Sei Jadavpur Biswabidyalaye porar shomoy theke Ishan ke chene Nandita. Ek bochhorer senior. Tyash, ahankari, ekta antel antel bhab, prothome khub ekta kharap lagto na Nanditar. Adhyapakera bhalobashten, sahapathider anekei hingse korto chhele take. R se, kaukei patta dito na. Mohilader sathe paratpakhhye kotha bolto na. University chhotorey asto, class korto, soja bari... Sei chhelei kina ekdin mobile number ta cheye boslo. Sotti bolte ki khub anando hoechilo sedin Nanditar. Ek muhurte diechilo. sei jogajoger shuru...
Sedin i ki tobe prem jomechilo mone? Sedin i ki tobe Ishan kone megh jomechilo, jeta prem hoe jhorte cheyechilo?
Uttor ta jana nei Nanditar!
... "Ei mini, oth oth, TV ta khol. Sarbanash!" Shokal sarey sattay maayer dake dharfariye bichhana chharlo Nandita. Satshokale aabar TV keno? Nije sangbadik howar subadey, Nandita jane ei shomoyta sadharonoto habi jabi khobor dekhay television channel gulo. Hoyto TV khule dekhte hobe Rakhi Sawant er naach! Kintu, maa toh eta dekhar jonno dakbena!!! Taley??? Ki holo????
Koek muhurto laglo, bedroom theke dinning e jete. Matro koek muhurto. Saharer ek number TV channel e tokhon ek bohu porichito mukher chhobi. Kintu se hothat TV te keno? Chasma ta portei ghotona ta bujhte parlo sohorer ek bohul procharito bangla dainik er taruni sangbadik ti...
TV screen e tokhon hotobak koekta mukh. Camera ta pan kore ache mukh tar dike. Mukh noy ekta chhobi. Pashei pore ache Press card ta. Ekti English dainiker naam tatey jaljal korche. Hashi mukher chhobitar dike jokhon tak kora roeche camera, tokhon i studior anchor er byaktobbo ti sunte pelo Nandita. "Aaj shokal chhota paytallish (6.45) e nijer snanghorei pawa geche New Delhir abhijato English dainik er bisesh pratinidhi Kolkatar chhele Ishan Bandyopadhyay er mritodeho. Ei ghotonake ekhoni hathya bolte raji noy Great Kailash thanar police. Police er boktobbo, manosik abasadey bhugchhilen ei tarun sangbadik...."
TV channel totokkhone phone e dhore feleche mrityo sangbadiker boss der. Shobai abak, anekei bakruddho, aneke abar camerar samnei eta ke khun bole dabi kore boschhen.
...Aar parchilo na Nandita. Chokh ta bandho korlo ek muhurter jonno, oghor theke maa o totokhone TVr samne, "Toke O kichu boleni mini? Tor sathe toh kal o bodhoy kotha hochhilo or! Tora na bolis, aami toh bujhte pari... Eta ki holo bol toh???"
Maayer katha gulo suneo jeno sunte parchhilo na. Ishan er mukhta chhokher samne bhese uthchilo. Bhese uthchilo bhorer sei barta ta, jeta na dekhei delete kore dierche se--I quit!
Quit! Quit! Quit! Ei shobto ta khub priyo chhilo tyash chheletar. Kothay kothay bolto okay, I quit. Chhere dite chaito shob. Aar etai apachhander chhilo Nandita Ray er. Ishan Bandyopadhyay ke bhalo bashleo, konodin seta samne shikar koreni Jadavpur Biswabidyalayer ei kriti chhatri. Bondhura janto, oder samparko ta love-hate goccher. Pagoler moto bhalobashto Ishan, aar Nandita??? 'Konodin sei bhabe bhabi i ni... Asholey amader kono kichhui mele na," ghonisto mohole erokomi bole berato se.
Sutorang, hote hoteo hoyni samparko ta. Ishan chesta korechilo. Tin bochhor agey jokhon Kolkata chhere Lucknow gelo notun chhakri niye, tar agey Nanditar sathe sesh dekha korechilo. Park Street er ek abhijato restaurant ey kebab khete khete se bolechilo, "dekhis, ekdin asbe jedin tuio bhabbi, bodhoy samparko ta tike jetei parto. Tokhon chesta korbi kachhe ashar, ghash, fool, pakhi shob thakbe. Aami??? Janina!!!"
Mukh bekiye, chup chap kore kebab kheye chole esechilo Nandita. Tokhon o chakrita pay ni se. Tar porer tin bocchorey anekkichui ghote geche. Ishan Lucknow jawar du maash er modhyey AnantaBazar e chakri ta holo. Ek bochhorer modhyei promotion. Senior Sub Editor. Baba transfer hoe gechen Jamshedpur e. Office theke kache hobe, ei jukti tey Jodhpur Park e notun flat kineche der bochhor agey. Motamuti Ishan chole jawar por thekei unnotir chakata ghurche. Aar desher ek prantey thaka Ishan, aaj edik, kal sedik kore berache. Lucknow te beshidin tekeni, sekhan theke Varanasi--sekhaneo tin mash. Mumbai er chakritao tar sat mash por aar bhalo lageni, sutorang thikana palte Delhi. Desh Today patrikay eta tar ek bochhor. Kintu kaaj janar fole motamuti guchhiyei niechilo se.
