]mseän Nmb¡q«pIÄ Nmen¡p¶Xn {i²mephmWv sNdnbm³ hÀKokv. Im³hmknsâ shÅ{]Xew ]pXnb Iem krjvSn¡mbn {kjvSmhns\ Im¯pInS¡pIbmWv. sNdnbm³ Ct¸mÄ `qanbneÃ. IebpsS A\izcX krjvSn¡p¶ temI¯mWv. shÅ Im³hmknte¡v AbmfpsS `mh\ ]SÀ¶p Ibdn.
Hcp kv{XobpsS \Kv\cq]amWv Abmfnt¸mÄ Im³hmkn ZÀin¡p¶Xv. Aekambn InS¡p¶ Hcp aZmekcq]w. Ah³ ssiePbpsS apJt¯¡p t\m¡n. Nph¶ shÂshänsâ Hcp Znhm\n Aekambn InS¡pIbmWv AhÄ. Hcp {Ko¡p {]XnabpsS BIrXn ku`Kw. Ahfnte¡v Bscbpw BIÀjn¡pw. \\p¯ DSbmSIÄ¡pÅn ]«pt]mepÅ ta\n. X\n ImjvaoÀ B¸nfnsâ \ndw.
AhÄ IS¡®n\m Ahsâ \oWvSpsaenª hncepIÄ krjvSn¡m³ t]mIp¶ am{´nIX ImWm³ sImXn¨p. AhfpsS Xnf¡apÅ henb I®pIfmWv Ahs\ Ahfnte¡v BIÀjn¨Xv.
taPdpsS aIsf t{]an¡m³ Ah\v H¶pw XSÊambncp¶nÃ. AhfmIs« Ahsâ Im³hmkpIsf Bcm[\tbmsS t\m¡n. Ahsâ am{´nIhncepIÄ XoÀ¡p¶ hÀ®{]]©w AhfpsS lrZbs¯ Ah\nte¡v ASp¸n¨p. B hÀ® {]]©¯nsâ \nKqV `mh§Ä AhÄ B \nanj§fn Xsâ \át\{X§fm hmbn¨p.
Cu {]]©¯n Ah\pw Ahfpw am{Xw F¶ k¦ev]amWv Ahsf `cn¡p¶Xv. AXpsImWvSmWv ssaepIÄ XmWvSn AhÄ Aht\msSm¸w ChnsS ss\\n¯mfnsâ {]IrXn `wKbnte¡p IS¶ph¶Xv. AhÄ Ahs\bÃ, Ahsâ Iesb kvt\ln¨p. AhfpsS {]]©¯n AhfpsS AÑ\½amÀ DWvSmbncp¶nÃ. Ahsf UÂlnbnse sP.F³.bphn tNÀ¡p¶Xp Xs¶ dnkÀ¨nepÅ AhfpsS XmÂ]cyw IWvSmWv. ]t£ sImWmÀ¡nse Hcp t£{X¯n Hcp NphÀ inev]¯nsâ amXrI ]IÀ¯p¶ am{´nIhncepIÄ IWvSt¸mÄ AhÄ AhfpsS dnkÀ¨v t]¸dpIÄ ad¶p. AÑs\bpw A½sbbpw ad¶p. AhfpsS ap¶n B am{´nIhncepIfpw hÀW{]]©w krjvSn¡p¶ Nmb¯«pw am{Xw. A§s\ sNdnbm³ hÀKokv AhfpsS kz]v\\mbI\mbn. AhÄ dnkÀ¨v aXnbm¡n. \mtSmSnbmbn \Kc§fn \n¶pw \Kc§fnte¡pw dntkmÀ«pIfnÂ\n¶pw dntkmÀ«pIfnte¡pw ]d¶p t]mIp¶ sNdnbm³ hÀKoknsâ ]n¶mse Ahfpw ]d¶p. Ahsâ {_jpIÄ¡p ap¶n AhÄ Pohn¡p¶ {]Xnabmbn. AhfpsS AwKemhWy¯nsâ AfhpIÄ Ahsâ Im³hmkpIfn {_jnsâ Ne\§fmbn.
