Chinnu emo malli nidraloki vellipoyindi.

( Chinnu slipped back into sleep.)

Athayya navvuthu,
"Petkuntava gorintaku? Nuvvu ekkuva ani adigaru."

(Aunty smiled and asked, "Do you apply henna often?")

Nenu,
"Haa athayya, istam naku gorintaku.
Ekkuva petkuntanu.

(I said, "Yes aunty, I love henna. I apply it a lot.")

"Paiga maa ammamma chettu penchuthadi paina.
Eppudu kavali ante appude.
Ae pandaga ayina aa pandagaki petteskunta.

(My grandmother grows the plant upstairs, so whenever I want, I apply it — for every festival.)

"Paiga naku mehendi kuda vachu, expert ani cheppanu kani...
parledu, bane pedthanu," anna.

(I even know mehendi designs, I'm not an expert, but I do it well.)

Athayya navvi,
"Ayithe pelli appudu nuvve pettedi andharki," annaru.

(Aunty laughed and said, "Then you'll apply it for everyone at the wedding.")

Ilopu Arvind amma,
"Thanu andharki pedthe... thanaki evaru pedtharu?" annaru.

(Then Arvind's mom asked, "If she applies it for everyone, who will apply it for her?")

Nenu ventane,
"Na friend undi andi, Lavanya ani.
Thanu fashion designer ae... ivanni baga telsu.
Thanu chuskuntadi," anna.

(I said, "I have a friend Lavanya, she's a fashion designer. She knows all this — she'll take care.")

Ilopu athayya oka cheyya ki gorintaku pettesi,
inko cheyya ki pedadam ani mundhuku vacharu.

(By then, mother-in-law had finished one hand and moved to the other.)

Appude naku ardham ayindi —
nenu podukunpothunna ani.

(That's when I realized I was drifting into sleep.)

Kallu terusthunna...
"Kanisam pettedaka aina lechi undam," ani anukunna.

(I forced my eyes open, thinking, "At least stay awake till she finishes.")

Kani pakkane...
ee Arvind, bugga kindha cheyyi pettukoni,
ala nannu chusthu kurchunnadu.

(But beside me, Arvind sat with his hand under his cheek, quietly watching me.)

Naku nidra agaledu.
Kallu bhariga aipoyayi.

(I couldn't fight the sleep; my eyelids grew heavy.)

Ala ala...
godaki vaalina laga anipinchi,
nenu podukunpoyanu anukunta...

(Slowly, leaning against the wall, I think I fell asleep...)

Thanu ala slight ga head itu vaalchi podukogane,

na prapancham okka second lo aagipoyinattu anipinchindi.

(The moment she slightly tilted her head and fell asleep, it felt like my entire world paused.)

Amma kuda chusindi.
Kani em analedu.
Silent ga navvuthu, head ni side-side ki nod chesindi.

(Even my mother noticed. She didn't say anything—just smiled quietly and shook her head knowingly.)

Kani na lopala...
anni dance lu vesayi.

(But inside me, everything was dancing.)

Adhi andharki telisipoyina sare,
leka Devika ki kuda doubt vachina sare—
ippudu adi matter kaadu anipinchindi.

(Even if everyone sensed it, or even if Devika herself doubted it—it didn't matter anymore.)

Ee age ki vachinna nenu evarni preminchaleda?
Na age em chinnadhi kaadu kada.

(Had I really never loved anyone till this age? I'm not that young anymore.)

Ani doubt vachinvundachu miku naku telsi
(you'll might have had this doubt)

Kani Ippati varaku...
ila evartho anipinchaledu.

(Till now, I'd never felt this way about anyone.)

Chinnapudu...
engineering lo unnapudu oka ammai propose chesindi.

(Long ago, during engineering, a girl once proposed to me.)

Thanaki telusu—
maadhi pedda kutumbham ani.
So nenu cheppanu,
"Manam fix aipokunda... intlo chepdham," ani.

(She knew I came from a big family, so I told her, "Let's not fix anything ourselves—let's tell our families.")

Aa ammai em anukundho telidu.
Konni rojullo inkokaritho relationship loki vellipoyindi.

(I don't know what she felt—soon after, she got into another relationship.)

Dhani valla naku em badha kalagaledu.

(It didn't hurt me.)

Kani appati nunchi,
relationships, love—
ee renditi meedha naaku nammakam intrest  raledu.

(But after that, I lost interest in relationships and love.)

Aa ammai ippudu mugguru ki pelli aipoyi mugguru pilalu vunnarui.
Palleturu kadha—
sandhulu dhate anamata illu so chala frequent ga kanpisthadi lone kanipisthadi.

(That girl now has three children. Small towns—you run into people everywhere.)

