[sa kIcaD, ko ilae bacana kao laD,ko–laDikyaaoM kI ]na TaoilayaaoM sao igalaa qaa¸ jaao vaYaa- AarmBa haonao sao pUva- AaQaI–AaQaI rat tk galaI maoM GaUmatI hu[- tar–svar maoM [-Svar sao panaI barsaanao ka AnauraoQa ikyaa krtI qaI.  Aba jaOsao ]nhIM kI vajah sao saara idna galaI maoM icapD,–icapD, haotI rhtI qaIM.

DyaaoZ,I ko drvaajao pr ifr dstk hu[-.  [ravatI nao drvaajaa Kaola idyaa AaOr ibannaI ]Qar sao mauskurata huAa Andr Aa gayaa.

"Aagao kI trf bahut kIcaD, hOÂ BaaBaI¸ maaf krnaa¸" khta huAa vah Apnao kmaro maoM Aa gayaa.  [ravatI nao ]sa pr ek iSakayat kI naja,r Dalakr drvaajaa band kr ilayaa.  ]sako isar ko baala baurI trh ]laJao hue qao AaOr kuta- pajaamaa bahut maucaD,o hue qao.  yah spYT qaa ik vah saubah ijasa hala maoM saao kr ]za qaa¸ ABaI tk ]saI hala maoM qaa AaOr Aba tk ]sao mauMh–haqa Qaaonao ka samaya BaI nahIM imalaa qaa.

"maaM¸ jaldI sao raoTI Dala do¸ BaUK lagaI hO."  ]sanao Aato hI caarpa[- pr pOr fOlaato hue AadoSa idyaa.  bacana caupcaap ApnaI jagah pr baOzI rhI.  na ]zI AaOr na hI ]sanao mauMh sao kuC kha.  kuC xaNa p`itxaa krnao ko baad ibannaI nao isar ]zayaa AaOr kha¸ "maaM¸ raoTI  , , , , Ñ"

"raoTI Aaja nahIM banaI hO¸"  bacana baaolaI¸ "mauJao @yaa pta qaa ik laaT saahba Aaja BaI Gar AayaoMgao ik nahIMÆ  rat kI raoTI maOMnao sabaoro Ka[-¸ sabaoro kI Aba Ka[-.  maOM iksa trh raoja–raoja baasaI raoTI KatI rhUMÆ iksaI tndUr pr jaa kr Ka Aa."

ibannaI hMsata huAa ]z baOza AaOr maaM ko maaoZ,o ko pasa calaa gayaa.

"yahaM tMdUr hOM khaM¸ jahaM jaa kr Ka laUMÆ"  vah baaolaa¸ "maoro ihssao kI jaao baasaI raoTI rKI qaI¸ vah tUnao @yaaoM Ka[-Æ  maorI vaalaI raoTI do  , , , , ,."  AaOr vah maaM ka GauTnaa pkD,kr baOz gayaa.

"maoro poT sao inakala lao ApnaI baasaI raoTIÑ"  bacana nao vaa@ya AarmBa ikyaa qaa maIzI iJaD,kI ko $p maoM¸ pr samaaPt krto–krto ]sakI AaMKoM gaIlaI hao ga[-.

ibannaI nao ]sakI gaIlaI AaMKoM nahIM doKIM.  vah ]z kr raoTI vaalao iDbbao ko pasa calaa gayaa AaOr baaolaa¸ "iDbbao maoM rKI haoMgaI¸ ja$r haoMgaI ."

bacana nao ]sakI najar bacaakr ApnaI AaMKoM paoMC laIM.  ibannaI raoTI vaalaa iDbbaa ilayao hue ]sako saamanao Aa baOza.  iDbbao maoM kTaora–Bar dala ko saaqa caar raoiTyaaM ek kpD,o maoM lapoTkr rKIM qaIM.  ibannaI nao jaldI sao ek raoTI taoD, laIÑ

