Barrister Parvateesam

The words stuck in my throat.

As soon as Raju and I stood up, everyone else there also rose to their feet.

That girl, too, stood up. Once again, our eyes met. She smiled shyly. But I—unable even to return her smile—could not manage so much as a grin. Like a bashful bride, I lowered my head in embarrassment and stepped out onto the street.

Achyutaramaiah garu came along with my sister and escorted us up to the road. “I’ll let you know first thing in the morning what your father has to say. I’ll be here,” he said.

Without a word, I folded my hands in farewell, leaned on Raju for support, and trudged forward as if walking in my sleep. We reached the end of the street and turned the corner. Suddenly, Raju burst out laughing.

“Parvateesam, your game is up! This is the end of your freedom. I thought you were some great hero, a man of courage. After traveling through so many countries and seeing countless beautiful women, how is it that the moment you set eyes on this little girl’s face, you turned into a nervous wreck? Where has all that bravado you used to spout gone now?” he teased me mercilessly all along the way.

I didn’t utter a single word in reply. My heart was still back there, fixed on the eyes of that girl, who stood at a distance, looking at me with a smile, her gaze following me as I walked away. Raju practically dragged me along until we reached the place where we had sat the previous night, but that daze did not leave me.

Raju patted me on the back. “Well, my boy, have you come to your senses yet? Or should I fetch you a bed, a blanket, and a pillow so you can sleep right here? If you want, do so—your father will come tomorrow and wake you up anyway. I’ll be on my way,” he said, getting up to leave.

With that, the spell was broken. I returned to my normal self.

“Why are you standing? Sit down!” I made Raju sit again, and we slipped back into our usual chatter. In the midst of our conversation, a stray word or two from Raju’s mouth revealed to me that both he and his father were, in fact, the root cause of the entire episode that had just transpired.

The next morning, just as we were finishing our ablutions and breakfast, a message arrived from Achyutaramaiah’s house. The messenger informed us that my father had given his consent, and that they would be coming over before three o’clock that afternoon. He added that we should be ready, as they would bring us the news as soon as they arrived.

Raju and I exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“Parvateesam, your father will come today, and while you’re still lost in your daydreams, they’ll have that girl tie three knots around your neck. By the time