সপ্তম অধ্যায়: দীর্ঘ রাত্রি (১)

"যnei jhamela be-tatei samlabe, ei bakwaaj korar kono somoy amar nei!"

Duti hat buke bandhe, orio ei kotha bollo.

Nobok ti olir kachakachi darie chhilo, tar cheharay ekhono shei bholabhola, shacharachar shobhab ta e chhilo.

"Chhoto babu, amar mone hoy ei bishoyta apnakei samlate hobe."

"Keno ami samlabe?"

Orio krodhe mushti ochiye tullo, "Amake bolo keno ami samlabe?"

Karon ektu nচু shore bollo.

"Karon atifa hocche redia maharajer bon, ebong ekhon shudhui bidroher muhurto.

Shongjogbashe chachaji ei mamla tanaatani korchen, take dekhe mone hocche tini apnake samne ante chacchen, ebong chhoto babu apni er madhyome redia maharajer dike onek drishti akorshon korte paren."

Kichukhan nirab thakar por, orio khub dukhe ebong ragito shore bollo.

"Ei shob ki tar age thekei sajano chhilo? Tini ki shotti bhaben je shobai tar ek ekta ghuti? Ami tomake bolchi karon, ajke jodi amar baba o beche thakten, tobuo ami ei ofiser baire ek pa o feltam na!"

Nobokti ekta ojib bhab dekhlo.

Kichukhan por, se tarpor bollo.

"Chhoto babu, jodi kono ghotona na ghote, tabe angiliar bibike o bodhoy shohor shongrokkhon bibhage niye jawa hoyeche."

"......"

Noboker samne orior kono shonman rakhar dorkar chhilo na, se tebil e ek chapad marlo, tarpor danter shathe dant chipe bollo.

"Ei sob choto lok gulo, tader eto shahosh je tara angiliar ke tule niye geche, ami tader ekta shooth shobdo bujhie debo!"

Se kotha ta lamba korlo, ebong kotha ghurie dilo.

"Karon!"

Nobokti matha nichu korlo, ebong uttor dilo.

"Chhoto babur ki kono adesh ache."

Orio chokh ghuriye, khub nayonotik bhabe bollo.

"Amar khide peyeche!"

"Doya kore ektu opeksha korun, ratrer khabar ekhoni toyri hoye jabe."

Nobokti ekti shabdo korlo, nuneer chular nich theke ekta chhera thole tule nilo, jar modhe shabji rakha chhilo.

Ei jinish ta dekhe, orio ektu bhuru kunchalo.

"Eta ki she eneche?"

Karon thheme gelo, ebong uttor dilo.

"Hun, binarta shamrajer shobcheye bhalo lettuce ache."

Shei jinish tar dike onekkhon takiye thakar por, orio ekta dirghashwas fello, tarpor eto durbol bhabe boro kasher ashone bose porlo, ebong gun-gun kore bollo.

"Rakmond age thekei amake shariye fela nite chay, kintu se jane na je pechoner tin gortor ashol neta ke... ebong ami take jante dite parchi na je neta ke.

Bodhoy tumi thik e bolecho, utshober din kachakachi, etei rediar ekmatro shujog."

Karon khabar banate banate shathe shathe shamil holo.

"Chhoto babu, apnar ki korar ircha ache?"

Orio matha tule akasher dike takalo, ebong alosh bhabe bollo.

"Ei byabostha ta shuru thekei bikrito, amake oi obhijatoder janate hobe kon itihasher chokol toiri korar ashol shongti ke.

Ar rediar kotha jodi bolo... tabe ta shobai tar nijer upor nirbhor korbe."

Karon hotath kore bollo.

"Rediar lokjon turin e pouche geche, oi lok gulo shanti te nei."

Orio hat nekle dilo.

"Redia khub shongbedonshil ekjon manush, se jane ki korte hobe."

Kotha bolte bolte, karon tarater khabar toiri kore feteche, ajke se baniyeche ruti ar shabjir shup.

Kintu onek dur pothe poribohon korar karone, oi shabji gulo kichuta boro hoye giyechilo.

Letruser ekta tukro kete, orio ekta dirghashwas fello.

"Onek din hoye geche ei jinish ta khai ni."

Mahadesh shobcheye purbancholer khabar shad nite nite, se tar bam hat bariye dilo, ebong table er upor halka althay aaghat korlo, shei shabdo ta chhilo talo bhongite.

Kichu shomoy aaghat korar por, shei shabdo ta ahiste ahiste table theke matite chole gelo, ta kichu shasher modhe onek gun boro hoye gelo, mone holo jeno shompoorno turin shohor ei aaghater shather shathe shur korche.

Abar kichu shomoy por, shei shabdo ta dur theke kache chole ashlo, sheshe ofiser samner choto golite ekta bonna toiri korlo.

Ofiser khola kather dorja diye, orio dekhlo je gono gono manush er chaya atomir diker dike jae, tara hochhe pechoner tin gortor beshya ebong mastan gulo.

Tutaner nam e, tara nischoy rakmond maharajer anuchit kaarkoroner karone raagiye giyechilo, tai tara nije thekei ei michil toiri koreche.

......

"Katu shonrokkhon neta!"

