মূল পাঠ অধ্যায় চুয়াল্লিশ কালো পোশাকধারী ব্যক্তি
বলAsli, tei gaur gela!
ei chheleta ajke paglami korchhe naki? abar amader akromon korchhe? ar esei sotti rupe samne ese sora-sori mrittu-akhromon korchhe!
gao liang-er protiyikriya chhilo khub druto, kono bhul nei, matha nichu kore body bend kore, sap-er mukh-er nich diye goliye gelo, body ghurie nite na nite-i, lathi ba hater stick ba-hater mudra bame baniye, bam dike ghurie dilo, sap-er shorir-er upor akromon korlo.
liu si jokhon dekhlo je tar akromon biphol holo, ar protipokkho palta akromon koreche. matha ghurie, ekta druto ghuroni diye, tar lej o ghurie dilo, gao liang-er ei akromon theke beche gelo.
gao liang-er pichone-i chhilo huang jian, liu si-r ei dragon-er lej ghurano, se kichui bujhe othe ni, sohasor sap-er lej diye akromonto holo, "puf" kore akta matha diye dane gajpalar jhop-er modhye dhukiye gelo.
liu yu lan eta dekhe, mridu rag kore samne agte jachhe. ami tar chhoto hath-ta tene dhorlam:
"amake bolo, amari tri-lok drishti ba sanjog theke bachte, amake auro-gondho ba aloukik shokti dekha theke rokha korar kono upay ache ki na?"
emon korar karong holo amar kache notun kichu dhora poreche.
sekhanei liu si-r matha ghurabar somoy, ami dekhechilam tar mathar pichone ekta talisman ba mantra-potro lagano ache! amar shondeh hochhilo je liu si-ke niontron kora hocchhe, keu jene-bujhe tar aloukik shokti gopon koreche, ekhane amader chupisare akromon korar jonno.
liu yu lan bujhte pareni ekhon keno ami eto obak kora prosno korchi:
"ki?"
"beshi prosno koro na, taratari bolo!"
ami chilla-m, chillanor pori amar kharap laglo, mone mone bollam ami bhul korechi, ar kono din evabe chillabo na, sathe sathe abar swabhavik shore fire gelam:
"gao liang kichu khon theke thakte parbe, tumi taratari amake bolo, aloukik shokti ba auro gopon korar kono upay ache ki na?"
liu yu lan bollo:
"upay anek ache, jemon... amar bhut-pret baddhor jhola-r modhye dhukiye dewa."
eta nishchit kore, amar mone sahosh aro bere gelo, liu yu lan-ke hath diye ishara korlam, tar kan kache ashte bollam. liu yu lan jokhon dekhlo amar mukh gombhir, se agiye elo.
ami jokhon tar sadha gola, sundor chul dekhlam, amar buker bhitor dhop dhop kore khape laglo, ekhon kintu mon bhangale cholbe na, ami sathe sathe shas niye tar kaner kache feshfesh kore bollam:
"keu liu si-ke niontron korche, tumi giye tar gola theke talisman-ta khule nao, ami mantra-data ke khujte jachhi."
liu yu lan shune, matha tule liu si-ke ekbar dekhlo, bujhe gelo, amake matha nede sommotota janalo, ghurie liu si-r dike akromon korlo.
etar sathe sathe, dane gajpalar jhop theke huang jian-er chillar awaj elo:
"ami jiqing shohor-er asli huang jian! samner sap-er bhoot shuniyerakho, tumi charidike gherao hoye gecho! ami chai tumi akromon bondho koro, taratari atmosomorpon koro!"
