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"C¿v t_Pmdmh-m¶v, CsXms¡ Cu {]mb¯n ]XnhvWv¶v'

¶mepw Nn¶t½sâ tam¯¡s¶...tÈbv... Aen ]dªp.

"kmceym¶v, R½fnXv BtcmSpw ]dbnWney¸m... ko\¯v HmÄsS Ipdn¨n (ae_mÀ {]tZi§fn s]¬Ip«nIfpsS tbm\n¡v ]dbp¶ ]Zw) Im«o«p-mhpw tÃ'

ko\¯v am{XaÃ, Ime¯v Nn¶½ ]n¶n aq{XapÅm\ncp¶t¸m Nn¶t½tSw R½fp I-p.

"sâ dtº!...... ¿v AXv ChvSncp¶v t\m¡mbncvt¶m lapt¡'

F´m sN¿m Nn¶t½, {]mb¯nsâ sImg¸tÃ.

"As¸m C¿v sâ D½msâ ]qdpw shS¡m¡qtem ]StÈmt\'

D½ AÃtÃm¶v, Nn¶½ Bhpt¼m Hcp sImgt¸meym¶v. Aen¡v lcw Ibdn¯pS§n. ¶¼sS hmt¸m-v C§¡v H¶mhvWnÃm¶v \a¡v Adnbm¶v.

"Hm³ R½sf c-v s]do¸n¨Xv ]ns¶§n\ym kphtd'

s]ÁtXm-v C§sS ISn amdo«pt-m¶v, kXyw ]d Nn¶t½ \n§¡v At§cv t]mcm¶v tXm¶vWntÃy.

"AXns¸m...' Nn¶½ \mWnt¨m-v hnc ISn¨p \n¶p. Aen In«b Ahkcw ]mgm¡msX FWoÁv Nn¶½bpsS ASpt¯¡v sN¶p. ]n¶neqsS sN¶v Nn¶½sb h«w sI«n]nSn¨v Ihnfs¯mcp D½ sImSp¯p. Nn¶½ henb FXÀs¸m¶pw Im«nbnÃ. AtXmsS Aen¡v ss[cyambn. ]Xnsb Ip¸mb¯n\Snbnte¡v ssI IS¯n. {_mbpw aÁpanSp¶ ]Xnhv A¡me§fn D-mbncp¶nÃ. N¡ t]mepÅ kvt]m©v apeIÄ. Hì c-h«w ]nSn¨ap¡nbt¸mÄ Nn¶½ ]q¨sb t]mse Ipdp§n aqfm³ XpS§n. Aen AhcpsS Xe ]nSn¨pbÀ¯n XSn¨p aeÀ¶ Nph¶ Np-pIfn AaÀ¯n Npw_n¨p. Nn¶½bpsS \mhv ]m¼ns\t¸mse AenbpsS hmbnte¡v ëgªp Ibdn. Aen B XWp¸pÅ \mhv N¸nbq¼n AhcpsS Dan\oÀ hen¨p IpSn¨p. AenbpsS ep¦n CXn\Iw Agnªv Xmsg hoWncpì. Nn¶½ Ahs\ sI«n¸nSn¨v Ahsâ s]m§n¯pS§nb kam\¯nt·Â, Xsâ ]qdn«v Dc¡m³ XpS§n. Nn¶½ hfªp Ignsª¶v a\Ênem¡nb Aen Ahsc Xsâ InS¡bnte¡v B\bn¨p.

"sâ k´tXymfv htÃmcpw hscm tamt\'

kpld ChvSneym¶v, ]ns¶ ko\¯ns\ Ct¸m X\ysà C§f s]md¯¡ym¡oXv. ]n¶mcp hcm\m¶v. Ah³ AhcpsS Im¨n¯pWn Agn¡m³ XpS§n.

lmbv C§sS ]qdv \Ã Aephmsâ Iq«v Ccn¡Wp-tÃm¶v. CXn\n C§fv hm¸\v sImSv¡-m, Ra¡v kz´mbn«v thWw.

"¿v ¶m R½sf AwISv \n¡mlv sN¿v ]lbm' Nn¶½¡v lmenfIpIbmbncpì. AenbpsS kzb¼³ kam\w I-v Nn¶½¡v hmb shÅaqdn.

