"మారిపోయిన మనిషి" (కష్టం చేయడంలో తప్పు లేదని, పాతకాలపు పట్టింపుల కంటే ఆత్మగౌరవంతో కూడిన శ్రమ గొప్పది

"A changed man" (that there is nothing wrong with working hard, and that hard work with self-respect is better than old-fashioned ambitions) Kasturi Seshayya is the grandson of the wealthy Amarayya. Even though his assets have been destroyed, his pride in 'honor' has not diminished. He is about to beat his wife Ramasubbamma, thinking that if she runs an 'idli business' to support the family, it is less than the honor of the family. Finally, he steals the 600 rupees she has saved and runs away from home to die in the lap of Gangamma in Kashi. After reaching Kashi, Seshayya keeps postponing the sacrifice of his life, not having the courage to do so. One day, when he is about to jump into the river, the police catch him. Seshayya is mistakenly considered an accused in a theft case that took place at that time, and he is sentenced to three years in prison. While doing hard work like breaking stones and carrying water in prison, Seshayya learns the value of 'kayakashtam'. After listening to the stories of his fellow prisoners, he realizes how wrong he was to hinder his wife's hard work. His pride is destroyed and he repents for his mistake. Eventually, he becomes a cook in prison and gains everyone's respect. After completing his sentence, Seshayya returns home, eats at a hotel near his hometown railway station and is about to run away due to lack of money (due to cohabitation). Then the owner of the hotel comes to beat him with a stick. It turns out that she is none other than his wife Ramasubbamma! His daughter Kamala is married and runs the hotel with her husband. Seshayya, who once thought that working was a low honor, is shocked to see the respect his wife has earned through hard work. The story ends happily with Ramasubbamma saying, "He is not a man who has run away, but a man who has changed."