h¡o cPnÌÀ sN¿m\pÅ t]¸dpIfpsS \¡Â Ipdph¨s\ hmbn¨p tIĸn¨p. FtÌän IpªphdoXnsâ \mepa¡Ä¡pw XpeymhImiamWv \ÂInbncn¡p¶Xv. X¶mWvSphÀjw FtÌäv em`¯nemsW¦n em`¯nsâ 20 iXam\w IpªphdoXn\p \ÂIWw. FtÌäv `qanbn atäsX¦nepw Xc¯nepÅ AhImiw IpªphdoXn\pWvSmbncn¡nÃ.
C\n apX FtÌäv kw_Ôn¨ _m¦v A¡uWvSpIÄ ssIImcyw sN¿p¶Xv tPm¬ hdpKokmbncn¡pw. sN¡pIfn H¸ntSWvSXv tPm¬ hdpKokpw FtÌäv P\dÂamt\Pcpw tNÀ¶mWv. Ffp¸¯n {Ibhn{Ib§Ä \S¯m\pÅ ]gpXpIÄ AS¨mWv \¡Â X¿mdm¡nbncn¡p¶Xv.
h¡o Dds¡ hmbn¨p. Ipdph¨\v tIgvhn¡pdhpWvStÃm. FÃmän\pw aqIkm£nbmbn a¯mbn. Ipdph¨³ Adbnse¯n adnbm½s¸§fpsS I«nenencp¶p.
s]§tf, \½sS FtÌäv hdoXnsâ ]ntÅscsS t]cnev FgpXm³ Rm³ Xocpam\n¨p. \½s¡ms¡ Ct{Xw {]mbambntÃ. C\n Ahcv t\m¡n \S¯s«. Asænepw Ct¸m tPmWn¡p«nbtà FtÌäv Imcy§fv t\m¡WvXv. klmb¯n\mbn \nev¡W s]®v adnbm½s¸§sf FWo¸n¨ncp¯m³ Hcp§n. thWvS F¶v adnbm½s¸§Ä BwKyw Im«n.
""F´m s]§fv Rm¼dªXv tI«nÃntbm''.
DÆv F¶ AÀ°¯n adnbm½s¸§Ä Xe Nen¸n¨p.
""s]§sS Hscm¸pIqSn thWsa¶m h¡oev ]dªXv''.
AXn\pw adnbm½s¸§Ä Xe Nen¸n¨p.
a¯mbnbpsS ssI]nSn¨v Ipdph¨³ adnbm½s¸§fpsS AdbnÂ\n¶nd§n.
t^mWn\Sps¯¯nbt¸mÄ ]utemk¨s\ hnfn¡m³ a¯mbn¡p \nÀt±iw \ÂIn.
hnhcw ]dªt¸mÄ ]utemk¨³ ]dªp. ""Rms\m¸nt«¡mw. ISemkpIfv a¯mbn hiw sImSp¯b¨m aXn. ]t£¦nev...'' ]utemk¨³ AÀt²mànbn \ndp¯n''.
""F´m ]utemk¨m''.
Ipdph¨³ DtZzKt¯msS Xnc¡n. ]utemk¨³ XpSÀ¶p.
""tN«³ IpªphdoXnt\mSp IqSn hnhcw ]dbWw. F¶n«p thWw H¸p hbv¡m³''.
""AXn\v Ahs\ FhvsS bm sXc¡WXv. ChvsS¶v ]ntä¶v t]mbXm. A¨\dnbmtÃm Ahsâ \S¯Ifv''.
""F´mbmepw tN«³ Xocpam\n¨Xpt]mse Imcy§fv \S¯nt¡m. ]t£¦nev IpªphdoXnt\mSp ]dªn«p thWw H¸nSm³. AXm AXnâF icn. Rm³ t^m¬ hbv¡s« tN«m. s]§Ä¡v hntijsam¶panÃtÃm''. ]utemk¨³ t^m¬ h¨p. F¶n«v At±lw \ne¯v ap«nt·Â \n¶v, BImit¯¡p ssIIÄ hncn¨v, Xo£vWXtbmsS {]mÀ°n¨p.
""R§Ä¡pthWvSn ]mSp]oUIÄ kln¨ IÀ¯mth! DNnXamb Xocpam\saSp¡p¶Xn\v Fsâ tPyjvT\v A§v iàn \ÂItWsa. R§fpsS Xdhm«n kam[m\hpw im´nbpw hnfbmSp¶Xn\v A§v klmbn¡tW! FÃmw R§fpsS CjvSaÃ; AhnSps¯ XncphnjvSw \ndthäWta. Bt½³ ''.
