একশো উনচল্লিশ। অতিরিক্ত পাওনা (মাসের ভোটের জন্য আবেদন)
“Bhalo meye! Tomar bhagya phireche, Kang-shang-gong tomar muktir byabostha korchen, ebong tomake shonge kore shundor shomoy katate niye jaben!” Shiao-mamar upore uthe, khorposh thele bhitore dhuklen, ebong dekhten je Yu Linglong alshbhave shajar table-er shamne boshe achen, jate bujha jacchi eto shokale uthte pere tini khushi non.
Yu Linglong mamar kotha shune hochhot kheye dareye porlen, chokh duroti chholo chholo kore chokhe chaile, obak hoye bolen, “Ami toh bhabechilam ami gote rate take chhotto korechi, tai tini amake ekhane rekhei chole jaben. Tini aj amake mukti dite can!”
Shiao-mamar mone mone bhablen: Kkhonoo shudhu ekjon dasi hishebe kine niye jacche, kono stree-o noy, bujha jacchi tumi obujh bhabe take onek boro bhabe chhotto korecho.
Yu Linglong-er mama hishebe, Shiao-mamar matro eitai mathay chhilo je meye take bhalo dame bikri kora jabe naki, ar keu jodi kine niyei jay, tobe take kothay niye jabe sheta tar chintar bishoy chhilo na. Jemon dhan bikreta tar dhan kine niye bhat ranna korbe naki murgi ke khawabe, seta niye matha ghamay na; thik temni china matir basan bikreta tar basan keu nije byabohar korbe naki biral ke khawabe, seta niyeo matha ghamay na.
Manush chole jabe, taka chole ashbe, shob shaf-suthro, kono shamporko thakbe na.
“Ei Kang-shang-gong-er barite shuni panch-shat ti upstree ache, tumi gele khub shobdhane thakbe,” Shiao-mama koutuhol dekhabar chhole bolen. Kintu ashole eita chhilo Yu Linglong-ke bhul bojhanor jonno, jate tini khushi মনে barir baire jan. Jokhon jaygay pouche jaben, tokhon Yu Linglong kotoi na keno hangama koruk, kono labh hobe na.
Yu Linglong kokhono bhabte pareni je keu etota khuchimot hote pare, je tar jonno tin hajar swarna mudra diye take dasi banate kine niye jabe, tini khushi mone ekjon dasike dekhe tar shaj-shojja korate laglen, ebong nijer sanchito taka theke kichhu angsha shei dasike diye dilen, jeta malik ar chakrani hishebe ek shonge thakar protidan hishebe dhore newa jay. Tini tar gahonar baksho theke kichhu gahona, almirah theke shundor poshak gulo theke bhalo bhalo kothok gulo beche niye, je shong-goni shohoborish bondera chhilen tader ke upohar dilen.
Beshya britti theke bhaloghore biye kore jawar shomoy, shobcheye beshi voy thake daridrarno hoyar noy, borong beshi shoj-shojja kore loker mukhe kotha howar.
Shiao-mama dekhe Yu Linglong khushi mone agun theke palanor prostuti nicche, kothaw kono sandeho korche na, tokhon tini nischintobhave nishwas fellen. Noyto jodi meye ta kande ar hangama kore, tobe Moyur-er Tabur (Moon Watch Tower) mukheo kono shovha thakbe na. Tini abar ghore fire giye gopon koshak theke Yu Linglong-er mukti-potro khuje ber korlen. Abar bhalo kore dekhe nilen, sob thik ache dekhe ekta kather bakshote bhore, niche niye ashlen.
Kang Pengzu ebong bakira tokhono niche cha khachhilen, Shiao-mamake ashte dekhe tader chokh tar dike gelo.
Shiao-mama hashi mukhe taratari samne giye bolen, “Shang-gong, onek khon apnake opekkha koralam.” Tini kather baksho ti tule dhore bolen, “Amar Linglong-er svbhab khub ziddi, abar koshto nite pare na, onek bhul kore feleche, apnake take khoma korte hobe.”
“Kono shomosya nei, pore take nischoy niyom shikhie dewa hobe,” Kang Pengzu shahoj vabe bolen.
Kintu Xu Yuanzuo hothat bhenge uthlen: Ami toh shudhu ekjon bhorshajoggo dasi kine amar shikkhok ke dite ceyechhilam, kintu ei Kang Changsheng-er shonge shonge ami kothay chole esechi! Jodi khanti ekjon kono kaj na kora jayna emon "dasi" tule dei, tobe ki shikkhoker jonno biproto bipod dewa hobe na?
Abar bhebe dekhen, Zheng Yue hoyto প্রতিmash tar makeup-er khoroch metate na pere, bhrashtachar ar apordher pathe pate ba-dha porte paren... Xu Yuanzuo ekta thanda anubhab korlen.
“Shiao-mama, ektu alada kothay ashun,” Xu Yuanzuo dareye uthe, ektu dure giye Shiao-mamake d ডাক dilen.
“Kishorer kono nirdesh ache ki?” Shiao-mama taratari doure ashlen.
“Ekjon pathaben,” Xu Yuanzuo kom shore bolen.
Shiao-mama obak hoyen: “Kishor ki bolte canchen...”
“Amake ekjon dasi din,” tini bolen: “Ami apnake eto boro ekta babsha dilam, tobe ki ekta upohar pabar o odhikar nei amar?”
Shiao-mama koto chotur ekjon manush, tar mone mone hisheb korlen: Ami bhabechilam Kang-shang-gong keno hothat Yu Linglong-ke kine nite ceyechhen, bujhi ebar tar modhye ekei ei byabostha korechilen.
