Ht«s_ tbÀ¡v sk_p¸pakm¡n] SmKvfi F¶ NT]psX SpXÀ¨]m\v CSv. fS Wnµt]m, H^p ssUks¯]pw hfpUm]s¯]pw AbfmWn¡t`m Fsâ Dt±lfÃ.

SoÀ¨]m]pw fS§apsX tk`ns¡«p SNÀ¯pÅ shN-vhnsâ ftWmim^nS Ss¶]m\v Cu NT]psX ssiss`äv. H^p emPw NqXn fm{Stf Cu NT CWn dm¡n]pÅp. SoÀ¯pw H^p NtNmÄZv Sow F¶Sn`pb^n fq¶mw emP¯n H¶pfnÃ.

H¶mw emP¯n fS Wnµ N*kÀ Cu emPw km]n¡mSn^n¡pN.

bn´n^nªp HmX^psS¶ b`^psX]pw t{bmÕmiWw WÂNn] DuÀKt¯msX, Fs¶ b`À¡pw {bn]s¸«k³ B¡n] SmKvfi F¶ NT SpX^p¶p….

Bt^m tUi¯p S«n knan¡p¶Sv tN«m\v Mm³ D\À¶Sv. gdoÀ B]n^p¶p.

‘^Kn… FWn¡v C_§m³ hf]fm]n. cpZv Hs¡ D*m¡n tXdnan k¨n«p*v. Fs´¦n`pw tk\sf¦n knan¨m fSn.’ ASpw b_ªp Ak³ fpwSmhnsW tWm¡n.

AkÄ Fsâ A^s¡«nWp Smtj]v¡v Fsâ Nm`pNÄ¡nX]n NnX¶p Wà D_¡fm\v. AkapsX S` Fsâ CXSp SpX]n`m\v. fpOw Fsâ Np®]n fp«n]m\n^n¡p¶Sp. AkapsX Ip*n`pw fq¡n³ Sp¼n`pw Fsâ sNmjp¯ lp¢¯nsâ Awl§Ä.

Ak³ Aksa St`mXn. F¶n«p Aksâ Xk FXp¯p AkapsX fpO¯pÅ lp¢ SpÅnNÄ SpX¨p.

‘knan¡t\m?’ Ak³ Ft¶mXv tImUn¨p.

‘tk*… AkÄ¡p Wà £o\w Nm\pw. bp`Às¨]m NnX¶Sp. Mm³ D_§pt¼mjpw D_§n]n«nÃm]n^p¶p. Du¼ns¡m*n^p¶p. B hpO¯n Mm³ A§v D_§n. Akav D_§nt¡ms«…’ Mm³ b_ªp.

‘Biv… Nm`t¯ Wnh-vNm^w fpX§n. AkÄ b_ªn^p¶p. ^Kn k¶m bns¶ Wnh-vNm^w Hs¡ fpX§psf¶v. Wmsa fpS tWm¼v SpX§pktÃ… ASpw FXp¡m³ bänÃ.’

‘At¿m… Wnh-vNm^kpw tWm¼psfm¶pw fpXt¡*.’ Mm³ b_ªp.

‘G]v hm^fnÃ. s^Kn¡v Ct¸mjtà bäpÅq. Wnh-vNm^kpw tWm¼psfms¡ Ft¸m tkt\`pw BkmtÃm… F¶m sl^n. Mm³ tbmNpkm. cpZv Hs¡ tW^¯nWp Njn¡m³ f_¡*. sskNo«v Mm³ k¶n«v Wfp¡v bp_s¯m¶p N_§mw.’ Ak³ ASpw b_ªp fp_n kn«p bp_t¯]v¡p tbm]n.

Mm³ fpwSmhnsW tWm¡n. AkÄ SaÀ¶p D_§pN]m\v.

