IpªphdoXpsam¯v Imdn Ibdpt¼mÄ dmtlensâ a\Êv AkzØambn. htcWvSnbncp¶nà F¶phsc tXm¶n. F{Xbmbmepw `À¯mhnsâ A¸³. acW¯nsâ AKm[amb Ib¯nte¡v Bgv¶pt]mIpt¼mÄ Hcp t\m¡p ImWmw F¶p a\Ên tXm¶n. A§s\ IWvSp Ignbpt¼mÄ AI¨bpsSbpw A`n{]mbhyXymk¯nsâbpw aªpcpIpsa¶pw IcpXn. AXpsImWvSmWv IpªphdoXnt\mSp tNmZn¡pI t]mepw sN¿msX Cd§n¯ncn¨Xv. Ip«nIÄ hÃy¸¨s\ H¶p ItWvSms« F¶p hnNmcn¨v Ahscbpw Iq«n.
]t£, shfp¡m³ tX¨Xv ]mWvSmbn F¶p ]dªXpt]msebmbn. Cu AhØbnepw A¸³ apJw Xncn¡psa¶p IcpXnbnÃ. a\Ên Ct¸mgpw ]I kq£n¡p¶pWvSmhmw. A{X ITn\amtWm B a\Êv? AdnbnÃ.
ImtdmSn¡p¶Xn\nSbn IpªphdoXv t\sc t\m¡msX dmtlent\mSp Xnc¡n. ""F´m dmtlte! C{X BtemN\! A¸sâ kz`mhw A§s\bm. HcmtfmSp ]nW¡w tXm¶nbm¸ns¶ AXv a\Ênev sht¨mWvSncn¡pw. AXv samJ¯p {]ZÀin¸n¡ptIw sN¿mw. AXv A¸sâ kz`mhm''.
IpªphdoXv Nncn¨psImWvSp XpSÀ¶p. ""R§fX{X Imcyambns«Sp¡mdnÃ. dmtlepw A§s\ IcpXnbm aXn.''
""\½sS sIm¨p§fv F´p s]g¨p. AhtcmSp t]mepw Hc£cw A¸³ anWvSnbnÃtÃm''.
AhÄ ]cn`hw \Sn¨p.
""F{X IjvSs¸«m Ahsc Rm\v Du«nbnev sN¶v Iq«nt¡mWvSph¶Xv''.
dmtlen\p k¦Sw kln¡m³ ]änbnÃ. AhÄ ssIteskSp¯v aq¡p XpS¨p. \ndª I®pIÄ ap¶nse tdmUpZriy§Ä ad¨p. AhÄ ssItekpsImWvSv I®oscm¸n.
""F\n¡pthWvSnbtà dmtlte \o Pohn¡WXv. AXpsImWvSv \o Fs¶tbmÀ¯v FÃmw £an¡v. Rm³ Hcp Imcyw Xocpam\n¨p. \o C\n Cu IpSpw_¯nse AwKamWv. A¸\n\n F{X\mfmsW¶p hnNmcn¨m. \½fnhnsS Pohn¡m³ t]mWp''. dmtlens\m¶pw a\ÊnembnÃ. AhÄ BImw£m]qÀÆw IpªphdoXnsâ apJt¯¡p t\m¡n.
IpªphdoXv s]mSn ]d¯ns¡mWvSv FXntc h¶ temdn¡v sskUpsImSp¯p sImWvSp ]dªp.
""AtX dmtlte, \½Ä IÃp¦Â Xdhm«nev C¶papX Xmakn¡m³ t]mWp. Rm³ Xocpam\n¨p Ignªp''.
""AXpthWvS A¨mbm. AXv IqSpXev sImg¸§sfmWvSm¡pw''.
""hcs« dmtlte, F´mWp kw`hn¡p¶sX¶p ImWmtem''.
AhÄ Imdnsâ thKw Iq«n. AXv \m«phgnbneqsS s]mSn]d¯n, IÃp¦Â XdhmSnsâ ]Sn¸pc IS¶v, Nc hncn¨ apä¯v N{I§fpcªp \n¶p.
_m¡v koän Dd§n¡nS¶ Ip«nIÄ SbÀ Dcbp¶ i_vZw tI«v DWÀ¶p.
""Cd§v a¡tf, \½psS hosS¯n''.
Imdnsâ tUmÀ Xpd¶psImWvSv IpªphdoXv a¡tfmSmbn ]dªp.
AhÀ IY Fs´¶dnbmsX, F¶m DÕmlt¯msS UmUnbpsS hm¡pIÄ tI«v NmSnbnd§n. AXv`pXt¯msS AhÀ _rl¯mb IÃp¦Â XdhmSnsâ ]qapJt¯¡p t\m¡n. AXnsâ {]uVnbpw Kmw`ocyhpw AhÀ BZyw ImWpIbmbncp¶p.
""hcq a¡tf, CXmWv \½psS XdhmSv.'' IpªphdoXv a¡fpsS Icw{Kln¨v kmhImiw IÃp¦Â XdhmSnsâ ]qapJt¯¡pÅ \S¡ÃpIÄ Ibdn. AbmÄ ]n¶nte¡p t\m¡n dmtlens\bpw hnfn¨p.
""hcq dmtlte, C\n CXv \nsâ hoSv''.
