Rama Aithala's house was like a choultry that fortnight, like a
mixture of a shandy and Kambala, the outdoor race of buffaloes. The
noise of people coming and going, the loud belching of those that had
eaten - it was deafening. House management was in Sheena Mayya's hands
at least until the celebration was over. As promised at midnight, he
had watered the seed bed early in the morning and presented himself at
Aithala's house. Sheena's voice was the kind that would make a
pregnant woman abort. His wife had also arrived with him for
supervision. If she spoke even softly, her words could be heard for
three hundred yards. All those people were in the habit of speaking
above the roar of the sea. When that was so, it was natural that there
would be noise when Aithala's house was full of people. Moreover, even
though there were eight or ten people, it would give the impression to
a passerby that a thousand might be present.
At lunch time, Aithala and his friend, Sheena Mayya sat side by side. Sheenappa distrusted everything. He had gone to the backyard and had tucked some green chillies at his waist before he came in for lunch. They were not hidden from Sathyabhame's eyes and she was amazed. She was so scared that she didn't even go near the jaggery pot. 'Attige,' she said to Sarasothi, 'What distrust! He has tucked green chillies at his waist.' Sarasothi decided to teach him a lesson and chopped a few more green chillies into what had been prepared. Sheena Mayya started eating. Though it was too hot, he didn't show it. Aithala was trying to cope with it. 'Sheena, what is it like today?' he asked, laughing, 'Doesn't it seem as if our Sathya is from Kodi itself?'
Vanity wouldn't let Sheena agree. 'Are you saying that it is hot? I
think there is just a little too much jaggery. It may be too hot for
you but it is not hot for me.' He took out the green chillies from his
waist, crushed them into his rice and ate. He was victorious before
Aithala. But he became a barefaced liar as far as the women were
concerned.