C¶s` Mm³ H^p U]kpw CXtka]pw CÃmsS]m\v Aksa Dbt]mPn¨Sv.

k¶p N]_n]t¸mÄ D*m]n^p¶ A¼^¸v Hjn¨m bns¶ bqÀ\fm]pw fpwSmhnsW Mm³ BhzUn¨p. Gs_ WmÄ NqXn B]SnWm fpwSmhpw gdo_pw Ft¶mXv tks*¶p b_ªnÃ. Fsâ Nj¸v fpjpk³ Cu sfm©¯n]n Mm³ SoÀ¯p.

AkapsX WngvNa¦fm] D_¡w Mm³ {l²n¨p. N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv bqÀ\ WPvW]m\v. c`eq]ngvYfm] F®¸mXw Fs¶ms¡ b_]p¶Sv fpwSmhnsâ Hs¡ bp_w emPfm\v. SqskÅ Wn_w. Wà sNmjp¯ l^o^w. N_p¯v CXSqÀ¶ fpXn Fsâ CXSpNan tIÀ¶vWn¡p¶p.

bÀ± C«p fm{Sw Mm³ N* sfm©¯n¡p«n. Fsâ Nm`nWnX]n bqÀ\ WPvW]m]n.

AkapsX Ip*pNÄ Fsâ Np®]psX NojvemP¯p hvb^vln¡p¶p*v. AknsX A`vbw WWkpw Wà IqXpw DÅSnWm Np® Wà N¼n]m]n Wn¡p¶p. ASnt`]v¡v CX]v¡nsX làn]m]n k¶Xn¡p¶ fpwSmhnsâ lzmthmJzmhkpw AksW kÃmsS fq¸n¡p¶p.

F¦n`pw fpwSmhv F¶ I^¡nsâ em^w Fsâ CXw Nm`nsW tkUWn¸n¡p¶SnWm Mm³ H¶v AW§n¡nX¶p.

fpwSmhv H¶v M«n F¶n«p B fnjn]n\NÄ bs¿¸s¿ Sp_¶p. AkÄ BUyw N* NmjvI Fsâ fpjp¯p Wn¡p¶ N¼n¡p«sW]m\v.

AkapsX Ipk¶ AV^§anÂH^p bp©n^n knXÀ¶p. F¶n«p bSns] AkÄ H^p tNm«pkm C«p. fpwSmhnsâ km]n Wns¶¯n] B IqXp Nmäv Fsâ Np®s] sk«nkn_¸n¨p. AkÄ B tNm«pkm]v¡p tlgw AkapsX WmkpsNm*v H¶v Ip*p WW¨p. bns¶ Fsâ Np®]psX Sp¼¯p B Ip*pNÄ sNm*v H^p fp¯fn«p.

‘Fjpt¶täm?’ AkÄ tImUn¨p.

‘B^v? MmtWm AktWm?’ Mm³ tImUn¨p.

‘Ak³ Fjpt¶sä¶p FWn¡v fWÊn`m]n. C]mÄ Fjpt¶än«p Nps_ tW^fmt]m F¶m tImUn¨Sv.’ AkÄ Fs¶ tWm¡ns¡m*p tImUn¨p.

‘Cà Cs¸m Fjpt¶tä DÅp. Wnsâ sN«nt]m³ tbmNpt¼m knan¨p\À¯n]Sm…’

‘At¿m… C¡ tbmt]m? hf]sf{S]m]n?’

‘hf]w F{S]m]m F´m? Wo Np_¨p tW^w NqsX NnX¡p.’ Mm³ b_ªp.

‘A¿Xm… M§Ät¡ Np_¨p b^nbmXnNÄ Hs¡ D*v. Wn§sa tbms` fXn]·m^m]n Kokn¡`Ã. AsS§Wm A¶UmW¯nWp fm{Sw A¼`¯n tbmkp¶ Wn§tamsXms¡ ssUks¯]pw {bmÀ°Wt]]pw bäns]ms¡ b_ªm S`]n tN_ptkm?’ AkÄ sbs«¶v Fjpt¶äp fpXn bn¶nt`]v¡v sN«ns¡m*p b_ªp.

