ചൊട്ടയിലെ ശീലം 233

N¼nNp«³.sWäv bnXn¨p. kÃm¯ H^p hpOw. At¸mtj¡pw Mm³ D_¡¯n Wn¶v F\oäp. Fsâ hmfmWw {XuhÀ Spa¨p bp_t¯¡v ImXm³ sk¼n Wn¡p¶p. F´v sI¿\sf¶v FWn¡v H^p bnXn]pw CÃ. HXpkn F§sWs]ms¡t]m Sn^nªpw f_nªpw NnX¶v Mm³ tW^w skap¸n¨p.

B\pw sb®pw S½n`pÅ dÔs¯ Np_ns¨ms¡ A§sW Fsâ fWÊn`pw b` hwl]§apw k¶v SpX§n. F¦n`pw hwl]w SoÀ¡m³ B^pw CÃm¯SnWm AsSms¡ Fsâ fWÊn Ss¶ AtSbXn C^p¶p. A§sW Nm`w NX¶v sbm]vs¡m*v C^p¶p. B hf]¯m\v k`yÑsâ fNapsX tIm_q\v Pp^pkm]qÀ sk¨v WX¯m³ So^pfmWn¨Sv. A§sW NpXpwdhtfSw FÃmk^pw tbmNm³ So^pfmWn¨p. A¸q¸³ {bm]mVnNyw Nm^\w NnX¡]n Ss¶ B]n^p¶p ASv sNm*v A¸q¸sW sNm*v ]m{S sI¿m³ hmVn¡nÃ. sskNpt¶^w s{X]n³ N]_n skap¸nsW AknsX sI¶v ^mkns` tIm_q\pw Njnªn«v tI¨n]psX eÀ¯mknsâ koXv AknsX AXp¯p Ss¶]m\v. AknsX H^p Unkhw S§n bntä Unkhtf Sn^nsN k^p. FWn¡v ftä¶mÄ b^o£ SpX§p¶SnWm Fs¶]pw sNm*p tbmkp¶nà F¶v So^pfmWn¨p. A§sW k]Êm] A¸q¸sW tWm¡mWpw koXv tWm¡mWpw hpfSns]]pw fNÄ hpWnSs]]pw G`vbn¨n«v ko«n`pÅ fäpÅkÀ FÃmw NqXn sskNn«v s_]nÂtk tÌgWnt`¡v ]m{S Sn^n¨p.

Mm³ A¶v NpXpwdko«n B]n^p¶p ^m{Sn NnX¡m³ So^pfmWn¨Sv. bj] ^oSn]n`pÅ ^*pWn` koXm]n^p¶p. Mm³ fpNan`s¯ fp_n]m\v bYn¡mWpÅ huN^y¯nWm]n Sn^sªXp¯Sv–. A¸q¸sW tWm¡p¶ IpfS` hpfSn¡v B]n^p¶p. hpWnS B]n^p¶p AXp¡a b\n]pw fäp ko«p b\n]pw FÃmw sI]vSn^p¶Sv. kas^ tkP¯n`pw, In«t]msX]pw hpWnS b\n FÃmw sI]vSn^p¶Sv. ^m{Sn B]t¸mÄ Fsâ fp_n]nt`¡v bm]pw S`]\]pw B]n k^p¶ hpWnSs] N*v Mm³ tImUy emk¯n tWm¡n. ‘Hä]v¡v NnXt¡* Mm³ Nq«p NnX¡mw, Fs´¦n`pw Bklyw Ds*¦n knan¨m fSn. AkÄ b_ªp. F¶n«v Fsâ f_pbXn¡v Nm¯p Wn¡msS bm] kn^n¨p NnX¶p. AVnNw sskNmsS MmWpw ss`äv A\¨n«p D_§m³ NnX¶p. ^m{Sn tW^s¯ NnX¶n«v skap¸nsW Fjpt¶äv bYn¡p¶ lo`w B]n^p¶p FWn¡v. NnX¶t¸mÄ Ss¶ Mm³ D_¡¯nt`¡v kjpSn ko\p.

CX]v¡p Ft¸mtam D_¡w SXÊs¸«p Mm³ FjptWäp. At¸mÄ Fsâ Np®]n bnXn¨p Nan¡p¶ hpWntS¨ns] B\v Mm³ N*Sv. A£^mÀ°¯n Mm³ sM«nt¸m]n. hzbvW¯n tbm`pw hpWnSs] C§sW Mm³ h¦`vbn¨n^p¶nÃ. hpWntS¨n Fsâ {Xuh^v fpjpkWm]n Ajn¨p fmän. “”Wà k`n¸fpÅ Np®]m\tÃmXm WntâSv, Mm³ knIm^n¨Sv tbms`]Ô” AkÄ b_ªp. Fsâ tUiw fpjpk³ N¼nNp«³.sWäv