"CXv F\¡v \tÃmsWm¶v Du¼Ww tamt\...' F¶p ]dªv Nn¶½ FWoÁncp¶v Xe AenbpsS Acs¡«te¡v Ip\n¨p. A§s\ \n§fv Xs¶ Xn¶-m¶v, C§sS ]qdv \ap¡pw Xm¶v. Nn¶½ s]cpw N´n s]m¡n, Xsâ kmam\w aIsâ hmbnte¡v hc¯¡h®w InSì. Aen B ]Wnsa¯bpsS kuµcyw t\m¡n Ipd¨pt\cw BkzZn¨p. Hcp h«b¸w \mem¡n apdn¨v Hcp`mKw FSp¯v Ih¡nSbn sh¨t]mep-v. tjhv \S¯nbn«v Ipd¨msb¶v tXmìì, sNdnb IpÁntcma§Ä ImWmë-v. Ccp- \nd¯n tbm\nbpsS DÄNp-pIÄ Xq§n X½n tNÀì \n¡pì. Ah³ AXp sasà ]nfÀ¯n t\m¡n. AI¯v sh® I\nªp \n¸p-v. ]gN¡ív sh«v sIm-t]mep-v B tbm\ohnShv ImWm³. B Nmev A§v sImXw hsc \o-v InS¡pì. s]mfn¨ensâ taÂ`mK¯mbn XÅhncensâ Xp¼v t]mse I´v Xe DbÀ¯n \n¡pì. Ah\m an\n enwKw hmbnem¡n Ddp©n. Nn¶½ Hì ]nSªp, Xsâ ]pXym¹ CXphsc sNbvXn«nÃm¯ ImcyamWv tam³ sN¿p¶Xv. AhÄ AenbpsS a[pc¡c¼n³ Xp-v hmbnem¡n Du¼m³ XpS§n. c-pt]À¡pw kzÀ¤obm\µw, Acs¡«pIÄ At\ym\yw hmbnte¡v XÅnsImSp¯p Nn¶½bpw tamëw. Aen AhcpsS B\¡p-n NpÁn¸nSn¨p. hnc F¯ns]«Xv Nn¶½bpsS aeZzmc¯nembncpì. Ah³ ]Xnsb hncens«m¶v A\¡n t\m¡n, heb FXnÀ¸v I-nÃ. ]ns¶ kwibn¨nà Nq-phnc apgph³ BNqSpÅ KpZ¯nte¡v Ah³ ]ncn¨v IbÁn. Nn¶½ Hì ap¡naqfnsb¦nepw enwK]m\w XSÀìsImt-bncpì. Ah\v a\Ênembn Nn¶½ Ip-nbSnbn ]pXnsÈmìasöv. Aåt\cw AhÀ A§ns\ 69  apgpIn At\ym\yw enwK tbm\o]m\w \S¯n ckn¨p.

"aXn tams\ C\n Rm³ Ibdn tX§m s]mXn¡mw, \o aeÀ¶v InS¡v' Nn¶½ ]dªp.