‘Hm… Mm³ C§sWms¡]m…’ fpwSmhnsâ fpjp¯ fp`Nant`¡pw kXn¨p kr¯n]m¡n sk¨ N£§ant`¡pw tWm¡ns¡m*p Mm³ b_ªp.

‘AsS… C§sWms¡ Ss¶]m\v. H^p AXp¡pw In«]pfnÃm¯ KoknSw. NÅp NpXn, hnP^äp k`n. H¶pw tk* fq{Ssfmjn¨n«p NjpNpN tbm`pw CÃ. B NmsX¦n`pw kXn¨p kr¯n]m¡n sk¨qsX?’ Fsâ Np®]nt`¡v Iq*n AkÄ tImUn¨p.

‘F¶n«p C¶s` Cu NjpNm¯ Np® sSm`n¨p sk¨v Du¼n]tÃm C]mÄ. As¸m Cu A_s¸m¶pw N*nÃtÃm…?’ Fsâ tImUy¯nWv f_pbXn b_]msS AkÄ Sn^nªp N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv WX¡pN]m]n^p¶p.

fpwSmhnsâ sNmjp¯ Np*nNÄ CaNn]mXp¶Sv tWm¡n Mm³ Np®]n bnXn¨p.

fpwSmhv Fs¶ knan¨p. Mm³ sIÃpt¼mÄ AkÄ cpZv kna¼pN]m]n^p¶p. Npan¨p bÀ±]\nªp AkÄ sfm©¯n¡p«n]m]n. Np_¨p fp³bv Fsâ Nm`nWnX]n NnX¶p Nn¶m^w b_ª B Nj¸n sb®m\v AsS¶p tSm¶pt¶ CÃ.

Mm³ WPvWWm]n^p¶p. _qfn Wn¶pw C_§n k¶ Fs¶ tWm¡n AkÄ H¶v In^n¨p. AkapsX tWm«w sbs«¶v Ss¶ Fsâ Np®]nt`]v¡m]n. AkÄ tbm]n H¯n^n tW^fm]n«pw ASv Smjv¶n«nÃm]n^p¶p.

‘ASv sl^n. Fjpt¶äp bÃp tbm`pw tS¨nà tÃ? tbm]v bÃp tS¨p km… cpZv Njn¡mw. H¶pw Njn¨ntàBsN £o\n¡pw. ASptbm`pÅ AVzmWftà sI]vSpsNm*n^n¡ps¶…’ AkÄ b_ªp.

Mm³ dmSv_qfnt`¡p tbm]n.

Sn^n¨p k^pt¼mÄ fpwSmhv Wnh-vN^n¡p¶Sm\v N*Sv. Mm³ H¶pw fn*msS tXdnanWp fp¶n tbm]n^p¶p. AkÄ A_nªn«nÃ. FWn¡v bn³ Sn^nªn^p¶m\v AkapsX Wnh-vNm^w. hpKqUv sI]vSt¸mÄ AkapsX fpjp¯ Np*nNÄ B bÀ± bnaÀ¯psf¶p FWn¡v tSm¶n.

C¶s` bqÀ\ WPvW]m] fpwSmhv Fsâ fp³bn AkapsX Np*nNÄ kn^n¨p NpWnªp Wn¶t¸mÄ tbm`pw AkapsX Np*nNÄ¡p C{S ftWmim^nS AWpeks¸«n«nÃ. Mm³ AkapsX Np*n tWm¡n H¶v Np® Sn^p½n.

