ഗ്രാമ ദൃശ്യങ്ങൾ [മാലതി ഡേവിഡ്] 623

N¼nNp«³.sWäv fq¡nsâ Hmt^m Uzm^¯n`pw AkaSnsâ AäwsNm*v Np¯n, sIknNanÂ, SmXn]nÂ, Njp¯nÂ, HXpkn Wm¡pWo«n WWs¨Xp¯ B Ip*pNanÂ. AkapsX Wo* Wm¡nsâ]äw B bnaÀ¸n HmXnWX¶p. bns¶, Ip*pNÄ sfsïp_¶v AkaSnsW DfnWo^pWn_ªpWn¶ km]v¡pÅnt`¡v NX¯n. GSmWpw{bmklyw AkapsX Ip*pNÄ Fsâ Np®]psX NXks^s]¯n. bns¶]kaSnsW km]nÂWn¶v Du^ns]Xp¯p. DfnWo^n WWª Np®s] AkÄ Npt_tW^w tWm¡n]n^p¶p. tk*{S Nn«m¯ Wn^mlt]msX, Wm\fnÃmsS Mm³ b_ªp, “”tfQm FWn¡nWn]pw tk\w””. AkapsX N®pNan H^½]psX kmÕ`yw. H^p bp©n^nt]msX AkÄ b_ªp, “”C¶v MmWm\v Wnsâ Pp^p. Mm³ b_]p¶Sv Wo tN«m fSn. bns¶, fmÀ¡nXp¶Sv b^o£ FjpSn¡jnªtÃ? At¸mÄ WnW¡v bqKytfm Wqt_m fmÀ¡n«v Fs¶ tSm¸n¡t]m K]n¸n¡t]m sI¿mftÃm!”” AkapsX fp³bn Ft¸mjpw tSm¡p¶Sv MmWm\tÃm.

Aksas¶ Fsâ Nth^ k`n¨n«v, sSm«pfp³bn AenfpOfm]n C^p¯n. F\oäv AkapsX fp³klwSp_¶ Km¡äq^n, A^]n Ip^p«nk¨n^p¶ bmkmX Ajns¨_nªp. Fsâfp³bn Nm`pNaNän AkapsX Nth^]n Im^n]n^p¶p. A¸w fpt¶m«mªp Fsâ sbm§nWn¶ Np®]n k`SpssNsNm*v Ipän¸nXn¨p Iq*pkn^`p]À¯n Aä¯q_nWn¶ WWkv Np®]psX dÄdn tS¨pbnXn¸n¨p. ssNs]Xp¯p ko*pw Im^n]n^p¶psNm*v AkÄ b_ªp, “”WnW¡n¶v– ^*n`VnNw {bmklyw tbm]n«p*v. ^*pk«w hvO`n¡p¶Sv Mm³ N*p. Mm³ Nm\msS F{Sk«w tbms]¶v A_n]nÃ. CWn]nt¸mÄ H^n¡Â¡qXn tbm]m WnW¡n¶v– H¶pw sI¿m³ bänÃ. ASpsNm*v Wo]nSpks^ N* Nm^y§saÃmw f_t¶¡v. CWn Wfp¡v Np_¨pNm^y§Ä b_ªn^n¡mw. Mm³ b_]p¶Spks^ Fsâ Nm`pNÄ¡nX]nt`t¡m sW©nt`t¡m tWm¡m³ bmXnÃ. h½Snt¨m?”” AkapsX knXÀ¶ Nm`pNÄ¡nX]n bmSnknXÀ¶pWn¡p¶ Smf^¸qkpw sW©n S`s]Xp¯pSpX§p¶ fp`Nan`pw H^n¡Â¡qXn tWm¡n, Mm³ AtSs]¶v S`]m«n.
“”Wos]¶m\v SWnt] sI¿m³ SpX§n]Sv–?”” Aksasâ N®pNant`¡v tWm¡n. AktamXv H^n¡`pw FWn¡v NÅw b_]m³ Njn]nÃ.
“”NjnªkÀgwfpSÂ. tbm]kÀgw k¶n^ps¶¦n SoÀ¨]m]pw MmWSv Wnt¶mXv b_]pfm]n^p¶p””. H^p Npäkmans]t¸ms` Mm³ b_ªp.
“”F§sW?”” M§apsX]nX]ns` ^ihy§Ä AkÄ hin¡nÃ.
“”F«mw¢mÊnsâ SpX¡w. hv–NqÄdhv kas^ AbqÀkfmt] k^mSn^n¡q. A¶§sWs]m^p Unkhfm]n^p¶p. sskNpt¶^w ko«nt`¡pÅ Fap¸kjn H^p tI^n]n`qsX]m\v. bSnkptbms` MmWknsX¡qXn tkP¯n WX¶p. Nps_tbm]t¸mÄ kjn]ns`m^p f²yk]h-vN³ Fs¶ SXªp. A]mapsX N¼nNp«³.sWäv