B {ia¯nse ac¸eI Xd¨ I«nense Xg¸mbbn InS¶ ]utemk¨³ Btcm hnfn¨pWÀ¯nbt]mse sR«nbpWÀ¶p. Ipcniphc¨v FWoäv sseän«p. tai¸pds¯ Ipcnipcq]¯n\cnInse ssSw]okn t\m¡n.
cm{XnbpsS aq¶mwbmaw IgnªtXbpÅq. a\Êv F´psImtWvSm AkzØamWv. I®S¨v a\Ên {IqinX\mb {InkvXphns\ [ym\n¨v bma{]mÀ°\ sNmÃn. Ct¸mÄ a\Êv GIm{KamWv. IhnfneqsS I®p\oÀ HgpIn. euInI PohnX¯nsâ FÃm ]mi§fpw s]m«n¨v B[ymßnIPohnX¯nsâ ]dpZokbnte¡p IS¶ Hcmßmhv.
""ssZhta! A§bpsS Zmk\mb CubpÅhs\ A§p Im¯psImtÅWta. A§bpsS ap¶n ]m]nbmb Rm³ tIWt]£n¡p¶p. F\n¡p t\Àhgn ImWn¨pXcWsa. PohnXbm{Xbn Rm³ Npa¡p¶ IpcnipIÄ, XfÀ¶p hogmsX hln¡m\pw kl\t¢i§Ä Xm§m\pw A§p Icp¯v \ÂtIWsa.''
]utemk¨sâ NpWvSpIÄ {]mÀ°\m a{´§Ä Dcphn«psImWvSncp¶p. Xsâ XdhmSn\pta \ng hncn¨ncn¡p¶ If¦§Ä ambv¨p Ifbphm\pÅ kabw AXn{Ian¨ncn¡p¶p. ktlmZc]p{Xsâ ]m]§Ä IgpIn Ahs\ ip²oIcn¡Ww.
tai¸pd¯ncn¡p¶ Ipcnipcq]w FSp¯p ap¯n ]utemk¨³ apdnbneqsS kmhImiw \S¶p. ]pd¯v {]IrXn KmV\n{ZbnemWv. PohnX¯nsâ s\©nSn¸pt]mse ssSw]oknsâ Ne\mßIX DWÀ¯p¶ t\cnb i_vZw cmhnsâ \ni_vZXbn t]md hogv¯p¶pWvSv.
{]amW§Ä ewLn¨v, k`mN«§Ä adnIS¶v IpªphdoXv \bn¡p¶ PohnXw Xs¶ ]et¸mgpw XfÀ¯nbn«pWvSv. Ahnip² PohnX¯n \n¶pw Ah³ tamNnX\mIp¶ Imew Hcn¡Â ssIhcpsa¶v Xm³ {]Xo£n¨ncp¶p. ZoÀLImew AXn\mbn {]mÀ°n¡pIbpw sNbvXncp¶p. ]t£ ^eapWvSmbnÃ. ImcpWyhm\mb IÀ¯mhv Xs¶ ssIshSnbnÃ.
tPm¬ hÀKoknsâ hnhml¯n\pWvSmb XS椀 hoWvSpw asämcp Nn´bnte¡p IS¡m³ t{]cW \evIpIbmWv.
IpªphdoXv k`m\nba§Ä ewLn¨v dmtlens\ `mcybm¡n h¨ncn¡p¶p. Ahfn cWvSpIp«nIfpw P\n¨p. Ct¸mÄ Xdhm«n Ibdn Xmakhpambn. C\n C§s\ Ahnip² PohnXw \bn¡m³ Ahs\ A\phZn¨pIqSm. Ahs\ hnhmlsa¶ N«¡qSn sImWvSphcWw. Ipªpadnbm½ Cu temIt¯mSp hnS ]dªp. k`m \nba{]Imcw Ah\nt¸mÄ hn`mcy\mWv. ]t£ AtX kabw Xs¶ Ah³ k`mN«§Ä ewLn¡pIbpw sNbvXncn¡p¶p.
F\n¡v A\pXm]nbmb IpªphdoXns\bmWv Bhiyw. sXm®qsäm³]Xv BSpIsf Dt]£n¨v ImWmXmb BSns\ At\zjn¨p t]mbh\mWv Fsâ IÀ¯mhv. ]m]nIÄ¡pthWvSn ]mSp]oUIÄ A\p`hn¨h³. a\pjyIpe¯nsâ c£bv¡mbv `qanbn AhXcn¨v, IpcnipacWw hcn¨v, aq¶mw \mÄ DbnÀs¯gpt¶äh³. Fsâ IÀ¯mhv Fs¶ ssIshSnbnÃ!