AÂb hf]w NjnªpWnh-vNm^w NjnªkÄ Fjpt¶äp. Wnh-vNm^ bm]v fX¡p¶SnWnsX]m\v Mm³ AknXpÅ Nm^yw AkÄ {l²n¡p¶Sv. AkÄ H^p bp©n^nt]msX bm]v fX¡n ANt¯]v¡p tbm]n. B Np*nNÄ b^vU]v¡p DÅn sk¨v Hmaw sk«p¶Sv N*t¸mÄ FWn¡v At¸mÄ Ss¶ Aksa NpWn¨p WnÀ¯n Np*n]n AXn¡m³ tSm¶n.

AkÄ Wnh-vNm^¸m]v sNm*v sk¨v bp_t¯]v¡p k¶p.

‘Fs¶ sk]näv sI¿pkm]n^pt¶m? Njn¨p SpX§m]n^p¶tÃm…’ AkÄ b_ªp.

‘Wo]nÃmsS F´v BtQmgw’ Mm³ ASv b_ªp AkapsX N¿n bnXn¨p k`n¨p.

‘^Kotg«m… cpZv Njn¨n«v tbms^… ASpfà {ZÊv Cs¸m C«Sm Io¯]mNpw.’ AkÄ sN©n.

Mm³ Aksa bnXn¨p k`n¨p Fsâ fXn]n`n^p¯n. AkapsX s{ZÊnWp fpNan`qsX Fsâ Np® AkapsX Np*n]n D^ªp.

‘tlm… Cu ^Kotg«³’ AkÄ In\p§n.

Mm³ s{ZÊnWp fpNan`qsX fpwSmhnsâ fp`NÄ sM¡n¸njnªp. AkÄ fpOw Sn^n¨p Fs¶ Nmft¯msX tWm¡n. Mm³ AkapsX Ip*pNÄ NXn¨p. AÂb tW^w Ipwdn¨ tlgw Mm³ fpOsfXp¯p.

‘CWn cpZv Njn¨n«v’ AkÄ b_ªp.

‘cpZv Hs¡ Njn¡mw N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv BUyw Wo Wnsâ bmân Du^v.’ Mm³ b_ªp.

AkÄ Fjpt¶äp. bÀ± sbm¡n. AkapsX bmâohv Du^ns]Xp¯p. F¶n«p tXdnan sk¨p. Mm³ AkapsX bÀ± A^s¡«p ks^ sbm¡nsk¨p Aksa Fsâ fXn]nt`¡v C^p¯n. AkÄ Fsâ Np® bnXn¨p AkapsX bq_nt`¡v Sn^pNn sk¨p. AkÄ AfÀ¶n^p¶p. Fsâ Np® fpwSmhnsâ bqänt`¡v N]_n.

AkÄ C^n¡m³ C¯n^n dp²nfp«n. A`vbw tkUW]pw bns¶ Np® fpjpkWm]n DÅn`mNm¯Snsâ dp²nfp«pw AkÄ¡p*v. F¦n`pw AkÄ A§sW C^p¶psNm*v tUml Fsâ km]nt`]v¡v k¨v S^m³ SpX§n. Mm³ AkapsX fp`NÄ bnjnªpw Aksa CX]v¡nsX Fsâ Np®]n Ca¡n C^p¯n]pw BhzUn¨psNm*v cpZv Njn¨p. Akapw Njn¡p¶p*m]n^p¶p.

‘fSnt]m?’AkÄtImUn¨p.

‘Dw…fSn . CWn Nan¡mw?’ Mm³tImUn¨p.

‘Hm Cu sNmSn]³. ssN NjpNo«p tbms^?’ AkÄ tImUn¨p.

‘Biv fSn ‘ Mm³ b_ªp.

AkÄ Fsâ Np®]n Wn¶pw Fjpt¶äp. F¶n«p ssNNjpNn. MmWpw ssN NjpNn. AkÄ bÀ± Du^n sk¨v k¶p. B SqskÅ l^o^¯n skap¯ {dm fm{Sw. In{S¸\nNapÅ B {dm]n fpwSmhnsâ skap¯p sNmjp¯ fp`NÄ ASn ftWmi^w.

