"Yemappa Jai.. Idena raavadam?"

Nagireddy asked once they stepped inside.

"Got a bit delayed on the way"

Jai smiled.

"What was it this time Bava?"

Arjun asked.

"Kobbaribondam!"

Jai said as he moved inside behind Vennela who was looking around sniffing.

"Athamma.. Do I smell Attu Tunukala Koora and Boorelu?"

Arjun wanted to hit his head while Manasa laughed.

"Also Panasa pottu koora and Maagaya pachedi?"

This time it was Jai. Arjun now was literally banging his head while Manasa's laugh went louder. Nagireddy and his wife stifled their chuckles.

"Will you keep sniffing from here? Or will you freshen yourself and come for lunch?"

Nagireddy's wife Akkamma smiled.

"Come on! Everyone are waiting for you!"

Arjun said as Jai and Vennela came after washing their hands and feet. Manasa handed them a towel.

"Everyone? Even that Thindi Ramudu? Even after getting a whiff of Athamma's Pansa pottu koora?"

Manasa laughed.

"Yes! He wanted you both to join us."

"Wow Manasa! Control eh?"

"Shut up Vennu!"

Vennela giggled as she settled herself beside Jai. In these few months, Jai and Vennela became as much kids of Iragavaram as much they were kids of Rentachintala.

Vennela served Jai the Panasa pottu koora, which is a dry curry made of raw jack fruit seasoned and flavored up with nice amount of spices. Then served herself with some attu Tunukala koora which is a curry of gram flour pancake pieces fried with green vegetables and spices. She took in the delicacy and put in her mouth and sighed at the taste.

"Athamma... Do me a favor"

Vennela said to Akkamma.

"Either you come with us.. Or let me stay here. You just cook awesome."

Akkamma smiled.

"I did not make it Vennela. Shantham did!"

At that moment Shanthi came there with the boorelu and bobbattulu.

"Chinnathamma.. Tunukala koora.. Wow!"

She said at smiling Shanthi. But Vennela who took in the smell of the ghee in Boorelu and Bobbattulu, ran off immediately to the nearby washroom.

"Vennela.."

Jai ran after her wiping his hands off. But Shanthi was already tending to her.

"Akkaigaru.. Get a lemon!"

She said to Akkamma who brought a lemon and peeled a little bit.

"Here Vennela.. Smell this."

She said wiping Vennela's face and slightly pressing and massaging her temples. Vennela like a good girl, tried taking in the citrus smell but made a face again. Shanthi immediately took it from her.

"Okay okay.. Idi Vaddu. Lets try something else. Akka.."

"Idigo allam.."

Saying the elder one gave a piece of ginger which made Vennela feel a little better.

"There you go.. Good?"

Vennela smiled nodding. Jai stood there panting.

"Enti Magada.. Seeing the fruits of your hard work?"

Akkamma asked smiling. Shanthi chuckled raising her brow.

"Hardwork?"

"Don't worry Jai.. She is fine. It will all go away soon."

"But.. She was out of her sickness phase"

"Yes she is.. But still she cannot tolerate certain odor. For some women, after 12 weeks, they dont have all these. But some go through this for the whole pregnancy. Its natural Jai"

Shanthi explained calming Jai down.

"Now come on.. The ghee has been taken away. Come and eat"

"Vaddhu chinnatha"

Vennela was not ready to fill her stomach after throwing up.

"Vennela! Don't.."

Jai was really not up for this. He really could not see Vennela going through so much while he watched helpless.

"Amma Vennela.. Come on.. After throwing up, you need to eat else you will become tired."

Shanthi persuaded her to eat.

"Vennela.. Please.."

Jai could only do so much.

"Vennu.. Padha.. I am hungry!"

"Karma!"

Vennela and Manasa hit their hearing Arjun. Then Vennela chuckled shaking her head. She felt light now. So she went to the table and served only light. But she did not miss her fav koora. And Much to Jai's chagrin she ate his Panasa pottu koora too as she felt her taste buds dance to the flavour.

"Osei.. Let him eat!"

Arjun admonished her.

"I will eat whatever I want. Po ra!"

"Vadilei Arjun. I am just happy that she is eating!"

"Bava! You are finished! And please.. Stop scratching my leg. Vennela's is on your side!"

Arjun said rolling his eyes. Vennela threw a spoon at him and showed her tongue as she finished her lunch While Jai jerked away with his ears turning red. Shanthi served her boorelu after she suppressed the smell of ghee. Vennela enjoyed her favorite delicacy.

"Athamma.. How?"

She asked Akkamma.

"Thomalaakulu.. Betel leaves can bring down the aroma and is good for you too."

Saying she placed a beautifully folded paan plate on the small dining table as everyone started to get up to wash hands.

