D]t_m[ a\Ênse hnsStbm Hcp N§e henbp¶ i_vZw tI«mWv dmtl sR«nbpWÀ¶Xv. \ni_vZXsb apdns¸Sp¯ns¡mWvSp ]gb t¢m¡n ]{´WvSv ASn¨p. BcpsStbm AeÀ¨ tI«Xpt]mse. AtXm Xsâ tXm¶tem? dmtlen\v tZlamkIew hnbÀ¯p. \m¡p hcfp¶p. Ipd¨p shÅw In«nbncps¶¦n IpSn¡mambncp¶p.
sXmSnbnse ac¡q«§Ä¡nSbnse Ce¨mÀ¯pIfn adªncp¶v GtXm Iqa³ hnIrXamb i_vZ¯n Iqhp¶pWvSv. AXnsâ t]Sns¸Sp¯p¶ i_vZ¯n Ip«nIÄ DWÀ¶p \nehnfn¡ptam? dmtl Ip«nIfpsS apJt¯¡p t\m¡n. ]mhw Ipªp§Ä. ]I bm{XbpsS £oW¯n AhÀ im´cmbn Dd§p¶p.
amdn¡nS¶ ]pXs¸Sp¯v dmtl Ahsc ]pX¸n¨p. dmtl I«nen \ns¶Woäv apdnbnse sseän«p. AcWvS shfn¨w ]c¯p¶p CeIv{Sn¡v _Ä_v. Nphcn Xq¡nbncn¡p¶ t^mt«mbn IpªphdoXpw `mcy Ipªpadnbm½bpw. buh\w apän \n¡p¶ CcpWvS \ndapÅ kpµcn. AhfpsS Zo]vXamb \b\§Ä Xsâ t\tc \oWvSphcp¶Xpt]mse dmtlen\p tXm¶n. dmtl s]s«¶p apJw Xncn¨p.
At¸mgpw a\Ên N§e henbp¶Xpt]mse dmtlen\v A\p`hs¸«p. AhÄ `bNInXbmbn hoWvSpw Ipªpadnbm½bpsS apJt¯¡p t\m¡n. Xsâ ]pcpjs\ X«nsbSp¯ kv{Xo F¶ \nebn sXÃv Akqb IeÀ¶n«ntà B t\m«¯nÂ. At¸mgpw Iqa³ ]cnlmkt¯msS Iqhn.
sXm«¸pds¯ apdnbn Xsâ ]pcpj³ InS¶pd§p¶pWvSv. sasà Nmcnbncp¶ hmXn Xpd¶v dmtl hcm´bnte¡nd§n.
IpªphdoXv InS¡p¶ apdnbpsSbpw hmXn Nmcnbnt«bpÅq. AhÄ hmXn Xpd¶v AI¯p Ibdn. AcWvS shfn¨¯n AhÄ IWvSp; IpªphdoXv I«nen \oWvSp\nhÀ¶p InS¡p¶p. I«nen\cnIn Hcp Sot¸mbn Ip¸nbpw IqPbn shÅhpapWvSv. AhÄ a¬IqP hmbnte¡p Iagv¯n shÅw IpSn¨p. IqP Sot¸mbn sasà h¨p.
At¸mgpw IpªphdoXv DWÀ¶n«nÃ. AhÄ kmhImiw AbmfpsS I«nenencp¶p. AhfpsS apJw AbmfpsS apJt¯¡v ASp¸n¨p. s\©n Hcp `mcw A\p`hs¸«t¸mÄ IpªphdoXv sR«nbpWÀ¶p. AhÄ AbmfpsS NpWvSn Npw_n¨p. AbmÄ Ahsf BenwK\w sNbvXp.
AhfpsS a\Ênte¡v ]I \S¶ kw`h§Ä hoWvSpw Ibdn h¶p. Bßmhns\ apdns¸Sp¯nb kw`hw. AhfpsS a\Êv tX§n. s\©nSn¸v hÀ[n¨p. I®n shÅw \ndªp. AhfpsS hnX¼p¶ NpWvSpIfn AbmÄ hoWvSpw ap{Z NmÀ¯n.