“Kishor ektu bosun, Chacha akhoni ashche,” Shiao-mama hashimukhe bolen.
Chacha chhilen Moyur Tabur ekti shadharon chhoto dasi. Tar joggota to durer kotha, kono ranga meyer (main courtesan) pashe thakar joggotoo chhilo na. Kintu prothome jokhon take kena hoyechhilo tokhon besi taka lagni, shudhu kharp kora kajer jonno. Pore dekha gelo meye ta khub koshis kore porte ebong shikhte bhodro, utho-monobhab ache, tai slowly take dasi hishebe byabohar kora shuru hoyechilo.
Emon meyer moto keu ke jodi upohar hishebe dewa jay, tobe tar kono dami mullo nei.
Kichhu khon por, Chacha sotti sotti samne ashlen, Xu Yuanzuo-ke dekhe tar chokh duroti jolmal kore uthelo.
——Tini nischoy amar jiboner shobcheye bhalo lok!
Tini samne giye Xu Yuanzuo-er paye pronam korlen, chokher jol ar thamate parlen na: “Dhonnobad Kishor amake agun theke bachanor jonno, jate ami ei narkhio abostha theke mukti pete pari, eto boro upokar ami konodin vulbo na.”
Xu Yuanzuo matha nodelen, take pichhone dariye thakar nirdesh dilen, ar Kang Pengzu-ke bolen: “Ami ekhoni tar mamake ekti upohar dite bolechhilam.”
Kang Pengzu meyer rup-er byapate khub socheton, ek nodor dekhlei bujhe gelen je gote rate Xu Yuanzuo ei meyer kachhe giyechilen, hashi mukhe bolen: “Jodi shikkhoker pochhondo hoy, tobe taka diye kena to thik-i ache.”
Xu Yuanzuo bujhlen je tar bhul bhabna hoyeche, bolen: “Tin hajar ta-kay ekjon Yu Linglong kena, tao meye tar labh beshi hoyeche.”
Kang Pengzu bolen: “Lokgeethe kothay ache: Taka diye malik-er khushi kena jay na! Ajker ei babshate ami khub khushi, tin hajar taka ki emon ki boro bishoy?”
Xu Yuanzuo-er bondhu Xu Yuanchun ekti khashi dilen: “Shobai toh chena-shona, keno mithya bolcho? Tin hajar taka mane tomar chhoy masher porjoton khoroch.”
Kang Pengzu bondhur kachhe lajjito hoye, mukher rong lal kore bolen: “Amra ki kono shorte lara korbo? Panch diner modhye ei taka fele dewa jabe!”
Xu Yuanzuo-er mone ekti comphon shrishti holo: Ki go, ebe ki eijonay ashol Dhaner Debota, ba bhalo babsha karok? Panch diner modhye tin hajar taka taratari kora, na ache share bajar, na ache futuars, eta ki shohoj kotha!
Xu Yuanchun to nischoy tar shonge lara korben na, Kang Pengzu ar kichhu bolte parlen na.
“Changsheng-bhai ki jua khelay khub dakho?” Xu Yuanzuo jiggesh korlen.
“Sheshob niye amar kono agroho nei.”
“Tobe panch dine tin hajar taka...” Xu Yuanzuo shobdhane bhablen.
“He he, Buddha bolechen eta bola jabe na, bola jabe na,” Kang Pengzu katha golmele kore rakhlen, dekhe elen Yu Linglong sidhi cire niche namchen, tar chokh duroti ektu fule geche.
“Shang-gong!” Yu Linglong Kang Pengzu-ke dekhe tarati pawa barali, chokhe jol shong-kole bolen: “Dhonnobad Shang-gong amake ei narkhio abostha theke bachanor jonno.”
Xu Yuanzuo pase dariye chokh ghurie nilen, mone mone bhablen: Apnara toh besh anonde thaken, tobe jawar shomoy keno eto kanna-kanna kotha?
Kang Pengzu Yu Linglong-ke tule dhore bolen: “Karon ami kam-basona tyag korte chai, ar bhablam tumi ekhane ei shadharon lokder khushi korchho, eta bhabei amar bhomish onuvhob hoto, tai tomake kine niye chole jabar shiddhanto nilam. Kintu amar barir obostha tumi jano, tomake nischoy koshtho pete hobe, tai amar onnanno byabostha ache, pore tumi bujhte parbe.”
Yu Linglong shunei bujhlen: Eta stree-bhabe nebar kotha noy. Kintu bhab-artho theke bujha jacche je Kang-shang-gong-er mone bhalo onubhuti ache, onnyo byabostha nischoy barite stree kora theke onek bhalo hobe.
Tini kannamukhe bolen: “Gharara meye ami, shobcheye nichu sthore pore achi, ar ki ba koshtho amar hote pare? Apnar jemon iccha byabostha korun, ei upokar ami konodin shodh korte parbo na!”
Kang Pengzu bhalo kaj korar ekta tripti anubhob korlen, bolen: “Taholei thik ache.”
Tokhonkar niyom onujayi, beshya meye ke biye kore bhalo ghore jete hole rate-i baire berote hoto ar ghore dhukte hoto. Kintu jokhon Kang Pengzu bolechen je tini stree hishebe nicchen na, tobe dinbelay o jawa jabe, ekta bhasha badoler moto. Shiao-mama bhoye chhilen jodi kono bipod hoy, tai tini taratari Yu Linglong-ke barate laglen, ebong dui jon chhokrake dakle bojha baibar jonno, tar shonge tin hajar taka gulo tule niye ashar jonno. (Cholto thakbe...)