Numei-pasal’ ki-itna a puukmi’ a ding in a it mahmah nu hiam pa hiam mi dang toh ki-it mahmah a om tuh thil thuakhak pente lak a khat ahi. Gam-le-nam itna a puukmi’ a ding in akiim-apaam a a kikhingpih namte’n khantouhna a amakhelh uh tuh thil thuakhak pente lak a khat ahi.

Haksatna in mithupi asuangkhe zel a, nam adia manpha thu-le-late apiangsak hi. India in Britishte’ khutnuai a om haksa asakna in Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose leh mithupi tampi asuangkhia a, Rabindranah Tagore leh midang tampite’ tungtawn in thu-le-la ngaih taktak, khangthu a mang ngei nawnlou dingte apiangsak hi. Hinapi in Zomite’n hiai tanvei haksatna i tuah nung ua mithupi leh thungaih-langaih apian theihngeilouh banghang hi ding hiam? Houh haksa i sa taktak naikei ua ahi ding e.

Kum tamkuam innlam mulou a om innlam i hon zuan tuh lam-etna sangtak toh a hong kipai hi. Himahleh a mun i hong tun chiang a lam-et bang khantouhna ana omlouh chiang in lungliap ngemngum in a om hi. Lamka kholai khawng a gari mantam taktak muh sang in tua garite’ taina lampi hoih taktak kimu leh lungkimna a om zaw ding hi. Gari mantam taktak muh in kipahna hon tut sang in patauha ahon tun zaw hi.

Senapati khawng i hong tungsuk a, Kangpokpi khawng i hong luutsuk leh mi a maa uh tha-it a phe siausiau hile uh kilawm in amuhtheih a, Tuibuang khawng i hong tun leh mi’ om maimai louhdan muhtheih in a om hi. Huchia lam-etna thupitak toh Lamka tual i hong luuttouh lelah kuapeuh, ‘Nisa lua,’ chi hileh kilawm a zoi neengnuang atangpeih khuukkhaak le omlou hileh kilawm in muhtheih hi. Ei ta ei nau, a kizenlou le hilou, lah ei ta ei nau ahihziak a hawmthoh a i iplah pahpah bang a ei mun ei mual ahihziak a kihawmthoh kha pahpah hizaw hiam lah theikhang.

Pearson a tanau veh a hoh, sawmkholh le hilou pi, ‘i va hoh uh aw,’ chi in Ngakiik hoh ding in ka taitou vuvut uhi. Chihleh lampi ah lemlaak a ka muhmuh sa, huai mun a om ding a ka na ngaihsut hetlouh huai mun a om ana hi vial a, thupi leh kilawm ka sak mahmah kawm in i it mahmah nungak, a it mahmah tangval toh nuamsa tak a kiton helhel mu mah ka bang leiluai hi. Lem khawng kila in mailam ka suantou nawn uhi. Suangpi khua ka luuttouh uleh tuahchiil ah thil khat ana ding veelvual tageet a, ‘I hiihih, lawmte’n zaw hon makhelh gawp mahmah eita ve ua maw,’ ka chi lungsim a, ka enkawi vungvung hi. I gam a om ding a ka neu apan ka na suangtuah, ka na ihmut theihlouhpih thilte tu a i gam hithou mahleh a nawldeuh a a hong om masak mawk uh tuh kasin-kalung athak sim maimah hi. A kei lungtang ah omkei henla, a semkhe thei ding a hihtheihna neite’ lungtang ah omleh zaw manpha zaw mahmah ding hive’n. Mi iveng-ipaam in hichi bang khawng hih nadan a theih uleh en ba theilou i hi dia? Ahihkaleh phamoh sa khollou i hi uhia leh? Hichi bang thilte tuh gam kilawmsaktu leh mi hiiptu ahi ua, i limsak mahmah ding un hoih ka sa hi.

Ngakiik ka va tung ua, mi ana omkei vanglak a, thoveng tak in ka va om uhi. Ka pailam un kongbul a luutman khonna dawrta (dawr neu) ka tunphei uleh nungak leh tangval hon ana om ua, amau leng luut ding in a kisa geih uhi. Ka kipelh lai un numei khat in beer a tawi ka mu a, zu lim ka saklouhdan ka phawkkhia hi.

