অধ্যায় ১৬০: মৃত্যুর মুখ থেকে বেঁচে ফেরা

খubraï shighrei oñraûnhgulo amaûra amar shorire chole elo, ebong amar mukhe kamre dhorar cheshta korte laglo.
Ami sheshe oi dhuhorāṅg-er kothar mane bujhte perechilam...
Tara amar chokh duṭi kete ber kore nilo, kan duṭi kete fello... ami eneki shunte pachhilam tara kibhabe amar har gulo chebe khecchhe...
Prāya adha ghoṇṭa dhorar por, amar chetona firiye elo shei ghorer guhaye.
Tokhon amar shorir theke gham jhorchhe, shei mroṅ-r̥t ba meṅ-juāṇ ṭi tokono fãser upor bhese berachhe, mathar thikthikana prāy shes howar doshaye.
Shei obhūto lal alo abar amar shorire giye amake gile khete laglo, ami abar shei obhūto oñraûnhgulo dvāra khadito hote laglo.
Bar bar shei oshojjo jontrona, jokhon ami abar chokher dristi firiye pelam, tokhon eṭi chhilo biṅshoti-bar. Ami kuḍi bar-er beshi bar jibito abosthaye kauke kheye felar jontrona bhogechi...
Matha prāy obhashi hoye giyechhe, chokher dristi fike hoye eshechhe, chokher jol ar thamar nam nitchhe na.
Moner modhye shudhu ekṭi chintā chhilo, ami more jete chai...
Jani na eta ar koto khon cholbe, jani na ei bhabe ar koto bishramhhin bhabe cholte thakbe.
“Ei shob tumi hate merecho... tomar pather rin. Ami bolechilam, tumi eboho-bhare nite parbe na.” Dhuhorāṅg-er mānushṭi pashe dariye thāṇḍā surye amake bollo.
Ami kobe eto gulo mānushke merechhe? Kom kore holeo shokataane oñraûnh amar shorir kheye gechhe...
Ei bhabe, bar bar ghurfeere, amar ar monei nei byatha na thakar anubhutī ki, koto yug jeno kete gechhe, mone shudhu ekṭi bisshash chhilo ta holo amar o-dekha baba-ma, ebong Lei Laohu, Song Zhaolin, ebong Jian Ning.
Nabborer beshi bar eto shohor kora, ebar firiye peye chokh muche matha nere bollam “Ami shojhyo korte parchi na... shojhyo korte parchi na.”
Dhuhorāṅg-er mānushṭir chokhe tokhon ektu bishmoy dekhā gelo, amake uddeśye kore bollo “Ebar shesh howa uchit chhilo.”
Dhuhorāṅg-er mānushṭir kotha shune, ami abar chokh firiye takalam shei bhese thaka meṅ-juāṇ ṭir dike. Ei meṅ-juāṇ-er bairer obhūto lal alo shob shorai mile giyechhe...
Ebong meṅ-juāṇ ṭi ekṭi kalo dhum-er pinde roopantorito hoye, amar bhrumodhyer dike uriye elo. Shudhu mone holo shorirṭi thāṇḍā hoye gache, nijei abar gurutwo anubhov korchhe.
Dhuhorāṅg-er mānushṭi bhese thaka bhabe pora amake dhorlo, tokhon amar shorire kono shokti nei, shob shokti shes, akhon amar shorir ekṭi mrityu-shorirer shathe kono parthokyo nei.
Meṅ-juāṇ-er kaalo dhum amar mathaye abar aghat korte laglo.
Shudhu durbolotar anubhutī ashe, chokher pata ghumay bondho hoye jachhe, abocheton howar age, shunte pelam dhuhorāṅg mānushṭi birokhir moto bolchhe “Ei chheler shobhab tar bapar moto, mone hochhe mṛityupuri te biplob aste cholechhe.”
Ei kotha shunar por, chokher samne shob andhakar hoye gelo, ami ek nimishe abocheton hoye pore gelam.