Ah³ hoWvSpw \oWvSnSw s]« I®pIfnte¡p t\m¡n. Hcp \nanjw Ah³ \n¶p. ASp¯ \nanj¯n Ahsâ {_jv shÅ Im³hmkn cWvSp I®pIfpsS cq]tcJ hcªp.
Ahsâ apJs¯ KqVkvanXw hmbn¡m\mhmsX AhfpsS Infns¡m©Â.
""sNdnbm³, \nsâbo hncepIsf Rm³ hoWvSpw hoWvSpw kvt\ln¡p¶p. \nsâ Hmtcm hcbpsSbpw Xmfw Fsâ lrZb¯nemWv hogp¶Xv. Fsâ Ct¸mgs¯ lrZbtcJIÄ \nsâ am{´nI hncepIÄ sa\ªXmWv.''
Ah³ Im³hmknÂ\n¶v apJw Xncn¨v AhÄ¡p t\sc Xncnªp.
""ssiePm'' \ndp¯q \nsâbo {`m´p ]d¨nev. Rm\nt¸mgpw ]dbp¶p, \o Ipsd¡qSn hnthIw ImWn¡v. UÂlnbnepÅ \nsâ AÑ\½amÀ¡Spt¯¡p aS§nt¸mIq. \nsâ dntkÀ¨v F{Xbpw thKw ]qÀ¯nbm¡v. taPÀ kmÀ F{X]mSps]«mWv Øew amäw hm§n UÂlnbnse¯nbXv. FÃmw \nsâ dntkÀ¨v ]qÀ¯nbm¡m³ thWvSn.''
Ah³ hoWvSpw Xsâ Im³hmknte¡p Xncnªp. AhfpsS I®pIfnse Xnf¡w Ah³ Xsâ Im³hmknte¡p ]IÀ¯n.
""\osb´mWv sNdnbm³ C{Xcmhnse ]pe¼p¶Xv? \n\¡v kXyw sN¿mtam; Fs¶ ]ncnªv \n\s¡mcp PohnXsamtWvSm? \o kXyw ]dbq. \o Fs¶ kvt\ln¡p¶ntÃ?''.
Ah³ AhfpsS apJt¯¡v Hcp \nanjw kmIqXw t\m¡n. AhfpsS \oe¡®pIfnse hiyX Ah³ Xncn¨dnªp.
ASp¯ \nanjw Ahsf t\cnSm\mhmsX Ah³ P\ ]mfnIÄ¡nSbneqsS ]pdt¯¡p t\m¡n. t\À¯ aªnsâ ]«pSbmSIÄ¡nSbneqsS Ah³ {]`mXkqcys\ ImWpIbmbncp¶p. AXnsâ kzÀ®civanIÄ Ahs\ tXSn P\me¨nÃpIÄ¡nSbneqsS IS¶phcp¶p. Ah³ hoWvSpw Im³hmknte¡p apJw Xncn¨p. kqcysâ kzÀW¯fnI Ahsâ Im³hmkn\v \ndw ]IÀ¶p. t\À¯ aªnsâ DSbmSIÄ AXnsâ tim` Ipd¨nÃ. cmhnsâ Dd¡¨Shn aªpaeIÄ At¸mgpw AIse ab§n¡nS¡pIbmWv. cm¸mSnIfpsS A]qÀÆcmKwsImWvSv apJcnXamb Xtecm{XnbpsS km{µamb \nanj§Ä Ahsâ kvarXn]Y¯nte¡v HmSn¡bdn. Ahsâ temea\kv AXnthKw BÀ{Zambn.
Ah³ t{]akm{µamb kzc¯n AhtfmSp samgnªp:
"" Rm³ kXyw ]dbmw, ssietP. F\n¡p \ns¶ ]ncnªncn¡m\mhnÃ. \nsâ I®pIsf Rm³ kvt\ln¡p¶p. \nsâ I®pIfpsS ISm£§fnÂ\n¶v F\n¡p tamN\anà ssietP''.
