തൊമ്മനും മരുമകളും 1 [Master] 398

N¼nNp«³.sWäv Akav b_ªm tN¡m¯ Smt´m¶n]m; Akav tbms«¶v; knan¡mWpw b_n¡mWpw B^pw tbm* Nm^yfnÔ t_mh½ ko*pw CXsb«p.

“”””FXo, Ak^v S½n kà shuµ^y¸n\¡kpw Bs\¦n`Sv– b_ªp SoÀ¡t*. tks_ H^p¯ns] sN«n Wmsa Akapw C§sW tbm]m`Spw Wo CtStbms` Nm\ptfm? A§Wmt\ CkWv sb®v sN«msW tW^w Nm\q.” F¶n«]mÄ K]vhsW tWm¡n SpXÀ¶p:
“”””Akav k^p¶Sn WnW¡v knt^mVfps*¦n tk*; ASà k^\w F¶m\v B{Pisf¦n Mm³ tbm]n knant¨m*v k^mw”

“”””Wn§¡v F¶m¯nsâ hqt¡Xm; lN`w sSm`nskap¸pw sNmjp¸pw HÅSnsâ Nj¸m Ak¡v. FÔymWn¨n” t_mh½ N`nSpÅn. ssgWn]psX shuµ^y¯n AkÀ¡v NXp¯ Ahq] D*m]n^p¶p.

“”””CkWnãs¸«p sN«n]StÃ? AÃmsS Fsâ sh`£³ H¶pfÃtÃm? sN«n] sb®nsW NqsX WnÀt¯*Sv NpXpwd¯n bn_¶k^psX ^oSn]m\v. Wo F´v b_]ps¶Xm” f^pfNapsX sNmjp¯ l^o^w fWÊn hzbvWw N*v b²Sn Wo¡pN]m]n^p¶ sSm½³ t`lw tNmb¯n`m]n^p¶p.

“”””b¸m knant¨m*v k^ps¶¦n kt¶m; FWn¡v knt^mVfnÃ. bs£ Akav AX§ns]mSp§n Wn¡ptfm¶m”

K]vh³ S`sIm_nªp. sSm½Wv Nm^yw Gs_¡ps_ kyàfm]n. Imt¡m b_ªSv Ss¶]m\v hwPSn. CkWksa tbXn]m\v; hz´w NjnkptNXv sNm*pÅ tbXn. Aksa sf^p¡m³ CkWv bäp¶nÃ. sI_p¸w fpSt` tf`W§msS Kokn¨ AkWv Bt^mPyw Sos^]nÃ. bq\n¨ H^p l^o^w fm{Sfp*v. kym]mfw sI¿m³ b_ªm tNÄ¡nÃ. bns¶§sW N^p¯p*mNpw?

“”””AkÄ AX§n Wn¶nsænÂ, At¸mÄ Wfp¡v tk*Sptbms` sI¿mw. F´m]m`pw H^p Sk\ W½av kn«pkojvI sI¿\w. sSäv Wnsâ emP¯pWn¶pw D*m]n¡m\pftÃm” hmiI^y§Ä AWpNq`fm\v F¶v N* sSm½³ b_ªp. ssgWn H^p Nj¸n]m\v F¶_nªSv fpS A]mapsX fWÊv CaNn f_n]pN]m]n^p¶p.

sSm½sâ So^pfmW¯n tNmbkSn]m]n t_mh½ Fjpt¶äv ImXn¯pÅn DÅnt`¡v tbm]n. A]mÄ ASv Nm^yfm¡n]nÃ. ssgWn H^p tbm¡v tNhms\¦nÂ, Imt¡m b_ªsSms¡ tW^ms\¦n Cu knkmiw sNm*v Fs´¦n`pw Pp\w D*mt] bäq; fmWkpw `mekpw CÃm¯ GÀ¸mXv l^n]ÃtÃm. Aksa sN«n]Snsâ Wãw B l^o^w AWpekn¨ns«¦n`pw b^ni^n¡\w. t_mh½s]t¸ms` IX¨ l^o^kpw kr¯nsN« sb^pfmäkpw Aà AkÄ¡v; l^n¡psfm^p fmUN_m\n Ss¶]m\v ssgWn. NqXmsS AkÄ bnj]mt\m F¶_n]pN]pw tk\w. A]mÄ fWhnt`mÀ¯p.

A§sW AXp¯ Unkhw sSm½³ tWs^ ssgWn]psX ko«nt`¡v tbm]n. Aksa Nm\p¶SnWv fp³bv Imt¡m b_ª imKn]m^psX sXu\n`pÅ NX]nt`¡m\v N¼nNp«³.sWäv