






 

 Aasara
(Short Stories)

By Varanasi Nagalakshmi

© Varanasi Nagalakshmi

First Edition : 2010

Cover design & Inner art work by:

Varanasi Nagalakshni

For Copies :
AVK Foundation
Navodaya Book House
Vishalandhra Book House
&
Varanasi Publications,
303, Edaikode Towers,
Srinagar Colony,
Hyderabad - 500 073

Book Production :
T. Muralidhar Gowd
Cell : 9393 176 552

Typesetting : 
K.B.T. Kondaiah

Published by : 
Varanasi Publications
303, Edaikode Towers, 
Srinagar Colony,
Hyderabad - A.P. 500 073
Ph: 9490 751 575
email: varanasi.nagalakshmi@gmail.com

Printed at :
 
Karshak Art Printers
(Multicolour Printers & Designers)
40-APHB, Vidyanagar, Hyderabad - 500 044
Ph : 040-2764 8261, 2765 3348

Price : Rs. 120/- $ 5

3



     
       
             
     
 

  
  

 
      
              
   
                  
     

     
      
        

     

4 5
    
             
       


     



         
 
      
Female infanticide   
       
                             
       
 
      

           
    
         
     
        
        


       

        
         
    
   
         
       
       
           
     
      
   insensitivity    
 
      
  
      

    
             
              
 most upto date social issues. current burning
topics!        
  

  
      
    

       
              
  

 



6 7

      
               
 

 
        
        
       
      
    
     
      

        

 

         
 
              

        
   

        
 
        

         
       


      

       
        
      
                       
     
 
       
 
       
  
        
         
  
    
       
    
   

        
                     
  

        

8 9
       
       
 
        
   
        
        
   


 
          
        
      
          
          
 

        
       
  
      


 
  
  


www.koumudi.net
10

         
  
     
        
       


     
   
          


 
  
  
               
      


      
               
 
      
  
  
11
 


      

                   
   
   
   
  
  
               

  
 
  
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 

12 13
 



      


        


       
          
   





XII
  
 
        

       
         


   






   











 
    

 


       





       















 
 






  





        





       

         




 




 

  



  

            


 



      

  


       
      

 
      


     

       





  


    
       





       





 



 
   
 

   
        
       
  

       







         
  


   

 
   
       

    
         
 



          

  
                          

        



         
       
       


      


        



 



       

 


       


       



         

 


 

  
   

 
 
       


       
  
        

    
 


   
        
       

       

       

 




 





 
        




       

 








   

  
 
 

       


       







        





 

       
 

 
        



  


       



 

        





   
       

   


 


        



   

        





 

 
       







 




       
  

       



      

  









        

 
 







     


 
      
       



   





 

 


      
        

 




         

   

      






     



       
 
   




 

         
         


         




        
       
   

       

       
  


 
 

        
       










        


       





   
         

 
 

        


  


          
     


   








       

   

 


  


       



 

      
       

 




 





 
 





      
 
        





      
         

      
        

   

   
 
 
 
       




          


          

           
 



          




 
  
       




 
                    



    


        









        
        
        




 


 








        

        



          



       
        

        


         
         
 
 

       
      

  
       



         
       








       

        




 

 
       

  

         

      

      
    
   
   



 


      


  
       
      
 

         
        
       



     

       
   

       

  
       

 


               

       



 
       


       

 

       




  
       


      
    







   
 

      
 
     
 
        


   
   
  

  

v
          




       








   
 

         

        



  
 
 






 

 


 




 



 




        



      
     

        





      
 





 
   
        
        
        
     
        
           
        



    v

  

        
      

      









       
  

   








      

   

       
      
 


     

       

      

     

 
       
       
     

  
      

               




  


       
  

 
 
    
      
     
      















      

       




 

 
       
   


     


   


      
 
       



        






  

 








      
  
         
        


  






       
        
         
 

     
  
         

       











  

       

backlash 
  

 

 




      


       
 


 
        


 

       
         






 


        

  

 


      



      


 



       


  

 


 
       
     

       

  
   

 

        




  
        


        



   
 




  

 




         
  
