dhukkatthil irukkira ovvoruvarum ovvoru vidhamaaga nadandhukolvaargal. silar thangaludaiya dhukkatthai veliyil kaattikkolla maattaargal. manadhilirukkum vēdhanaiyai patri matravargalidam pēsumpōdhu baaram kuraiyum enbadhu unmaidhaan. aanaal, ippaditthaan alladhu ivvalavu naalukkutthaan dhukkappada vēndum endru solla mudiyaadhu. kalaachaaram, subaavam, vaalkkai anubavangal, anbaanavar irandha vidham... idhaiyellaam porutthu avaravar dhukkappadum vidham vitthiyaasappadugiradhu.

anbaanavarudaiya ilappu thangalai endhalavukku baadhikkum endru silarukku theriyaamal irukkalaam. aanaal, ippadippatta sūlnilaiyil ellaarukkumē orusila podhuvaana prachinaigal varum. avai ennavendru paarkkalaam.

thavippu. piriyamaana oruvarai parikodutthavargal kadhari aluvaargal, avarai ninaitthu ēnguvaargal, avargaludaiya mananilaiyum thidīr thidīrendru maarum. adhuvum, irandhavarai patri ēdhaavadhu ninaivō kanavō vandhuvittaal, kētkavē vēndaam! aarambatthil silar, nadandhadhai namba mudiyaamal adhirchiyil iruppaargal. than kanavar tīmō thidīrendru irandhapōdhu thanakku eppadi irundhadhendru tīnaa solgiraar: “en manasu maratthuppōna maadhiri aayiduchu. ennaala alakkūda mudiyala. silasamayam nenjē adaikkara maadhiri irukkum. sariyaa mūchukūda vida mudiyaadhu. en kanavar irandhadha ennaala nambavē mudiyala.”

kavalai, kōbam, kutravunarchi. “en paiyan erik 24 vayasula irandhuttaan. adhukku appuram konja naalaa naanum en manaiviyum edhukkedutthaalum erinju erinju vilundhōm. podhuvaa engalukku indha maadhiriyellaam kōbam varaadhu. adhunaala, ‘naangalaa ippadi?’nnu engalaalēyē namba mudiyala. enga manasum urutthittē irundhuchu. enga paiyana innum nallaa gavanichirukkalaamōnnu thōnuchu” endru aivan solgiraar. aandrū enbavarin manaivi romba naal paduttha padukkaiyaaga irundhu kadaisiyil irandhupōnaar. avaraiyum kutravunarchi vaattiyadhaaga solgiraar: “kadavul ennai kettavannu ninaikkaraaru pōlirukku, adhunaaladhaan indhalavu kashtattha kodukkuraarunnu aarambatthula ninaichēn. appuram, kadavulmēla pali pōdurēnō appadinnu ninaichu manasu urutthuchu” endru avar solgiraar. mudhal katturaiyil naam paarttha kōstaas enbavar ippadi solgiraar: “en manaivi ennai thaniyaa vittuttu pōnadha ninaichu silasamayam avamēlayē kōbam varum. appuram, appadi kōbappattadha ninaichu en manasu urutthum. adhu avalōda thappu illayē.”

vēndaadha yōsanaigal. dhukkatthil iruppavargal silasamayam ēdhēdhō yōsippaargal. udhaaranatthukku, irandhavarin kural kētpadhu pōla, avarudaiya uruvam therivadhu pōla alladhu avar thangalōdu iruppadhu pōla karpanai seivaargal. avargalaal edhilum gavanam seluttha mudiyaadhu, edhaiyaavadhu nyaabagam vaippadhum avargalukku kashtamaaga irukkalaam. tīnaa ippadi solgiraar: “silasamayam yaaraavadhu enkitta pēsittu irukkarappō, en manasellaam engēyō irukkum. en kanavar irandhappō ennellaam nadandhuchunnu yōsichittu iruppēn. appuram, edhulayum gavanam seluttha mudiyaadhadha ninaichu appadiyē nondhupōyiduvēn.”

matravargalaivittu odhunguvadhu. dhukkatthil thavikkiravargalukku matravargalōdu irukka pidikkaadhu, adhu avargalukku erichalaagakkūda irukkum. manaiviyai ilandha kōstaasai edutthukkollungal. “kalyaanamaanavangalōda irukkarappō, andha idatthavittu eppa pōgalaamnu thōnum. kalyaanamaagaadhavanga kittayaavadhu sagajamaa palaga mudiyumaannu paartthaa, adhuvum mudiyala” endru avar solgiraar. maganai ilandha oru thaai (aivanin manaivi) ippadi solgiraar: “yaaraavadhu chinna chinna prachinaigala solli pulamburappō kōbam kōbamaa varum. enga prachinaikku munnaadi adhellaam onnumē illannu thōnum. silar avangalōda pillaingala patthi perumaiyaa pēsuvaanga. avangalaavadhu pillaingalōda irukkaangalēnnu ninaichu sandhōshappattaalum, avanga solradha kētkavē pidikkaadhu. naanga marubadiyum sagajamaa vaalanumnu enakkum en kanavarukkum purinjudhu. aanaalum matthavanga pēsaradhayellaam kētka engalukku aasaiyum illa, porumaiyum illa.”