"yah tao tajaI raoTI hOÑ "  vah ga`asa mauMh maoM zUMsao hue baaolaa.
"baaMsaI raoTI Kanao kao maaM jaao hOÑ " khkr bacana ]z KD,I hu[-.
]sanao panaI ka igalaasa Barkr ]sako pasa rK idyaa.  ibannaI nao ek GaUMT maoM gaTagaT igalaasa KalaI kr idyaa AaOr baaolaa¸ "AaOrÑ "
bacana nao igalaasa ]za ilayaa AaOr saurahI sao ]samaoM panaI ]MDolatI hu[- baaolaI¸ "laalaI ka kaD- Aayaa hO."

"AcCaÑ " khkr ibannaI raoTI Kata rha.  ]sanao kaD- ko sambanQa maoM jara ija&asaa p`kT nahIM kI.  bacana ka idla duK gayaa.  vah igalaasa ibannaI ko Aagao rKkr ibanaa ek Sabd kho Ahato maoM calaI ga[- AaOr caarpa[- pr drI Dala kr pD, ga[- ]saka idla ]Clakr AaMKaoM maoM bah Aanao kao hao rha qaa¸ pr vah iksaI trh caohra sa#t krko Apnao kao raoko rhI.  qaaoD,I dor maoM ibannaI jaUzo panaI sao haqa Qaaokr¸ mauMh paoMCta huAa Andr Aa gayaa.
"khaM hO kaD-Æ " ]sanao pUCa.
"khIM nahIM hO."  bacana nao $MQaoo hue svar maoM kha AaOr krvaT badla laI.
"Aba bata BaI do na¸ jaldI sao saba samaacaar pZ, dUM."
"saao jaa¸ mauJao kao[- samaacaar nahIM pZ,vaanaa hO."
"pZ,vaanao @yaaoM nahIM hOM¸ maOM ABaI saba saunaata hMU¸ " khkr ibannaI Andr calaa gayaa AaOr kaD- ZUMZkr lao Aayaa.  saaqa laalaTona BaI ]za laayaa.
AaQao imanaT maoM ]sanao sarsarI naja,r sao saara kaD- pZ, Dalaa.  

"BaOyyaa kI tbaIyat zIk nahIM hOM¸ "  vah laalaTona jamaIna pr rKkr maaM kI caarpa[- ko pOtanao baOz gayaa.  bacana sahsaa ]zkr baOz ga[-.  ibannaI nao gauna–gauna kr ko phlaI DoZ, pMi@t pZ,I AaOr ifr sao saunaanao lagaa.  laalaI nao ilaKa qaa ik ]saka blaDp`oSar ifr baZ, gayaa qaa¸ Da^@Trnao ]sao Aarama krnao kI salaah dI hO.  kusauma ka svaasqya Aba izk hO AaOr ]saka rMga laalaI pr Aa rha hO.  ]nhaoMnao makana badla ilayaa hO¸ @yaaoMik phlaa Gar hvaadar nahIM qaa.  AaOr baccaaoM kao vahaM sao skUla jaanao maoM BaI id@kt haotI qaI.  Aba dIvaalaI pasa Aa rhI hO [sailae baccao maaM kao bahut yaad krto hOM.  maaM kao gayao C: maihnao sao }pr hao gae hOM¸ [sailae sabaka idla maaM ko ilae ]dasa hO.

"[sa ko baad saba kI namasto hOM."  khkr ibannaI nao kaD- rK idyaa.
"yah nahIM ilaKa ik iksa Da^@Tr ka [laaja cala rha hOÆ"
"tU jaOsao vahaM ko saba Da^@TraoM kao jaanatI hO."
ibannaI nao baat Anaayaasa kh dI qaI¸ pr bacana ka )dya iCla gayaa.  ]sako caohro pr ifr kiznata Aa ga[-.
"maOM kla vahaM calaI jaatI hUM"  ]sanao kha.
"tU calaI jaayaogaI tao maOM Akolaa kOsao rhUMgaaÆ  maorI raoTI  , , , , Æ"