AhÄ adp]Snsbm¶pw ]dªnÃ. ]t£ AXphsc ¾m\ambncp¶ B apJw s]s«¶v {]k¶ambn. AhÄ IS¡®n\m Abmsf t\m¡pIbpw t{]a]pckcw ]p©ncn¡pIbpw sNbvXp.
]qapJ¯nsâ hnP\amb \of³ hcm´bneqsS a¡fpsS ssI]nSn¨v IpªphdoXpw dmtlepw \S¶p. hcm´bpsS sXt¡ tImWn {]XnjvTn¨ncn¡p¶ hÀ¡n am¸nfbpsS OmbmNn{Xw Ahsc Xpdn¨pt\m¡n. AhÀ AXp Ku\n¡msX apt¶m«p h¶p. hÀ¡nam¸nfbpsS I®pIÄ Ahsc ]n´pSÀ¶p.
AhÀ adnbm½s¸§fpsS apdnbpsS ap¶nse¯n. hmXn Xpd¶p InS¡pIbmbncp¶p. IpªphdoXn\v adnbm½t¸c½sb henb _lpam\amWv. t]c½bpsS hm¡pIÄ thZ hmIyhpamWv. A½bpsS Øm\¯mWv IpªphdoXn\v adnbm½t¸c½.
IpªphdoXv AIt¯¡p ]mfn t\m¡n. t]c½sb hoÂs¨bdnencp¯n hnip²{KÙw hmbn¨p tIĸn¡pIbmbncp¶p, ]cnNmcnIbmbn \n¡p¶ s]¬Ip«n.
t]c½bv¡p sNhntIÄ¡m³ Aev]w {]bmkapÅXpsImWvSv ]cnNcn¡p¶ s]¬Ip«n Dds¡bmWv hmbn¡p¶Xv. ss__nfnse [qÀ¯]p{Xsâ IYbmWv hmbn¨Xv. t]c½ F{Xtbm {]mhiyw tI«n«pÅXmWv. F¦nepw Hmtcm {]mhiyw tIÄ¡pt¼mgpw AXn t]c½ ]pXpa ImWp¶p.
IpªphdoXnsâ \ng cq]w hmXn¡ IWvSt¸mÄ s]¬Ip«n s]s«¶v hmb\ \ndp¯n XebpbÀ¯n t\m¡n. hmb\ \ne¨t¸mÄ t]c½bpw hmXn¡te¡p t\m¡n.
""Bcm AXv?''.
t]c½ DtZzK]qÀÆw Xnc¡n.
""Rm\mWv t]ct½, IpªphdoXv''.
IpªphdoXv Ip«nIfpambn hmXn IS¶v apdnbn {]thin¨p.
""t]c½bv¡p kvXpXn sNmÃv a¡tf''.
Ip«nIÄ cWvSpw HmSns¨¶p t]c½bpsS cWvSpssIbpw Iq«n¸nSn¨v kvXpXn sNmÃn.
""Cutim aninlmbv¡v kvXpXnbmbncn¡s«''.
""Ft¸mgpant¸mgpw kvXpXnbmbncn¡s«''.
adnbm½t¸c½ kvXpXn hm§n cWvSmfpsSbpw Ihnfn D½ sImSp¯p. Ip«nIÄ t]c½bv¡v XncnsI ap¯w sImSp¯p.
""Fsâ a¡fmWv t]ct½''. IpªphdoXv Nncn¨p.
""s\\¡v \ÃXp hcpw IpªphdotX. s\s¶ ssZhw A\p{Kln¡s«. F´ntb s\sâ s]®v?''.
dmtl IpªphdoXnsâ ]n¶n \n¶v apt¶m«p IS¶p \n¶p. F¶n«v t]c½bpsS ASpt¯¡v \o§n \n¶p.
adnbm½t¸c½ dmtlensâ ssIIfn hmÕey]qÀÆw XgpIn.
""s\s¶bpw ssZhw A\p{Kln¡s«''.
t]c½ H¶p \ndp¯n. Ft´m BtemN\bnemWvSp. AhÀ¡nSbn GXm\pw \nanjw au\w ]pIªp.
t]c½ XpSÀ¶p.
""\o¿v thWw C\n Chs\ t\m¡m³. Ahfv t]mbntÃ?''.
t]c½bpsS I®pIÄ kPe§fmbn. AhÀ Ft´m AKm[amb Nn´bnemWvSncn¡p¶Xmbn IpªphdoXn\p tXm¶n. AhÄ F¶v t]c½ kwt_m[\ sNbvXXv BscbmsW¶p IpªphdoXn\p a\Ênembn.
""C\n Fsâ IpªphdoXn\v \o¿v thWw B{ibw. Rm\§s\ hfÀ¯ns¡mWvSph¶Xm Ahs\''.
""'Rm³...'.
IpªphdoXv hm¡pIÄ In«msX hn¡n hn¡n \n¶p.
""FÃmw F\n¡dnbmsaSm IpªphdotX. \o¿v Hcp Imcyw sN¿v. adnbmt½sS apdoev t]mbn hn{ian¡s« Chcv. shjan¨p ImWntÃ?''.
t]c½bpsS hm¡pIÄ tI«t¸mÄ IpªphdoXnsâbpw I®pIÄ \ndªp.
AbmÄ dmtlepw Ip«nIfpambn t]c½bpsS apdnbn \n¶nd§n.