[ym\¯n \naá\mbn ]utemk¨³ aWn¡qdpItfmfw ap«nt·Â \n¶p.
]n¶oSv ap«nt·Â \ns¶Woät¸mÄ kvt\l¯nsâ ]cnemf\bn X§sf hfÀ¯nb A½sb ]utemk¨³ HmÀ¯p. R§fpsS A½ kzÀK¯nencp¶v R§sf A\p{Kln¡p¶pWvSmhpw.
Fsâ At½! Fsâ B{ibta! sNdp¸¯n A½ \mhn Dcphn«p X¶ kpIrXP]w ]utemk¨sâ NpWvSpIÄ a{´n¨p.
F¶n«v kmhImiw t]m¡änÂ\n¶v P]ame FSp¯v ZpxJ¯nsâ clkyw sNmÃn A¼¯naq¶paWn P]w ]qÀ¯nbm¡n. {IqinX cq]¯n Npw_n¨v FWoät¸mÄ ^m. ]utemknsâ apJw im´ambncp¶p. a\kv AeIS t]mse {]£p_v[ambncps¶¦nepw hfsc s]s«¶p im´ambn. ]utemk¨³ ssZhm\p{Kl¯nsâ Ic§fn hn{ian¨p. Ipcnip hc¨v At±lw FWoäp.
cWvSpZnhkw Ignªv Hcp Znhkw D¨Xncnª kab¯mWv IpªphdoXv ho«nse¯p¶Xv. ]qapJs¯ NmcpItkcbn sNdpab¡¯nembncp¶ Ipdph¨³ Imdnsâ i_vZw tI«v sR«n DWÀ¶p. ]pXnb ImÀ KmtcPnen«v IpªphdoXv Xsâ Adbnte¡p t]mIms\mcp§th Ipdph¨³ hnfn¨p.
""IpªphdotX''.
IpªphdoXv A¸¨sâ AcnInte¡p sN¶p. AbmÄ Ipdph¨sâ apJt¯¡p tNmZy`mh¯n t\m¡n.
""s\t¶msSmcp Imcyw ]dbWsa¶v Ipd¨pZnhkambn hnNmcn¡vWv. s\s¶ IWvSn«pthWtÃm..''. Ipdph¨³ H¶p \ndp¯n. B apJw Aev]w CcpWvSp.
""\½sS FtÌäv Rm³ ]ntÅscsS t]cnev cPnÌdm¡m³ t]mWp. C\n samXev tPmWn¡p«n Bbncn¡pw AXnsâ Imcy§fv t\m¡pI. Asæn¯s¶ Ah\mWtÃm FÃmw sN¿tW. s\\¡Xns\m¶pw kabanÃtÃm''.
AhÀ¡nSbn GXm\pw \nanjw \ni_vZX ]c¶p. B au\¯nsâ \nanj§fn Ipdph¨\v hÃm¯ AkzØX tXm¶n.
""\o adp]Snsbm¶pw ]dªnÃ. F´mWv s\sâ A`n{]mbw. BZmb¯nsâ Hcp sjbÀ \n\¡pw h¨n«pWvSv Rm³''.
""A¸¨sâ CjvSw t]mse sN¿v. Rms\m¶pw A`n{]mbw ]dbWnÃ. A¸¨sâ samXev. A¸¨³ CjvSaptÅmÀ¡v sImSp¡p¶p. A§t\ Rm³ IcpXsWmÅq.''. IpªphdoXv No´m[o\\mbn ImWs¸«p. AbmÄ s]s«¶v Xsâ apdnbnte¡p t]mbn.
Ipdph¨³ IpªphdoXv t]mIp¶Xv Hcp \nanjw t\m¡n. F¶n«v Hcp ZoÀL\nizmkt¯msS AIse ZrjvSnIfq¶n B NmcpItkcbn Xs¶ InS¶p.
Aev] \nanj§Ä Ignªv Ft´m `qtXmZbw DWvSmbXpt]mse IÃp¦Â hÀ¡n¨sâ F®¨mb Nn{X¯nte¡p t\m¡n.
A¸³ Xsâ Xocpam\w icnhbv¡p¶Xpt]mse Ipdph¨\p tXm¶n.
"" \o BWmsWSm. icnbmb Xocpam\saSp¯p \o¿v. IÃp¦Â Xdhm«nse kz¯p¡fv A\ym[o\s¸«p t]mIm³ Rm\pw k½Xn¡qem. Ahs\ Gev]n¨m Ah\sXÃmw \in¸n¡¯nÃntbm?''.
