‘Ammalu, with my world – wide popularity, razor sharp intelligence, admiring acumen to assess the abilities of men and women, all round expertise in all fields, I never appointed an ineligible candidate to my office.
Wonder how I selected you, as my wife!’
‘Answer, simple. You acquired those qualities only after my joining you!’
‘Ammalu, your mother, though stingy to the depth of bone marrow, delivered many kids, you one among them. You and your siblings call her ‘amma’. But, why should I? She is not my mother. You know that . The world knows that. I give her due respect as an old lady, waiting for the second bell to ring, to quit.
How is that you are keeping quiet?’
‘Who said I’m keeping quiet? I’m recording your voice to be sent to my mom, waiting for the second bell to ring’
‘Ammalu, please continue recording. Amma, my beloved amma,
Whatever I blabbered so far was under the influence of anesthesia given in the morning for my cataract surgery. You look so beautiful and you are my real mother. Amma, you are my amma. Anxious to meet you amma.’
‘Ammalu, I’m telling you again and again. Your assessment of Ammini is absolutely wrong . Ammini is a good girl’
‘Girl? She is a muthi, muthassi, pAtti’
‘One alternate would have been sufficient’
‘There is no alternative but to kick her out when she come to dance before you’
‘Is this the way you treat a muthi, muthassi, pAtti?’
‘That is all what I wanted. I wanted to hear those words from your mouth. Don’t say again she is a girl. What is Ammini?’
‘She is an old lady, like you’
‘That is fine. It is a fact. We’re all old; you’re young. Only I will say that, not other women, young or old’