Chitralekha

OZp A¡hp lsp, S>¡ Qpgy _pV$L¡$ õV¡$S> `f QY$u
S>hp DÐkyL$ lsp.
_pV$L$ Msd \ep `R>u Ad¡ ky_e_p_¡
dmhp õV¡$S> `pR>m N°u_ê$ddp„ Nep. L¡$V$gpL$
âi„kL$p¡ A¡_¡ h]V$mpC_¡ Ecp lsp. ky_e_p
d_¡ Ap¡mM¡ R>¡ A¡V$g¡ A¡Z¡ Ad_¡ DdmL$p\u
AphL$pf Apàep¡. S>¡W$pgpg_¡ Mpsf dpf¡ _pV$L$
s¡d S> A¡_p Arc_e_p„ h^pf¡ `X$sp„ hMpZ
L$fhp„ `X$ép„. S>¡W$pgpg_p¡ d¢ `qfQe L$fpìep¡ L¡$
sfs A¡d_p Nmpdp„ `pR>u Ap¸V$p¡qfnp AV$L$u_¡
OfOfpV$u L$fhp gpNu.
âi„kL$p¡ lV$ép _l] A¡V$g¡ d¢ ky_e_p_¡ A¡
V$p¡mu\u S>fp v|$f bp¡gphu. S>¡W$pgpg_u õL$ud A¡_¡
kdÅhu. dpfp ^pep® L$fsp„ A¡Z¡ sp¡ h^y`X$sp¡
DÐkpl v$¡MpX$ép¡:
"lp, lp, lp¢, L$pg¡ khpf¡ S> duqV„$N Np¡W$hp¡.
ApS>L$pg ly„ sL$guadp„ Ry>„. dpf¡ Å¡ju_y„ L$pd R>¡.'
kp„cmu_¡ S>¡W$pgpg fpÆ_p f¡X$ \C Nep.
ky_e_p A¡_p âi„kL$p¡ kp\¡ hps¡ hmNu. S>¡W$pgpg
d_¡ L$p_dp„ L$l¡:
"çl¡spkpl¡b, AÐepf¡ Ap`Z¡ A¡_¡ S>dhp
gC S>CA¡. spS>-Ap¸b¡fp¡e... Äep„ L$l¡ Ðep„.
epf, A¡ `uA¡ R>¡? `usu lp¡e sp¡ õL$p¡Q-bp¡Q
`pCA¡, epf.'
"S>¡W$pgpg, A¡_¡ MhX$ph_pfp-`p_pfpAp¡_u
AÐepf¡ gpC_ gpNu R>¡. Ap`Z¡ A¡ Sy>g|kdp„
Å¡X$php_u S>ê$f _\u. ¼ep„L$ b¡ `¡N h^pf¡ QY$phu
S>i¡ sp¡ Ap`Zu hps c|gu S>i¡ A_¡ khpf¡
Aphi¡ _l]. `l¡gp„ A¡_u Ly„$X$mu dyLy„$v$fpe `pk¡
Å¡hX$phu v$p¡, ap¡V$p `X$phu A_¡ Ål¡fMbf L$fu
_pMp¡. ^„^p¡ Ådu S>i¡ `R>u spS> A_¡ Ap¸b¡fp¡e
R>¡ S> _¡!'
R>¡hV¡$ ky_e_p_¡ Qpf-R> hpf AphÅ¡, \¡ÞL$
ey... AphÅ¡, \¡ÞL$ ey... L$fu S>¡W$pgpg dp„X$ dp„X$
dpfu kp\¡ blpf _uL$þep.
buS>¡ qv$hk¡ khpf¡ dpf¡ _p¡L$fuA¡ S>hp_y„ lsy„
A¡V$g¡ S>¡W$pgpg_p L$pe®¾$ddp„ ly„ lpS>f flu _p
i¼ep¡, `f„sy A¡ rhi¡ ÅZhp_u d_¡ Arsie
DÐkyL$sp lsu A¡V$g¡ kp„S>¡ _p¡L$fu `f\u R|>V$u_¡ ly„
ku^p¡ A¡d_u vy$L$p_¡ `lp¢Ãep¡. d_¡ Å¡C_¡ S>¡W$pgpg
S>ç` dpfu Myfkudp„\u Ecp \C Nep:
"\¡ÞL$ ey, çl¡spkpl¡b... S>bfS>õs Ådu
riepm, Å S>C_¡
X|$bu df v$qfepdp„.
