Fsâ tb^v hpWnÂ. 27 k]Êm]n. B`bpj¡m^³. AknkminSWm\v. bn Fhv hn b^o£ FjpSn {PmfthkNWm]n tKm`n tWXn. Ct¸mÄ Sn^pkW´bp^¯nWXp¯p knSp^ F¶ {Pmf¯n tKm`n sI¿p¶p. Nn«p¶ l¼a¯n Wn¶p fn¨w bnXn¡m³ Hs¡ bäp¶p*v. H^p sI_n] koXv kmXN¡v FXp¯v Hä¡m\v Smfhw. AVnNkpw bmk§apw hmVm^\¡m^pw Smfhn¡p¶ H^p {btUlw.

{PmfthkN³ B]SnWm b` koXpNan`pw b©m]¯pfm]n dÔs¸« Nm^y§Ä¡p tbmNm_p*v Mm³. b` CX§an`pw NXn CaNn Wn¡p¶ tI¨nfms^ Nm\m_pw b^nI]s¸Xm_pw Ds*¦n`pw Mm³ CknsX CSpks^ NÅskXn sk]v¡m³ tbm]n«nÃ. hSyw. AenfmWkpw Up^enfmWkpw Ss¶ {blvWw.

NT]nt`¡p NX¡mw. Fsâ A] ko«n Smfhn¡p¶Sv emÀPk³ tI«Wpw em^y tfma½]pw B\v. ^*p f¡Ä D*v H^p tfmWpw H^p tfmapw ^*p tb^pw knkmiw Hs¡ Njnªp Uqs^ F§mt*m B\v Smfhw. AVnNw Nm^y§Ä A_n]nÃ. Nm^\w Mm³ Ak^psX NpXpwdkpfm]n A{S AXp¸w H¶pw CÃ. emÀPk³ tI«Wv 70 k]Êp*mkpw. tfma½¡p 55þ60 Hs¡ D*mkpw. Nnakn F¶p In´n¡m³ k^s«. tfma½ Cu {bm]¯n`pw H^p AhmfmWy fpS B\v. B_Xnt]maw D]^w D*v. SXn¨ {bNrSn. knlUfm]n kjnt] b_]mw.

Ftâ]pw Ak^psX]pw koXpNÄ¡v WXpkn AkÀ Vm^maw kmj W«p sk¨n«p*v ASpsNm*p CknsX Wn¶p At§m«p H¶pw Nm\m³ Njn]nÃ. C¶v Mm]_mjv¨ B\v. ^mkns` fpS Mm³ fpä¯v C_§n Wn¡p¶Sm\v. ko«n Wà tImÀ¨ D*v ko«pXfس tKm`n¡m^pfm]n HmXv fmäm³ k^mw F¶v b_ªn^p¶p.

H^p sb«n Hmt«m k^p¶p*v. Ak^m]n^n¡pw. Mm³ bp_t¯¡p sI¶p. DXfس tPmbn]mlm³ ^*p tKm`n¡ms^]pw Nq«n k¶Sm\v.

“”hm_v Nm¯p Wn¡pkmt\m?”” Blm³ tImUn¨p.

Mm³ H¶pw fn*n]nÃ. In^n¨p F¶p k^p¯n.

“”hmt_, F´m]m`pw sI`km\v. As¸m bns¶ sfm¯¯n HmXv Hs¡ A§p fmämw F¶p Mm³ N^pSn. ^*p Unkhw sNm*v b\n So^pw. hm_v kngfn¡*. ^*p Unkhw hm_nWp Smfhn¡m³ DÅ huN^yw Mm³ s_Zn B¡n]n«p*v.””

Mm³ CsS´p Nq¯v F¶pw In´n¨p Wn¡pt¼mÄ, A]`s¯ emÀPk³ tI«³ In^n¨pw sNm*p Ct§m«p k¶p.

Blm³ b_ªp, “”emÀ¤ksâ ko«n H^p fp_n hm_nWp S^pw ^*p Unkhs¯¡p.””