""F´mWv dmtlte, Fsâ s]m¶n³ sImSta CXv. Imdn h¶hgn Rms\Ãmw ]dªXtÃ? t]ms«. AsXms¡ Ignª Imcy§fv. \obX§v ad¶p Ifbv. A¸\v {]mbambntÃy. ImcWh·mcv A§s\ms¡ ]dbptIw sN¿ptIw sNbvsX¶ncn¡pw. \½fsXms¡ IWvSnsöpw tI«nsöpw h¡Ww''.
AbmÄ Ahsf Bizkn¸n¡m\mbn, AhfpsS ]pd¯v sasà XShns¡mWvSv ]dªp. P\mebv¡¸pd¯v ]Xp§nbncn¡p¶ Ccp«v \ni_vZamb A´co£¯n at{´m¨mcWw t]mepÅ AbmfpsS hm¡pIÄ¡mbn ImtXmÀ¯p. AbmfpsS arZpkv]Àiw Ahfn Bizmk¯nsâ hn¯pIÄ ]mIn.
AhÄ sasà ssIIÄ DbÀ¯n \ndª I®pIÄ XpS¨p.
""F´mbmepw F\n¡v kln¡m\mbnà A¨mbm. A¨mb³ Ft¶msSm¸apWvStÃm. F\n¡Xp aXn. Bscms¡ FXnÀ¯mepw AhKWn¨mepw A¨mbsâ a\Êm F\n¡v hepXv''.
AhÄ hndbmÀ¶ kzc¯n sasà a{´n¨p. kvt\l¯nsâbpw km´z\¯nsâbpw NqSpÅ Ickv]Àiw AhfpsS Bßmhns\ XWp¸n¨p. D]cnXe¯n im´amb ISÂt]msebmbncp¶p AhfpsS a\Êv. FhnsS\nt¶m HmSnsb¯nb \nÀÆNn¡m\mhm¯ Hcp aµkvacw AhfpsS t]ehm[c§fn h¶p \ndªp.
ImÀtaL¡q«§Ä¡nSbn \n¶pw am\s¯mfn¨ncp¶ N{µ¡e ]pd¯ph¶p. P\egn¡nSbneqsS AXnsâ AcWvS{]Imiw AhcpsS apdnbnte¡v A\phmZw IqSmsX Ibdn. B AcWvSshfn¨¯n AbmÄ AhfpsS {`m´p]nSn¸n¡p¶ kuµcyw \pIÀ¶p. ]ns¶ AhÀ ]pcpj\pw kv{Xobpambn.
cm{Xn hfÀ¶v {]`mX¯nte¡p t]mbXv AhcdnªnÃ. ]peÀsh«¯n Im¡IÄ Icbp¶ i_vZw tI«mWv dmtl sR«nbpWÀ¶Xv. AhÄ ]nSsªWoäv, I«nenencp¶v Agnªpeªp InS¶ ImÀ Iq´Â hmcns¡«n.
apäaSn¡p¶ ]cnNmcnIbpsS \nehnfntI«mWv IpªphdoXv ]nSsªWoäXv. AbmÄ sXÃp ]cn{`m´ntbmsS jÀs«Sp¯n«v, apdnbn \n¶nd§n XnSp¡¯n hcm´bneqsS \S¶v ]qapJt¯¡psN¶p.
]Sn¸pc hmXn¡ \n¶pw ]cnNmcnI Aedn¡cªpsImWvSp apät¯¡v HmSnhcp¶Xv IpªphdoXv IWvSp. Abmsf IWvS]msS `b¸mtSmsS AhÄ ]Sn¸pcbnte¡v hnc NqWvSn InX¨psImWvSp ]dªp.
""kmtd! tZ Hcmfv AhvsS tNmcbnev Ipfn¨p sIS¡vW. Rm³ ]Sns¸mc sXmd¶¸gm IWvSXv.''. AhfpsS `bhpw InX¸pw amdnbn«nÃ.