udalnala prachinaigal. podhuvaaga, dhukkatthil irukkiravargalukku pasi edukkaadhu, thūkkam varaadhu, alladhu udal meliyum. oruvēlai, idharkellaam nērmaaraagakkūda nadakkalaam. ēran than appaavai parikoduttha piragu oru varushamaaga eppadi vēdhanaippattaar endru solgiraar: “ennaala sariyaa thūnga mudiyala. solli vacha maadhiri dhinamum raatthiri orē nēratthula mulippu vandhudum. appuram, appaava patthiyē yōsichuttu iruppēn.”

aandrūvukku vinōdhamaana sila udalnala prachinaigal vandhuvittana. “niraiya dhadavai daaktarkitta pōnēn. avaru ennai ‘chek’ pannittu naan nallaatthaan irukkēnnu sonnaaru. en udambu sariyillaama pōradhukku en manasudhaan kaaranamōnnu enakku thōnuchu” endru avar solgiraar. avarudaiya udalnala prachinaigal padippadiyaaga sariyaagivittana. aanaalum, avar daaktarai pōi paartthadhu nalladhudhaan. ēnendraal, dhukkappadumpōdhu nōi edhirppu sakthi kuraindhuvidalaam, ērkenavē irukkira udalnala prachinai innum mōsamaagividalaam, alladhu pudhidhaaga oru udalnala prachinai vandhuvidalaam.

avasiyamaana vēlaigalai seiya thindaaduvadhu. aivan ippadi solgiraar: “en paiyan erik irandhappō enga sondhakkaarangalukkum nanbargalukkum mattumilla, innum niraiya pērukku seidhi anuppa vēndiyirundhuchu. udhaaranatthukku, erikkōda mudhalaalikkum vīttu ōnarukkum solli anuppa vēndiyirundhuchu. sattappadi niraiya faarmgala eludhikkodukka vēndiyirundhuchu. appuram, erikkōda saamaangala ellaam paartthu, edhu vēnum, vēnaamnu mudivu panna vēndiyirundhuchu. idhellaam romba yōsichu seiya vēndiya vēlaigal. aanaa, manasulayum udambulayum konjamkūda thembē illaadha samayatthula naanga idha ellaatthayum seiya vēndiyirundhuchu.”

silarukku konja kaalatthukku piragudhaan periya savaalē varugiradhu; irandhavar seidhukondirundha vēlaigalai ivargal seiya vēndiya nilaimai varugiradhu. tīnaavukku adhudhaan nadandhadhu. “bank vēla, tholilnu ellaatthayumē ennōda kanavardhaan senjittu irundhaaru. avaru irandhadhukku appuram adhellaam en thalaiyila vilundhuduchu. ennaala adhaiyellaam olungaa seiya mudiyumaannu yōsichu yōsichē tenshan romba jaasthiyaayiduchu” endru avar solgiraar.

dhukkatthil irukkiravargalin manadhum udalum endhendha vidhangalil baadhikkappadum enbadhai ippōdhu therindhukondōm; idhaiyellaam paditthavudan, dhukkatthai samaalikkavē mudiyaadhu endru silarukku thōndralaam. aanaal, unmai enna theriyumaa? oruvarai maranatthil parikodukkumpōdhu manam valiyil thudikkum endraalum, naam endhendha vidhangalil baadhikkappaduvōm enbadhai munkūttiyē therindhukolvadhu valiyai kuraikka udhavum. ellaarukkumē indha ellaa prachinaigalum varaadhu enbadhaiyum naam nyaabagatthil vaitthukkolla vēndum. adhōdu, dhukkappadugiravargalukku thaanga mudiyaadha valiyum vēdhanaiyum varuvadhu sagajam enbadhai therindhukolvadhu aarudhal tharum.

edhai edhirpaarkkalaam? maranatthin vali nirandharam alla; kaalappōkkil adhu maraindhuvidum. adharkaaga, oruvarukku ini vēdhanaiyē irukkaadhu endrō, thannudaiya anbaanavarai marandhuvittaar endrō solla mudiyaadhu. aanaal, avarudaiya manadhilulla vali konjam konjamaaga kuraiyum. irandhavarai patriya nyaabagam varumpōdhō, thirumana naal pōndra sila naatkal varumpōdhō andha vali marubadiyum thalaithūkkalaam. irundhaalum, kittatthatta ellaarumē thangal manadhai thētrikkondu, ōralavukku sagaja nilaikku thirumbividugiraargal. dhukkatthai samaalikka avargal pangil seiya vēndiyadhai seiyumpōdhu appadi sagaja nilaikku thirumbuvadhu sulabamaagiradhu. kudumbatthil iruppavargaludaiya aadharavum nanbargaludaiya udhaviyum kidaikkumpōdhu adhu innum sulabamaagiradhu.

evvalavu kaalam edukkum? silar orusila maadhangalil iyalbu nilaikku thirumbividugiraargal. palarukku, oru varushamō irandu varushamō aagalaam. matravargalukku adhaivida adhiga kaalam edukkalaam. * “naan kittatthatta mūnu varusham vēdhanaiyila thavichēn” endru aandrū solgiraar.

ungalidam nīngalē porumaiyaaga nadandhukollungal. andhandha naalai mattum samaalikka muyarchi seiyungal. ungalai nīngalē avasarappadutthaadhīrgal. maranatthin vali nirandharam alla enbadhai nyaabagatthil vaiyungal. ippōdhē ungal vēdhanai kuraiya vēndumaa? sīkkiratthil adhu maraiya vēndumaa? aduttha katturaiyai paarungal.