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ami obak hochhilam, huang jian keno protibar ei dhoner kono labh chara dhamki dei?
bhable take dosh dewa jay na, se ekjon desk-job kora bhuter karmachari, tar sotti kono juddho korar shokti nei, se shudhu pashe dariye sahosh jogate pare.
akhon liu yu lan-er sathe feshfesh kore kotha bolar somoy, ami charidiker poribesh bhalo kore dekhe niyechilam.
amader hata pathor-er chhoto rasta, du pasher chhoto gajpalar ber diye ghera, ekhane manush lukanor kono jayga nei. tar baire ghas-jomi. gajpalar ber-er pashe, kichu meter ontor ontor gol kore kata boro gajpalar jhop sajavar jonno chhilo.
amar drishti shobche kachher oi gol gajpalar jhop-er upor porlo, ekhoni liu si shekhane thekei auro ba aloukik shokti niye beriyechilo. take je niontron korche, se o shekhane-i lukiye ache!
age gao liang liu si-r sathe larae koreche, pray soman soman hoyechilo, kintu ajke liu si asol rupe eseche, shokti ar goti anekgun bere geche, kichu akromon-er pori gao liang niche pore gelo.
liu yu lan lafiye othar sathe sathe, ami chenghuang mandir-e toiri kora pacho-vajra talisman ber korlam, "shash" "shash" "shash" kore gajpalar jhop-er dike tinte talisman ek sathe chalalam.
ei tinte talisman-er shokti thotka ba baajir moto, karo khoti korar jonno noy, porikha korar jonno.
keu bhabeni je amar talisman ber houar sathe sathe, gajpalar jhop-er bhitor theke ekta awaj elo:
"taratari ajna palon koro! jao!"
tarpor ekta talisman gajpalar pichon theke bere elo, soja liu yu lan-er dike chole gelo!
tar lokkhyo ki liu yu lan chhilo!?
thik, amader modhye shobche boro yoddha holo liu yu lan, age akromon kora bhalo, ami holeo eta-i bachtam.
age liu yu lan-ke akromon korte dekhechilam, mone hoy se pa-er kaj khub bhalo jane, lafiye manushke laithi marte pochondo kore. ajkeo tar byatikrom holo na, lafiye onek opore uthe, liu si-ke laithi marlo.
kintu opore uthe gele, firose asar kono jayga thake na.
gajpalar pichon theke asha talisman-ta take akromon korche dekhe, amar mone ghor anushotap elo! kharap holo! keno age eta hishabe dharini?! amar liu bon jodi ahoto hoy, tabe amar mon-ta
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sotti proman holo, amar bhoy paoa abritho chhilo. se jodi banyer pori, shokto shadhona biartha jayni.
alo ar agun-er shohor-er moto, dekhlam se akashe ekta pak nile, force kore liu si-ke mara dan pa tule nilo, tarpor bam pa diye akta dhaka dilo!
oi talisman-er goti druto holeo, tar ei pa-er dhaka kheye, shathe shathe dik poriborton korlo, dane gajpalar wall-er modhye pore gelo.
"dhom" kore akta awaj holo, agun-er srot beriye elo.
"aok" kore ekta kannar awaj, huang jian abar ure gelo...
etar sathe sathe, amar pathano tinte talisman o gajpalar modhye fete gelo.
piti-piti... pata-pata...
ei shokti, onner pathano talisman-er sathe tulonay khub choto laglo. kintu jekhababei hok, gajpalar modhyer lokta ke bhoy pakhiechilo, gopon jayga theke lafiye beriye elo.
liu bon eto bhalo dekhe, amar mone shanti elo, abar tinte baaji-talisman ber korlam:
"taratari ajna palon koro! jao!"
tinite talisman alada alada kore op-er matha, buko ar phet-e marlam.
protipokkho talisman ghurte dekhe, pashe ghurie gele, beche gelo.
piti-piti... pata-pata...
amar pathano talisman gadi baajir moto holeo, lokke bhoy dekhate perechilo, kompokhe se ghurie amar ei tinte talisman theke beche gelo, liu yu lan-ke ar akromon korar somoy pelo na, eta tar jonno somoy kete gelo.
liu yu lan ar liu si-r dujoner modhye onek byabdhan chhilo, ei matro muhurte, se haath bariye liu si-r golar talisman khule nilo. liu si shathe shathe hosh haralo, "shu" kore ardho-manush hoye, matite pore gelo.
