PÉmS {Sky}Sy} dÚM~ wSwÚ} ÉS{Mv uM} y~~, ‘_Z t©Sd, PtMd Pv¥’ wSwÚ vSc cÌ>hMc y~~, ‘X©SÆ, aMÜmA~xCmØ c}Ay PrS oSMG~ PrS~ vS¥ wÚ}MvS yZ dÚM~ ÑS>hSDöÉ Pcv?’ XAvMcr _cmS \>hÍtM}} ÑSAÉ ÑSÉ~, ‘Y{S} Ñ~ Pé {©SmSM}} PjS}, yÚkA~¥ PÉAtv PrSMc yM~Ai~S{ vS, =©SvMhMm} AoMm~É PtaÜS }MÜMi {©SoS{ AcM~SñzSAÜ} yZMr? rdv Ñ©S Ñ©S cM} PÑMÉAiA~¥ _yS} xMmSMr PtMd Pv, Pc{v cM} YßS Lw PvÜ¥’

wSwÚ Y} Ay}jÁ kÌ>Mc wÖ~ yZmS} \wM}¥ iAyMr _cmS P{MÜ} {Úd PsMc cÌÜSÅS} {MrS cH _cmS PyA}MÜ YÉMi¥ XAvMcr y~~, ‘_Z Ñ~ _cMmS=Sj{¥ PÉmS cH, jSAvÉ?’ Ay}jÁ rSDöM~©} e~SÜ y~~, ‘ZMÜ PrS AÉuS ySr¥ tÅ-AyÅMnS vÜ, ARx _cMnS =Sj{¥ aÜSv X©Sä avA~¥’ PyAÅ P}Me PeM~ XAvMcr PrSr~S ÑMÜ |SÜ¥ ‘ÅSÉÃ-ÅS-Ym Yw AyyÃ-Ay}jÁ¥ rÍZ ZÜSAcÕ P{{Ã-_M} P{M}...’¥ XAvMcMr} csS PÅÇ vS-ÑMrZ uÚwuSw cM} fM} pÍc~ KÉcr, {ZtÁ~ Y} Ay®Lw¥ xÌmy~ PdM~ e~tf{ñ¥ Ay®Lw ySjdS>Z e~SÜ y~~, ‘Pc cSMc {S}Mi }©S?’

wSwÚ y~~, ‘_dva {SM}Av, Ac© KÉcr |At Y{S} eS{iSÜ fS{ P{SiS} PhîS cM} rSÑM~ YA{ _cmS C¢M{voSÉ YwS} cSm kSÖy¥’ KÉcr PyjS} {ÚMd ÑSMr} eS{iSmS YyS} tAÖMr kÌA~MÜ At~¥ {ZtÁ~-Ay®LwMc rrêMq =©SvMhMm} y©SwS}mS PySkSMr cT cM}Mi XAvMcr¥ Éy cMvmJMv PySkS Pe~, X¡cS} fM} cMÜcjv |At _c{Mv PcSva {Ùr {SvÚÇMc T}q c}Mr sSMc, rS ÑM~ ArAv YÉMyv¥ _mS _ct{ ÉSMÜB*Axc©SA~ <«zo¥ Yj {Sk}SMrZ =©SvMhm c}Mr ÑMy¥ cS}q XMó} {SòS} Å©S{Swt A{t©S {S}S |SyS} w} YjZ <s{ X{SyÉ©S ¥