“”AsSms¡ AkÀ¡v dp²nfp«mNpw. “” Mm³ b_ªp. “”F]v– F´p dp²nfp«v? hm_v Ip½m k^\w”” emÀPk³ tI«³ B\v “”AknsX huN^y§Ä Hs¡ Np_km]n^n¡pw. F¶m`pw S^t¡Xnà hmt_””

Blm³ bns¶]pw b_ªp ^*p Unkhw sNm*v b\n N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv So^psfs¶ms¡.

tks_ kjn]nÃ. Mm³ ASymklyw tk* Np_¨p hmVW§Ä Hs¡ FXp¯v C_§n. emÀPk³ tI«tWmsXm¸w Ak^psX ko«nt`¡p WX¶p. fq¶p fp_nNÄ DÅ H^p HmXn« bj] koXm\v. AN¯p N]_n H^p fp_n]n hmVW§Ä sk¨p.

tfma½s] AknsX F§pw N*nÃ. “”tI¨n CknXntà tI«m?”” Mm³ tImUn¨p. “”AkÄ AXp¡a]nt`m ftäm B]n^n¡pw. hm_nWp Npan¡\sf¦n bp_Nn Npanfp_n D*v. Mm³ AktamXv– Nm¸n FXp¡m³ b_]mw.””

“”tk* tI«m, Nm¸n NpXn¨Sm. Mm³ H¶v Npan¨n«p k^mw.””

“”hm_v Npan¨p k^pt¼msa¡pw Mm³ H¶v Nk` ks^ tbmt]¨pw k^mw. InÃ_ hmVW§Ä km§m³ D*v””

Mm³ thm¸pw tSmÀ¯pw FXp¯p AXp¡a kjn bn¶m¼p_t¯¡n_§n. AknsX Sn®]n C^p¶p fo³ fp_n¡p¶ tfma½s] Mm³ N*p. FWn¡v bp_w Sn^nªm\v AkÀ C^n¡p¶Sv. ^*p k`n] NpX§Ä Nfnjv¯n k¨Sp tbm`pÅ I´n N*t¸mÄ FWn¡v lzmhw Wn¶p tbm]n. fo³ sk«p¶Sv sNm*pÅ B¡w Nm^\w Ak^psX BW I´n sfsà BXp¶p*m]n^p¶p. BaW¡w tSm¶n]Sv sNm*mkpw, AkÀ S` Sn^n¨p tWm¡n.

“”hm_v k^p¶Sv Mm³ N*m]n^p¶p. fo³ sk«n Njnªp A¸p_t¯¡v k^mw F¶v knIm^n¨p.”” tfma½ In^n¨p sNm*v b_ªp.

“”Hm ASp hm^fnÔ” I´n]nt`¡p tWm¡msS fpOt¯¡v tWm¡n Mm³ b_ªp “”Wn§Ä¡v Fs¶ Nm^\w dp²nfp«m]n AsÃ?””

“”F´p dp²nfp«p hmt_”” tfma½ D_s¡ In^n¨p sNm*v Sn^nªn^p¶p Fsâ tWÀ¡v– “”CknsX MmWpw At§^pw fm{Sw Asà DÅp? CWn]nt¸m fn*mWpw b_]mWpw H^mam]tÃm””

AkÀ CSp b_]pt¼mÄ Mm³ eqfn]n B]n^p¶nÃ. Nm^\w AkÀ Fsâ tWs^ Sn^nªp C^p¶t¸mÄ B\v Mm³ B NmjvI Nm\p¶Sv. SpX]psX fp¡m emPt¯maw fp*p sS^p¯p N]än]m\v sbm`]mXn]psX C^n¸v. Fsâ ^*p SpXNapsX k`n¸w k^pw Ak^psX H^p SpX¡v F¶p Mm³ In´n¨p.

“”hm_nsâ NpXpwdw Hs¡ FknsX]m?”” AkÀ tImUn¨p. Np_¨p tW^w Cks^ N*p N¼n B¡n]n«mkmw Npan F¶p So^pfmWn¨p sNm*v Mm³ AknsX Sn®]n C^p¶p.

“”B`¸pj B\v. N`ym\w Njnªn«nÃ. AÑWpw A½]pw fmt{S DÅp ko«n”” CSpw b_ªp Mm³ Aks^ sl^ns¡m¶p tWm¡n. AkÀ fo³ I«n]n tWm¡n C^n¸m\v. Ipk¶ »uhpw NÅn `p¦n]pw B\v tkgw. skap¯p sNmjp¯ l^o^w. fpXn Nps_ W^¨n«ps*¦n`pw IÀf¯n IpankpNÄ H¶pw ko\n«nÃ. Np¯n C^n¡p¶Sv Nm^\w tfma½]psX I¡ fp`NÄ SpXNÄsNm*p sM^nªfÀ¶v C^n¡pN]m\v. C_¡n sk«n] »uhnsâ fpNan fp`NÄ bNpSn]pw N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv bp_¯p Nm\mw. Mm³ sK«n C«n«pÅSv sNm*v Np® kXn B]Sp bp_¯_n]nÃ. Mm³ tWm¡n C^ns¡ AkÀ fo³ sk«n NjnMv Fjpt¶äp.

