Chitralekha

S> `|R>hy„ `X$i¡!'
f„S>_ MyirdÅS> A_¡ hpsp¡qX$ep¡ eyhp_ lsp¡.
DÑf cpfsue lsp¡. `ÃQuk hj®_u Jdfdp„ ÓZ
bÃQp„_p¡ bp` b_u Ne¡gp¡. rhhp_¡ A¡_¡ A¡hp¡
Ar^L$pf A_¡ dplp¡g `|fp `pX$ép lsp L¡$ A¡ Ap
âL$pf_u dÅL$ L$fu iL$sp¡.
"bk, lh¡ ApNm A¡L$ `Z Anf bp¡ëep
hNf qL$Q_dp„ cpN! ApS>¡ dpf¡ Ap¸qak hl¡gp
`lp¢Qhy„ R>¡.'
f„S>_ lksp¡ lksp¡ A„v$f S>sp¡ füp¡. Ðep„ S>
dp¡bpCg fZ¼ep¡. riMp_p¡ ap¡_ lsp¡. rhhp__u
dp¡V$u bl¡_ riMp...
"rhhp_, A¡L$ rdr_V$... ap¡_ qX$k¹L$_¡¼V$ L$fy„ Ry>„
A_¡ sfs s_¡ rhqX$ep¡ L$p¸g L$fy„ Ry>„.'
"ly„ s_¡ \p¡X$u hpf `R>u L$p¸g b¸L$ L$fy„? AÐepf¡
S>fp Dsphmdp„ Ry>„.'
"_p. dpf¡ ldZp„ S> hps L$fhu R>¡.'
rhhp_¡ s¥epf \sp„ \sp„ g¸`V$p¸` Ap¸_ L$ey¯.
\p¡X$u `mp¡dp„ õ¾$u_ `f riMp v$¡MpC. A¡_p `„v$f
hj®_p gÁ_Æh__u [õ\fsp A¡_p cfphv$pf
Ql¡fp_u f¡MpAp¡dp„ S>dp \C NC lsu. rhhp_
V$u-iV®$ QX$phu_¡, lp\dp„ L$p„kL$p¡ gC_¡ kpd¡ b¡W$p¡.
"A¡V$g¡ dpf¡ lh¡ s_¡ Ap fus¡ L$çàeyV$f_u õ¾$u_
`f S> Å¡hp_p¡ R>¡, rhhp_? dy„bC Aph¡ Ðepf¡ A¡hy„
_ \pe L¡$ S>fp bl¡__¡ dp¡Yy„$ bspX$sp¡ ÅJ?'
"Af¡!' rhhp_ lku `X$ép¡:
"s¢ sp¡ ku^y„ bp¸çbpqX¯$N iê$ L$fu v$u^y„!'
"sp¡ buSy>„ iy„ L$fy„? A_¡ dl¡fbp_u L$fu_¡ sy„
\p¡X$u hpf dp\y„ Ap¡mhp_y„ b„^ L$fui? dpfu kp\¡ sy„
ip„rs\u `p„Q rdr_V$ hps L$fu iL$sp¡ _\u?'
"sy„ dpfp `f bly v$pv$pNufu L$f¡ R>¡, lçd¹...
riMp!' bl¡__p¡ Nyõkp¡ Å¡C_¡ rhhp__¡ Nçds
\C flu lsu.
"ly„ v$pv$pNufu L$fy„ Ry>„, A¡d? hpl! sy„ d_¡
dm¡ R>¡ ¼epf¡ L¡$ spfp `f v$pv$pNufu L$fhp_p¡ rhQpf
`Z Aph¡?'
"sy„ àguT, L$L$mpV$ _l] L$f!'
"A¡V$g¡ dpf¡ v$pv$pNufu _l] L$fhp_u, L$L$mpV$
_l] L$fhp_p¡. kfk. dpf¡ buSy>„ iy„ iy„ _\u L$fhp_y„
A¡ `Z c¡Npc¡Ny„ bp¡gu S> _pM.'
"A_¡ Ap! V$p¡ÞV$ _l] dpfhp_p!'
"V$p¡ÞV$ _l], ly„ sp¡ s_¡ Mf¡Mf dpfhp_u Ry>„.
dpdp, ApV$gp _p_p
v$qfep dpV¡$ Ap`Z¡ Æv$
L¡$d L$fuA¡ R>uA¡?
Ap`Z¡ `pqL$õsp__¡ A¡ Ap`u
L¡$d v$¡sp _\u?
ApC qfegu hp¸ÞV$ Vy$ buV$ ey A`, qarTL$gu!'
riMpA¡ fp¡j_¡ hm QX$phhp_u L$p¡rii L$fu.
a¼s ApÐdue õhS>_ S> v$¡MpX$u iL¡$ A¡hp¡
hlpgcep£ fp¡j... `Z `R>u A¡e lku `X$u:
"_p¡, rkqfekgu! _p_`Zdp„ Ap`Z¡ TOX$sp„
Ðepf¡ ly„ spfp dp\p_p hpm `L$X$u_¡ spfp Npg `f
L¡$hp kV$pkV$ gpap dpfsu... A¡d!'
rhhp_ dgL$pep¡:
"Aphu b^u dpfpdpfu spfp hf kp\¡ L$fu
g¡hp_u. s_¡ `fZphu R>¡ iy„ L$pd?'