        
      
       
       



  





 
      





    
       






 





       


      
 
 
    
        


 



      
 
        

      

        
       

        



  

 

 
 
   



       
     





        
 
         


  






 

 





       
        




       


         

        
  


       


         
 


   

 

  
  
     









       
      



       

     
 
 

 
        







       

      
 




      
   
 

v
    
 





       

 
      

       
 

      

     


 



     


     





        
   
     

       


 



       


      
 
 

       

     
 

 

       
    



   
  




       


       


 
 
       





    



       


       

 


       
      

     


      
  

 
       







       


  
  












 
 

      
       
       
 
        
  
       




      


       

    




 



 






       
       
                 
 

 

     
 

     
        

        

 
         

       


 
    
               

       
   

 



       
 
  
   

   
      
       
       



       


       
 
 
  
        



        

  


  

    

v
    







       





        
   


   





 


      
                       





 

         
       


      



       



         




     
       


         
       


 
    
        

  
      


       

       


          


    

       


       
       

      
 
       
 
       

       

     


       

       

  


 

   







  

 
  
        
   
   
 
 
 
 
      





v

AIR     


       


      




       

   





      


  
        
       



          
      
 
        



   

  
  



 

      
      

  



  
 


        

 
 
       



 

 
 
   

 






      
         





      
 
   

       
  

         

 
   
  
 

   

  
 
        
 

        
 






       
 
         

        

        
                           
      



  
     
  
  

 

   
 
       
        
        
        

        
  


 







  
       

      
  
        


        


        
 

         




 
 



  


        
  
       
      



       

       


 
        
   


       


 

      







         
      
       
       
        


 



  

      
      

  


 

   
       
  

 
      


   
 



 
      

                 


  






 

       
      

        

        

       

        






 

       
   
 
       


   


 
       

    






 

 

       

  
 
 
       

   
 

 
 
     
  
v

    

  

        

   

        






        
       

           






        

   


  



 


       
       
     



        



      
   





      


        

         

      
 

       

 
       








             
      
       
  

  

      
       

    
        
  
       
 





  








      

      


 

       

   


 
  





       

      
        



      


       

 








 
  



                   

 



       







 



      



 




   





      
 

        
        
 


 

        


     
       

 
        

       
       


      
 






       
      



        
  


v
  
 


   
   
        
       
     



          
   

       
       
       
 
     
      

       
     



         





      



       

  
 
        


         
 
                


     

  


        

        
       





         
        
(once in a blue moon)


        

       
        
 
    
        


      
  


  
      

   


  








        
 





  

         

       



        


         
    
   

    

  


 
        























    
 
  

     

        

                  

      

 

        





    

      


  
       

 


    


        





 


    

        
       
           



     
        
        
 



  



        


       
        





        
       
 
 
       
         

        
      
 

  
        







 

  
       


  




        

   

 
 


  
 
        
 
    
       
 
    

  


 

      


       





 

       
 
      





       
       

       
      

   




 
        
       

      
 

      
       
        
  
        

 

 



        
          

      
v 
           

        


  




   


        

        


       

 
         






  

  


 


     

 





        


      
  
        















 
 


      





       


      



      



       

 



 
         

       
      











        


 

 
        

     



 
 


 
        

        
   




            
      



         
 
        

        




 
      
  
   








         




 





         

  
  
 







 


      

       

       
 
 
 
      
v 
AIR     
 


  
        


   




   


 



  




  




      




 





 



 


 






      
        

        

 

 
               


 
 
       






 
 

    
       
       
          

 





 

  


      



       
       
      
 


 




    
     


 
    
      
 
 
            

       







      




       
  






        

 
       
       



        
      
   


  

   





 




        


 

 



 
 
 

      


         
  

 
             
        


      
        
             
           
  
v
  
AIR     



   

  


       

       



       

       
 
 

   
  
       



        



         
 

 




 


       
    




 
    
  

        



         


 
  


      
  


    


      
 
        





  


      
      
       


 
 



       

  
       
        
      







       

       




   

 
         




       






           


   





 

      
      
 
 
             
 
        



          


 





      
 
  
  