Mbfv$pf, Al]
Apìep¡ R>¡ sp¡!
Ney„. bpC S>bfu Mp_v$p_ lp¢, çl¡spkpl¡b.
ip„rs\u Ap`Zp dyLy„$v$ `pk¡ b¡W$u. khpf¡ S> ly„
ap¡V$p¡N°paf_¡ `L$X$u gph¡gp¡. A¡ sp¡ kpl¡b,
aV$paV$ Qp„`p¡ v$bph¡ S> Nep¡. d¢ L$üy„: `pX$ v$uL$fp,
`X$pe A¡V$gp `pX$. s_¡ Aphp¡ QpÞk ¼epf¡
dmhp_p¡. Ap`Zp dyLy„$v$¡ `Z kpl¡b, A¡_¡
QqL$s L$fu v$u^u.'
"Qpgp¡, kpfy„ \ey„. dpfu S>hpbv$pfu `su.
S>¡W$pgpg, Sy>v$p Sy>v$p auëX$_u ÅZusu ìe[¼sAp¡
kp\¡ dyLy„$v$fpe_p ap¡V$p `X$phu Ål¡fMbfdp„
R>p`ip¡ sp¡ S> Ådi¡. bpL$u, ky_e_p_p S> ap¡V$p
R>pàep L$fip¡ sp¡ OfpL$p¡dp„ sdpfy„ dp_ _l] fl¡.'
d¢ L$üy„.
"lp f¡ lp, A¡d S> L$fuiy„... `Z
çl¡spkpl¡b, ky_e_p sp¡ Äep¡rsj\u A¡hu
A„ÅC NC L¡$ A¡ L$l¡: ly„ fp¡S> iuMhp Aphui.
OfpL$p¡ g¡su Aphui.'
"gp¡, sp¡ sp¡ sdpf¡ sX$pL$p¡.'
"ek, ek...'
buÅ¡ AX$^p¡ L$gpL$ S>¡W$pgpg¡ rdk ky_e_p
W$½$f rhi¡ bX$bX$pV$ L$ep£. buÅ M|Zpdp„ L$pep®ge
Mp¡gu_¡ b¡W¡$gp dy$Ly„$v$fpe dl¡dv$phpv$hpmp
Äep¡rsj_p¡ $N°„\ hp„Qhpdp„ X|$b¡gp lsp. dpfu
k|Q_p âdpZ¡ S>¡W$pgpg¡ A¡d_¡ A`Vy$X¡$V$ b_phhp
bv$pdu f„N_p¡ f¡X$ud¡X$ kapfu k|V$ `l¡fpìep¡ lsp¡.
k|V$ A¡d_¡ _p_p¡ `X$sp¡ lsp¡. bNgdp„\u byiL$p¡V$
M¢Qpsp¡ lsp¡. A¡_¡ gu^¡ dy$Ly„$v$fpe \p¡X$u \p¡X$u hpf¡
byiL$p¡V$_p„ bV$_ Mp¡gu bNgdp„ lp\ a¡fìep L$fsp
lsp. L$p__p L$p„V$pmp hpm A¡dZ¡ L$Y$pìep _lp¡sp.
S>¡W$pgpg_¡ khpf_p L$pe®¾$d\u k„sp¡j \ep¡
A¡V$g¡ d_¡ `Z fpls \C. Qp `u_¡ ly„ Ofc¡Np¡
\C Nep¡. \p¡X$p qv$hk A¡ dpf¡ Ðep„ af¼ep _l]
A¡V$g¡ d¢ dp_u gu^y„ A¡ A¡d_p Äep¡rsj_p ^„^pdp„
Ådu Nep li¡.
A¡L$ fpÓ¡ dpfp„ îudsuÆA¡ dpfu \pmudp„
cpMfu `ufksp„ V$L$p¡f L$fu:
"Ap`Zp\u L$p¡C_„y cgy„ _p \pe sp¡ L$p„C _l],
`Z Ap`Z¡ L$p¡C_„y b|fy„ sp¡ _p S> L$fh„y Å¡CA¡.'
