প্রথম অধ্যায়: অন্ত্যেষ্টিক্রিয়া

“বandhatai-ki shn-i-er kachey sohasri jawar kotha chilo na? abar dik poriborton korle keno?” buro sadhu amaake birokhtir shurey jiggesh korlo, karon ei niye ami ditiyo baar amari dik poriborton korechi, sohasri amar nijer shohor sh-ei-chhi te choley ashar jonno.

jakhoni amar jatra shuru korar kotha, thakhoni amar maayer ekta phone pelam. baritey boro kono ghotona ghoteche, amar tokhoni tokhoni firey jawar proyojon, ki ghotona ta tini khuley bolen ni, shudhu bolenchen je odvut kichu ekta ghoteche. amar moner modhye ekta udveg tiri holo, tader sathe kono alochona na korei ami tader niye sohasri er dike rowna dilam.

wang min ebong zinuo er kono apotti chilo na, tobe hothath kore amar baba-maayer sathe dekha korar kotha shune tader mone ektu aschorjo bhab chilo. ami dekhlam tara prothom dekhar beparey khubi jotno-shil, keu shajgoj korche to keu upohar kinche, kintu tader ei shob kine dewar shomoy ba moner obostha amar chilo na, amar shudhu iccha korchilo jodi ektu pakha peye bari ure jete partam.

onek ghuripoth er por, sheshe ami bastob er duniar boro shohore firey elam.

“thak, ami ar tor sathe firchi na, kokhon shob thikthak kore felbi, tokhoni amar sathe jogajog korbi.” plane theke nemei buro sadhu tar sathe na jawar iccha prokash korlo. ami obosho take badha dei ni, she shadhin chilo.

“thik ache, tobe ektu shobdhone thakbe.” ami raji holam.

“thak, tahole ami cholam.” ei bole buro sadhu ekta taxi te uthe porlo, janina kothaye tar gobtobyo. take dekhe mone holo tar pokete thaka taka gulo niye she khub utshahi, mone hoy shob taka na uriye tar shanti hobe na. tobe kotha holo, eto taka khoroch korao to khub shohoj noy.

buro sadhu airport er kachakachi amader theke alada hoye gelo. ebong ekhon amar pashe shudhu wang min ebong zinuo ei dujon nari royeche. ami je prothom bar kono nari ke bari niye jacchi ta noy, kintu ekshathe dujon ke niye asha ei prothom, tai mone ektu oboddo bhab hochhilo. tobe maayer bola boro ghotonar chinta tar theke onek beshi chilo, tai taratari dujon ke niye sohasri amar barir dike chhutlam.

bari firey dekhlam ma barite nei, amar ektu chinta holo, tai taratari tar phone number e dial korlam.

phone er opar theke khub golaul-gol shonajacchilo: “hello, baba, tui ki firechis?”

“hmm, ei to bari pouchalam. tumi kothaye?” ami ektu obak hoye jiggesh korlam.

“bura wang er bari, tash khelchi. tui-o ekhane chole aash.”

“tash khelcho? amake firey ashte bolecho shudhu tomar tash khela dekhar jonno?” ami ektu ragannito hoye jiggesh korlam.

“ashte bolechi jokhon chole aash, taratari kor.” ma er kotha shesh howar agei phone theke 'tut tut' shobdo ashlo, tarpor phone ta kete dilo.

ami kichuta abak hoye zinuo ebong wang min er dike takalam, ebong ektu lajuk hashi dilam.

“cholo.”

bura wang er barir dike jawar shomoy, rasta goli gulo theke kemon jano ekta osbhavik poribesh lagchilo, shobar chharae chiro-gombhir bhab, karo mukhe hashi chilo na, onekdin dekha na howa protibeshi rao shudhu upore upore ekta shlam janiye chole jacche.

“ziyan.” wang min o ei osbhavikata dhorte perechilo, tai amake dhire daklo.

ami niropaye hashi dilam: “kaachei chole eshechi.”

“ore ziyan, tui-o firey eshechi? sathe bou niye eshechis? aaha, dui shundori.” thik tokhoni, ek jon protibeshir chhele amake dekhe, druto amar kachakachi chole elo, ebong tar chokh dujon wang min ebong zinuo er upor ghurate laglo.

“xiaochao? tumi ki bahire chakri korte jao ni?”

“ei to, wang kaka chole gechen, tai shraddha korte firey eshechi.”

“ki? wang kaka mara gechen? tumi shotti bolcho?” ami aschorjo hoye chilkar kore uthlam, mone holo ami bhul shunechi.

“e shob bepare ki kono mitha kotha bola jay? tobe ami shunechi take oi shob shokti gulor dara hattha kore mara hoyeche.” xiaochao khub shobdhone kaane kaane amake bollo, ebong kotha shesh kore charpashe keu ache kina ta gopone dekhlo.

“tumi kar mukhe shunecho?”

“goliar mathay aborjonaguri kurano li boori.”