Prathisari chusinappudu,
na lopala em anpiyadhu kani just inka love gurinchi alochinchabudhi kala.
Talchukunte konnisarlu navvukunta... anthe.

(Every time I see her, I feel nothing—just a small smile at the memory.)

Naku thanu propose chesaka happy feel ayya.
(I felt really happy after she accepted my proposal.)

Kani ala ventane ayyi,
(But everything happened so fast after that,)
ivi anni jarigipoyesarki
(with all these rituals and people around,)
inka eppudu ela feel avvalo ardam kaaledu.
(I didn't even know how I was supposed to feel.)

Verevallamundhu matladali ante,
(If I had to speak in front of others,)
chala congested ga,
(I felt very suffocated,)
almost introvert la aipoya.
(I completely turned into an introvert.)

So prema ante ela anpisthadi ani telusukune anubhuthi—
idhi naaku first time.

(This is the first time I'm understanding what love actually feels like.)

Rendu rojulu chusina ammai nachinda ante,
vinadaniki vinthaga anipinchachu.

(Liking a girl within just two days might sound strange.)

Kani amma...
Devika photo one month back ae chupinchinappude nachindi.

(But the truth is—I liked Devika the moment my mother showed me her photo a month ago.)

Endhuko telidu—
thanalo oka excitement undi.
Oka life ki kavalsina happiness kanipinchindi.

(I don't know why—there was an excitement in her, a happiness meant for life.)

Nenu ela undali anukunano...
ala kanipinchina ammai thanu.

(She looked exactly like the kind of person I always imagined I should be with.)

Paiga amma,
Uma akka pelli rojula gurinchi cheppina prathisari,
Devika gurinche cheppedi.

(And every time my mother spoke about Uma akka's wedding days, she spoke about Devika.)

Amma face lo aa excitement—
Devika entha manchi ammai ani telisedhi.

(The excitement on her face said it all—how good a girl Devika was.)

Photo chupinchaka amma oka maata annaru:

(After showing me the photo, my mother said one thing.)

"Pedhoda... Devika naku nachindi.
Alochinchuko—
thanu ee intlo manatho kalisthe entha baguntundii."

("Son, I like Devika. Just think—how beautiful it would be if she became part of this family.")

"Neeku nachaledu ante force cheyyanu.
Nee istame."

("If you don't like her, I won't force you. It's your choice.")

"Idhi first sambandhame kadha.
Em kaadu.
Raghav annaya tho matladi cheptha."

("This is the first proposal anyway. No pressure. I'll speak to Raghav anna.")

Nenu amma tho cheppanu:

(I told my mother.)

"Amma...
neeku nachindhi kadha.
Naaku adhe chaalu."

("If you like her, that's enough for me.")

"So confirm cheyandi," ani anna.

("So please confirm it," I said.)

Kani first time Devika ni direct ga chusinappudu...

(But the first time I saw Devika in person...)

Devika ni evaraina chudagane padipovalsindhe.
(Anyone would fall for Devika the moment they see her.)

Antha andhamga undi thanu.
(She's that beautiful.)

Kani naa drustilo matram...
(But in my mind...)
okate doubt tirugutune undedi.
(one doubt kept circling.)

Mana age difference valla
(Because of the age difference between us)
nenu thanaki nachanu emo ani anipinchedi.
(I kept feeling maybe she wouldn't like me.)

Thanu,
"Nenu ni crush," annappudu—

(When she said, "I'm your crush...")

Inka poorthiga padipoya.

(That's when I truly, completely fell for her.)

Kani okati matram nijam—
(But one thing is true—)
nenu thanani first time chusinappude
(the first time I saw her)
naaku nachindi aa andham valla kaadhu.
(it wasn't just her beauty that I liked.)

Aa kallalo unna softness.
(It was the softness in her eyes.)
Aa matladetappudu unna maryada.
(The respect in the way she spoke.)
Aa navvu.
(That smile.)

Anduke bayam kuda vachesindi.
(That's why I was scared too.)
"Ilaanti ammayiki nenu saripothaana?"
(Will I be enough for a girl like this?)

Devika ni evaraina chusi padipovachu.
(Anyone can fall for Devika by just looking at her.)
Kani nenu padipoyindi
(But I fell for her)
chusina andham kosam kaadhu—
(not just for her beauty—)
na jeevitham motham kalisi nadavadaniki
(but because I felt she was someone)
saripoye ammayi ani anipinchindhi kabatti.
(who could walk beside me for a lifetime.)

"Thanu nemmadiga naa meedha vaali podukogane...

na jeevitham kosam nenu tiskunna nirnayam sari aynattu anipinchindi."

("The moment she gently leaned on me and drifted off to sleep...

it felt like the decision I made for my life was the right one.")