AenbpSs\ AhcpsS Ip-nbn \nì hnc hen¨qcn aeÀì InSì. Nn¶½bpsS Dan\ocn Ipfn¨ enwKw sImSnacw t]mse sh«bmSn \nì. Nn¶½ Acbnen«ncp¶ shÅn AcªmWw ssIsIm-¸w h«w NpgÁn Rm¶p InS¶ncp¶ sImS¸s\Sp¯v tase¡v NpÁn sh¨p. A¦¡fcnbnte¡nd§mëÅ X¿msdSp¸p t]mse. ]ns¶ Ahsâ Hcp hi¯v a«pImen \nì. ]n¶oSv Hcp Imepw I¿pw s]m¡n Ahs\ Xsâ ASnbnem¡n. AhcpsS s]cpw apeIÄ Ahsâ s\©neaÀì. Xsâ hbdn\SnbneqsS ssI IS¯n aIsâ Ip®sbSp¯v Xsâ amf¯nte¡v sh¨p. Acs¡s«m¶aÀt¯- Xmakw Aen Ahfnte¡v ]qÀ®ambpw {]thin¨p. ]n¶osSmcp XmÞhambncpì. XpSIfpw hbdpw X½neSn¡p¶Xnsâ s]cp¼d \mZw. AhfpsS Fcpa¸qÁn \nì hcp¶ sImfsImf iÐw thsd. CsXmìw hI sh¡msX Nf¡m ]f¡m¶v Nn¶½ XIÀ¯Sn¨p. HSphn Nn¶½bpsS ]qÁn \nì ]m NoÁn. AXv HgpIn Ahsâ Ip®bneqsS Acs¡«nepw XpSbneqtSbpw HgpIn s_Ín hoé. Nn¶½ A§ns\ Ih¨ncpì sIm-v InX¨p. FXm-v A©v an\nÁv hn{ian¨Xnë tijw, Nn¶½ Xmsg Cd§n InSì. Aen AhfpsS ssI ]nSn¨v Ahsâ I¼n¡p®bn ]nSn¸n¨psIm-v InSì. Aen¡v shÅw t]mImXncp¶XpsIm-v BsI elcn aq¯p\nì. Ah³ {_m-n IpSn¨p a¯\mbXpt]mse FWoÁp. Nn¶½sb ]nSn¨v Iagv¯n InS¯n. B XpÅn¯pfp¼p¶ shfp¯ s\bv¡p-n Ah³ t\m¡n \nì. Nn¶½ B at\mlc§fmb N´n DbÀ¯n \nì. Aen Nn¶½bpsS hncnª XpSbnSp¡n X¸n. B N´nhnShn hnc IbÁn. aeZzmc¯n Hcp hnc apgph³ ]ncn¨p IbÁn. Nn¶½ At¸m Ipd¨pIqSn N´n hncnbn¨p \nì. Aen Aåw Dan\oscSp¯v B IqXnbn tX¨p. hnc Ibdn hnIkn¨p \n¶ aeZzmc¯nëÅnte¡v Ah³ Xsâ aq¯p\n¶ F«n©v Ip® Ip¯nIS¯nbt¸mÄ Nn¶½ kzÀ¤ob kpJw Aë`hn¨p XpS§nbncpì. AhÄ N´n \¶mbn hncnbn¨v XÅn¸nSn¨v \nì. Aen B Cdp¡apÅ IqXn¡pÅnte¡v Ip® Ncn¨pw Id¡nbpw tIÁnbpw ASn¨pXpS§n. Imaelcnbn FÃmw ad¶h³ BªpXÅpt¼mÄ, Nn¶½ IqXn B«nbm«ns¡mSp¯v Ahs\ klmbn¨p.

GXm-h\v ]mev NoÁmdmbt¸mÄ s]«¶v hmXn Xpd¶v kpldm ISìhì. Nn¶½ sR«n. Aen At¸mgpw Hìadnbm¯hs\t¸mse Nn¶½bpsS aeZzmc¯nsâ `n¯nbn Dckns¡m-v B s]cpwIp® XÅnbSn¡pIbmbncpì. Nn¶½bpw ss[cyw kw`cn¨v A§ns\ \nì sImSp¯p. kplvdm DSs\ dqan\v shfnbn t]mbn. B \nanjw Ahsâ ]m AhfpsS s\bv¡qXn¡pÅn CShn«p hoé. Ah³ kzÀ¤cmPyw sh«n¸nSn¡pIbmbncpì. Aen Ip® apgph³ AhfpsS IqXn¡pÅnte¡v XÅnsh¨v, hbÀ AhfpsS Ip-nIfn tNÀ¯aÀ¯n A§ns\ \nì. Aåw Ignªh³ Ip® DucnsbSp¯p. B XSnb³ Ip® XfÀì XpS§nbncpì. Ah³ Xsâ Nn¶½bpsS hnSÀ¶ aeZzmc¯nte¡pw hi§fnte¡v XÅns¯dn¨p \n¡p¶, \S¡pt¼mÄ Hmfw sh«mdpÅ B lukn§nte¡v t\m¡n. s]«¶h³ Ip\nªv B N´nIÄ c-nepw amdnamdn D½sh¨p, ISn¨p.

"tÈm aXn s]ms¶' Nn¶½ \mWn¨p Ncn¨psIm-v aps-Sp¯pSp¯vv FWoÁv I«nen Ccpì.

"Fsâ tams\ BsI Ipgsª¶m tXm¶pt¶, At§cdnªmÂ'

F´p ]Án Nn¶t½?

"\o I-ntà kplvdm h¶v t\m¡o«v t]mbXv?'

GXp kplvdm Aen Adnbm¯ `mh¯n tNmZn¨p.

"\nsâ s]§Ä Fsâ BZys¯ k´m\w'

tlm!... Is-¦nse´m..?

"tams\ F\ns¡mcp kam[m\hpanÃ'

Nn¶½ t]Snt¡- AhtfmSv Rm³ ]dªv FÃmw icnbm¡nt¡mfmw.

" icn tams\ \o thKw sN¶p ]d'

CXm s]mbv¡gnªp.

`mKw 3