"Em vunnadu asala..."

(How handsome he is...)

I whispered to myself, but of course my sister was listening from the side (snake ears, obviously)

She teased,
"Niku bava varsa avthadu anukunta."
(I think he might become your bava.)

I shot back immediately,
"Nivi paamu chavule akka... calm vundu kastha!"
(Yours are snake ears, sister... stay calm!)

Then she added casually,
"Aa abbai emo kani... valla amma niku padipoyinattu vunnaru first."
(I don't know about that boy, but his mother seems to like you first.)

I turned suddenly.
"Evaru avida?"
(Who is she?)

She nodded with her eyes,
"Straight ga chudu... ninnu chusthu kanipistharu."
(Look straight, you'll see her looking at you.)

I squinted.
"Evaru? Prasanna aunty aa?"
(Who? Is it Prasanna aunty?)

She smiled,
"Haa ammu... yes."
(Yes, ammu.)

And that's when it hit me.
Inni rojulu aunty tho matladi, inni panulu chesanu...
kani avidaki intha handsome koduku vunnadu ani asalu teliyaledu!
(All these days I spoke to her, did so many things with her... but I never knew she had such a handsome son!)

My sister, never missing a chance to create drama, asked,
"Enti mari... elli aa abbai tho matladana?"
(So... should I go and talk to that boy?)

I rolled my eyes.
"Amma thalli, nuvvu ni mogudtho enjoy cheyyi... naku mogudu avvaku!"
(Please, enjoy with your husband... don't try to create one for me!)

She laughed and went back to talking with bava gaaru,
(my sister's husband)
and I... I just kept observing him.

Inka anthe. Start.
(That's it. It began.)

Aa roju nunchi, prathi roju ade routine —
levatam, snanam chesi, manchi dress lu eskoni,
ivala vasthadu emo ani chudatam.
(From that day, every day the same routine — waking up, bathing, dressing well, and checking if he might come today.)

Kani...
aa abbai nannu chudaledu.
nenu matladali ane dairyam cheyyaledu.
(But he never looked at me. And I never had the courage to talk to him.)

Last pelli roju, nanna Prasanna aunty tho matladataniki nannu tisukoni vellaru.
"Avida mana dhoorapu bandhuvu," ani chepparu.
(On the last wedding day, my father took me to talk to Prasanna aunty, saying she is a distant relative.)

Prasanna aunty nannu chudagane,
eyes glowing, full excitement tho,
"Mi ammai aa, ammu?" ani adigaru.
(Is this your daughter, Ammu?)

Nanna smiled.
"Haa avunu andi."
(Yes.)

Tarvatha nannu chusi,
"Ammu, aunty niku telsa?"
(Ammu, do you know aunty?)

She suddenly held my hand, half-hugged me and said,
"Ayyo naku enduku telidu annaya!
Memu friends aipoyam kada!"
(Why wouldn't I know her, brother? We've become friends!)

Annaya?? 😳
(Brother??)

Appudu nanna calm ga chepparu,
"Haa... avida na cousin sister, ammu."
(Yes... she's my cousin sister.)

Nenu shock lo,
"Oooo... ahaaa!"
(Ohhh... wow!)
Asalu expect cheyyaledu.
(I never expected that.)

But Prasanna aunty pakkane...
he was sitting there.

Nenu innocent ga adigesa,
"Ayithe miru naku menatha avthara?"
(So... does that make you my aunt?)

Anthe.
(That's it.)

He suddenly stood up.

"Amma, nenu kasepu bayataki velli vastha," ani cheppi vellipoyadu.
(Mom, I'll step outside for a while, he said and left.)

That moment...
somewhere inside, something stopped expecting.

Edo chinna crush ae kada...
deniki ala anipinchindi naku? Ani anpiyachu miku kani
(It was just a small crush, right? Why did it affect me so much?)

Maybe university tarvatha,
ila bagunnadu, matladali ani, lopala oka manishi nachadu ani anpinchina
first vyakthi thane avatam valla emo.
(Maybe after university, he was the first person I felt like talking to just because he felt right.)

Roju levatam, chudatam —
adi koncham alavatu aipoyindi.
(Waking up and looking for him every day slowly became a habit.)

And aa mata annagane velli poyesariki,
nen nachaka vellada?
(Did he leave because he didn't like me?)

ani oka chinna badha...
silent ga lopala migilipoyindi.
(A small pain remained silently inside.)

Aa scene chusaka...
na expression agaledu.
"Water kavali," ani oka reason cheppi,
inka room ki vachesa.
(After seeing that scene, I couldn't control my expression. I made an excuse saying I needed water and came back to my room.)

Ala oka nela aipoindi.
(A whole month passed like that.)

Oka roju nanna sudden ga matalu teesaru.
"Ammu, pelli chesko."
(One day, my father suddenly brought up the topic and said, "Ammu, get married.")