      


 
 
       
        
   


      
 
       

       



  




        
        

    


 





   
 
 

      



  



      

        

     


     
 
        
 
        
        
 
      
           
           
         
 
 
         
       
 v
     
           

         







  

   







    
      


      


        

 
      



        


      
      


      
       




      

       
    


       

 
 


     
  



       

  


 



       

 


 


 




 
   
      





     
    
       


   
         
   

              


  

 


  
        

     
       
       


       






         

        
 
      
  
  
 
 


     


       
   
  





            
  


   


        
  
  

  
       
 
  


       
       
  
      

 

       



       
 

         
      
       

 
     
 

 
   





       
 

        
 
       
       

      
  







  
     

 

       

      



       

    
 
  




        

         

      
  
 



 











        


 
         
    









 


 

 
       
 



 





 
        

   


 
      


  


v       
          




   

    




         
        
           
           

      







  
    

        




 

 
    


    

 
  

         

    

       




      


        
  
   


 





  




 
       






       



   
       


 

  




 
       



  

       
       
 



        
        


 
v
      
 

 



       
 
 


              
       


      
    

 


       


       


        

      








      



       

     
 
         

    

 
 


         

      

        


      
       




        
  


                 
 

  
        
      
        


       


        






       
       

       



 
 

   

      
       
       



 





   
       
        
       
      


      
             
  
 
 

       
       
 


 
       


        


  
        
 
     
           
 

     




 


 
  


  

      

      



    
          
 
       
     
      



   
 
 


 






      


 
 


              


      
       

  

    

 
   


  
         







 



     
       


      


       

 
      

      

 

 

       

      

 

        

       

     


  
 

     

 
 
       
       




       
    
          
    





      


v 

    
 












                
      
 

       

      


 
 
       





       




    

         

       



      
  



 


       

      

       
        
      

  
       


       



       




 
 

 
        



    

     

 
       
      


   



      
     


       
        


        
        
 
       
     

 
        



    


 
        



 

   
        

      

   


 
   









    

  





 







 




      

       






   

 
       



     


v
  
 



      
      


       






       
   

 
      
        
  

       






                      




 
         


      




 
  
     

        
     


 

  


        







        



 
 
    

 
  






 
 
  





       

  

  

 
        


   

        


 
 

 
       
  


 





     
  
       

 

  
       
 

 
 


       

          


             




     

       

        

 
 





    

 


        





       



   

     
 

        
    


          
 
       
      

      


      
      

        
      



        
      




 
 







        
  
          
 
       



    
  

   
      
         
      



       
 


       


     



       
     




    

      

       






 
 


   
        





  



       


       
  

  
        

       

 

       






       
 
 












 
 






  




     


       
  
   

       

      

       
 
       
       

       
 
    
 
      
           

        
        

    

       

       

 


      



 







      








  
 

       

  


           

 





     









v
 
 
 




Samuel Armas

"Amazing Picture of the Year"

 
       
        
     
                       
      
        

       

          
   

         
 
          
  
         
 
       
     
        


    
       

   



      
         
        


       

        

   
       

 
         
  
         
  


 
        


        
  
       
        

          
 

        
 
  
          
 
        
        
 
          
          
  
 
          
   
        
 
 
 
  
    
    
   
    
    
        
       
   
          

 
 
     
 

     
        
       
  
   

       
       
        
     
        

  

  

  
        
         

        
 
        
 
 
        
       
  
 
 
  
        

         
   
 
 
  
   
   
 

       


  
         
       
       
        
  
 
  
vvv
        

       
      
       
       
  
       

      
  
    
       
 
         
      
   
  
          
      


 
       
       
       

   
 

vvv
        

          

                 
 
       


     
 
 

vvv
 

           
  
          

          
         
        
        
        
  
        
        


 
 

vvv

     
 
 

      
       
      
       
 

vvv
 
     
   


vvv
 


  
 
 
vvv

        

       
       
  
 
      
 
        
         
        
         
       
      

 
  
vvv
 
        

  
  
  

vvv
         
        
        
      
        
      
      

       

       

 

                        
        

        

