N¼nNp«³.sWäv koXpNÄ GNtUlw AXp¯Xp¯m\v. ASpsNm*v fn¡t¸mjpw h-vNqant`¡v tbmNp¶Spw k^p¶Spsfms¡ H^pfn¨m]n^n¡pw. ko«n Wn¶v- h-vNqant`¡v AVnNw Uq^fnÃm¯SnWm AkÀ fqk^pw Ct¸mjpw WX¶p tbm¡m^m\v bSnkv.
“”””ASv fm{Sfmt\m?”
hcoW bp©n^nt]msX b_ªp.
“”””hnhn`n Xo¨_n³s_ sfm` N*m BÀ¡m bnXn¨p sM¡mWpw Nl¡mWpw H¶v- bnXn¨p knXmWpw tSm¶ms¯? MmW]msa H^n¡`pw Npäs¸Xp¯nÃ,”
hnhn`n Aksa AXn¡m³ Nt¿m§n.
“”””bXt¨msW,’
hcoW HmXn fm`Sn]psX bn¼n Wn¶p.
“”””Wos]m^p Xo¨_sÃXo hcoW? F¶n«v F§sW CsSms¡ b_]m³ tSm¶p¶p?”
“”””bnt¶ Xo¨_v!”
fm`Sn N`nt¸msX b_ªp.
“”””AtS Cu Xo¨Àfm^pw sfmt`w Np*ow Wà sk®s¯mtXw bq_pw Hs¡ Havt`m^m. AÃmsS BNml¯v¶v- sbm«nsfma¨p*m]tSm¶pkÃ,”
hnhn`n AhiySt]msX sIknsbm¯n.
“”””F³s_ sbm¶v Xo¨s_,”
hcoW ko*pw b_]m³ SpX§n.
“”””Xo¨À A¸w NqXn hvs{ähv {co B]n Kokn¡m³ tWm¡n]ms`¶m? Ht¶mÀ¯m W½psX fq¶v- sb^vsX]pw H^ptbm`tÃ? Xo¨_n³s_ ihv At§t`mN¯v tbm]n. CkÄsX sN«nt]m³ Cksa C«v tks_ H^p¯osX NqsXt¸m]n. FWn¡v H^map*v tb^nWv. PÄco¶v k¶n«nt¸mÄ sNmÃw ^*m]n. H¶v- tcm\n¡qXnt¸m`pw hvtWin¡p¶nÃ. NqXn]m ^*p fnWnäv. ASpw fmh¯n Ht¶m ^t*m. ASnWpw Mm³ At§m«v– knan¡\w. W½av Cu eqfo C§sW Kokn¨n^nt¸m*v F¶SnWv Ft´`pw H^p AX]maw tkt*? B AX]ma§am C§Ws¯ sNm¨p sNm¨p NphrSnNÄ…””
“”hcoW,””
hnhn`n b_ªp.
“”Wn§av Ft´`pw sI¿*m¶v- Mm³ b_tªm? Fs¶s]´nWm CSnWm¯v bnXn¨nXps¶ F¶tà Mm³ tImUn¨pÅq?””
fm`Sn]v¡pw hcoW]v¡pw ^ihy¡m^ps*¶p hnhn`n A_nªn^p¶p. ANm^\¯m hnhn`n Ak^pfm]pÅ h¼À¡w WnÀ¯n]mt`m F¶v- tbm`pw Bt`mIn¨Sm\v. Ak^psX]Xp¯v k^p¶kÀ CWn MmWpw A¯^¯n DÅ H^p hv{So]m\v F¶v- N^pSn]mt`m F¶v- hnhn`n e]¶n^p¶p.
“”ASv tbms« hcosW,””
hnhn`n]psX AWnãvf_nªv fm`Sn b_ªp.
“”hnhn`n Xo¨s_ Wo C¡q«¯ns`m¶pw Nq«m³ tWm¡*. W½tam sbj]m]n. Wo Ìmcv _qfn sk¨p b_]m³ sSmX§nt]³s_ dm¡n b_,””
“”Hm…C¶s` Agv–_cv– k¶v- sNm\¨ NT]mt\m? F³s_ Xo¨s_ AtSmÀ¡p¼w Ss¶ bq_o¶v- Nj¸v bnt¶w sSmX§n sb^psk^`v ks^ A§v tN_nt¸mNpkm,””
hcoW]psX ^ihy¡m^n H^mam\v Ag_cv. A¡m^y¯ns`m¶pw AkÄ¡v H^p S^¯n`pfpÅ fWhvSmbkpfnÃ. B\p§Ä¡v GSv sb®n³s_]Xp¯pw N¼nNp«³.sWäv