Obocheton howar ekṭi muhoûrte, mathar modhye ekṭi gombhir, bhorpur abaj elo. “Meṅ-juāṇ holo Fengdu Dadi-r tairi ghuptobidya o bhoot-shashtro-er milone toiri hoiyache. Ei granther aṭṭi adhyay ache, yebhabe apan adhyay, shram adhyay, pran adhyay, aaghat adhyay, duḥkha adhyay, shobha adhyay, mrityu adhyay, bhoy adhyay. Protiti adhyay manober aṭṭi nali ba pathke unmochon kore. Pran adhyay porjyonto sadhana korle, mṛityupuri te mukto bhabe jaowa jaay. Aṭṭi adhyay shesh korle, akasher shathe ayush, akash-pātāle shob kichu shombhob.”
“Meṅ-juāṇ-er sadhanar mool holo bhoot-shokti. Ebong bhoot-shokti holo bhoot-er bishwash-er shokti, bishwash-er shokti যত beshi hobe, bhoot-shokti toto beshi hobe, sadhana sohoj hobe. Chhele, pore kono kichu bujhte na parle amake jiggesh korbe.”
Ei abaj shune, moner jore nije ke shonalo, “Tumi ke?”
“Ami-i meṅ-juāṇ.” Purano abaj amar mathar modhye beje uṭhlo... “Thik ache, tumi akhon bishram nite paro.”
Tar kotha jeno jadu-r moto, tar abaj shunei ek nimeshe ami poropoori abocheton hoye gelam...
Age shona kothata shotti, ei meṅ-juāṇ shadhana korle chirokal jibito thaka jaay, kintu tar bolar bishwash-er shokti abar ki jinish...
Abocheton abosthaye, ami shob shomoy Jian Ning-er dakar abaj shunte pelam...
Jani na koto shomoy kete gechhe, amar shorire abar alpo jibon anubhutī elo, angul gulo naṛar cheshta korlam.
Thik shei shomoye, pash theke ekṭi anondo-r abaj elo “Lei-bhai, Lei-bhai, she jegeche... she jegeche...”
Ami koshto kore chokh khulam, dekhlam Jian Ning uttejonay pasher mānushke bolchhe.
Kichu khoner modhye, kothin porichito mukhgulo amar samne elo, Lei Laohu, Song Zhaolin, ebong ek dol Huangquan-er mānush samne chole elo.
“O Fengbhai, tupi jegecho?” Song Zhaolin eṭi chhele amake dhore fello, tarpor jore amake kono gale dhore joriye dhorlo.
Tar ei bhabe dhortei, amar shorir chire jaowar moto byatha korlo... ami ekṭi karun chichkar diye uṭhlam “Orey bābā... byatha! byatha! tumi amake mere felbe naki re.”
“Hāhā, bhabechilam tupi more gecho.” Song Zhaolin amar kothay kachhe kaaror poroyaa korlo na, amake tultulaite laglo, majhe majhe amar piṭhe thopṛate laglo.
“Song Zhaolin, na... na... emon koro na, tumi to Xiao-bhai ke byatha diye dile.” Jian Ning chinta-kto mukhe Song Zhaolin ke alaada korar cheshta korlo.
Asol bou ki ar alada! Bou ki bhalo kore svāmī ke bhalobashe... byatha peleo, Jian Ning-er kotha shune mone holo madhu kheyechi.
“Hehe, bhaubou, tumi chinta koro na. Ei chhele biḍal-er moto, noṭi pran ache, more na. Ki bolo?” Song Zhaolin bolte bolte amake thopṛate laglo.
“O, tui ek paapi Song, ami shorir firiye pelei tuke shesh kore debo.” Song Zhaolin-er ei bhabe gola-goli te mone holo amar shorir bhenge poṛbe.
“Hehe, shokti thakle akhon amake maro.” Song Zhaolin amake chhaloni dekhiye uddeśye korlo.
