প্রথম খণ্ড অধ্যায় ১৬৪ যখন সে বিদেশ চলে যাচ্ছিল, তখন সে আসলে তাকে airport-এ বিদায় জানাতে গিয়েছিল।
পৌष মাসের Iantish din, Zhou He abar ekta gathering arrange korlo.
Ebar lokjon onek beshi chilo, আয়োজন-o chilo boro, jayga ta chilo shohorer majhkane ekta high-class club-er luxurious private room-e.
Zhou He phone-e Liang Jinmo-ke bollo: “Team-er sobai eseche, ebong Chen Lin-o eseche.”
Liang Jinmo: “Chen Lin deshe fireche?”
Zhou He: “Haa, tumi shudhu bolo, asbe kina.”
Liang Jinmo prothome jawar kono plan rakhenni, kintu Chen Lin-er naam shune tar decision change kore fello.
She phone rakhar por, Xu Zhi take jiggesh korlo: “Chen Lin ke?”
She tokhon tar kolei boshe chilo, ar phone-er kotha-gulo porishkar shunte peyechilo.
Liang Jinmo bollo: “Bidesh-e porashonar shomoyer ekjon bondhu, mone ache kina jani na, ami age tomake bolechilam je jokhon oi artificial intelligence smart home competition-e part niyechilam, tokhon bidesh theke keu keu-ke sahajjo korar jonno dekechilam?”
Xu Zhi matha nullo.
“Chen Lin hocche shei byokti, she shomoy kore amake sahajjo korechilo, tarpor Amerikay fire jay. Ami bhabni she eto taratari abar deshe fire ashbe. She ekjon talented all-rounder, ekhonkar shobcheye advanced computer technology field-e, tar dkhota shob jaygay ache.” She meyer chul-gulo ektu buliye dilo, “Amar bondhu khub ekta nei, Zhou He ache ekjon, ar she ache ekjon, ajke tomake tar sathe porichoy koriye debo.”
Bujha jacche Liang Jinmo-er mood bhalo ache, Xu Zhi-er moneo Chen Lin-ke niye ektu curiosity toiri holo.
Liang Jinmo khub ekta bondhubhabapon byokti non, Zhou He je tar bondhu hote pereche, tar shobta-i Zhou He-er udjog-er karone. Tabe Chen Lin kemon? She ki Zhou He-er motoi mukhpora ba rohin-rohin keu?
Dujon-e club-e gelo, ar Chen Lin-ke dekhar por Xu Zhi bujhe gelo je tar andaj bhul chilo.
Boro private room-e onek lok chilo, keu gaan gaicche, keu golpo korche, room-er ek koney board game khele erokom aro onek kichu... onek loker ekti bheer. Liang Jinmo ebong Xu Zhi dhuktei, dorjar kacher kichu lok agei tader sathe greeting exchange korlo.
Tader shobar moto-i, tader shobai Liang Jinmo-ke “Boro-bhai” bole dake, ar Xu Zhi-ke dekhei tara shonge shonge “Boudi” bole dake.
Xu Zhi-er gal-dukhon ektu gorom hoye uthlo, tobuo she ekti mishti hashi diye respond korlo.
Tar chokh charidike ghure fira korlo, ar sheshe corner-er ekta choto bar counter-er kase giye thamlo.
Yang Xue tokhon take dekhei ni, she okhane bhab-bhongima kore ekjon khub handsome chhele-r sathe kotha bolchilo.
Chhele-tar chokh-duroti ektu mohoniya ba pranto-toya, hashle chokher kona du-ti upore uthe jay, dekhte khubi akorshoniyo lage.
Liang Jinmo Xu Zhi-er kane kane bollo: “Oi holo Chen Lin.”
Xu Zhi bollo: “Wah, tar chokh-duroti toh shotti standard mohoniya chokh.”
Liang Jinmo tar dike takiye thaklo, “Tomar ei rokom chokh pochhondo?”
Xu Zhi-er bachar ichha chilo khub probol, she tar baahu joriye dhorlo, “Na, amar bhitor-double eyelid ebong kalo tarokha pochhondo.”