Zu ka dawnkei. Zudawn khelhna a ka simziak ahikei. Zu alimlouh luattel mahmah ziak ahizaw. Huan ah zukham chihkhawng a pilhuai louhluat ziak in tudong zukhamlou a omtheih khawng vualzawlna ahi ka chi hi. A chep in bel chi tampi ka chiamkha sam a, himahleh lim ka sak himhim a omkei. Zu mantam na chiamkhakei a ahi ding hon chikei un. Kamkhat leltak sangval man leng ka chiamkha a, ka chep teng lak a limloupen in ka thei zosop hi. Khatvei ka lawmpa US ah a va hoh a, zu limte hon puak in chia ka chiamnuih laizang leh a hong tun tak in champaigne, scocth leh wine tuamtuam a ngou, a san, a eng chihte ahon puak lemlum hi. Movie khawng a limchi taktak a adawn uh lungsim mitkha a koih in ka chiam a, khase tak in ‘US a zute limdeuh di uh i sa a,’ ka chi nimnim hi.

Pawl khat leuleute’n lah, ‘Zu dawn theilou hial zaw paakei lua,’ i chi uhi. Ke’n bel zudawn chih khawng ‘paa’ na a ngaithei lungsim tuh bangchi tuk a ‘tuai’ lungsim hi ding ahiam ka chi hi. Mi a paa taktakte’n tuaihna khawng theilou uh hi in ka thei hi. Ka pa tuh migum leh paa mahmah a ka theih mi khat ahi. Sazu apan chingpi leh saipi tan a samatlouh himhim neilou mi khat ahi. Khatvei tuh a louvatna uah singkung kawi zohlouh khat a pou a, a lawmte kuamah a khengam a omkei uhi. Amah a va kipan a, a singkung a zaam khauguite pansan in a kaltou hi. A tunglam ah khiattheih teng a va khia a, tua a pansan singgui teng leng a hon khia hi. Kum dia hong kisak leh a kum na’ng a omtakei hi. A lawmte’n singzawl peuh saat a a khaaktouh chiang un lah a kapi saanglua ahihman in baanlou uhi. A tawp in aman leng, ‘Sawl ana phah uai,’ chi in sawl a sekhawm sak hi. ‘I tawmkhiat le tuh a taw kitung vit mai,’ houh achi laitei hi. Sawlpa kawm a tumsuk vut, kuuk e kaak e chilou a dai vengveng ahihman in a lawmte patau in a kidelhhuan khiukheu uhi. Huchihlai in amah thakhat in hong kiphawngkhia a, ‘Phaih’ chi in a lawmte chiamnuih lai hi. Khota, inn sagih khawng omna, gammang in a uum kiimvel ah ka neulai in ka teng uhi. Khatvei zankhang a innka a zunnawn a omlai a khebul mahmah ngal khaguh in naakpi in a va kideng puakbuk hi. Aman, ‘Kintak a tawm a denthuk di ka chihleh a hong kipatna lam di himhim theibunlou,’ achi hi. Nasep hileh, sikha hileh, gamsa hileh, kihtaak himhim aneikei hi. Huchi hinapi in anseep a ngaihleh a seep a, mehmal a ngaih leh a mal a, tuitawi, puansawp chihte hihlit himhim a neikei hi. Huaiziak mituaite’n tuaihna a asimte uh mipaa taktakte’n tuaihna in a simkei uhi.

Khaile, i thupi ah luutnawn ni hang in. Ka paisuklam un lawmte’ gamtatna khawng ka enen a, mi’ om maimai louhdan muhtheih in a om hi. Mun khat, Lamka zaang a kidoh mahmah na ah ka khawl ua, Lamka zang kiphah dihdiah ka etlai in lungsim asaupai mahmah hi.

I luahna uh Lamka zaang tam diidiai a nopluat ziak a thazoi gawp a, i ihmut hithit lai un i gal a munkeen taktak khawng a i lawmte a luahna uh mun nuamlou tak tuh mun nuamtak suahsak sawm a kisuuk mahmah uh hileh akilawm hi. Akmasa’ khuan phawklou a i naakging duldul lai in lawmte a thou khin ua, nasep a panta uhi. I khanloh mengkei leh zaw denchiang in i lawmte’ lohchinna husa in a hon phawng ding a, i khanglou dia, i daakkhe dia, lamdang sak leh gintaak theihlouh thuah in i kamka heuhou ding uhi.