Saptahey antoto char din kono ek ajuhate Nandita ke phone korto. Ardhek shomoyei Kolkata theke phone ta disconnect hoe jeto, du ekta kothar porei. Tar por SMS er o uttor dite ichhe korto na Nanditar. Keno uttor debe se? Se toh konodin i bhalobasheni Ishan ke. Barbar bolechhilo, "dekho Ishan da, eta hoy na. Bekar amay jalio na. Kotobar bolte hobe tomake???". Tarporeo shoneni Ishan. Shomane jogajog rekhe geche. Besh koreche uttor deyni Nandita. Keno debe? Keno?
..."Kakima? Aami Nandita. Ei matro khobor ta pelam. Ki je bolbo khub kharap lagche... Bhabteo parini, erom kichu ekta ghote jabe. Apnara shanto hon... shokto hon," Ek niswas e kothagulo bole phone ta rekhe dilo Nandita. Apar prante Ishan er maayer gola shune nijeke aar samlate parchhilo na. Sutorang, phone chhere palayaner chesta. Ek dourey ghar e dhuke darja bandho kore dilo. Ghoritey ekhon shokal nota. Ardhek sahakarmir ghum i bhangeni ekhono. Ki korbo, ki korbo bhabte bhabtei Agnijita ke phone kore fello. Agnijita, Moumi, Sukanya aar Antara-- ei charjoner sathe sei college jiboner bondhutto. College e oder bola hoto Hum paanch. Bakider sathe jogajog na thakleo Agnijitar sathe jogajog ta aaj o atut. Ishan er sathe 'tothakotito' samparkotar sakkhi chhilo ora. Sutorang, khobor ta janatei hobe. Ring hoyei jache, birokoto hoye phone ta disconnect kore dilo Nandita.
Agnijita bodhoy ekhono ghumoche. Sangbadikata pass kore ekhon Colleger lecturer. Ekhon chhuti cholche. Tai bodhoy nidramogon. May mash holeo aaj sohorey brishti hoche. Janala diye fota fota brishti gaye porche. Bhalo lagchhena Nanditar. Ekdum bhalo lagchhena. Ishan ke se konodin i bhalo basheni. Lokjon jokhon oder couple bole khepato tokhon nijer monei gumre uthto se. Aaj tobu, tar mon kharap. SMS tar mane ta je eto jotil bhabte pareni se. I quit!
Orokom paglami marka SMS toh kotoi pathay Ishan. Habijabi. Bujhte pareni se. I wquit mane je.... Chokh ta anekkhon jala korchhilo, aar bandh manlo na. Kende fello Nandita. Keno???Porar table tar dike chokh gelo Bob Dylan er ekta boi. The Songs and Essays. Sesh jebar Boi Melay dekha hoechilo, tokhon kinechilo. Advisor??? Ghanta khanek agey prithi chhere chole jawa torun!
Cover tay Dylan er chhobita boro advut. Khali gaye guitar, thotey cigar. Prothom patay lekha 'tomake'. Konodin eto bhalo kore boi ta poreni Nandita. Aaj jeno mone holo ekbar pore dekha darkar. Anek kichu bolte ichhe korche. Ichhe korche hothat korey Greater Kailash e chhute jete. Ekbar dekhte.
Kintu keno? Se toh konodin chayni erom kichu hok. Se toh barbar i bole eseche tar byaktobbo. Samparko ta howar noy. Se toh ei tin bochhorey proti muhurtey chesta koreche Ishan ke bhule jawar. Chesta koreche tar jibon theke Ishan er somosto astityo muchher felar. Taley aaj keno erokom lagche? Keno mone hoche moner Ishan koney prem jomeche?
Sritir album gulo hothat mone porlo. Tokhon first year er chhatri. Bhirey thasa Nandan e bose No one writes to the Colonel dekhte dekhte asatarko bhabe Ishan er kandhe matha rekhechilo se. Tar uttorey tyash chheleta bolechilo, 'chhata dhorbo???' Mejaj bigre aar kothai boleni dudin. Kintu sei tyash i babar shorir kharap er somoy proti muhurtey bharsa jugieche. Ki kore bhuli?Jawar agey sesh jokhon Park Street e dekha hoechilo, tokhon o toh njie theke ektao kotha boleni Nandita. Borong tar asajhya lagchhilo kotha bartagulo. Aaj shob mone porche. Shob, dari comma, full stop shob. ...Chokh diyei asrudhara aar buker bhitortay chinchiney byatha!
... Raat 11:30. Officer bairey tay cha khete nemeche Nandita. Saradin mon bhalo nei. Ishan er mrito deho Kolkatay anbena or paribar. Delhitei seshkrityo. Ekbar mone hoechilo, phone kore oder boli ekbar ekhane ana hok oke, ekbar pranbhorey dekhi, sesh barer moto! Kintu kon adhikarey oder bolto Nandita? Kon adhikarey.
Bhadra dar chayer dokaner ultodiktay ekta boro hoarding. Aaj i bodhoy lagieche. Aalor jhalkani. Halogen e makhakahi. Ekti proshadhonir bigyapon. Catchline tay chhokh jetei chomke uthlo Nandita. "I quit!" Ekti bohujatik shampoo companyr bigyapon. Dandruff muktir upay, slogan-- I quit!
Muhurtey tal gol pakie gelo shob. Moner kone je megh jomchhilo seta ebar badh bhanglo. Tolomolo paye rastar odike dariye thaka Taxi take daklo se.... Soja bari, soja bari, soja bari... chokher jal aar chapa jachhena. Mukh gulo abchha hoye jache. Mishe jache Delhi aar Kolkata. Kaner pashe ke jeno bar bar bole jache, "I quit!" "I quit!"
*Ei galper shob choritro kalponik*