Liang Jinmo ei answer-e moto-moti khushi holo.
Zhou He tokhon tader dekhte pelo, kache esche Xu Zhi-er sathe gunguniye bollo: “Tumi taratari Yang Xue-ke control koro, kono handsome chhele-ke dekhei she kache chepe geche.”
Xu Zhi bollo: “She toh shundor chhele dekhlei emon kore.”
Zhou He: “…”
She bollo: “Tobe ami dekhbo na, she amar bhai-er upor nodor rakhte parbe na. She shob shomoy Chen Lin-er pichhon chhere dicche, amar bhai eto bochhor por deshe fireche, ami du-kotha kothao bolte parini.”
Xu Zhi-er mone holo Zhou He khubi odhhub ekjon byokti, bondhu-r theke meye chine newar kotha she shuneche, kintu bondhu-r sathe meye-r nite shob shomoy jhogra korar rokom keu ke she ei prothom dekhlo.
Liang Jinmo bollo: “Cholo amra ekshathe jai.”
Tinjon-e egiye gelo. Chen Lin jokhon chokh tullo ebong tader dekhte pelo, she tokhon-i uthe dariyechilo, ebong Liang Jinmo-ke ek tin beer diye bollo: “Onek din por.”
Liang Jinmo nie nilo, ebong tar sathe glass touch korlo.
Chen Lin ektu beer khelo, ebong tar chokh Xu Zhi-er upor porlo, “Tumi ki Xu Zhi?”
Xu Zhi matha nullo, “Tumi amake jano?”
Chen Lin just kotha bolte jabe, Liang Jinmo take jiggesh korlo: “Tumi abar keno firecho?”
Chen Lin bollo: “Swwagat korcho na naki?”
Liang Jinmo: “Ponero diner modhye, tumi America theke China ele, abar America fire giye abar China ele.”
Zhou He majhe kotha bollo: “She ekta meye-ke khujte fireche.”
Yang Xue “Ah” kore ekta shobdo korlo, “Sotti naki?”
Zhou He tar mukh ektu choto korlo, “Tai tomar kono chance nei.”
Yang Xue ektu birokto holo: “Zhou He tumi ki shob bakwas bokcho!”
Zhou He ghonghniye uthlo.
Primary school-er bachader moto jhogra cholchilo. Chen Lin hashte hashte Xu Zhi-er hathe ek tin beer bariye dilo, kintu Liang Jinmo setA niye nilo, “She alcohol khay na.”
Chen Lin-er chokher konay hashi, maza kore bollo: “Tumi onek beshi protect korcho, she toh ar choto bacha na…”
Keu keu shajon-bojon kore kotha bolchilo, ebong bar counter-er kase bose porlo.
Xu Zhi khub taratari bujhte parlo je Chen Lin-o bhalo kotha bolte pare, kintu Zhou He-er moto noy; Zhou He hocche comedy kore, kintu Chen Lin besi shomoy kotha-r topic lead kore.
Tar presence relaxed kintu powerful.
Tader sathe thakar shomoy, Liang Jinmo-er kotha sadharon-er tulonay ektu beshi hoto, ebong ektu beshi relax thakto. Jodio she chup kore thakto, tobuo oi tinjon-er modhye ek rokom unspoken understanding chilo.
Bujhte parlo je Liang Jinmo-ro ei rokom bondhu ache, she take niye aro ektu beshi janlo.
Tinjon chhele kothay boslei, Chen Lin ebong Zhou He-er modhye kotha cholte thakto, ar Yang Xue kothay kothay dhukte parchilo na. Kichu shomoy por, she Xu Zhi-ke washroom jawar shonggi hote bollo.
Private room-er second floor-e washroom charao ekta choto cubicle chilo. Yang Xue Xu Zhi-ke oi choto cubicle-e tene niye gelo.
Xu Zhi-er mathay kono buddhi chilo na.
Yang Xue dorja bokh kore complain korte shuru korlo: “Tumi ki bhabo Zhou He-er kono shomosha ache? Ami ekhoni ekta handsome chhele ke dekhe du-kotha bolchi, she tar kase giye keno bolche je amar kono chance nei... amar ki kono self-respect nei?”