wSwÚ ÑS> ÑMÜ y~~, ‘Å©S{StS jHyMv }SA§M} PcSsSa PyM}SÜAv¥ _c yS} }Sr ÉSMÖ _eSM}SmSÜ t}jS ncnc cM} yM~Ai~S{, É©S} <hä e~Sy©sS¥ É©S} yM~Ai~, ‘mSZm cM} Pçw y©SMäj Py>Mu cMÜ wMÖS¥’ PÉZ P~Sc YÉMy {Sk}SMr?’
XAvMcr y~~, ‘YM}, YßS} cSMi }SrmSZ ÑMÜ |SÜ Atv¥ PÅSv, YA{ PtySbv, AvAd~Mt} }SAj cA}MÜAi, aMt} fM}Z ÑMy =©SvMhm¥’
‘adSMv Pcv?’
‘aMt} AyDQØ-_} vHMh _cmS wÚ}MvS cy} YMi¥ A{AoÜS{a Cnc cM} PxM~Ai — {Ày wSA~r¥ aZ P| vrÍv PiM~mS, Ye}r~S PsMc _MÉMi¥’ ÉySZ {SsS vSÖ~¥ YÉS} c’Atv wM}Z {ÀyMc PtdS AeMÜAi~, {ÅSA} ÑSMr zA~y~ éS\Mä tS>AÖMÜ YMi¥ ‘Ac c}AiÉ?’ \§M} yM~Ai~, ‘hÍw, fÚfÚ u}Ai¥ PzMj dSMyS¥’ _{v PiM~Z A{AoÜS{ ÑMr wSM}¥

XAvMcr ÉmSÉm Ao\Cm hSmñ ySAvMÜ Px~~¥ wSwÚ Y} Ay}jÁ oSMG~ zS>Mj, a}S wSÑS}SÜ sScMy¥ KÉcr, K{tÁ~, XAvMcr, PtySbv, Ay®Lw Y} AvAd~ yÉMy =©SvMhMm¥ Ay®Lw {SsS hÍ~Mc y~~, ‘Y{SMca wSÑS}SÜ AtMÜ Pt¥ Å©S{StS} YßS _MÉ Y{SÜ ÉS{Mv PtdM~Z PÑAz PdMw |SMy¥’
‘Pcv P}?’
‘eryS} AyjÜS} w} AxM} _MÉ <qS{ c}Mr AeMÜ Y{S} {SsSmS pÍMc AeMÜAi~ É©M}} uÚAr} vHMh¥ P|Z {SsS rÍM~Ai, uÚAra \Mn _MÉMi, Y} PtAd – AÑ AÑ —’
‘cH? cH?’

‘Y{SMt} Z\AvxM{ñ} {Sw AvMr _MÉ AxmxSm Pm~SMÉñ} tAjñmS P| PmwAxMrmS ÑSA}MÜ PxM~Ai~ vS, PÉZmS AtMÜ É©S} YäS}aÜ©S} Py>Mu P}MdMiv¥’ aMt} ÑS ÑS ÑSAÉ jM{ anS} YMeZ ÑMò~ ÉÚwS}zSZjS} Ac}q{ÜtS} A{AÑ e~S PÅSvS Pe~, ‘_Ac, òSAo YaÜS} cT ÑMÜ AeMÜMi, PrS{}S _dva yZ PdSM~SAv?’ =©SAvØmS {SkwMs PzMU Pe~¥ K{tÁ~ hÍAwhÍAw wSwÚMc y~~, ‘y©SmS CmcCmAc YAÖ PwMr cvAi~ vSAc P}?’ wSwÚ cS>u kS>cS~, ‘=©Sv |dv ÑMÜ AeMÜMi, A}Ü AvMrZ ÑMy¥’

A}Ü Aci c{ vÜ¥ PtySbvMt} AyDQØ-_} ÉÚwS}zSZjS} tHMvÅtS _v AÉ AÉ-} P¢vS}¥ _c ÑSMr PiM~Mt} fSÖ uM} ÅÛMv© rÍM~ Xv© ÑSMr hÖ ÑS>cSv¥ ryÚ }Sr PwRMv ySM}SmSÜ PtySbv-AvAdM~} fM}} t}jSÜ PmScS wÖ~¥ Azr} PsMc AxÉAxMÉ <4 _~, ‘wSÉaÜSoñ?’ wSwÚ y~~, ‘{©SM|òS} Z\vSZMmo¥’ t}jS dÚM~ Pe~¥ wSwÚ}S pÍMc Ptd~, AvAdM~} dSm AfM} yMÉMi ÉySZ¥ {Ày dSA~ eSMÜ ÉStS hSt} jAÖMÜMi¥ XAvMcr PwAÄ~ mMhñ} YM~SÜ AcM~SñzSAÜ} yZ PsMc AoM}cÅSv AtMÜ |SMö, Ac© Pc\ wS§S AtMö vS¥ PÅMÇ wSwÚ yM~ \n~, ‘ÉSZM~Ä¥ _dv Cnc ySM}SmS¥’ ÉySZ UA ÑMÜ yÉ~¥ Arv A{Avm PcMm Pe~, wS>h A{Avm¥ Ay}jÁ t}jS} cSMi wAjÅv AvMÜMi, wSwÚ cA}MoSM}} wSMÅ} jSv~SmSÜ¥ Av®SMÉ} Å@a PÅSvS |SÜ vS¥ ÑnSà fÖfÖ Å@ PyA}MÜ _~ cS} e~S AtMÜ¥ {Ày vÜ PrS, PtySbv! XAvMcr yM~ \n~, ‘É©S}, YwAv _MÉMiv?’