Paṭh, Lei Laohu kono doya chara Song Zhaolin-er mathar pichhone ekṭi baor-leli diye bollo “Ami tuke niye shadhona korbo naki?”
Song Zhaolin lajjay hashi diye, hath nere mana korlo. Tarpor Lei Laohu amake uddeśye kore bollo “Feng Xiao, kemon acho? Meṅ-juāṇ peyecho?”

Ami tader samne matha nere bollam “Amra kothay achhi? Oi mānushgulo amader khujte ashe ni?”
Lei Laohu amake bollo, ami ghupto-guhay dhokar por, samogrik pahar bhẽge poṛte shuru kore, bhalo je ei manchoṭi shokto chhilo, tara pranpone mṛityupuri-r path ke bondho korechhe.
Kintu tara pray shob bhoot-shokti shesh korleo, ami ber hoi ni. Tokhon Huangquan-er pahrader buro buro mānushṭi ber hoye, tader shobke ekbar e benge ber kore niye gelo.
Huangquan-er onyo ekṭi path diye ber kore, tader shorir firiye dite sahajjo korlo. Lei Laohu amara Huangquan pahrader jiggesh korlo amar obostha ki...
Buroti matha nere bollo bicha-mukh-er byapar. Eto shottuo, Lei Laohu amader mrityu mane ni. Tai ekhane opekkha korechhe, teen din por, Jian Ning amake ber kore niye elo.
Tara bollo sobai Jian Ning-er jonyo, amake guha theke khure tulechhe... buro mānushke khuje amake ber korechhe. Na hole amader jibon rokkha kothin chilo.
Ebong akhon ghupto-guha khola, roktim kuashao shesh. Bairer mānushgulo eshe porchhe. Jodi oi kulin pari-gulo amake dekhe fele, tabe amar mrityu nishchit.
“Tumi ei meyeṭir jonyo bhalo korbe, dekho tar hath.” Lei Laohu bolte bolte Jian Ning-er hathe ishara korlo.
Jian Ning nijei hathe ghoṇṭi diye lukate cheshta korlo, ami byathay kãdor moto obhinyoy korlam, jate je kono shomoye pore jabo.
Jian Ning ta dekhe tarataari hath bariye dharte cheshta korlo, ami tar hath duṭi chupi-chapi dhore fellam. Tar hath dekhe amar mon ṭi keu jeno kede fello...
Tar hath duṭi bhyabte beṇṭhi diye bandha chhilo, tobuo benṭhir upor roktim chihno bhese uthechhe.
Ami Jian Ning ke buke joriye dhore, bollo “Dhonnobad...”
“Xiao-bhai, eto mānush samne.” Jian Ning-er mukh lalkar hoye gelo, amake alpo ṭhele dilo.
Ami shroddhay tar mathay hath buliye dilam, mone mone sthir korlam, she-i amar asol chokh-bhenu... tarpor Lei Laohu ke jiggesh korlam “Amra ekhane niropod to? Oi kulin pari-gulo akhon kothay?”
“Oi murkhogulo akhon guhay ache, akhon guhay shob jaygay ghum-bhoot ebong sena rayeche. Tara jani na meṅ-juāṇ ar ekhane nei.” Lei Laohu hashi diye amake bollo.
“Tumi akhon kemon acho? Hãt-te parbe?” Lei Laohu amake jiggesh korlo.
Ami Lei Laohu ke matha nere bollam, Lei Laohu tarpor bollo “Akhon ekhane nirapod noy, ekhane mānush onek beshi. Amader sheshte hobe, Huangquan-er buro mānushṭi ekṭi mithyate meṅ-juāṇ rekhechhe. Akhon tara nije nije kamrakamri korchhe, keu tomar upor shondoho korbe na. Tobuo amader tarataari chole jaowa uchit, amader dol ṭi onek boro, tara dekhle byapar be-bhalo hobe.”