Ahsâ CSdnb kzcw AXntemehpw cmKmÀ{Zhpambncp¶p. AXn Ahsâ Bßmhnsâ A\pcW\apWvSmbncp¶p.
AhÄ t{]amÀ{ZXtbmsS FWoäph¶v Ahs\ BenwK\w sNbvXp. Ahsâ CukepIfnse Nmb¡q«pIÄ amÀ_nÄ XdbpsS an\p¸n Xqhn hoWp. \nanjmÀ²§fneqsS Imew IS¶p t]mbXv AhcdnªnÃ.
tUmÀ s_Ãnsâ i_vZamWv Ahsc DWÀ¯nbXv. Ah³ ]nSsªWoäv hmXn sN¶p Xpd¶p. tlm«Â ]cnNmcIsâ apJw ]pd¯p IWvSp.
""km_v! At§s¡mcp t^m¬ tImÄ. dnk]vj\n sNÃm³ Bhiys¸«ncn¡pIbmWv''. Ah³ XnSp¡¯n ]cnNmcI\p ]n¶mse tlm«ensâ {]hnimeamb \oWvS CS\mgn IS¶v, Xmgt¯ \nebnte¡pÅ Nhn«p]SnIfnd§n dnk]vj\nse¯n.
dnk]vj³ IuWvSdnse t_mbv Ahs\ IWvSam{Xbn ]dªp:
""km_v \m«n \n¶p hnfn¨ncp¶p. A©pan\n«p Ignªp hoWvSpw hnfn¡pw. km_v B tkm^bnencpt¶mfq. s_Ãp hcpt¼mÄ Rm\dnbnt¨mfmw''. Ah³ hfsc hn\bm\znX\mbn ip²amb BwKehmWnbn samgnª hm¡pIÄ¡p ]n¶mse Ah³ ]cp]cp¯ tkm^bn sN¶aÀ¶p. dnkv]j³ t_mbv Adnbn¨X\pkcn¨p Xs¶ A©pan\n«p Ignªt¸mÄ t^m¬ hoWvSpw s_ÃSn¨p.
""\m«n \n¶pw tPm¬ hÀKokmWp hnfn¡p¶Xv.'' Ahs\ In«nb ]msS tPm¬hÀKokv ]dªD.
""\½psS hey¸¨³ H¶p hoWv Bkv]{Xnbnembn. C¶se hey¸¨\v Hcp Aäm¡pWvSmbn. Ct¸mÄ sF.knbphnemWv. \ns¶ ImWWsa¶p ]dbp¶p. \o F{Xbpw thKw \m«nse¯Ww. Ignbpsa¦n C¶pXs¶ ]pds¸SWw. UmUn ASp¯pWvSv.'' tPm¬hÀKokv Häizmk¯nemWv hnhcw Adnbn¨Xv. sNdnbm³ Hcp \nanjw Nn´n¨p. F¶n«p ]dªp:
""Rm³ hcmw tN«m. DSs\ ]pds¸Smw. hey¸¨t\mSp ]dbq. sNdnbm¨³ hcps¶msWvS¶v..''.
t^m¬ apgpan¡m³ IgnªnÃ. Ahsâ kzcw CSdn.
""Rm³ hbv¡p¶p sNdnbm¨m. \o IgnhXpw thKw F¯nt¡mfq. Rm\nt¸mÄ Xs¶ hey¸¨t\mSp hnhcw ]dbsWmWvSv.''.
tPm¬ hÀKokv t^m¬ h¨p. sNdnbm³ hÀKokv dnk]vj\nse ¢mÀ¡nt\mSp X\n¡p \m«nte¡p Sn¡äpIÄ F{Xbpw thKw Xcs¸Sp¯m³ Bhiys¸«p. F¶n«v Ah³ XnSp¡¯n Xsâ apdnbnte¡p \S¶p. ssieP tNmZy`mh¯n Ah\p t\tc t\m¡n.