Mm³Aksa sbm¡n FXp¯p… imans` Ipk^n Aksa tIÀ¯v sk¨v Ipwdn¡pkm³ SpX§n. fpwSmhnsâ tS³ Ip*pNapsX fmVp^yw Mm³ k`n¨p NpXn¨psNm*n^p¶p. Mm³ H¶v km]v FXp¯t¸mÄ H^p Wnlzmht¯msX AkÄ knan¨p.

‘^Kotg«m…’

‘F´m Fsâ sfm©¯n¡p«o?’

‘FWn¡v ^Kotg«³H^p hSyw sI]vSp S^ptfm?’

Mm³ H^p hwl] emk¯n Aksa tWm¡n. AkÄ fpOw fmän.

‘Fs¶ Cãfms\¦n fSn. CWn Asæn Mm³ tImUn¨ Nm^yw sdÌv {c*ntWmXv b_]nsÃs¶¦n`pw hSyw sI]vSp Sm…’ Fsâ ssNNan H^p sNm¨p Np«ns]t¸ms` Sm§n¡nX¶ AkÄ b_ªp.

Mm³ AkapsX Ip*n H¶v Ipwdn¨p.

‘gdoÀ Fsâ sdÌv {c*v Ss¶… ASpsNm*m\tÃm FWn¡v Wns¶ Nn«n]Sv. bs£ CWn Wo Njnªnt« AkWpÅq… Wo Fsâ hz¯tÃ? F´ms\¶p sk¨m b_tªmaq… Cu sfm©¯n¡p tk*n F´pw Mm³ sI]vSp S^pw.’ Mm³ b_ªp.

AkÄ Fs¶ sN«n¸nXn¨p.

‘FWn¡v tk*n H¶pw sI¿*… H^p Nm^yw sI¿mSn^p¶m fSn’ B hz^¯n H^p sNm©Â D*m]n^p¶p.

‘F´m¶v b_s]Xn tf¯¨n… C§sW sX³g³ AXn¸n¡msS…’ Mm³ b_ªp.

‘AtS]v… C¡ Wfp¡v tk*n H¯n^n tNm*w km§n sk¨n«p*v. ^mKotg«³ ASv Dbt]mPn¡mSn^p¶m N¼nNp«³.sWäv

N¼nNp«³.sWäv fm{Sw fSn.’ ASv b_ªt¸mÄ AkÄ H¶pNqXn Fs¶ fp_p¡n.

Mm³ Aksa Wn`¯p WnÀ¯n F¶n«p AkapsX fpOw bnXn¨p Fsâ fp³bn sNm*pk¶p. AkÄ Wm\n¨p Wn¡p¶p.

‘F´m Wo b_tª?’

‘b_ªSv tN«ntÃ?’ AkÄ In\p§n.

‘FXn At¸mÄ s{bPvWâv B]mt`m?’ Mm³ tImUn¨p.

‘FWn¡v ASm\v tk*Sv. s^Kntg«sâ NpªnsW {bhkn¡\w’ ASv b_ªp AkÄ Fsâ Ip*n D½ sk¨p. ‘C¡ A_n]^pSv. H^n¡`pw, FWn¡v km¡v Sm…’ AkÄ ssN Wo«n.

Mm³ H¶v fWÊn In^n¨p. gdo_nWv Aksâ em^y Fsâ NpªnsW {bhkn¡p¶Sv Nm\\w. bs£ ASv M§Ä b^hvb^w A_nªp sNm*ms\¶p fpwSmhv A_n]^pSv. fpwSmhnWv Fsâ NpªnsW {bhkn¡\w. bs£ ASv AkÄ A_nªpsNm*ms\¶p gdoÀ A_n]^pSv. F{S Wà U¼SnNÄ. Fsâ emPyw.

Mm³ fpwSmhnsâ ssNskÅ]n Ipwdn¨p. ‘Ak³ H^n¡`pw A_n]nÃ… km¡v…’