Chitralekha

S>¡d c|fpep \sp„ A¡_¡ hpf _l] gpN¡!
d d d
`p¡Zp¡ L$gpL$ `R>u rhhp_ qfkQ® A¸ÞX$
A¸_prgrkk (fp¸)_p l¡X$ ¼hpV®$fdp„ lsp¡.
"NyX$ dp¡r_¯N, kf!' rhhp__¡ Å¡sp„ S> A¡_p¡
`k®_g AprkõV$ÞV$ Ecp¡ \C Nep¡.
"h¡fu NyX$ dp¡r_¯N, idp®. àguT, b¡kp¡.'
rhhp_ `p¡sp_u Q¸çbfdp„ S>sp„ `l¡gp„ `k®_g
AprkõV$ÞV$_p X¡$õL$ `pk¡ \„æep¡:
"Ap¸g h¡g? L¡$hy„ füy„ sdpfy„ Np¡hp_y„ h¸L¡$i_?'
"kfk füy„, kf. b¥fu-bÃQp„ Myi A¡V$g¡
Ap`Z¡ `Z Myi.'
"rbgLy$g...'
"kf, sd_¡ L¡$V$gpL$ X$p¡¼eyd¡ÞV¹$k Ap`hp_p R>¡.
\p¡X$p„ Ly$qfef `Z Apìep„ R>¡. sd¡ k¸V$g \pAp¡
A¡V$g¡ Ap`y„.'
"Af¡, k¸V$g \hpdp„ L¡$V$gu hpf? ldZp„ S>
Ap`u v$p¡.'
idp®A¡ X²$p¡Afdp„\u A¡L$ `pfv$i®L$ ap¡ëX$f A_¡
ÓZ¡L$ ÅX$p„ L$hf L$pY$u_¡ rhhp__p lp\dp„ d|¼ep„.
"\¡ÞL$ ey... A_¡ ly„ sd_¡ `p„Q¡L$ rdr_V$dp„ A¡L$
C-d¡Cg ap¸fhX®$ L$fy„ Ry>„. A¡dp„ ÓZ A¡V¡$Qd¡ÞV$ R>¡.
ÓZ¡e_p râÞV$ApDV$ gC, AgN AgN apCg
b_phu g„Qb°¡L$ `l¡gp„ d_¡ Ap`u v$¡Å¡.'
"íep¸f, kf...'
rhhp_ `p¡sp_u Q¸çbfdp„ Apìep¡. qfQk® A¸ÞX$
A¸_prgrkk thN_p l¡X$ ¼hpV®$f_p ÓuÅ dpm¡
rhhp__u Ap¸qak lsu. blpf h¡CqV»$N A¡qfep A_¡
`k®_g AprkõV$ÞV$_y„ X¡$õL$ lsp„, S>¡ `kpf L$fu_¡
dy¿e Q¸çbfdp„ Aphu iL$psy„ lsy„. Q¸çbf_u
bpfudp„\u kpd¡ A¡L$v$d V$Ë$pf Ec¡gy„ X$uku`uX$åëey
(qX$f¡¼V$p¡f¡V$ Ap¸a L$p¡-Ap¸qX®$_¡i_ Ap¸a `p¡guk
hpefg¡k)_y„ dL$p_ õ`ô$ v$¡Mpsy„ lsy„. bpfu_p¡ `X$v$p¡
A^|L$X$p¡ Mp¡gu, Of¡\u gph¡gu b°uaL¡$k V¡$bg `f
d|L$u, L$çàeyV$f Ap¸_ L$fu rhhp_ Ly$qfefdp„ Aph¡gp
v$õsph¡S> Ðhfp\u Å¡C Nep¡. A¡ L$pNrmep„_¡ X¡$õL$
`f A¡L$ V²¸$dp„ d|L$u, L$çàeyV$f õ¾$u_ _ÆL$ qfhp¸[ëh„N
Q¸f kfL$phu A¡ _ h„Qpe¡gp C-d¡Cëk T`pV$pc¡f
Q¡L$ L$fhp dp„X$ép¡. OZp qv$hk blpf lsp¡ A¡dp„
ê$qV$_ L$pd_p¡ W$uL$ W$uL$ cfphp¡ \C Nep¡ lsp¡.
L$çàeyV$f õ¾$u__p _uQ¡_p M|Z¡ õL$pC`u_y„ Q¸V$
ApCL$_ E`õey„. idp® `|R>u füp¡ lsp¡:
kf, sdpfp dpV¡$ Qp L¡$ L$p¸au Ap¸X®$f L$fy„?
_p¡, \¡Þ¼k... V$pC` L$fu, Q¸V$bp¸¼k
qX$kA¡bg L$fu rhhp_ `pR>p¡ L$pddp„ N|„\pe A¡
`l¡gp„ A¡_p dp¡bpCg `f igpL$p_p d¡k¡S>_y„
_p¡qV$qaL¡$i_ Tb¼ey„„. igpL$pA¡ g¿ey„ lsy„:
NyX$ V$pCd Vy$ L$p¸g ey?
rhhp_¡ igpL$p_¡ ap¡_ Å¡X$ép¡. b¡ qf»N `R>u
ap¡_ KQL$pep¡.