{]`mX{]mÀ°\bv¡mbn B{ia¯nse aWn\mZw apg§n. IpªphdoXn\mbn Aca\t¡mSXnbn At]£ \evIm\pÅ Xocpam\t¯msS ]utemk¨³ ]Ånbnte¡p bm{Xbmbn.
hnip² IpÀºm\bpw {]`mX\akvImc§fpw Ignªv Xncns¨¯nbt¸mgmWv aWnapdnbn \nev¡p¶ ]¿³ h¶p ]dªXv.
""A¨\v Hcp t^m¬ h¶ncp¶p. Bip]{Xnbnev sIS¡p¶ A¨sâ tN«\v kqt¡Sv IqSpXemsW¶v. A¨sâ IpÀºm\ Ignbm³ Im¯ncn¡pIbmbncp¶p Rm³.''
]utemk¨³ Im¸n Igns¨¶p hcp¯n XnSp¡¯n Bip]{Xnbnte¡p bm{Xbmbn. tdmUnte¡nd§pt¼mgmWv sNdnbm³ hdpKokv Imdpambn F¯p¶Xv.
""hey¸¨\v C¶p shfp¸n\v aq¶p aWntbmsS Hcäm¡p IqSn DWvSmbn. hoWvSpw sF.kn.bp.hn {]thin¸n¨ncn¡pIbmWv. C¯hW \ne Aev]w hjfmsW¶mWv tUm. tPmÀPv tP¡_v ]dªXv. C¶se cm{Xn Dd§m³ XpS§p¶Xn\p ap³t] A¨s\ ImWWsa¶v B{Klw ]dªncp¶p. Rm³ A¨s\ Iq«nhcmsa¶v Dd¸pw sImSp¯ncp¶p. AXn\nSbnemWv...'' .sNdnbmsâ hm¡pIÄ apdnªp.
Ah³ FXnsc AXnthK¯n HmSn¨ph¶ Hcp temdn¡v sskUp sImSp¯psImWvSv A¨\p t\sc t\m¡n.
]utemk¨³ Nn´m[o\\mbncp¶p. Fs´ms¡tbm hnImc§Ä B apJ¯p an¶n ambp¶Xpt]mse sNdnbm\p tXm¶n.
sNdnbm³ hÀKokv hWvSnbpsS thKw Iq«n.
Bip]{Xnbn sFknbphn\p ap¶n Ghcpw ]utemk¨s\ Im¯ncn¡pIbmbncp¶p. IpªphdoXpw tPm¬hÀKokpw B\okv tPmÀPpw A¨s\ IWvSv ItkcIfn \ns¶Woäp.
""A¸¨sâ \nebn amäsam¶panÃ. Ct¸mgpw At_m[mhØbn Xs¶. tUmIvSÀ Ct¸mÄ h¶p t]mbtXbpÅq.''
IpªphdoXv ]utemk¨t\mSmbn ]dªp. H¶p \ndp¯nbn«v IpªphdoXv XpSÀ¶p:
""Bsc¦nepw h¶p ImWms\msWvS¦nev h¶p ItWvSms« F¶pw ]dªp.''
AbmfpsS hm¡pIÄ¡v hndbepWvSmbn.
]utemk¨³ sF.kn.bphn {]thin¨p. ]n¶mse IpªphdoXpw tPm¬ hÀKokpw sNdnbm\pw sN¶p.
HmIvknP³ IpgepIfpsS klmbt¯msS InS¡p¶ tN«s\ ]utemk¨³ Hcp \nanjw t\m¡n \n¶p. s\©n³IqSnse Hc\¡samgn¨v XoÀ¯pw At_m[Xe¯nemWv Ipdph¨³.
]utemk¨³ Hcp \nanjw I®S¨p [ym\n¨p \n¶p. F¶n«v tfmlbpsS t]m¡änÂ\n¶pw {]mÀ°\m]pkvXIhpw ]\n\oÀ Ip¸nbpw HcpsNdnb IpcnipsaSp¯p. At±lw Dds¡ sNmÃn.