“li boori? accha, ei shob bujhiye bolar dorkar nei, ami prothome giye shraddha kore ashi, tarpor eshe kotha bolbo.”

“ar kotha bolar shomoy nei, amar dupurer gari shuzhou shohore, jokhon abaro dekha hobe tokhoni kotha hobe. dui shundori, porer bare dekha hobe.” xiaochao amake bidai janiye chole gelo.

“ei lokta ke?” wang min mukhe chokh kuchiye jiggesh korlo.

“protibeshi.” ami shohoroi ebong druto bura wang er barir dike aagalam.

kichukkhon por bura wang er bari pouchalam, dekhte pelam shamne shob shada ronger kapor tangano, kannar shobdo shonajacchilo, dhuklei matha notate hoy. shraddha shesh kore ami dekhlam amar ma living room er modhye mahjong khelche.

“baba, tui eshechis. wang kaka jibone amader khub bhalo bhaloi korechen, aj rate toke oboshsyi ashore thakte hobe. jeetlam, pãch paan.” ma amar dike thikmot takalo-o na, shudhu pata guli fele taka goli guchiye nite laglo.

“masima.” dui nari ektu lajjajonok shure daklo.

“are, baba, tui je tor bondhuder niye eshechis ta to amake ekbar-o bolli ni.” ma kotha shunei hothath uthe porlo, ebong sohasri amar kache ese amake ekpashe tene niye fush fush kore kotha bolte laglo.

“tumi to dekhlei.”

“kon ta tor girlfriend? dujonkei khub shundori lagche, tor pochondo bhalo ache.”

“taka ma, tor cheler to bhalo kopaler dosh, girlfriend eto shundori.” charpasher protibeshira shonge shonge kotha guli tule dhorlo.

“masima der shlam.” wang min lajjajonok na hoye sohasri bole uthlo.

“bhalo, bhalo. aao, prothom bar dekha, ei rakho mishti khawar taka.” ebar shobai mone korlo wang min amar ashli girlfriend, shobai tar hate taka guje dite laglo, kichu shonir modhye wang min er hat e taka gulo jamata hoye gelo.

wang min o kono apotti korlo na, shobgulo taka niye nilo. eta dekhe zinuo ektu lujjito hoye porlo, pashe chupchap dariye royechilo.

“cholo, cholo. amra age barite jai, boka chhele, tui ki kore tader ekhane niye eshechis, oshubhok, oshubhok.” ma amake tene niye barite chole gelo, sheshe ma er hatei amake barite firey ashte holo.

bari firey oboshsyi shob dhoroner jiggesh korlo, khorabar babostha holo, tobe bhalo kotha je sauthel baba chakrite gechen, na hole bari toh golaul-gole bhore jeto.

“ami bolchi ma, tui amake shudhu wang kakar shraddha korar jonno firey ashte bolechili?”

“tahole ki onno kichu?”

“tumi amake bhoy dekhiye diyechile, bhablam boro kono ghotona ghoteche.”

“eta ki boro ghotona noy? tor wang kaka khub onyay bhabe mara gechen.” ma kotha bolte bolte hothath thome gelo, r aage kichu bollo na.

“onyay? mane ki?” ami shondeho kore jiggesh korlam.

“ar bolbo na, ar bolbo na, aj rate tui jabi na, ami ar oi boro ma ra mile mahjong khelbo, rate shomoy kete jabe. ami tader jonno khabar banai.”

“emon ki ghotona ghoteche ja bola jabe na?” ami ektu birokhtir shure takalam.

“tor ei khanki chhele, thik ache thik ache, toke bolchi, shunchi tor wang kaka gote rate bari ferar shomoy kono bhoot er mukhomukhi hoyechilen, rastay boka-zoka korchilen, jane kar sathe jhogra korchilen, bari firey ghumaben, tarpor ar uthen ni.”

“bhoot er mukhomukhi? haspatale niye jawa hoy ni?”

“haspatale ar kothay niye jabe, ek rat ghumaben tarpor shas bondho hoye gelo, haspatal e niye giye ar ki hobe, taka noshto.”

“tobe lokhkhon ki chilo?”

“jani na, dekhle to bhalo-i lagchilo, shudhu shash chilo na. tobe tar peethe ekta lal ronger boro chhap chilo, gayer budho ra bolche je ota oi shob shokti gulor thaba, tui ki bolis amader ei goli te ki oi shob shokti onek beshi? amra ki bari badle chole jabar kotha bhabbo?” ma amake amar motamot jiggesh korlo.

“bhoot er jonmo.” ami moner modhye bhablam, amar kopal ektu kuchke gelo, ei wang kaka shadharonobhabe bhalo lok chilen, ki kore bhuter hokkhar e pore gechen, eta to khub ekta shadharon bhot na.

“accha, ja khushi koro, jodi jete chao to jao.”

“ar hya, wang kakar choto chhele, mone hoy tar-o bhut legeche.”