"Mfu hps R>¡.' A¡d_p iåv$p¡ `pR>m Ry>`pe¡gp¡
A\® kdÄep hNf d¢ L$lu _p¿e„y.
"sp¡ `R>u S>¡W$pcC_p k„kpfdp„ L$pL$X$p¡
_pMhpdp„ sd_¡ i„y dþe„y?'
"L$pL$X$p¡?'
"lp, Mpõkp¡ Opkg¡V$dp„ bp¡m¡gp¡ L$pL$X$p¡.
dpZk `p¡sp_p v$p¡õs_¡ Mp¡V¡$ dpN£ S>sp¡ AV$L$ph¡
Ðepf¡ sd¡ sdpfp v$p¡õs_p„ Qp¡L$W$p„ Np¡W$hu Ap`p¡ R>p¡.
v$epcpcu_u Ap„sfX$u L$L$mphu_¡ sdpfp lp\dp„ i„y
Aphhp_„y ls„y?'
kp„cmu_¡ cpMfu_p¡ L$p¡rmep¡ dpfp Nmpdp„
AV$L$u Nep¡. A¡L$pA¡L$ dpfp c¡Ådp„ V$é|bgpCV$
\C. S>ê$f S>¡W$pgpg `¡gu ky_e_p W$½$f_p
Q½$fdp„ g`V$pep lp¡hp Å¡CA¡, `Z ApV$gp
\p¡X$p kdedp„ S>¡W$pgpg A_¡ ky_e_p hÃQ¡ hps
ApNm h^u Åe A¡ L„$C dpfp dNS>dp„ b¡Wy„$
_l]. ly„ AV$L$mp¡ bp„^sp¡ b¡ku füp¡ A¡V$g¡
îudsuÆ_¡ Apn¡`bpÆ ApNm Qgphhp dp¡L$m„y
d¡v$p_ dmu Ney„:
"sd_¡ A¡ MhX$ph¡-r`hX$ph¡, l¡fh¡-a¡fh¡ A¡V$g¡
i„y sdpf¡ A¡d_¡ Aphu fus¡ fpÆ fpMhp_p?
Ap`Zp S>¡hp dpZkp¡_¡ Aph„y ip¡c¡? S>¡W$pcC
S>gkp L$f¡ A_¡ Of_p dpZkp¡ L$L$mpV$ L$f¡ A¡hp
^„^p iuMhp¡ A¡ kpfy„ L$l¡hpe?'
"bk, bk, h^pf¡ `X$s„y bL$ bL$ _p L$f. s„y S>¡
L„$C L$l¡ R>¡ A¡dp„_u d_¡ A¡L¡$ hps_u Mbf _\u.'
"A¡d_p Ofdp„ lp¡mu `¡V$phu A¡ dpV¡$ Q„`L$L$pL$p,
V$`y A_¡ v$epcpcu sdpfp S> _pd_p„ R>prS>ep„ g¡
R>¡. dpf¡ sp¡ A¡d_¡ dp¢ v$¡MpX$hp S>¡h„y fü„y _\u.'
"A¡L$ hps kdÆ g¡, d¢ S>¡ L„$C dv$v$ L$fu A¡
A¡d_p¡ _hp¡ ^„^p¡ S>dphhp dpV¡$ L$fu R>¡ A_¡...'
"`Z Sy>v$u Ås_p ^„^p Qpgu füp R>¡
A¡_„y i„y?'
îudsuÆ_p dp¡Y¡$ S>¡W$pgpg`yfpZ kp„cýep
`R>u dpfu rS>opkp Arsie ÅN°s \C NC.
cp¡S>_ ApV$p¡`u ly„ S>¡W$pgpg_¡ Ðep„ `lp¢Ãep¡.
S>¡W$pgpg Apìep _lp¡sp. A¡d_p r`sp
Q„`L$gpg OfX$p hpO_u S>¡d Ap¡fX$pdp„ Ap„V$p dpfu
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rQÓg¡Mp p 2 Sy>gpC, 2018