AxÉAxMÉ \§} _~, ‘ZMÜÉ, ZMÜÉ¥’
‘Pc{v YMiv É©S}?’
‘_cS... yÖ _cS¥’
a}S _ a} eS-Pf>MÇ yÉ~¥ XAvMcr cS>wS e~SÜ y~~, ‘É©}, YwÃ-YwAv vSAc ÑSx-ZÜSA~ñ} XMó} PcSMÜMZvmS cM} AtMÜ PeMiv?’
‘cH hSÉ? cH hSÉ PrS}S?’
‘_cmJ ÉSMjÅSv É©S}¥’
‘aÆ, {M}a Ac ÅSAå PvZ P}?’

É{SM} a}S yM~ \n~, ‘A=j É©S},’ ‘_Z PÅÇyS} É©S},’ ‘Y} y~y vS É©S}...¥’ PtySbMv} PnS>m vMÖ \n~, ‘h©S9S} PÉMzMv} Arv vG} XómS, AjaM{C¢} vÜ vG} AsaM}{ ...’ {ZtÁ~ dÉdÉ cM} A~Md hM~Mi, XAvMcr mhñ uM} YMi cSeMj} \w}¥ A®McSqA{Ar} XMó PwR>MiMi ÉSMjÅSv, _{v É{MÜ Aycm SM} Pc yM~ \n~, ‘_Z y©SmS PtyS ...’

XAvMcMr} ÑSr PsMc mhñmS wMÖZ AvMz Pe~¥ f} _dv fÚ}fÚCù¥ PÉZ X¡cS} cS>AwMÜ YaÜSj _~, ‘èSMÉ y¡ÌMt} <Ai AtMÜ AtMÜ _yS} {SòSM}} <Ai PtaÜS cT cM}MiS }SMÜ~?’

uwSÉ cM} YaÜSj Ñ~¥ PtySbv wMÖ AeMÜMi {SCmMr¥ rS}wM}Z vSvS e~SÜ ÑS>\{S\ AhàcS}¥ PhÜS} \MÑ, _} a} fSMÖ} \w} AtMÜ wS~SMvS} PhîS¥ Ac© wS~SMy Ac, t}jS} {ÚMdZ tS>AÖMÜ _cmS Py>Mm Ktr© aMt} fSÖ uM} uM} iÂMÖ AtMö wSMÅ} fM}¥ ÑSMr} hSwÖmS tHMvÅtS} {MrS, Ac© e~S} hSwS ejñvmS ...

w}Atv ÉcSM~ PÑo {SòSM}} fM}} ÉS{Mv ÉS} AtMÜ Av~ oS\v a}S¥ {ZtÁ~ AxÉAxÉ cM} y~~, ‘_McySM} Å©S{StS} e~S¥ PcSMüMc _~ y~MrS?’

XAvMcr ejej c}~, ‘uÚÉ, amS tHMvÅtS} e~S¥ AÅa} YAÖ wSrAi~¥ Ac}q{ÜtS YMe sScMr ~SAeMÜ AtMÜAi~ AvZÜZ¥’

wSwÚ y~~, ‘Ac© tHMvÅtS Ai~ ySZM}, e~SmS _MÉAi~ fM}} {Mu© PsMc¥’ AvAd~ y~~, ‘tHMvÅtS {Mv ÑÜ Pzv¢SM~ScÌZAj{ jSMv¥’ Ay}jÁ {SsS hÍ~McS~, ‘_Z z~S*SA} cÌZj PcÜS Ahj?’