Ekjon shonrokkhonkari bhoy pete pete doure elo, "Amader berie feleche!"

"Tomake ke bhitore aste boleche?"

Reka tar mushti chipe dhorlo, tar dan hat rakto diye bhara chhilo, ar kachakachitei rakter modhe pore ache ekjon beshya, dekhe mone hocche se ar beche nei, ei drishti dekhle notun asha shonrokkhonkarir gaye kanta diye uthlo.

Towal diye tar mushti muche, reka ekta ththu fello.

"Kotha ta porishkar kore bolo!"

Shei shonrokkhonkari kaborte kaborte bollo.

"Ek dal beshya ebong mastan shohor shongrokkhon bibhag ke ghire feleche, tara bolche... tara chacche amra je shob beshyader dhore enechi tader shobai ke chhere dite hobe."

"Chhere dite hobe?"

Reka jhat kore table e ekta chapad marlo, tar ei chapader shathe matite dhulor chokro ure gelo, dekhe bujha gelo se khub e raagiye geche.

Se raage ofiser bhitore du bar hatlo, ekta baddha pashur moto.

"Jene rakho eta shompoorno mukhho adhyakkho maharajer ichcha! Tara kebol matro ek dal nichu jaater lok, ei nichu jaater lokgulo ki kore mukhho adhyakkho maharajer kachhe dabi janate sahosh kore?"

Reka ghuriye, oi shonrokkhonkarir dike takalo.

"Tupukh shathe nao!"

Rekar chokher bhetor khunni drishti dekhe, shei shonrokkhonkari bhoy pete bollo.

"Reka neta... apni ki korte chan?"

Rakter modhe theke shei beshyar laash tule, reka khub krodh shohare bollo.

"Ami tader janate chai mukhho adhyakkho maharajer shathe shonmukh juddher mullo koto!"

"Eta......"

Shei shonrokkhonkari tar mukh chora kore rekhechilo, dekhte dekhte reka laash ta tule durto berie gelo, tar ekta ashanti bodh hochilo, kintu tar ei ghotona bondho korar kono khomota chhilo na.

Odhakar mash ager pamelar mamlar tulonay, ajker shohor shongrokkhon bibhag ta beshi jomjomat chhilo.

"Reka neta."

"Reka?"

Reka ar shei agekar moton kachi neta chhilo na. Onek boro mamlar rohasyo bhed korar karone, ekhon se shohor shongrokkhon bibhager shobcheye shommanita neta.

Shonrokkhonkarira tar hather laash ta dekhlo, ekhonkar ei mukhomukhi obosthay, rekar kothin monobhab nischoy e ekta bhalo oushodh, tara rekake shohor shongrokkhon bibhager gate porjonto chere dilo, tarpor oi laash ta samne fele dilo.

Ei drishti dekhe, beshyara ekta chitkar kore uthlo, ar mastanra ghrina bhore rekake takiye dekhlo.

Jodi shonrokkhonkarira tupukh niye badha na dito, tabe tara oboshoy rekake jibonte mere felto.

Reka kono bhoy na peye tader dike takalo.

"Tomra pechoner tin gortor lok, prabesh onumoti chara shohor er chhoytomo golite probesh korecho, shongrokkhon bibhag niyom onujayi tomader dhore niye jayni eta shobcheye boro doya.

Ar tomra ki korcho, tomra shohor shongrokkhon bibhager gate giye ki korte chao!

Ki mukhho adhyakkho ke challenge korte chao! Naki turiner ain ke challenge korte chao!"

Shohor shongrokkhon bibhager samne bishal pradarshonkarider jonno, reka nischoy tader krodhito korchilo.

Jonotar modhe ekta ashanti shuru holo, dekhte dekhte bisforoner kachakachi chole gelo, kintu eta e reka, ebong orio chaichilo.

Se chokh chupse bollo, ar gola barie bollo.

"Ekhon deri hoye geche, tomader jaoyar jaygay chole jao, ekhane shohor shongrokkhon bibhager shanti noshto korona.

Tomra protiti minute deri korbe, ei beshyader ferar somoy ek minute kore deri hobe!"

Shei beshyar laash ta jonotar majkhane rekhai chhilo, tai rekar kothar kono mane chhilo na, borong ei lokgulo ke aro beshi raagiye tole.

"Beshya ki manush na!"

Ke jani ke hotath kore ei kotha ta bole uthlo, tarpor jonota fute uthlo.

Mastanra samner shonrokkhonkarike tanaatani korte shuru korlo, ebong beshyara tader shobai ke haraar ashol koushol khele gelo, shohor shongrokkhon bibhager raksha bhalobhala bhenge porlo.

"Tomra shobai ektu nichu jaat!"

Reka chokh boro kore takalo, se tar kachakachi shonrokkhonkarir komor theke tupukh ber korlo, tarpor matir dike ekta guli korlo.

Kanfata guli akash bhed kore chole gelo, kintu eta daridro lokguder aagrano ke rukhte parlo na, tara shighrei prothom raksha bhal bhenge felto, shonrokkhonkarira matite pore gelo, tarpor ek jon tar por ek jon pa diye chole gelo.

"Ei shob shubhash!"

Katu eto kichu shojjo korte parlo na, se tupukh ber korlo, jonotar dike guli chalalo.