Fsâ km Sp_¶p tbmNmSn^n¡m³ Mm³ bmXv sbXp¶p*m]n^p¶p. Fs´m^p sshhv Fsâ A½¨n! k]_p fpjpk³ bp_¯p Nm\p¶ ^oSn]n B\v AkÀ `p¦n DXp¯n^p¶Sv. H^p sI_pWm^§m k`p¸w DÅ sbm¡nÄ, Np_¨p fpt¶m«p ImXn sNmjp¯ sMm_nkpNÄ DÅ k]À.

“”hm_v Npans¨¨pw km. Mm³ fo³N_n fpaNn«p sk]v¡t\m AtSm k_p¯^¡t\m? F§sW sk]v¡p¶Sm hm_nWnãw?””

“”F§sW sk¨m`pw FWn¡v Cãfm””

tPmbn BlmWv fWÊn Wµn b_ªp sNm*v Mm³ Npanfp_n]nt`¡v WX¶p. Npanfp_n]n N]_n] bmsX Mm³ tfma½¡p H^p km\w sNmXp¡m³ S¿m_m]n. sK«n Du^n]t¸mÄ ASn Np®]psX WWkv bXÀ¶n^p¶p. Np«³ sk«n BXn Wn¸m\v. Np_¨p thm¸v tS¨p km\w AXn¡mw F¶pÅ ¹mWpfm]n Mm³ Wn¡pt¼mÄ Npanfp_n]psX kmSn`n Bt^m S«n.

“”At¿m Mm³ b_]m³ f_¶p. hm_nWp Npan¡m³ IqXv skÅw tk\sf¦n CknsX bp_¯n^n¸p*v. At§À¡p sk¨Sm.”” kmSn`nWp skan]n Wn¶p tfma½ D_s¡ b_ªp.

“”hm^fnà tI¨n, Mm³ S\p¯ skůn Npant¨mamw. ASp tI«³ Ss¶ FXpt¯ms«””

“”At§^p k^pt¼mÄ¡pw F´m]m`pw CSp S\p¯p tbmNpw. ASp Mm³ tks_ sNmXp¡mw. hm_v NSNp Sp_t¶. Mm³ CSv FXp¯p ANt¯¡v sk¨p S^mw””

Mm³ sbs«¶v `p¦n FXp¯pXpSv NSNp Sp_¶p. gÀ«v CÃmsS `p¦n fm{Sw DXp¯p Wn¡p¶ Fs¶ tfma½ H^p k«w H¶v tWm¡n]n«v NpWnªp skÅw Wn_¨ I^pkw FXp¯p.

“”Mm³ FXp¡mw tI¨o””

“”tk* hmt_ bm{S¯n A¸Xn N^n B\v. Mm³ FXp¯p AN¯p sk¨p S^mw.””

AkÀ AWm]mhfm]n B bm{Sw Sm§n FXp¯v Npanfp_n¡NSv N]_n. AkÀ B\p§sa tbms` `p¦n fX¡n Np¯n]n^p¶p. sNmjp¯p^p* SpXNÄ bNpSn]pw Nm\mw.

Npanfp_n¡pÅns` hvamdnWv fpNan sk]v¡m³ B]n AkÀ bm{Sw H¶p NqXn D]À¯n. sbs«¶v Nm`p sSän]ns«m dm`³hv tbm]ns«m F¶_n]nà AkÀ At¿m Fs¶m^p knant]mXv NqXn bn¶nt`¡v kojm³ SpX§n. kmSn¡ Wn¶ Mm³ S¡ hf]¯p bp_Nn Wn¶pw Ipän bnXn¨SnWm ko\nÃ.

bs£ I^pk¯n C^p¶ skÅw f_nªp M§apsX bp_t¯¡p ko\p. Ak^psX fp³emPw sfm¯fm]n WWªp. Nn«n] Akh^w fpS`m¡n Mm³ Fsâ Np® `p¦n¡p fpNan NqXn B fmVN_m\]psX tNmS¨m`n AfÀ¯n sk¨p. AkÀ `p¦n¡Xn]n fsäm¶pw N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv C«n«nà F¶p B H^p Wnfngw sNm*pÅ hvb^vlW¯n Fsâ Np«Wv fWÊn`m]n.