IpªphdoXv XnSp¡¯n apä¯nd§n ]Sn¸pc hmXn¡te¡p sN¶p. AbmÄ B `oIc ImgvN IWvSv sR«n.
AhnsS Igp¯n sht«äv tNmc hmÀ¶v a¯mbn InS¡p¶p. AbmÄ ]Sn¸pcbnte¡p Xeh¨v Iangv¶p InS¶ a¯mbnsb ]cn{`at¯msS Xncn¨p InS¯n. a¯mbnbpsS Poh³ Ft¸mtg t]mbncp¶p. B I®pIÄ Xpd¶ncn¡p¶p. `oIcambncp¶p, B ImgvN. AbmÄ s]s«¶p apJw Xncn¨p. a®nte¡v HgpInbnd§nb Idp¯ tNmc AhnsS Xfw sI«n \n¶p. Ahbv¡cnIn Idp¯ s]m«\pdp¼pIÄ hebw h¨p. Hcn¡Â IqSn a¯mbnbpsS t\sc t\m¡m³ IpªphdoXn\p ss[cyw h¶nÃ.
AhntS¡v HmSnh¶ dmtlepw B `oIc Zriyw IWvSv \nehnfn¨p. Fcp¯nenepw ASp¡fs¡«nepw ]WnsbSp¯psImWvSncp¶ ]Wn¡mÀ HmSnsb¯n. Ahscms¡ \nehnfntbmsS Ht¶ t\m¡nbpÅq.
IÃp¦Â Xdhm«n Ct¸mÄ \nehnfnbpsS i_vZta DÅq. ]cnNmcIÀ X½n ]ckv]cw IpipIpip¯p. Btcm HcmÄ Hcp ssIenapsWvSSp¯p sImWvSp h¶v a¯mbnbpsS tZl¯n«p. AbmÄ Bip]{Xnbn \n¶pw Hcp k©nbn sImWvSph¶ ]m{X§Ä hgnbn NnXdn¡nS¶p.
IÃp¦Â XdhmSns\ H¶n\p ]ndsI H¶mbn Zpc´§Ä ]n´pScpIbmWv. BcpsSsbms¡tbm im]hNkpIÄ XdhmSn\pta hoWp InS¡p¶p.
IpªphdoXv s]s«¶p ka\ne hosWvSSp¯p. AbmÄ dmtlen\p t\sc Xs¶ ]n´pScm³ BwKyw Im«n. F¶n«v ]qapJt¯¡p \S¶p. t^mWn\Sps¯¯n t]meokv tÌj\n hnfn¨p hnhcw ]dªp. k_v C³kvs]IvSÀ Xs¶bmWv t^msWSp¯Xv.
AbmÄ ]dªp:
""R§Ä DSs\ F¯mw. BfpIsf AIän \ndp¯Ww. Asænev sXfnhpIfv \in¸n¡s¸Spw. anÌÀ hÀKokv, the¡mcpÄs¸sS ho«nepÅhcmcpw ]pd¯p t]mhcpXv. R§Ä¡v FÃmhtcbpw tNmZyw sNt¿WvSn hcpw.''.
""sicn kmÀ''. C³kvs]IvSÀ t^m¬ h¨p. {Kma¯nemsI s]s«¶p hmÀ¯ ]c¶p. Nmb¸oSnIbnencp¶hÀ ¥mknse Nmb Hähen¡v AI¯m¡n IÃp¦Â Xdhm«nte¡p XnSp¡¯n \S¶p. h¶hÀ h¶hÀ aq¡n hncÂh¨p \n¶p. NneÀ Fs´ms¡tbm IpipIpip¯p.
""BcmWo Acpw sIme sNbvXXv? ''. AhÀ ]ckv]cw tNmZn¨p. BÀ¡pw D¯capWvSmbncp¶nÃ. BfpIfpsS F®w hÀ²n¨psImWvSncp¶p. IpªphdoXv t^m¬ sNbvXX\pkcn¨v Bip]{Xnbn \n¶v tPm¬ hÀKokpw sNdnbm³ hÀKokpw Imdn ]msª¯n.