bacana nao ivatRYNaa sao ]sako caohro kao doKa¸ ijasaka Aqa- qaa ik @yaa torI raoTI ]sakI jaana sao jyaada PyaarI hOÆ
"tU kaOna Gar kI raoTI pr rhta hO¸ "  mauMh sao ]sanao [tnaa hI kha.  
"BaOyyaa ka blaDp`oSar kao[- nayaa tao nahIM  , , , , , "  ibannaI ifr khnao lagaa.
"tU rhnao do¸ maOM kla jaa rhIM hUM¸ "  bacana nao ]sao baIca maoM hI kaT idyaa.  k[- xaNa daonaaoM KamaaoSa rho.  ifr ibannaI  'AcCa' khkr ]z gayaa.

Agalao idna saubah hI vah 'ABaI qaaoD,I dor maoM Aa}Mgaa' khkr gayaa AaOr daophr tk laaOTkr nahIM Aayaa.  bacana ka iksaI kama maoM idla nahIM laga rha qaa.  ifr BaI ]sanao Kanaa banaayaa AaOr Gar ko saBaI CaoTo–maaoTo kama pUro ike.  ibannaI kI caaraoM–pacaaoM kmaIjaoM lao kr ]nako TUTo hue baTna lagaa ide.  ifr ]sanao ApnaI drI AaOr kpD,o ek jagah [k{o kr ilayao.  yah inaiScat nahIM qaa ik vah ]sa idna vahaM sao jaa paegaI yaa nahIM.  ibannaI saubah ]sao inaiScat kuC bata kr nahIM gayaa qaa.  yah BaI samBava qaa ik ibannaI ko pasa ikrayao ko ilae pOsao haMo hI nahIM.  maihnao kI ]nnaIsa tarIK qaI AaOr ]nnaIsa tarIK kao ]sako pasa kBaI pOsao nahIM rhto qao.  ]sa isqait maoM ]sao tIna–caar tarIK tk Apnaa jaanaa sqaigat krnaa haogaa.  vah yah BaI nahIM jaanatI qaI ik dIvaalaI kaOna tarIK kao pD,ogaI.  vah saaocanao lagaI ik [sa baIca laalaI kI tbaIyat jyaada Kraba na hao jaae.  ]sao jyaada hI tklaIf haogaI¸ jaao ]sanao ica{I maoM ilaKa hO¸ nahIM vah ica{I maoM kBaI na ilaKta.  yah pMd`h–baIsa idna yahaM sao na jaa sakI tao  , , , , Æ

tBaI ibannaI Aa gayaa.  ]sako saaqa ]saka lambao baalaaoM vaalaa daost SaiSa BaI qaa¸ ijasakI gardna baat krto hue taoto kI trh ihlatI qaI.  vah ]sakI dala ka sabasao baD,a p`SaMsak qaa. Aato hI dala kI frmaa[Sa krta qaa.  sada kI trh vao galaI sao hI ]Mcao svar maoM baatoM krto hue Aayao.

"iTkT lao Aayaa hUM¸ "  ibannaI nao Aato hI kha.  "maMgalavaaDI sao SaiSa kao saaqa ilayaa AaOr vahIM sao iTkT BaI lao ilayaa.  prntu tU ABaI tOyaar hI nahIM hu[-  , , , , ,Ñ "
"tOyaar @yaa haotIÆ  tU mauJasao khkr gayaa qaa  , , , , Æ"

"jaba rat kao tya hao gayaa qaa¸ tao saubah khnao kI @yaa ja$rt qaIÆ  Aba jaldI  tOyaar hao jaa.  daoo GaMTo maoM gaaD,I jaayaogaI.  nakd savaa baIsa Kca- krko Aayaa hUM AaOr vao BaI ]Qaar ko. "bacana kao baura lagaa ik vah baahr ko AadmaI ko saamanao eosaI baat kh rha hO.

Aagao—