gao liang dekhe, samanno bujhe geche ki hoyeche, ar akromon korlo na, liu si-r diker obostha thik hoye geche.
ami ektu age gajpalar modhyer loktar shokti dekhechilam, tar pathano talisman-er shokti vison boro, baire urekhewa huang jian matite chuloni hoye pore ache, jibon ki mrittu jana nei.
ekhon ar take ditiyo talisman baaji marte dewa jabe na!
chhoyti baaji-talisman shesh, ebar ditiyo baaji-r shokti dekho:
"taratari ajna palon koro! jao!"
protipokkho sposto-i amar prothom chhoyti baaji-te pagol hoyechilo, ei talisman-er shokti kom bhabechilo, samne talisman ashte dekhe, dan haath tule ekta ghusi marlo, se ebar sojasoji nite chacche.
"dang!"
awaj ki shundor! duyan ki boro!
duyan mile gele, amar protipokkho-r mukh kalo, du haath samne baddho, bam haath diye dan haath-er kohni-ke gopon korche, mone hoy dan haath khub byatha peyeche, eta amar talisman-er shokti-r mullo dite hochhilo.
"tumi ke? kaj-er nombor koto? kon bibhag-er?!"
take prosno korte dekhe, ami bhalo kore take dekhlam, shundor chehra, jodio mukh kalo hoye geche, kintu bujha jacche chehra bhalo. chul-er style bujha jacche na, baaji-te kore chul shabuj ba ki jani hoye geche.
ek mitor aath-er moto shorir, kalo shundor poshak poreche. ei saj, mone hoy kono boro lok-er bodyguard.
se keu hok na keno, ami abar labh peyechi, mone ar anondo dhore na:
"shorab bibhag, kaj-er nombor baro-sho-tir! haha!"
se prothome obak holo, tarpor bujhe gelo ami rasta diye bhul bokchi. tarpor ar kotha bollo na, ghurie charidiker obostha dekhlo, gao liang, liu yu lan ar ami, tin-er biruddhe ek, obostha tar biruddhe jacche.
dekha gelo se ghang-guri kore, bam haath theke ekta holud saya amar dike chole elo.
shesh! je bhabe dubechilo, shei bhabe ferot, ei chheleta amar mukh-eo ekta talisman pathalo.
ei talisman jodi amar mukhe lagto, tabe amake plastic surgery korate hoto. amar mone elo, zhou xingchi-r kotha "bhagobanshe ami taratari mukh rokkha korechi, amar shundor chehra beche geche." tai taratari du haath tule mukh rokkha korlam, tarpor chokh bondho kore, plastic surgery-r opekha korlam.
mathar upor dhom kore awaj, kane bhom-bhom awaj holo. chokh khule dekhlam, samne ekta shundor pa... lal rang-er juta
-- bhagobanshe liu yu lan taratari eseche, talisman-ke laithi mere feliye diyeche.
"tumi thik acho to?"
liu yu lan oi lamba shundor pa tule nilo, amake jiggesh korlo.
"thik achi!"
matha tule dekhlam, amader akromon kora lokta amar baaji-r chul-er moto chul niye, khub druto park-er baire doure jacche.
ei chheleta obostha bhalo bujhe, shobai thake amar shokti shobche kom dekhe, amar mukh-er talisman ekta fanki chhilo, nijer sujog niye paliye jacche.
kintu tar shorir khub bhalo, shosha-r moto druto dourare, gao liang tar pichone doura-o, goti-te kono labh pache na. ami jantam gao liang tar protipokkho noy, pichone gele khoti hobe, taratari chilla-m:
"gao liang douro na! taratari fire aso!"
ei chheleta kotha shunbe keno? ektu por doure hariye gelo.
"liu bon, taratari gao liang-ke sahajjo koro, se oi chheleta-r protipokkho noy!"
liu yu lan bhranto-shudhyo, ami kotha shesh korar agei doure chole gelo.