   
 
   
vvv
 
         
      
   
   
 
 
vvv
       
        
        
        
     

     

  
                  

                 
                    
   
       
         
        
           
        


 
vvv
 
         
       
  
               
        
  
 
 
vvv
My wife Vijaya has read all your short stories and is truely de-
lighted with your rich style of writing and the excellent themes... After
a brilliant science career you write so well and paint so elegantly. You
are Maa Saraswathi's Varaputri.
Dr. Kumarendra Mallick
Editor, Muse India
vvv
Its a feast to my eyes, heart and mind to read your story ‘oka
premalekha’. So sweet, convincing, brimming with positive outlook while
projecting a happy-ending - with realisation. Ofcourse, you depicted a
very sweet-over sweet-mom-in-law which might be vvvvvery rare, but
the way you narrated the story is so convincing that I loved all the
characters, right from Saroja heckling jana to get a ‘‘’’ for
attagaru to ‘‘   ’’ and the elderly lady
hinting at how her son is missing the happy family life... all those
details and bits created a very harmonious, convincing and lovable
atmosphere. Congrats.
Nirmala Ghantasala
vvv
I would really like to compliment you for taking a stand on the
BT Brinjal issue (‘idi kala kaadu’)and for your social activism against
the introduction of genetically modified and genetically engineered
food and the foisting of this on “developing” countries like India by the
 
US and organizations like WHO. While there is a lot of activism here
in the US and there are serious lobbies against such moves in the
USA and Britain, companies like Monsanto are looking elsewhere to
feather their nests by exploiting rest of the world. We in India have
brilliant agricultural scientists like Mr. Swaminathan who oppose these
moves. I sincerely hope that we don’t succumb to pressures from
poorly done “scientific” studies which claim that there is no harm that
will come from such foods.
There must be a very strong movement in India to protect
indigenous agriculture. There must be MORE awareness and passion
in not just our generation but next generation to stand up for such
matters. We must encourage the next generation to look into such
issues more seriously. In the name of “progress” and “globalization”
we may be taken for a ride AGAIN by the “omniscient” West. We have
been exploited again and again by those that colonized us. Let us
wake up and be alert to such dangers and risks. I am not being
paranoid. The politics of food is a big deal and we all have a social
responsibility to watch what is happening around us closely and do
whatever we can to protect our interests and man’s future. I have had
a number of discussions on this matter with the youth here. My
daughters Aparna and Vidya and seriously considering looking into
careers in the Environment and protecting Nature from such “assaults”
by short-sighted so-called scientists.
Let us remember: “” (loosely translated,
“we are what we eat”...). If we forget these cycles of Nature, we have
a lot to lose. Let us do whatever can be done to educate our youth
also to think about these issues and not blindly chase them into careers
in Medicine or Engineering so that they can make a “good living”.
I don’t know anyone among us whose children have taken interest to
steer our children to pursue careers in Agriculture. I could be wrong.
But it is about time we wake up and enlighten our youth about these
issues and not just concentrate on securing just our “financial” futures.
 
2
Your story ""addresses well another problem in
India. There is no "zoning". The municipalities don't enforce
ordinances. There has to be proper planning in such a way that
residential communities and commercial properties have to be
separated. Cities have to inspect and certify home construction
quality. There should be strict codes for home building so that the
interest of home-owners are protected. I know that these are not
enforced in India. Jonas Salk opens his book "Man Unfolding" with the
following line: "Man is fast becoming the cancer of the planet.
"Unregulated growth" in spite of the mere existence of regulating
agencies is the reason for unsafe, dark and dinghy homes. There are
juggernauts of concrete everywhere surrounded by filth. There is a
slowly emerging green movement and green building which is creeping
in - very very sporadically. I had taken my daughter to a place called
Anegondi near Hampi the last time we were in India so she can
appreciate and learn from Sharad Pawar's niece Shyama Pawar
Shapiro. Shyama has an excellent idea to keep the small town "in
tact" and preventing its residents to relocate to a city (see: http://
thekishkinda trust.org/ html%20files/ About%20Us. htm). Shyama is
truly a visionary and her idea is to sustain a life style and habitat as
well. I am sure any of our friends would really and truly enjoy a visit to
this place as it has a lot to offer, recreation as well as education. If this
vision is sustained and becomes widespread, this would keep the rural
folk in their own homes and there will be opportunities right at home
for them not to rush to cities to improve their economic situations.
India would do well to cleverly create such situations so that urban
sprawl is contained, rural folk live happily in there own homes and
there is a "home" for everyone. Thankfully there are a lot of youth who
are bright-eyed and seem to have plans to use indiginous material and
technologies to develop local solutions which are sustainable and
 