"bk, l„A... dpfp hf_¡ hÃQ¡ _l] gph. A¡
sp¡ bly X$püp¡ R>¡ rbQpfp¡. spfp S>¡hp¡ _\u. AÃR>p
kp„cm, Ap r__y spfu kp\¡ hps L$fhp Dsphmp¡
\C füp¡ R>¡. `l¡gp„ A¡_u kp\¡ hps L$fu g¡. ly„
`R>u spfu Mbf gJ Ry>„.'
riMp Ecu \C. A¡_u S>ÁepA¡ A¡_p¡ s¡f
hj®_p¡ v$uL$fp¡ r__pv$ Np¡W$hpep¡:
"l¡e... dpdp!'
sfhqfep r__pv$_p L$p¡dm Ql¡fp `f\u
bpm`Z lSy> `|f¡`|fy„ Aõs \ey„ _lp¡sy„. gp„bp
kde `R>u r__pv$_¡ Å¡C_¡ rhhp_ Myi \C Nep¡:
"l¡e e„Nd¸_! L¡$d R>¡ sy„? s_¡ spfu rNãV$
dmu NC?'
"ek! Ap flu!' MyiMyipg r__pv$¡ A¡L$
ê$`L$Xy„$ X²$p¡_ lp\dp„ gC_¡ bspìey„:
"ApS>¡ khpf¡ S> _p_udp_p¡ X²$pChf Ap`u
Nep¡. dpdp, sd_¡ L¡$hu fus¡ Mbf `X$u L¡$ dpf¡
X²$p¡_ S> Å¡Csy„ lsy„?'
"dpdp_¡ b^u S> Mbf lp¡e! s_¡ Nçey„ _¡?'
"Ap¡l ek! CV$'k Vy$ L|$g! \¡Þ¼k!'
rhhp_¡ Mpk epv$ L$fu_¡ `¡qfk A¸f`p¡V®$
`f\u r__pv$ dpV¡$ X²$p¡_ MfuÛy„ lsy„, S>¡_p `f
lpC X¡$qa_¡i_ L¸$d¡fp S>X¡$gp¡ lsp¡ A_¡ S>¡
lhpdp„ A¡¾$p¡b¡qV$¼k L$fu iL$sy„ lsy„.
dpdp-cprZepA¡ X²$p¡__p„ auQk® rhi¡ \p¡X$u hpsp¡
L$fu. `R>u r__pv$¡ L$üy„:
"dpdp, ApC _uX$ ep¸f l¡ë`. dpf¡ õL|$gdp„ A¡L$
âp¡S>¡¼V$ L$fhp_p¡ R>¡. L$p¡C `Z b¡ A¡rie_ L$ÞV²$u
hÃQ¡ L$p¡C Cíey_¡ gC_¡ TOX$p¡ Qpgsp¡ lp¡e A¡hp
V$p¸r`L$ `f gMhp_y„ R>¡. iy„ gMy„?'
"L$íduf_¡ gC_¡ cpfs-`pqL$õsp_ hÃQ¡
hjp£\u A\X$pdZ \ep L$f¡ R>¡ A¡_p rhi¡ gM.'
"L$íduf bly L$p¸d_ V$p¸r`L$ R>¡. dpfp¡ AX$^p¡
¼gpk L$íduf `f S> gMi¡. dpf¡ L$iy„L$ AgN
gMhy„ R>¡.'
"s¢ buSy>„ L„$C rhQpey¯ R>¡?'
"lp, V$uQf¡ Ad_¡ OZp V$p¸r`¼k L$üp lsp.
A¡dp„\u A¡L$ d_¡ CÞV$f¡[õV$„N gpÁep¡ lsp¡.'
"L$ep¡?'
"rkf ¾$uL$!'
rhhp_ Qd¼ep¡. r__pv$_p dp¡Y¡$ rkf ¾$uL$_y„
_pd kp„cmsp„ A¡_¡ L$p¥syL$ \ey„:
"ìlp¸V$?' rhhp_ lku `X$ép¡:
"spf¡ rkf ¾$uL$ rhi¡ gMhy„ R>¡?'
r__pv$ d|„Tpep¡:
"lp, L¡$d? _ gMy„? `Z rkf ¾$uL$_¡ L$pfZ¡
C[ÞX$ep-`pqL$õsp_ hÃQ¡ L„$CL$ âp¡åg¡d sp¡ R>¡_¡?'
"Aa L$p¡k®, âp¡åg¡d R>¡ A_¡ sy„ rkf ¾$uL$_p
Cíey rhi¡ Qp¡½$k gM.'
"`Z iy„ gMy„? dpf¡ A¡ S> sdpfp `pk¡\u
kdS>hy„ R>¡.'
"AÃR>p, kp¥\u `l¡gp„ sy„ d_¡ A¡ L$l¡ L¡$ rkf
¾$uL$ rhi¡ sy„ L¡$V$gy„ ÅZ¡ R>¡?'
"A¡V$gy„ S> L¡$ A¡ NyS>fpsdp„ L$i¡L$ R>¡.'
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rQÓg¡Mp p 2 Sy>gpC, 2018