jai attended the call as he came down ready to go to office. There Vennela sat checking the accounts and finances with his mother.
"Athaiyya.. Bava's that remodelled ship is drinking too much than it can run."
She said noting down the expenses. His mother laughed.
"Vennela.. Its a cruiser bike. Its like fashion accessories. Choodaniki bhaaguntayi kaani vaadaniki paniki raavu. They are practically either useless or just too costly to maintain."
"Why would Mavaiyya gift him this?"
"Because the I did not give him one when he asked for it in college days for the same reason I said before. He could not maintain it while studying. So I refused. And now that your Bava has proved himself, I thought of buying him one but looks like the wish was granted anyway."
Latha said as she calculated the income in an excel sheet. Vennele smiled.
"Aha.. How is that? You think and Mavaiyya grants!"
Vennela said without thinking as she made note of the expenditures. Latha stopped typing and looked at Vennela who said a very important statement in such an innocent way.
"Vennela.. How is.."
Vennela cut Latha.
"You know Atha, Mavaiyya took the agricultural lands back from construction sites and leased them to people in village so that they will stop all violent activities? Just like him, many families let go of their sons and daughters to nearby towns to study so that they will be diverted from the past. He does not let anyone go back to old ways."
Vennela said finishing her accounts and forwarded the notes to Latha who sat there looking faraway.
"Athaiyya?"
"Huh?"
"Where are you lost?"
"Nowhere. Is it done?"
"Yes.. here.."
Jai came there at that moment breaking his mother's hesitation.
"Amma.. My old friend is celebrating his bachelor's party in a pub nearby. He has invited us."
"Us.. or you?"
Latha raised her brow. Jai cleared his throat.
"Adi.. Amma.."
Latha chuckled.
"Okay okay.. You and Vennela go."
Vennela who was drinking water near the dining table coughed and spurted the water.
"Party? Pub lo na?"
Latha bit her cheeks inside trying to bite down her smile.
"Yeah. Ante.. Coffee shop lu restaurants thirugutunnaru ga.. While coffee shops and restaurants are just one side, this is another side of youth enjoyment. Go on. Ye ra Jai?"
Latha asked her son.
"Ah? As you say Mom.. I mean Amma"
He changed looking at Vennela who glared at him.
"Get ready Vennela.."
"Athaiyya.."
"I am going out with my yoga batch mates. So you will be bored anyway.."
"Seri seri!"
Jai surrendered. Stomping Vennela got ready and both went to the said pub, this time in a cab on Vennela's insisting.
"Vennela.. My friends haven't met you and they don't know about my family.. So if they talk.."
"Aba cha.. Leave it to me Bava."
Vennela smiled and they both got into the pub and as soon as they got in, Jai went ahead to meet his friends as he took a Heineken tin can and sipped. Vennela who was left behind with the girls of the gang felt left out as they kept talking nonsense.
" Hey.. you never introduced yourself?"
One of them said at last.
"Ammo! Ippudu gurtochanu ana maata. They notice me now."
She blew a raspberry and gave them a smile.
"Hello.. I am Vennela."
"Oh! You are the one who came with Jai?"
One of them asked and Vennela smiled nodding her head.
"Oh! Jai!"
Another girl said blowing away her fringe. Vennela frowned.
"What?"
The first gave a boring look.
"Athi.. she proposed Jai."
Vennela looked shocked.
"As usual Jai said NO and from then on she has been going mad. You see Jai was always this casual guy who never committed. He was up for a few dates but never long time. And this one tried her best and failed. Hey.. but how come you are with him?"
"I am.."
Before she could say anything, Jai came there.
"How are you girls?"
"Leave about us. Tell us about you. You and sreenu left college and then both took up to business. And now you bring a girl. So unlike you."
"Hey Lav.. Nothing like that. She is my cousin. She has come to Hyderabad and staying with us."
Jai said casually taking a sip from his can.
"Oh.. Cousin."
Said the girl who was said to be the one to propose. Jai just nodded. Vennela's face went red by every passing moment. Jai smiled at her once and then went on ahead meeting his friends. Vennela feeling left out, took a shot that the waiter was passing with and coughed.
"Hey! Isn't this vodka?"
"Sorry mam, for this party, they ordered tequila exclusively."
Vennela grunted and took two more shots deciding to take anyway and went to the dance floor and started dancing wildly.
But these thoughts kept going in her mind.
Her bava was surrounded by women.
He did not commit.
He was casual.
She was JUST his cousin.
But then she thought about the time she spent with her Bava. How special those moments were and how it concerned only the two of them.
She smiled and then saw her Bava smiling back at her. She called him to the dance floor. He shook his head. She beckoned him and at last he came to the floor.
"Come on Bava. Shake it!"
Shaking his head he shook his feet surprising his friends. And then Vennela joined him happily. All the girls looked at them with their jaws hanging open.
Soon they were saying byes only this time with Vennela hanging to Jai's arms because of the tequila effect.
Pushing her into the cab, both reached their home a little late. He took her to her room and put her to bed removing her heels and heard her blabber.
"I am just cousin. But you are my Bava!"
But after that whatever she said was undecipherable. Jai chuckled.
"Pichi na Maradala!"
He said and went to his room. He tried lying on his bed but no avail.
"Hey Maradala! You are not my Just Cousin. You are my Maradalu!"
He thought to himself as he slept thinking about his so called Just cousin.