Nenu calm ga cheppanu,
"Nanna, nenu pelli vodhu ani cheppaledu.
Kani naaku okate condition.
Mimmalni ikkada vadili,
nenu vere foreign lo velli vundatam istam ledu
naaku avasaram ledu."
(I didn't say I don't want marriage, dad. But I have one condition. I don't want to leave you here and live a luxurious life abroad by myself.)

Nanna serious ga reply icharu,
"Ammu, idhi niku mundhu nunche chepthunna.
Oka three years nenu ikkade untanu.
Tharvatha Nuvvu ekkadiki velthe,
atu nenu vachestha."
(I'm telling you this beforehand. I'll stay here for three years. Wherever you go after that, I'll come there.)

Kani na manasu oppukoledu.

"Ledu nanna.
'Appudu jaruguthayi' ani nammi
pelli cheskovali ani ledu.
Mundhu anni set ayyi,
ippude clear ga unte.
Appude pelli cheskunta."
(No, dad. I don't want to marry thinking everything will work out in the future. I want things to be settled now, clearly. Only then will I marry.)

Nanna lechi nilabadi,
"Inka chinna pillala laga matladaku," annaru.
(He stood up and said, "Don't talk like a small child.")

Na gonthu pagilipoyindi.

"Nenu em matladina adhe antaru....,
miru already decide ayyi unte,
nenu em cheyyagalanu inka?"
(If you've already decided everything, then what can I even say?)

Anthe.
Conversation akkade aagipoyindi.
(That's it. The conversation stopped there.)

Endukante...
ammamma room loki vacharu.

Ammamma chusindante,
nenu nanna ki edhuru matladuthunna ani telisthe,
chipirikarre viragottidi direct ga .
(If grandma finds out I'm talking back to my father, I'll get hit with a broomstick.)

Ammamma casual ga adigaru,
"Aa Italy sambandham emaindi ra Varun babu?"
(What happened to that Italy marriage alliance?)

Nanna calm ga chepparu,
"Photo chupinchi,
pilla ni okasari adigi oppukunte,
appudu piludham ani anukunna. athayya garu"
(I thought I'd show the photo, ask the girl once, and if she agrees, we'll contact them.)

Nenu shock lo,
"Enti Italy?"
(What? Italy?)

Nanna koncham irritation tho,
"Ninnu Italy pampidham ani."
(We'll send you to Italy, he said sarcastically.)

Nenu straight ga,
"Nijam cheppandi."
(Tell me the truth.)

Appudu ammamma na daggariki vachi,
"Mana bandhuvullo oka abbai unnadu ammu.
Italy lo job chesthadu anta."
(There's a boy among our relatives. He works in Italy.)

Na lopala anni agipoyayi.

"Nenu cheskonu.
Asala ante asala cheskonu!"
(I won't marry. Never means never.)

Ammamma shock ayyi,
"Ammu, enduku ala antav?"
(Why are you saying that?)

Nenu serious ga ,
"Vaadu nannu cheskoni,
'Italy vachesey' antadu.
Naaku ledu...
naaku povali ani ledu."
(He'll marry me and ask me to come to Italy. I don't want that. I don't want to go.)

Ammamma slow ga,
oka final judgement laga chepparu:

"Mari bartha venaka bharya veladam
dharmam ammu..."
(Isn't it a wife's duty to follow her husband?)

"Ellehe" ivi anni naku anavsaram
(leave it. they are no use for us)

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

Hello mi andhariki, nenu mi author.
(Hello everyone, I'm your author.)
First of all, idhi just prologue laga pettanu anthe.
(First of all, this is just a prologue.)
Inka story start avvadaniki oka 10 days time undi.
(The story will properly begin in about 10 days.)
Koncham prolong chesthunnanu ani anipinchina, please sorry.
(If you feel I'm prolonging it, I'm sorry.)
Endukante, Telugu–English translations pettali ani fix ayyanu kabatti,
prathi chapter rayadaniki koncham time padthundi.
(Because I want to include Telugu–English translations, each chapter takes time.)
Nenu present uni student ni,
andukane anni ventane cheyadam kashtam avthundi.
(I'm currently a student, so managing everything at once is difficult.)
But I'll try my best of the best, idi matram guarantee.-
(But I'll try my absolute best, that I promise.)
So please dini gurinchi doubt em pettukokandi.
(Please don't have any doubts about this.)
Alage, miku ee prologue ela anipinchindo cheppandi.
(Please tell me how you felt about this prologue.)
Mi opinions, feelings, suggestions anni comments lo cheppandi.
(Share your opinions, feelings, and suggestions in the comments.)
Emaina improve cheskovali ani anipisthe,
adi kuda free ga cheppandi.
(If you feel something needs improvement, please tell me freely.)

Miku na story prologue nachindi ani korukuntunna.
(I hope you liked my story's prologue.)

With all the love,
mi Dilara 🤍

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