"sd_¡ `Z L$ÞãeyT_ \pe R>¡?'
grgs gpX$
iy„ Ap ApMu vy$r_ep dp¡l-dpep_¡ gu^¡ V$L$u flu R>¡?
ApV$ApV$gp„ d„qv$fp¡ R>sp„ âÅ vy$:Mu L¡$d?
`yfyj ÷u_p„ L$pdp¡ L¡$d _\u L$fu iL$sp¡?
ggyh¡, qagpkpau rkqfa dpBÞX$ L$u qX$dpÞX$ l¥
ggyhp, sy„ sp¡ Æhk©rô$_u A¡L$ Ap¡qX®$_fu rgÞL$ R>¡!
op_ A¡L$ Arcip` R>¡, ggyhp!
d__p N|„QhpX$pAp¡_p¡ `pf _\u. ^dp®ÐdpAp¡ A_¡ Ahspfp¡_p Apv¡$ip¡ `pmhp dyíL¡$g b_u Åe R>¡.
A¡L$ sfa L$p¡C L$l¡ R>¡ L¡$ am_u Apip L$ep® rh_p sy„ spfy„ L$pd L$e£ Å. sp¡ buÆ sfa buSy>„ L$p¡C L$l¡ R>¡ `yÎe_p„ L$pd L$f, s_¡ õhN® dmi¡.
^dp®ÐdpAp¡ D`v¡$i Ap`¡ R>¡ L¡$ B[ÞÖep¡_¡ hidp„ fpM hÐk, B[ÞÖep¡_¡ hidp„ fpM. sp¡ hmu A¡ S> ^dp®Ðdp `Ð_u_¡ Apiuhp®v$ Ap`¡ R>¡, "Aô$`yÓp ch!'
"kÐed¡h S>es¡' sp¡ lÅfp¡ hpf kp„cþey„ R>¡ `f„sy Äepf¡ AkÐe_p Å¡f `f vy$ô$ dp_huAp¡ kyM_p kpNfdp„ Apmp¡V$sp v¡$Mpe R>¡ Ðepf¡ ¼ep„L$\u L$p¡C õ`ô$sp L$f¡ R>¡, ""Ap sp¡ L$rmeyN_p¡ âcph R>¡.''
A¡V$g¡ d_ "ev$p ev$p rl ^d®õe...'hpmy„ cNhp__y„ hQ_ epv$ L$f¡ R>¡. Qpf¡ sfa ^d®_u Ágpr_ \su Å¡C_¡ d_ rhl¹hm \C EW¡$ R>¡- cNhp_ lÆ ip_u fpl Sy>A¡ R>¡? Ðep„ S> L$p¡C epv$ A`ph¡ R>¡, ""cNhp_ L¡$ Of v¡$f l¥ `f A„^¡f _l] l¥.''
ApV$ApV$gp„ L$ÞãeyT_p¡ `R>u `N `¡gp„ L$Y„$Np„ `NfMp„ _ `l¡f¡ sp¡ S> _hpC. X$pbp `Ndp„ [õg`f A_¡ S>dZpdp„ Q„`g Opëep„ _\u L¡$ sfs S> dÞ_y ^u N°¡V$_p V$pBdg¡k _p¡-ìl¡f Tp¡_dp„ âh¡íep _\u.
`Z Ap iy„?
ApS>¡ Myv$ dÞ_y ^u N°¡V$ Nl_ rhQpfp¡dp„ X|$b¡gp R>¡. dpfp ApNd__u lÆ Mbf _\u `X$u gpNsu.
lmhp¡ Mp¢Mpfp¡ MpC b¡ lp\ Å¡X$u _d° õhf¡ `|R¹>ey„, ""iy„ rhQpfp¡dp„ Mp¡hpep R>p¡ dÞ_y ^u N°¡V$?''
""ld blzs L$_azS>_ d¢ lw„.'' dÞ_y bp¡ëep¡. L$`pm¡ L$fQguAp¡ `X$u.'' ld L$p¥_ lw„? L$lp„ k¡ Apep lw„? Ap¥f ldfp Bk rb_p _pd L¡$ Qp¥fpl¡ `f Å¡ A[õsÐh l¥, kp¡ L$pl¡ L$p¡ l¥?''
lz„ sp¡ rhQpfdp„ `X$u Nep¡, ""dÞ_y? sd¡ sp¡ N°¡V$ R>p¡. sd_¡ `Z L$ÞãeyT_ \pe R>¡?''
""L$_azS>_ qL$k L$p¡ _l] lp¡sp ggyhp?'' dÞ_y lku `X$ép¡. ""A`_p byÙ cNhp_ bp¡r^h©¼k L¡$ _uQ¡ b¥W$ L¡$ Áep_ âpàs qL$ep Dk L¡$ `lg¡ qL$s_p L$_azrS>ep Nep \p? rkÙp\® _pd L$p Np¡fprQË$p dygped fpS>Ly$dpf rbQpfp...'' dÞ_y lõep¡. ""A¡L$ gpk L$p¡ v¡$M L$f L$_azrS>ep Nep \p!'' dÞ_y MX$MX$pV$ lku `X$ép¡.
""Af¡ cp¡gp rS>kk ¾$pBõV$, Dk_¡ A¡ÞX$ sL$ L$_azS>_ qL$guAf _l] qL$ep sp¡ b¡Qpf¡ L$p¡ k|gu `¡ QY$_p `X$p! Ap¥f A`_p cNhp_ fpd?'' dÞ_y `¡V$ `L$X$u_¡ lkhp gpÁep¡. ""A¡L$ Q|r_e¡ S>¥k¡ ^p¡bu L$u bpsd¢ L$_azrS>ep Nep Op¢Qy! rbQpfu kusp L$p¡ N¡V$-ApDV$ L$f qv$ep! qL$ep L¡$ _„C?''