“”At¿m skÅw fpjpkWpw tbm]tÃm”” AkÀ b_ªp, F¶n«p I^pkw hv–`mdnsâ fpNan sk¨p. bs£ At¸mjpw Ssâ I´n bmanNÄ¡nX]n C^p¶p sM^n]p¶ Fsâ Np® AkÀ s{l²n¨nÃ. Npanfp_n]psX A] ]n NnX¶ H^p tSmÀs¯Xp¯p AkÀ fpOw SpX¡m³ SpX§n. At¸mjpw Ak^psX sNmjp¯ I´n Fsâ Np®]n AfÀ¶p Ss¶ C^n¡pN]m]n^p¶p. tfma½ A_nªn«pw A_n]m¯ tbms` Wn¡pN]mt\m F¶p hwl]w tSm¶n] Mm³ sfsà Fsâ Np® Ak^psX tNmS Im`n H¶pNqXn sk¨fÀ¯n. AkÀ¡v H^p emk teUkpw CÃ. tUiw SpX¡pN]m\v.

AVnN tW^w FWn¡v B hpOw Nn«n]nÃ. AkÀ Fsâ tUi¯p Wn¶pw kn«pfm_n. Fsâ tWs^ Sn^nªp Wn¶p. bs£ Fs¶ AkÀ s{l²n¡p¶nÃ. `p¦n k`n¨p sbm¡n bnXn¨p bnjn]m³ SpX§n.

“”hm_nWp Mm³ tks_ skÅw sNm*p k^mw tNt«m””

“”tks*s¶. Cs¸m Nãn¨ ^£sb«Sv. Mm³ bnXn¨nÃm]n^ps¶¦n ko\p WXp HmXntªsW.””

“”Fsâ sbm¶p hmt_, A§sW H¶pw HXn]p¶ WXp Aà Cu tfma½]ptXSv”” `p¦n bnjn]p¶SnWnX]n AkÀ In^n¨p sNm*v b_ªp.

Fsâ tWm«w Ak^psX sbm¡n bnXn¨ `p¦n]n B]n^p¶p. AkÀ ASv bq_p ks^ sbm¡n bnXn¨n«p*v. H^n©p NqXn sbm§n]m bq_p Nm\m³ Njn]pw. Cu hv{So¡v H^p Wm\kpfntÃ. {dm CXm¯Sv Nm^\w WWsªm«n] »uhn NqXn k`n¸fpÅ fp` sM«pNÄ Nm\mw. fp´n^n k`n¸w DÅ sM«pNÄ Sp\n¡p fpNan Fjpt¶äp Wn¶p.

Fsâ N¼n B] Np® `p¦n]n NqXm^w Nq«n Wn¡p¶Sv f_]v¡m³ s{lfn¡msS Mm³ Wn¶p. k^p¶Sv k^s«. sbm`]mXn tWm¡p¶pt*m F¶_n]\w.

F¶m AkÀ ASv tWm¡msS Ak^psX k`Sp Nm bmUw D]À¯n hv–`mdnsâ fpNan sk¨n«v tSmÀ¯p sk¨p SpX¡m³ SpX§n. Nm bmUw fpS fp«n`qsX SpX]nt`¡v knhvS^n¨p hf]w FXp¯m\v SpX¡p¶Sv. ssN kn^`pNÄ sNm*p ANw SpX]n AfÀ¯n H¶p fm´pN]pw sI]vSp. Fs¶ Nm\n¡m³ Bt\m AtSm AkÀ Fs¶ sk_pw H^p Alp B]n fm{Stf Nm\p¶ptÅm? N³cyqg³ B]tÃm.

k`Sp Nm SpX¨p Njnª tfma½ AXp¯Sm]n CXSp Nm hv–`mdnsâ fpNant`¡v sk¨t¸mÄ Mm³ AkapsX `p¦n¡p CX]n NqXn ASp N*p. sNmjp¯ A¸w. ^*p CZv[`n k`n¸w. Npän t^mfw. Bs\m^p¯sâ fp¶n bq_pw sbman¨p Wn¶ B fUm`h Nj¸n Nnakn B Wnfngw fpS Fsâ Np®]psX KoknSmen`mgw B]n fm_pN]m]n^p¶p.

sbs«¶v “”FXns]…”” Fs¶m^p knan tN«p.

“”At§^pks¶¶ptSm¶p¶p.hm_vNpan¨n«pA¸p_t¯¡vkm.Du\vNjn¡mw””tfma½bp_t¯¡pWX¶p.

Fs¶NX¶p AkÀtbmNpt¼mÄFsâN¼n]m]nWn¶Np®sNmXnf^w.A_n]msSFt¶m\wMm³Ak^psXSÅnWn¶tNmS¯nsâkl¯vD^¨pkn«p.

“”tkPwNpan¨n«pkmhmt_””F¶pwb_ªpAkÀtbm]n.bn¶nÂSpap¼nBXp¶I´nNÄtWm¡nMm³FsâKoknS¯ns`Gäkpwk`n]km\wknXm³SpX§n

SpX^pw