অধ্যায় একশত চুয়াল্লিশ: অভিজাত বংশের কন্যা

লেখall-table-er upore rakha beshirbhag jinish-i chhilo kamiyuz-er shakha paribareer aarthik bay ebong mandir sanskareer kharoch.

table-er upore kitagawa teru sei samayer kagura-suzu ghotonar shuru theke shesh porjonto khuje pan.

bibaho shuddhi anusthan-er beshirbhag tyari kore chhilo kamiyuzu shakha paribar, ebong tara-i sei jubokke hatya korechhilo.

hatya kora purush-er nam chhilo asaoka shizhi, ebong atmashohoniye hote chawa purohit nariki (witch) chhilem kamiyuzu rina.

shei somoyer bibaho shuddhi anusthan rina kiyechhilen asaoka shizhi-er jonno, ebong shei shomoye-i shizhi rina-er gombhir ebong pobitro cheharay akrishto hoyechhilen.

tar porer koyek din dhare, tara protidin ratre joler mandirer baire dekha korten.

kintu ei purush o narir protiti kaje ki kore kamiyuzu-er mukhya o shakha paribareer chokh eraoy?

kamiyuzu shakha paribar shei purushke patalkhep-e niye giye hatya kore, kintu tarporer puja-parboner karone shob deho jol dubiye soriye fele niye jaini.

keu kokhono bhabeni je tar porer ghotona hishebe kagura-suzu ghotona ghotbe.

jokhoni kitagawa teru aro niche porar jonno prastut hochhilen, tokhoni tar hat-er goti ekdom stobdho hoye gelo, tarpor kantsure hate niye, tini ekta pankezi diye ghuray daralen ebong kantsure-er dharalo dhar diye pichoner batasher dike hat chaliye dilen.

sekhane, ekta atma bikrito hoye bastob roop dharon korar chesta korchhilo.

phuch—

kantsure chole gelo, purohit-er pretatma ekta akranto awaj kore abar andhakarer modhye phire gelo.

kitagawa teru sekhane-i shokto hoye onekkhon dariye thaklen, tarpor abar charidike chokh buliye dekhlen je protipokkho sotyi-i chole geche kina, tarpor tini kantsure tule nilen.

kintu tar chokhe tokhoni chilo ghor obojhapaner chhaya.

ei purohit-er pretatma take dekheo akromon korlo na, eta sadharon pretatmar niyomer sathe ekdom-i milchhe na.

“eta ki shombhob je kamiyuzu mandireo 'kaname-ishi'-er moto kono jinish ache ja pretatmake chapaye rakhe?”

jeno magimiya eise-r shurute onk apeksha chhilo, kintu kaname-ishi-er madhyome chapa thakay ta ar pretatmay rupantarito hoyni.

jodi kamiyuzu mandireo emon kono jinish thake, tobe ki rina-er modhyeo kichhu ta bodhshakti baki thakar shombhobona ache?

jodi sotyi-i emon mon shanto rakhar moto kono jinish theke thake, tobe eta bujhte khub ekta asubidha hobe na.

tobu kitagawa teru-er pretatma somporke jnan khub kom, beshirbhag niyam tini nijei tule niyechhen, system theke kono sanket dewa hoyni.

jodi o ekhane kichhu byatikrami pretatma thakte pare, tobe sadharon niyamgulo ababohid bhabe thik ache.

jodi sakura yuki-er shomoye emon sahajyo korar moto upokoron thakto, tobe ki tini doya korte parten?

e shob ekhono porishkar noy.

kitagawa teru eta niye khub ekta matha ghamalen na, er cheye porer bar jokhoni purohit-er pretatma ashbe, tini age tar ghotonaprobah dekhe tarpor byabostha neben.

tini table-er jinishpotro abar ulte dekhlen, ebong sokol drawer gulo khule felen.

bhul kore fele dewar cheye kichhu ekta chere dewar cheye bhule akranto korar bhabe, tini sheshe ekta purono dalil khuje pelen.

kamiyuzu mukhya paribar shayto rakhe ei dhoroner lal dori diye bandha mandirer dalilgulo, onnanyo dalilpoter tulonay ei dalilgulo khub shohojei chinha jay.

‘kamiyuzu shakha paribar, patalkhep.’
‘kamiyuzu shakha paribareer patalkhep hocche kamiyuzu mukhya ebong shakha paribareer sommilito byaboharer jaig.’
‘patalkhepe pran-er shasti shob kichhu 'batsu-me' (shashtipradan-kari nari) diye niyontron kora hoy.’
‘jodi kono opobitrata ba shanti jugol thake, tobe take patalkhepe pathate hobe, ebong batsu-me tar opobitro roktoke shuddho korbe, shuddho rakhar rokte jugoler poriborte shuddho roktoke byabohar korte hobe, porimano jotheshto hote hobe, jugoler jibon-mrityu niye kono prosno thakbe na.’
‘ki opobitrata?’
‘je nirdoy prem pokhe rakhe se opobitro.’
‘pribhibir proti je beshi asokto se opobitro.’
‘shanti jugolke shob shomoy nije der shuddho rakhte hobe.’
‘opobitho howa jabe na, malin howa jabe na.’