scalable. I sincerely hope that their energies and enthusiasm is not
derailed by the greed and self-serving nature of our politicians and
bureaucracy. Your contributions as a writer to create more and more
awareness among the youth will be invaluable and most certainly a
step in the positive direction.
Dr.Ravilochan
Neuro Physician, Denver.
vvv
I just finished reading your story 'Pragati Phalaalu'. Like
always, I liked your story very much, the way you linked a social
problem to a personal story. In most of your stories, I always have
something I can relate to or have experienced and I'm sure most of
your readers feel the same. I think this is because you understand
people so well :)
Srividya Varanasi
Hyderabad
vvv

I want to express my opinions about a first prize winning story
published in recent issue of Koumudi web magazine. I hope the
moderators will allow this to appear on RB. I apologize for writing my
opinions in English, instead of in Telugu. I hope I am making sense. If
my understanding of the story is wrong, please let me know.
I don't understand how come you/your team have chosen Ms.
Varanasi Nagalakshmi's "Amrutaanni Saadhinchu" story as the first/
best story in this year's Ugadi Literary Competitions! This story, in my
opinion, is out-and-out a casteist in nature. What I understood from
the story is that Neerada (an 'agrakulapu doctor') married to Avinash
(belonging to "anachivetaki guraina vargam') and he is portrayed as
taking revenge on Neerada because of caste differences between them!
Attributing Avinash's drinking and anger habits to his lower caste up-
 
bringing is outright derogatory (that's what the author appears to be
implying). The author of the story has depicted an upper caste wife as
a victim and is being abused by a lower caste husband by his drinking
habits and revenge taking attitude! It is absolutely ridiculous on the
part of Ms. Varanasi to attribute drinking and bad habits of Avinash to
his lower-caste upbringing. I am sure the author must be well aware of
the fact that drinking and abusing wives by men is not caste based
habits/virtues. I can show plenty of upper caste men addicted to
drinking and abusing their wives, even when their wives belong to their
(men's) own caste. Basically the story should been about an
victimized wife by a husband that is addicted to drinking, without
bringing in caste aspect, This story is an outright insult to men
belonging to lower castes and therefore the author should apologize to
them. The editorial team of Kaumidi should also feel ashamed for
selecting such a story for first prize.
Surya Rao
vvv
Let me begin by agreeing with Surya Rao garu that neither
drinking nor domestic violence are exclusive maladies of anyspecific
caste. Yes and No. nIrada and avinaaS loved each other and married.
The marriage was against the wishes of nIrada's parents. nIrada
happened to be from an upper caste family. The fact that she ignored
the objections of her parents in marrying avinaaS shows that she did
not attach any importance to "her" caste. I would imagine that before
marriage avinaaS behaved in a way that did not give her any reason
for concern.
Now that they are wife and husband, his attitude has changed.
She wonders about the change in his behavior. She treats him as an
individual, the one she loved and married. But he treats her as a
symbol of "her" caste. "tanaki purvam telisina avinas ki bhartagaa
tana mundunna avinaas ki madhya inta tedaa elaa vachindi?
Tana kulam patla inta aagraham ataniki unte tananenduku
pellichesukunnaadu?" she wonders.
When she tells him that he has never been by her side when
sheneeded him, his answer is, "naa jivitamlo evvariki… evvariki udigam
cheyyanu, mukhyangaa e agravarnapu ahamkaariki!" There is no
 