AcaWn¡qÀ Ignªt¸mÄ Fkv.sFbpw aq¶p t]meokpImcpw Po¸nse¯n. \m«phgnbnse s]mSn]d¯ns¡mWvSp ]mªph¶ t]meokv Po¸v BÄ¡q«¯n\cnIn Cc¨p \n¶p.
""amdn \nsÃSm At§m«v''.
Po¸n \n¶v NmSnbnd§nb Hcp t]meokpImc³ Bt{Imin¨p.
BÄ¡q«w hgnamdn. NneÀ sXm«¸pds¯ I¿me¸pd§fn Ibdn \n¶p. Hcp t]meokpImc³ ssIenapsWvSSp¯p amän. k_v C³kvs]IvSÀ t{]Xhpw ]cnkchpw kq£vaambn ]cntim[n¨p. F¶n«v Hcp t]meokpImcs\ AcnIn hnfn¨v Ft´m \nÀt±iw sImSp¯p. AbmÄ Ft´m sXcªpsImWvSv ]cnkc{]tZi§fn Id§n. BÄ¡q«w AbmÄ¡p hgnamdns¡mSp¯p.
Aev]aIse ]mSs¯ sNfn sa\ªp XoÀ¯ hc¼n tNmc]pcWvS Hcp AcnhmÄ InS¡p¶Xv AbmfpsS {i²bnÂs¸«p.
AbmÄ ASp¯p sN¶p t]m¡änÂ\n¶p XqhmesbSp¯v AXn Acnhmfnsâ ssI¸nSn s]mXnªv FSp¯p. sXmWvSn km[\hpambn Fkv.sFbpsS ASps¯¯n. Fkv.sF AXn kq£n¨p t\m¡nbn«v Po¸n sImWvSphbv¡m³ \nÀt±iw sImSp¯p.
Fkv.sFbv¡v Ccn¡m³ Btcm Hcp Itkc FSp¯psImWvSph¶p sImSp¯p. ]Sn¸pcbv¡I¯v apä¯v Itkcbnencp¶v Xdhm«nse the¡msc Hmtcmcp¯scbmbn Fkv.sFtNmZyw sNbvXp. AhÀ ]dª samgnIÄ Hcp t]meokpImc³ FgpXnsbSp¯p. the¡mÀ BsI ]cn{`m´cmbncp¶p. Ahcn ]ecpw ]ckv]chncp²ambn kwkmcn¡pIbpw NneÀ s]m«n¡cbpIbpw sNbvXp.
FÃmän\pw ZrIvkm£nbmbn IÃp¦Â XdhmSv \n¶p. Zpc´§Ä Gäphm§n, FÃm kl\§fpw DÅnsemXp¡n, XdhmSnsâ CS\mgnIÄ hnP\ambn \nesImWvSp. \of³ hcm´bpsS sXt¡ tImWnencp¶v hÀ¡nam¸nf FÃmw ImWp¶pWvSmbncp¶p.
IpªphdoXv t^mWn\cnInemWv. AbmÄ Bscsbms¡tbm hnfn¨psImWvSncp¶p.
HcpaWn¡qÀ t\cs¯ \S]Sn{Ia§Ä¡ptijw a¯mbnbpsS PUw Hcp ]mbn s]mXnªp Po¸nen«v t]meokv kwLw t]mÌptamÀ«¯n\mbn PnÃm Bip]{Xn e£yam¡n ]mªp.
Bip]{Xn¡nS¡bn Btcm ]dªv Ipdph¨³ a¯mbn sImÃs¸« hnhcw Adnªp.
""IÀ¯mth! F´mbnXv. \osbs¶ ]co£n¡bmtWm?''. Ipdph¨³ B hmÀ¯ tI«v lrZbw s]m«n hne]n¨p.
ASp¯ \nanj¯n AbmÄ t_m[clnX\mbn.