“batsu-me?” kitagawa teru shabdo ti ucharon korlen.

‘batsu’ shabdo ti purono japaner bhashay ‘batsu’ (shasti) er sathe mele.

mane hocche, ei batsu-me mukhyoto shasti ebong shanti jugoler byapari gulo parichalona kore.

batsu-me hocche ekta nirapottar dhal, jodi shanti jugol sahajyo kore ebong kono opobitro kaj na kore, tobe rokte shuddho korar anusthaner dorkar nei. kintu shanti jugoler jodi kono opobitrata thake, tobe sei anusthan ti se-i porichalona korbe.

keron keu-i nije theke nishchit korte pare na je protiti projonmer shanti jugol thik thakbe, tai batsu-me-er astitto ekdom swabhavik.

ebong ei dalil-er bhabe kitagawa teru-er mone onno ekta ghotona aslo—

magimiya toyuko-er dairy.

kitagawa teru tar nijer notebook ber kore flashlight-er alo diye lekha gulo porlen.

“mazi keno paliyechhilo?”
“ar tara ki kore eto kichhu korlo?”
“onek rokto, onek rokto! mazi ki bhalo thakbe? sotti ki bhalo thakbe?”
“keno eta korlo?”
“mazi-er kasto hochhe, ami bujhte parchi, mazi se...”

er porer dairy entry—

‘showa 40 saler 10 August.

ami nurse didir kachhe theke ekta kolom dhar niyechi, amar notebook-ti kachhe niye bed-er pashe boshechi.

ajker abohawa onek thanda, hoyto ami onek rokto hariyechi bolei?

shei... shei kajer ki kono mane ache?

ami sheshe bujhte perechi mazi keno tokhoni paliyechhilo, jodi eta chole thake, tobe hoyto ami-o more jabo.

mazi, ami hoyto tomar kachhe aschi.

kintu ki korbo, jodi baba o ma bolechhen—’

ekhan theke bujha jacche je magimiya toyuko hoyto magimiya eise-r ager projonmer shanti jugol hishebe chhilem.

atiter satya samne aschhe, kitagawa teru abar tar chinta gulo sajalen.

prothome magimiya toyuko-er lekha theke bojha jacche.

ei kamiyuzu mazi hoyto anusthaner somoy paliyechhilo.

ebong ei kaj ti kamiyuzu mukhya paribarer kachhe ‘opobitro kaj’ chilo, tai kamiyuzu paribar tar rokto niyechhe, tarpor batsu-me diye rokte shuddho anusthan koriyechhe.

daliler niyam onujayi, rokte shuddho anusthaner somoy rokto porimane thakte hobe, jate porer kono gurutwo purno anusthan thikmoto shonghatit hote pare.

ar kitagawa teru kinoshita yu-er videotaper rakto-rakto pathorer table ti mone korlen.

ekhanei hoyto gurutwo purno anusthan gulo hoto.

magimiya toyuko oboshsyei sekhane anusthan korechhilen.

“kintu magimiya toyuko bachiye chhilen, ekhane mone hocche shei anusthan-i shanti jugoler mrityu ghotay na, kintu kamiyuzu mazi beshi kaj korechhe, nishedh mene chole ni, tai batsu-me tar beshi rokto niye feler karone se mara geche.”

kamiyuzu shakha paribareer nicher patalkhepe guptogriho ache, sekhane hoyto kitagawa teru-er shob prosner uttor paowa jabe.

“fuler baganer pasheo jete hobe, patalkhepeo khujte hobe.”

ei duiti lokkho thik kore, kitagawa teru daliltike jotno kore rekhe dilen ebong bar bar nishchit hoye je ar kono dolil nei, tini ei ghor theke beriye gelen.

study room-er pashei chilo mukhyor basbhavan, sekhane chader chhaad bhenge giyechhe, onek dalilpote pokama porar karone ebong mold lagay lekha gulo bojha jacche na, ar nishikujo kakario kono kichhu khuje pan ni, tai kitagawa teru ar samoy nosto korlen na mukhyor basbhavane.

tarpor tini 1st floor-er entryway-te jabar chinta korlen, sekhane sohasoi courtyard-er dike jaoyar rasta thakar kotha.

ebong patalkhep-e jabar rasta khujar jonno, tini aboshsyei 1st floor-e jaben.