evidence in the story that remotely attributes any ahamkaaram to her.
All we can imagine is that he looks at her as a symbol of the ahahkaaram
his folks suffered over generations. There is no justification for his
behavior. If she was such a symbol, he should not have married her.
Attributing Avinash's drinking and anger habits to his lower caste
upbringing is outright derogatory (that's what the author appears to be
implying). No, she didn't. nirada's classmate niranjan is the one who
expresses a host of opinions about avinaas's behavior: anacivetaku
guraina vargam numchi ilaamti backlash sahajame; I sthitiki edigelo
pu enni avamaanaalu edurkonnaado avinas; and such. This character
appears sympathetic to avinaas in a way. Even if one disagrees with
him, one couldn't deny the existence of such people or opinions in our
society. The writer's job is not to create a story in which all characters
appear faultless. Nowhere in the story is drinking attributed to the
upbringing of avinaas. vaaranaasi naagalakshmi gaaru contrasts the
struggles of two individuals in this story. avinaas is trying to get over
the resentment of the past abuses suffered by his folks, but in doing
so he is behaving as an abuser himself. "inti vishayaalu bayata
pettukumte nike avamaanam, naakem parledu," he says. nIrada
struggles to keep her relationship with avinaas above their caste
affiliations. She hopes her life with him doesn't end up as a "repair"
workshop. When two people from different castes marry, there has to
be an understanding that they keep their castes out of their married
lives. If not, the marriage becomes a balipitham. In this context, we the
DTLC members read another story recently, jnaatam by vivinamurti
(katha 2005), that deals with strains in marriage if caste is not kept
out.
Ari Sitaramayya
vvv
   
                            
       
                       
        
                    

 
       
     
        
(Interesting)        

  
   

         

        
     
   Disconnect    
   disconnect      
  
 
vvv
My reply to Suryarao garu's accusation ,in a single
sentence is Neerada at one point wonders at the big change be-
tween Avinash once her friend and Avin,her husband AND what caused
it.
I wanted to convey subtly-that after marrying her he
changed.Why? because on one side ,he loves her dearly.on the other,
he hates her because she belongs to the so-called upper caste which
suppressed his own caste people for generations.This bitterness ,he
started feeling intensely after marrying her which caused a lot of trauma
, resulting in the change in him.Resulting in his attitude of self
destruction as he is torn between the two kinds of opposite feelings.
I tried to narrate this in the given length of the story (10 pages in
writing).I left a little bit for the readers' imagination.I fully agree that
there are as many (or more) upper caste(so called) men addicted to
drinking.I did not at all want to connect the caste of Avinash to his
drinking habit.But I definitely wanted to highlight the issue of woman
suppression.And also the fact that many women who protest against
 
suppression, do subject the little maids, who work for them, to a
similar trauma.I tried to project different 'connected issues' in this
story, as these thoughts are troubling me for quite sometime.I hoped
to see the sentence "Vyavastha loni asthavyasthata.." highlighted!! I
request Sri Surya Rao garu to read this story in this light again. But if
I have hurt anyone ,in my attempt unintentionally,I would like to whole
heartedly apologise.
NagaLakshmi.
vvv
It is nice of you to respond to my comments so quickly. My
initial comments were a reflection/reaction to my first reading of the
story. I should say that those feelings came out instantaneously at my
first reading. I have not read the story with a critic's point of view, but
just as a regular Telugu story reader. In fact, I read Telugu stories/
poems etc to improve my Telugu language as well as keep up with my
literary enthusiasm. That's all to it. I am neither a critic nor a person
trying to write reviews. Therefore, please take my comments/opinions
as those from an ordinary reader. ....
SuryaRao

vvv

As I read your posts, and a few related others, I noted: You

are jostling a writer and a publisher about writing and publishing
awriting of their choice. You made some accusations and you are
asking them for apologies Which kind of led to a quick trial on rb. After
holding an immediate inquistion, with jury, expert witnesses,cross
examinations and what not, you revised your opinion and in the end
(you who really in the beginning said you have not read much Telugu,
nor understand stories much ) you are even telling the writer -what she
should write and how she should write. Why don't you write your
stories, with your social problems the way you see it, yourself
Surya Rao? ........
        

    
Lyla


  