FhnsS \nt¶m A¸sâ kzcw Xsâ ImXpIfnte¡p IS¶p hcp¶Xpt]mse Ipdph¨\p tXm¶n. AbmÄ s]s«¶p {]Úbnte¡v sR«nbpÀ¶p Npäpw t\m¡n. Xm³ ab¡¯nembncpt¶m?
IÃp¦Â hÀ¡n¨³ At¸mgpw ZmhoZnsâ am{´nI hncepIÄ XoÀ¯ Nn{X¯n Kuchw hnSmsX Ipdph¨s\ t\m¡nbncp¶p; Hcp c£Is\t¸mse.
tPm¬ hÀKokv FtÌänse Xsâ Hm^okn _m¦v A¡uWvSpIÄ ]cntim[n¡pIbmbncp¶p. ASp¯ Znhk§fn UmUnbpsS ]e sN¡pIfmWv _m¦n h¶p amdnt¸mbncn¡p¶Xv. FÃmw henb XpIIÄ Xs¶. C§s\ t]mbm hey¸¨sâ Bi¦IÄ icnbmsW¶p hcpw. UmUn Cu ]Wsams¡ F´n\pthWvSnbmWv sNehgn¡p¶Xv? C¯cw Nn´IfnÂs¸«v Bib¡pg¸¯nembn tPm¬ hÀKokv.
t^m¬ s_ tI«v tPm¬ hÀKokv sR«n DWÀ¶p. sNdnbm³ hÀKokmWv At§¯ebv¡Â.
""tN«m. Rm\mWv sNdnbm³. Rm\nt¸m auWvSv A_phn \n¶mWv hnfn¡p¶Xv. F\n¡p tN«³ Ipd¨p ]Ww AXymhiyambn Ab¨pXcWw. Rm³ ASp¯pXs¶ UÂlnbn Hcp FIvkn_nj³ kwLSn¸n¡m³ t]mWp. AXn\p Hcp henb kwJythWw. ChnsS tlm«en Ipd¨p ss]k XoÀ¡m\pWvSv. Rm³ hnemkw Xcmw. tN«³ sN¡v Ab¨m aXn''.
Häizmk¯nemWv sNdnbm³ kwkmcn¡p¶Xv.
""\n\¡mhiyapÅ ]Ww Rm³ Abbv¡mw. \o FhnsSbmbncp¶p. a{Zmknepw _mw¥qcpw t_mws_bnepw \ns¶ In«mhp¶ t^mWnsems¡ _Ôs¸«ncp¶p. \o FhnsSbmsW¶v BÀ¡padnbnÃ''.
tPm¬ hÀKokv H¶p \ndp¯n. H¶p hnXp¼ntbm F¶p kwibw. ""\½psS A½ acns¨Sm. Hcp amkw Ignªncn¡vWv... AXdnbn¡m\mWv s\s¶ hnfn¨Xv...''.
sNdnbm³ hÀKokv Hcp \nanjw kvXw`n¨ncp¶p. AbmÄ au\nbmbn. adp]Sn ]dbm\mhmsX IS¶pt]mb \nanj§Ä.
""F´mSm.. \o H¶pw anWvSms¯. Rm³ ]dbp¶Xv \n\¡p tIÄ¡m³ ]äWntÃ?''.
tPm¬hÀKokv hoWvSpw tNmZn¨p. H¶p cWvSp \nanj§Ä IS¶p t]mbn. Ahkm\w sNdnbm³ hÀKoknsâ kzcw. ZpÀ_eambn¯oÀ¶ kzcw. tPm¬ tI«p.
""A½..A½... Fsâ A½.. Aà \½sS A½... AhÀ t]mbn AtÃ... A§s\ B s]m¡nÄs¡mSn _Ôhpw XoÀ¶p. Atà tN«m..''.
tPm¬ hÀKokv adp]Snsbm¶pw ]dbm³ IgnbmsX Ccp¶p. sNdnbms\ Bizkn¸n¡m³ hm¡pIfnÃmsX. Ahsâ hm¡pIfn thZ\ IeÀ¶ncp¶pthm? A½bv¡v Gähpw {]nbs¸« aI\mbncp¶p, sNdnbm³. Gsd hmÕeyw Npc¯n \ÂInb Ip«n... tPm¬ hÀKokv s]s«¶p ka\ne hosWvSSp¯p. F¶n«p ]dªp.
""\o tlm«ensâ hnemkw ]dbq. Rm³ \n\¡v C¶pXs¶ sN¡bbv¡mw''.