Huaiziak in saptuamte hitaleh, phatuamngai pawlpi tuamtuamte hitaleh, nambing khaikhawm pawlpite hitaleh, tuma en kawm leh tunung hun ding saupi geelkawm in sep ding bawl ding bang om hiam chih zong ni. A poimoh leh kuul thilte kia ngaihsunlou in et a kilawm thilte (aesthetic) bang leng ngaihsut a i neih ding un hoih ka sa hi. Thil neulua thil lianlua chih omsaklou in bang hiam i hihtheih chih zong ni. Lamka thuam a kua hiam lem tunkhiat apan in kihihhalh na’ng paakhuan kilawmtak (recreational park) tawn in world class auditorium sukha in leh damdawiinn ginatak tan in i gam in a poimoh thilte leh i gam sukilawm ding thilte semkhia ni.

Adiakkhol in i kikhaikhawmna pawlpi bang in tal hon sawnthak leh chihhuai mahmah hi. Simleivai (politics) ka thei tamkei. I SoO uh leng bang hihiam chih nangawn leng kichiantak in ka thei naikei. Theih leng ka lunggulh kholkei. Himahleh hiai theih ka lunggulh hi: Nam-le-gam it taktak in i ding hiam? Nam-le-gam i it taktak leh nasep in lak ni. Naa i semkei ka chikholkei. Tua i septe kia a hong phatheilou ding ahi chi ka hi zaw.

Ah, kei zaw naupang hai, biakin khawng hoihtak a a kizep a, biakin tung sangtak a aksilem khawng a kitaak chiang a krismas bang thupi sa leltak bang ka hi. Biakin zep hikei henla, aksilem muh ding omkei henla, phalbi zingkal khovottak nuai a naptolh niikneek kawm a et ding sagoute omkei le uh krismas ahihlam bang leng phawk hetlou ding naupang mawl bang ka hi.

Mi’ pate loukuan a hong tun chiang ua tangmai, mazel, dawnpawl, vaimiim chih khawng a tate uh puak ua, ei pate le loukuan hong tungzel sam ua, bangmah lah puak a ki-om ngeilou. Lawm-le-vualte eng a hinkhua zat zaw tawl le tawlhuailua eive. Lou a piang puak ding a omkei leh leng lampaam a lingmin hiam, ahihke’h guam a sialkhupdawng khawng hon puak beek le uh zaw. Chi khawng toh meh mai ding in. Gilkial a i omlouhna ding un buhpang ah buh a seekdim ngei ua, himahleh ei naupang mawlchikte’n huai buhpang dim a buh om sang in tangmai pumkhat lel khawng kipaakta zaw a, kipahpihzaw kihilim ahi. Houh buhpang leng ahawmpi ahi maimah a hialeh? Tuuklai khawng in vuahnuai ah puuktaw in hon dianpih maimah ding uh e.

Ahihkaleh vaihawm ding gina leng om ngellou a, nget in a neekbei innkhuam, polam a et a touchi mahmah, a sunglam lah ngettaai dimdem, khuam dangte a din man ua ding haamhaam bang lel i hi ua hia leh? Huchi bang i hi chihzaw hon hilh mahmah kei un.

I luahna gam, Lamka zaang nuamsa a kiim-le-kiang phawklou a khamuangtak a i ihmut lai in lawmte’n hon makhelh ding ahita uh. I gamlei’ nopna ei a dia hamsia a hong hihkhaak ding kiveeng ni. Akmasa’ khuan i phawkkei leh leng aknanung’ khuan beek phawk sawm ni. Angmasialna in hichitel a hon nenniam dan thei in vualmasialna toh thoukhia ni. Khangsawnte’n a hon pahtaakna ding uh nnate seem ni. Nipi lai a laamlaam a tuuk a hong tun tak a a innkiangpa’ kiang a buh ngen a va diang doidoi khuangbai bang hihlouh sawm ni.