Xu Zhi hashte chailo, tar ki mone holo, she abar Yang Xue-ke jiggesh korlo: “Tumi ki Chen Lin-er upor fida hoye gecho?”
“Ayh, kothay ki! Tumi toh jano-i ami ei matro breakup korechi,” Yang Xue ektu depressed hoye choto sofa-tay bose porlo, “Ajke ghurte beriyechi, ami ki handsome chhele dekhe ektu bhalo mood-e ashar chesta korchi na? Tai toktu beshi kotha bollam. Dekho Chen Lin-er ei mukh, eto bhalo je dekhlei bhalo lage, kintu Zhou He ese mood nosto kore dilo, abar oi rokom kotha bollo.”
Bihisebe bondhu hishebe, Xu Zhi-o chay je Yang Xue tar breakup-er sadness theke taratari beriye asuk. She ektu comforting kotha bolte jachhilo, arotir shomoy choto cubicle-er dorjatai keu knock korlo.
Xu Zhi dorja khulle dekhlo samne Cheng Yu dariye ache.
Cheng Yu jiggesh korlo: “Ami ki Yang Xue-er sathe du-kotha bolte pari?”
Xu Zhi ektu hesitate korlo, kintu sheshe dujonke eka jayga chhere dilo. She niche namar shomoy upore uthte thaka Chen Lin-er dekha pelo.
Chen Lin take dekhe ektu haslo.
Xu Zhi notun lokjon-er samne ektu shy, kintu ini Liang Jinmo-er bondhu, ebong tar bebohar khub friendly chilo, tai she-o ektu haslo.
Chen Lin bollo: “Ami shunechi tumi ar Mo-bhai already engaged.”
Xu Zhi matha nullo.
Chen Lin bollo: “Bhalo, ami age worry kortam je she mungkin ekaki jibon katabe.”
Xu Zhi ektu shock khelo.
Kintu… Liang Jinmo-er ei rokom nature-er jonno, ekaki jibon katanota o-shombhob chhilo na.
Ei kothar ki reply debe she bujhte parchilo na, kichu second por she bollo: “Na, hobe na, ami take ekaki jibon katar dibo na.”
Chen Lin abar haslo. She shotti ekjon khub hashmukh byokti, ebong tar hashi-r ekti contagious power chilo.
She bollo: “Tahole bhalo, tar eto bochhor dhore tomake mone rakhata britha jabe na.”
Xu Zhi shock hoye gelo, “Tumi ki bolle?”
Chen Lin: “Ami bollam je tar eto bochhor dhore tomake mone rakhata britha jabe na.”
Bolar por, Chen Lin upore uthte chailo, Xu Zhi taratari bollo: “Daro, tomar ei kotha…”
She Chen Lin-er dike takiye ektu hesitate korlo, tobuo jiggesh korlo: “She… ki age tomar kase amar kotha bolechilo?”
“Na,” Chen Lin khub confirm kore answer dilo.
Xu Zhi: “…”
Chen Lin hashte chailo, “Ami prothombar tomar naam shunechilam, tokhon amra Master's prothom borshe chilam. Mo-bhai weather-er sathe adjust korte na pere shiriye giyechilo, fiver uthechilo. Class-er ek meye nijer theke care nite egiye esche, result chhilo ektu medicine ar jol debar shomoy she ghumanta abosthay ‘Xu Zhi’ bole dekechilo. Ami tokhon pashei chilam, ar dekhlam oi meye-r mukh sobuj hoye geche.”
Xu Zhi-er chokh-duroti gol gol hoye gelo, vishwash korte parchilo na.
Liang Jinmo Master's prothom borshe... koto din age erokom hoyechilo.
Xu Zhi niche namlo, tobuo tar mathar ghorani thamonni.
She chokh tullo, bheer-er modhye diye tar chokh bar counterer kase thaka Liang Jinmo-er upor porlo.
She Zhou He-er kotha shunche, tar side profile er contour khub handsome chilo. She ektu trance-er modhye chilo, mone porlo oi bochhore jokhon she bidesh jacchilo, tokhon she shotti airport-e take drop korte giyechilo.