""lp.'' dpf¡ S>hpb Apàep rh_p R|>V$L$p¡ _lp¡sp¡.
""sp¡ qaf?'' dÞ_y_p L$`pm¡ afu L$fQguAp¡ `X$u. ""L$_azS>_ sp¡ kbL$p¡ lp¡sp l¥ ggyh¡.''
""khpg L$ÞãeyT_dp„\u blpf Aphhp_p¡ R>¡.'' d¢ `|fy„ L$ey¯. ""d|„ThZdp„\u S>hpbp¡ d¡mhhp_p¡ R>¡.''
""Ab¡ Op¢Qy!'' dÞ_y AQp_L$ bNX$ép¡. dpfp Npg D`f X$pbp-S>dZ¡ båb¡ gpap W$p¡L$u v$u^p! lz„ sp¡ X$OpC S> Nep¡.
""Op¢Qy...'' dÞ_yA¡ dpfy„ gbX$u `X¡$gy„ dp¢ KQy„ L$fsp„ `|R¹>ey„, ""apB_g S>hpb qL$k L$p¡ rdg¡gp l¥? rdg¡gp l¥ qL$ku L$p¡ apB_g S>hpb?''
d¢ dpfp Npg `f lp\ a¡fhsp„ ^ud¡\u L$üy„, ""L¡$d, L©$óZ cNhp_¡ Nuspdp„ L$üy„ L¡$-''
""lp„ q¾$k_ cNhp__¡ sp¡ A¿Mp NpBX$ S> R>p` X$pgp _„C?'' dÞ_y ^|„^hpC füp¡ lsp¡. ""gp¡! B^f d¢ rgM¡gp l¥ kpfp S>hpb! c[¼sep¡N, L$d®ep¡N, fpS>ep¡N... ApBA¡d`u _„bf h_... ApBA¡d`u _„bf Vy$... ApBA¡d`u _„bf \°u... `Y$ gp¡ Ap¥f `pk lp¡ ÅAp¡, tS>v$Nu L$p A¡¼Tpd d¢!''
lh¡ lz„ Q|` \C Nep¡.
""Nusp sp¡ Ap Nep dpL£$V$ d¢.'' dÞ_y bp¡gsp¡ Nep¡. ""`[ågL$ L$p¡ S>hpb cu rdg Nep. qaf ¼ep lzAp? vy$r_ep bv$g Nep ¼ep? S>Þsp ky^f NC ¼ep? _„C!'' dÞ_y lp„au füp¡ lsp¡. ""qaf hp¡ A`_p byÙ cNhp_ Apep. Dk_¡ cu hp¡ R>¡ ^çdp d„Ó v¡$ X$pgp.''
""R>¡ _l] ApW$.'' d¢ ky^pey¯.
""lp„ hp¡ Å¡ cu lp¡-'' dÞ_yA¡ `|R¹>ey„, ""Dkk¡ vy$r_ep L$p¡ r_fhp_ âpàs lp¡ Nep ¼ep? qaf A`_p rS>kk ¾$pBõV$ cu Ap Nep. bp¡g¡ sp¡ v$k L$dpÞX$ qv$ep. bpv$ d¢ ¼ep lzAp? hëX®$ L$p A¿Mp rkõV$ud Acu cu L$fàV$ lp¡sp l¥, l¡ÞN lp¡ Åsp l¥, Dõd¢ hpBfk O|k Åsp l¥, kb Ly$R> lp¡sp l¥, ¼ep lzhp v$k L$dpÞX$ k¡? Ly$ÃR> _„C!''
""sp¡ dpZk¡ iy„ L$fhy„ Å¡CA¡?'' d¢ `|R¹>ey„, ""L$ÞãeyT_dp„\u S>hpbp¡ S> _ ip¡^hp Å¡CA¡?''
""C L$_awS>hp Å¡ l¥ _p?'' dÞ_y_p Ql¡fp `f [õds Apìey„, ""C blzs L$pd L$u QuS> l¥ ggyhp. S>hpb Y|„$Y$_¡ r_L$gp¡N¡ sp¡ kygfp rdg cu Åh¡Np. ANf syd BÞV¡$rgS>¡ÞV$ lp¡ sp¡ h_ àgk h_ rbW$p cu gp¡N¡. dNf...''
dÞ_y gdZ¡ Ap„Nmu d|L$u v|$f ApL$pidp„ Å¡sp¡ füp¡. ""dNf S>hpb k¡ L$cu âp¡åg¡d kpëh _l] lp¡sp. S>hpb sp¡ V¡$ç`ffu lp¡sp l¥- Dk `g L¡$ rge¡, Dk qv$_ L¡$ rge¡ ep Dk eyN L¡$ rge¡. dlpcpfs L¡$ eyN L$p S>hpb ApS> qaV$ _l] lp¡_¡hpgp.''
""sp¡ L$fhy„ iy„?''
""bk... L$_awS>_ L$p Ap_Þv$ gp¡?''
dÞ_yA¡ ApL$pi sfa Ap„Nmu Q]^u A¡L$ Q`V$u hNpX$u. buÆ S> nZ¡ ApMu dpep Agp¡` \C.
lz„ dpfp Ofdp„ lsp¡. `¡gu rdk-qaV$ Q„`g-[õg`f_u Å¡X$u_¡ Å¡sp¡ füp¡. [õg`f X$pbp `N_u lsu L¡$ S>dZp `N_u? A_¡ Q„`g...?
(hp„Qsp fl¡ip¡)
qfqX$a õ`¡íeg rhcpN_p AÞe g¡Mp¡