"Sir ekkada?"

Jai asked the women as he waited with towel for Vennela which everyone noticed and smiled.

"He, maridi garu and Poorna have gone to look into the school and how its coming off. And they needed to look into the wages of the people working too."

Akkamma gave the whereabouts of Nagireddy, Shivareddy and Umareddy.

"Oh.. We also wanted to.."

"I know babu. Poorna will come now for lunch and you can leave with him on his jeep."

She said.

"Idigo ammayi.. Eat this Killi."

Saying she gave one killi, the folded paan to Vennela.

"But.."

"Cheppedi vinu. Eat"

And Vennela could not resist.

"Wow! For first time I am seeing her obeying!"

Jai said and earned a glare that was even more red than his tongue from eating the paan.

"Bava! Look at her. Its almost like she is chewing you."

"I don't mind.."

"Rei Bava.. Public!"

"Inka enti public. He is going to become father in less than 5 months."

Akkamma said chuckling making the couple go red.

"Orei Arjun!"

"It was Bava!"

"You.."

"Shut up you both! I have to ask Athaiyya how you were as kids.. Because you are worse than kids now"

Manasa said taking a paan.

"Manasa.. You don't want to know."

"Ask our village bushes and old couples with young kids. They might have some interesting facts to tell."

Vennela broke out.

"Osei Vennu.. Do you remember that along with me, its about you too?"

"What me! I don't know anything. You ran and I followed."

"Wha.."

"Jai.. Do you see how Naagulu got sacrificed by Vennela?"

"I get an Idea.."

JAi and Manasa laughed.

"Asalu.. Now I understand why it took you 11 months to.. Ahem.. its just the anger of the couple these two caught in the bushes I guess."

Manasa winked.

"Nothing like that okay.. We were doing a favor to everyone by letting them know that there is something called privacy."

"Yeah right!"

"Bava.. Don't rile her up more. She is as red as a mini volcano. If she erupts.. Its you who is going to burn."

"Orei paapi. You do the deed and I get burnt! Karma!"

Their bickering went on for a while as Poorna came for lunch.

"All 4 kids are here. That why we could hear the buk buk noise till that end of the village."

He said as he sat for lunch. Manasa glaring at him threw one spoon to his head.

"Ahh.. You devil!"

"Shut up and eat."

She said as she served him Tunukala koora.

"Only this? Where is Panasa pottu koora?"

"Bammaridi. Don't even take that name. There is this bakasuri here who would have even gulped down the vessel. But thanks to athamma here that the utensil is safe."

Arjun said.

"Orei.."

Vennela threw Poorna's phone that was kept close to her, on Arjun.

"Ammo.. My mobile"

"Rei Bava.."

"Now why did you rile her up.. Enjoy"

Jai said reading something from his phone. Next he yelped in pain as a bunch of keys landed on his head.

"Ouch!"

Arjun laughed.

"Quiet all of you.. Poorna babu.. Vennela ate the koora. I will make it another day for you. Today adjust with this."

"No problem Amma. If she ate it and is happy.. Then good."

"Thank you Poorna bava"

Vennela smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Anything for you"

He said as he ate.

Jai slowly went behind Vennela who walked out to the backyard.

"Ahem.."

He cleared his throat.

"Enti?"

She turned back.

"What was that inside? With poorna?"

Vennela stifled her smile.

"Why do you bother?"

"Why are you angry?"

"Why did you make fun of me?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Why should you?"

"Vennela.."

He called softly.

"I just riled you up like I usually do. But.. if you are hurt.. I am sorry"

He said. Vennela smiled closing in on him.

"When you rile me up.. I get to pull your legs too."

Saying she dashed his shoulder and then giggled looking at his smile.

"Poorna is nothing more than a brother Bava. Can't believe that you are jealous of him."

"Well.. He is tall and handsome.."

"And he has a girlfriend and I am married to you!"

"But you got jealous of Manasa"

"It was a moment of backlag. Thats all. With little one of you growing in me, you still feel jealous! Seriously?"

"What do you think? Only you have mood swings and insecurities?"

"Sorry"

She said as Jai's hands snaked around her pulling her closer.

"Did I tell you that you are glowing?"

She shook her head.

"May be that is making me insecure and make me think if I deserve you."

"Hmm.. difficult.. But remember.. I deserve you and only you.."

She said and gave a peck on his cheek and walked inside as they heard Poorna call them. JAi smiled as he followed. His smile did not diminish one bit as they looked at the old house being transformed into a school and it just remained on his face as they returned home. And it grew on the way back as he saw Vennela fall asleep on his shoulder as the open jeep let the fresh air lull her. Jai let her sleep as they returned back to Village but this time in Arjun's car while Arjun and Manasa took his bike.