Ah³ Aeamcbn \n¶p jÀ«pw ]mâvkpw FSp¯ps]«nbn ASp¡ns¡mWvSp ]dªp:
""ssiePm F\n¡pSs\ \m«nte¡p Xncn¡Ww. Fsâ hey¸¨\v kpJanÃ. lmÀ«äm¡v. sF.kn.bphnemWv. hey¸¨³ Fs¶ Xnc¡p¶p.''.
""Rm\pw \nsâ IqsS hcp¶p, sNdnbm³. F\n¡p \ns¶ ]ncnªncn¡m\mhnÃ.''.
""\n\¡p IqSn Sn¡äv ]dªns«mWvSv Rm³''. Ah³ samgnªp.
""Hm... lu kzoän bq BÀ sNdnbm³. \n\¡v Fs¶ ad¡m³ ]äntà AtÃ?''. Ahfpw FWoäpsN¶v Xsâ Po³kpw NpcnZmdpw aäp thj§fpw _mKnem¡m³ XpS§n.
* * * *
sF.knbphnsâ ]pds¯ hcm´bn \ndp¯nbn«ncn¡p¶ ItkcIfnsem¶n IpªphdoXv Ccn¸pWvSv. sXm«Sp¯pÅ H¶p cWvSp ItkcIÄ¡¸pd¯v tPm¬ hÀKokv. a¯mbn sXÃIse Hcp XqWn\padhn Nmcn \nev]pWvSv. sF.knbphnte¡pÅ kµÀi\kabamIm³ Im¯ncn¡pIbmWv AhÀ. Bcpsam¶pw anWvSp¶nÃ. AI¯v Ipdph¨³ lrZb`n¯nbnse cà¡pgepItfmSp aÃbp²w {]Jym]n¨ncn¡pIbmWv. hmXn Xpd¶v ]pdt¯¡p h¶ t\gvknt\mSp IpªphdoXv DtZzKt¯msS Xnc¡n.
""14þmw \¼À s_Unse tcmKn¡v F§s\bpWvSv?''. ""H¶pw ]dbmdmbn«nà kÀ. tUmIvSÀ DSs\ hcpw. kmÀ tUmIvStdmSp Xs¶ tNmZnt¨mfq. At±lw kXymhØ ]dbpw.''
AhÄ Hcp amS{]mhns\t¸mse \oWvS hcm´bneqsS ]d¶pt]mbn. AhÀ¡p ap¶n sF.knbphnsâ I\¯ hmXn ASªpInS¶p. B hmXn Xpd¡m\mbn thsdbpw Nne kµÀiIÀ Im¯ncn¸pWvSv. AhcpsSbpw apJ§Ä DtZzKhpw D¡WvTbpw sImWvSv CcpWvSncp¶p. PohnXhpw acWhpw X½nepÅ _em_e ]co£bn PohnX¯n\mbn tamln¨v HmIvknP³ IpgepIfn A`bw tXSnbncn¡p¶hcmWv AI¯v.
Im¯ncn¡p¶hcn ]ecpw X§fpsS DähcpsS Poh\pthWvSn {]mÀ°\ma{´§Ä a\ÊnepcphnSp¶pWvSv. Ahcn ]ecpsSbpw apJ§fn hymIpeX \ng hncn¨p \n¡p¶pWvSv.
tPm¬hÀKokv kmhImiw UmUnbpsS apJt¯¡p t\m¡n. IpªphdoXnsâ apJw ¾m\ambncp¶p. hey¸¨sâ Poh\pthWvSn UmUn a\Ên {]mÀ°n¡p¶pWvSmhpw.
BtcmKyhm\mbncp¶ hey¸¨s\ UmUn kvt\ln¨ncp¶pthm? AdnbnÃ. ]t£ Ct¸mÄ tcmKmhØbnÂ\n¶pw hey¸¨³ c£s¸SWsa¶v B a\Êv XoÀ¨bmbpw B{Kln¡p¶pWvSv.
""Fsâ amXmth! hey¸¨s\ R§Ä¡p XncnsI XctW!''.
tPm¬hÀKoknsâ lrZbw tX§n.