"Af¡ hpl, rhhp_! iy„ hps R>¡! d_¡ A¡d L¡$
sy„ AÐepf¡ rbTu rbTu lp¡Ci A¡V$g¡ dpfp¡ d¡k¡S>
`Z _l] Sy>A¡.'
igpL$p_p AhpS>dp„ Ap_„v$ lsp¡. NC fps_u
hpsQus_¡ gu^¡ `¡v$p \C Ne¡gp AS>„`p_p L$pmp
`X$R>pep hNf_p¡ Ap_„v$.
"rbTu sp¡ Ry>„, `Z bp¡g.' rhhp_¡
qfõV$hp¸Qdp„ Å¡ey„.
b`p¡f_p 2:20...
"rhhp_, ly„ A¡L$ huL$ dpV¡$ qv$ëlu Aphu flu
Ry>„. dpfp A¡_ÆAp¡_y„ \p¡Xy„$ L$pd R>¡.'
"Mf¡Mf?'
"ek!'
"ky`b®! ¼epf¡ Aphhp_y„ àgpt_N R>¡?'
"bk, b¡ qv$hk `R>u.'
"S>gv$u Aph!'
"A_¡ rhhp_, dpf¡ s_¡ A¡L$ hps L$l¡hp_u
R>¡.' igpL$p_p¡ AhpS> A¡L$pA¡L$ N„cuf \C Nep¡:
"OZp qv$hk\u s_¡ L$l¡hu lsu, `Z d_dp„
_¡ d_dp„ v$bphu fpMu lsu.'
"igpL$p... ey _p¡ ìlp¸V$.' rhhp_¡ `pR>p¡
kde Å¡ep¡:
"ly„ A¡L$ Cç`p¡V®$ÞV$ L$p¸g A¡¼k`¡¼V$ L$fu füp¡
Ry>„. Ap`Z¡ AÐepf¡ h^pf¡ hps _l] L$fu iL$uA¡.'
Ðep„ a¼s Ap¸Cg A_¡ N¸k S>
_l], A¡_p\ue h^pf¡ d|ëehp_
^psy_p c„X$pf `Z ^fbpe¡gp R>¡.
`pqL$õsp__¡ Å¡ A¡_u S>fpkfMu
`Z N„^ Aphu NC sp¡...
"_p, Ap hps ap¡_ `f \pe A¡hu R>¡ `Z
_l]. ly„ qv$ëlu Aphui Ðepf¡ s_¡ b^y„ ê$bê$ S>
L$l¡hp_u Ry>„.'
"^¸V$'k b¡V$f...'
"Ap¡L¡$. bpe, rhhp_.'
"bpe...'
ap¡_ qX$k¹L$_¡¼V$ \ep¡.
b`p¡f_p 2:30...
igpL$p L$C hps L$fhp_u li¡? d_dp„ Ap
khpg sp¡ ÅÁep¡, `Z A¡_p rhi¡ rhQpfhp_p¡
AÐepf¡ kde _lp¡sp¡.
rhhp_¡ `p¡sp_u Q¸çbf_p¡ v$fhpÅ¡ A„v$f\u b„^
L$ep£. `k®_g AprkõV$ÞV$_¡ k|Q_p Ap`u L¡$ AX$^p¡
L$gpL$ ky^u d_¡ rbgLy$g qX$õV$b® _ L$fip¡.
b`p¡f_p 2:36...
...A_¡ ap¡_ fZ¼ep¡!
AÐepf¡ `Z õ¾$u_ `f _pd L¡$ _„bf krls_p
L$p¡C k„L¡$s _lp¡sp. a¼s qf»N hpNu flu lsu.
rhhp_¡ kl¡S> Nmy„ M„M¡fu_¡ dp¡bpCg lp\dp„ gu^p¡:
"lgp¡...'
kpd¡ R>¡X¡$ A¡ S> ìe[¼s lsu, S>¡Z¡ ApS>¡
khpf¡ ap¡_ L$ep£ lsp¡.
"NyX$ ApãV$f_|_, rdõV$f ipl!' A¡ S> ipgu_
Ap¥`QpqfL$sp, A¡ S> âp¡a¡i_g õhõ\sp:
"â^p_ d„ÓuÆ gpC_ `f l¥.'
"Æ...'
AhpS> bv$gpep¡. ìe[¼s bv$gpC. lh¡ kpd¡
R>¡X¡$ v$¡i_p hX$p â^p_ S>NÞ_p\ dl¡sp õhe„
dp¡S|>v$ lsp:
"rhhp_, L¡$d R>p¡ cpC? qv$ëlu_u Nfdudp„
A¸X¹$S>õV$ \C Nep L¡$ lSy> `Z b°prTg_p¡
v$qfepL$p„W$p¡ rdk L$fp¡ R>p¡?'
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rQÓg¡Mp p 2 Sy>gpC, 2018