""ImcpWyhm\mb ]nXmth! Pohsâbpw acW¯nsâbpw ImcW`qX\pw kÀhXpw ]cn]men¡p¶h\pamb ssZhta! Bk¶acW\mbncn¡p¶ R§fpsS {]nbs¸« A¸¨s\ R§Ä At§¡p `ctaev]n¡p¶p. a\pjyscÃmw Hcn¡Â acn¡Wsa¶p \nÝbn¡s¸«ncn¡p¶psh¶v R§fpsS c£I\mb A§v Acpfns¨bvXn«pWvStÃm. R§fn \n¶p thÀs]«psImWvSncn¡p¶ Cu Zmks\ A§v A\p{Kln¡Wta. Cu BÄ sNbvXn«pÅ FÃm ]m]§Ä¡pw tamN\w \ÂtIWta.
{IqinX\mb Fsâ IÀ¯mth! acWw Fs¶ kao]n¡pIbpw Fsâ C{µnb§Ä _elo\amhpIbpw sNbvX Cu kab¯v Fsâ ta Ir] sNmcntbWta. Fsâ NpWvSpIÄ¡v A§bpsS Xncpkzcq]w Npw_n¡phm³ iànbnÃ.
]utemk¨³ Cu kabw Xncpkzcq]saSp¯v Ipdph¨sâ NpWvSn ap¯n¨p.
""acWmk¶ambn XWp¯p XpS§nb Fsâ ssIIÄsImWvSv A§bpsS {IqinXcq]w FSp¯v BtÇjn¡m³ iànbnÃ.'' ssIIfn {IqinXcq]w ]nSn¸n¡p¶p.
""achn¨p sImWvSncn¡p¶ Fsâ \mhpsImWvSv A§bpsS \maw D¨cn¡m³ IgnbmsXbmbn.
\nXyhn[nbmf\mb IÀ¯mth! PohnXIme¯v Rm³ sNbvXpt]mb FÃm sXäpIfpw Ft¶mSp £ant¡Wta.
A\´cw ]utemk¨³ I®pIfpbÀ¯n C{]Imcw sNmÃn. ""\o C¶v Ft¶mSpIqSn ]dpZokmbnembncn¡pw F¶v \à IÅt\mSv Iev]n¨ Znhy c£I³ \nsâ FÃm IdIfpw ]m]§fpw IgpIn kzÀKob HmÀɯv \ns¶ {]thin¸n¡pamdmIs«.'' A\´cw ]utemk¨³ Xsâ heXpIcw Biwkmcq]¯n Ipdph¨sâ ta ]nSn¨p sNmÃn. ""ImcpWyhm\mb ssZhw \ns¶ A\p{Kln¡s«. F\n¡p e`n¨ncn¡p¶ A[nImcap]tbmKn¨p ]nXmhnsâbpw ]p{Xsâbpw ]cnip²mßmhnsâbpw \ma¯n \nsâ ]m]§Ä Rm³ tamNn¸n¡p¶p. kzÀKob ]dpZokmbpsS hmXn Xpd¶v \ns¶ AXn {]thin¸n¡pIbpw sN¿s«.''
hoWvSpw ]utemk¨³ Ipdph¨s\ Ipcnipcq]w ap¯n¨p. ]\n\oÀ Xfn¨p.
]utemk¨sâ I®n \n¶pw DcpWvSpIqSnb Hcp XpÅn I®p\oÀ Xmsg hogms\mcp§n \n¶p. Hcp \nanjwIqSn Xsâ tN«s\ t\m¡n, I®pXpS¨p sImWvSv ]utemk¨³ AhnsS \n¶pw ]pdt¯¡nd§n. ]n¶mse IpªphdoXpw a¡fpw.hcm´bnte¡nd§pt¼mÄ IÃp¦Â Xdhm«nse Hcp Imcyس AhnsS Im¯p\nev]pWvSv. AbmÄ hndbmÀ¶ kzc¯n ]dªp. ""adnbm½s¸§fv acn¨p.'' AXptI«v ]utemk¨\pw IpªphdoXpw a¡fpw kvX_v[cmbn. ASp¯\nanjw AhÀ DWÀ¶p.
sNdnbm³ hÀKokns\bpw B\okv tPmÀPns\bpw Bip]{Xnbn \ndp¯n AhÀ IÃp¦Â Xdhm«nte¡p Xncn¨p.