English translation of Telugu Short Story authored by Naramsetty Umamaheswara Rao
Translated by Johny Takkedasila
Sitapati Master had one main worry: money and belongings were missing from the fifth-grade. Recently, he lost an expensive pen and suspected someone in the class was responsible.
It was sad to see the affected children talking about their lost money while others were keeping their things safe, afraid of being robbed. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense, and he needed to find a solution.
The next day, while giving a lesson, Krishna stood up and said, ‘My money has been stolen from my bag.’
Having thought of a plan, the master replied, ‘all the children go outside for five minutes, I will check the bags to find the thief.’ Once the students left, he closed the doors and began to inspect the bags.
After a while, he opened the door and said he had found the thief. The students rushed back in, excited to hear more. ‘I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s continue our lesson,’ he said, giving the lost money back to Krishna and advising him to be careful.
The students found the master’s behavior strange, but they were eager to know who the thief was. They expected punishment and possibly a call to their parents. However, the master chose to handle the situation differently.
From the next day, the thefts in the classroom stopped. The children returned to listening to their lessons attentively, and time passed quickly.
***
The headmaster asked Sitapati Master to buy colored papers and gifts for Independence Day celebrations. He took a student, Kamal, with him. On their way back, they saw a crowd gathered under a tree, where a young man was beating a middle-aged man tied to the tree. Others were throwing shoes on him.
A woman suggested, ‘Make him bald and parade on a donkey, he will be ashamed.’
Seeing this, Sitapati Master asked, ‘What crime did he commit?’ The young man replied angrily, ‘He stole gold and money from our home. We caught him while he was trying to escape. Do you want him to go unpunished?’
‘The police are there to handle this,’ Sitapati Master said. ‘We shouldn’t take the law into our own hands. If anything happens to him, you will be at risk.’ He called the police.
As they walked away, he said to Kamal, ‘Did you see what happened to that thief? No one respects a thief, and no one wants to befriend him. If there’s a theft in the future, he will be the first suspect.’
‘Master, why are you saying this?’ Kamal asked.
‘Because you were the one who took the money that was lost in class that day. Imagine if your name was mentioned,’ the Master replied.
Kamal lowered his head. ‘I stole for fun. Now, I see the consequences of stealing. I was lucky my name wasn’t mentioned. I realize it’s a crime. I promise never to steal again. I want to study hard. Please don’t tell anyone, Master,’ he pleaded.
‘What could be more satisfying than your transformation?’ said the Master.
Kamal’s presence and the incident near the tree were coincidences, but Master Sitapati was glad. It gave him a chance to address the theft and reveal something hidden for days, ultimately bringing about a positive change with a good example.
______________
Johny Takkedasila, born on June 8, 1991, in Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, is a Telugu poet, writer, novelist, critic, translator, and editor. With 30 published books, his works span Telugu, Hindi, and English. He received the prestigious Central Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2023 for Vivechani, a Telugu criticism book. His poetry features in international anthologies, and his stories appear in global magazines. Known for evoking deep contemplation and social awareness, his works include Tiny Treasures, Puberty, Kattela Poyyi, Siva Reddy Kavitvam Oka Parisheelana, Akademi Aanimutyalu, Tella Rommu Nalla Rommu, Nadaka, and Soochna.
Read: Companion – Poetry from Andhra Pradesh, India
