Phalbi khovot saanlaitak January khabul ahi a, kumkhatsung vingveng hunzatna dia kana lunggulh gige Zodawn lamzuan di’n kakisa hi. K’enbel ‘ticket’ a hunma a lakholh di ahihlam katheikei a, station tungchiang a a laakdi’n chi in ka inn ua pat kakipan khe ngiaungiau hi. Station kahongtung a mi Zodawn painuam a dim-aha a ana om ua, ‘ticket’ chuh tangzoh di vual ahi kei. Min ticket a hunma thamtham a lakhol uh ahih dan kathei khia a,himahleh a kikhelta. Kei ‘ticket’ chuh ‘gari tung’ ahi mai! Midangle gari tung a tuang di a tam mahmah a kata zoukei sim zomah uhi. Ticket hoih tangzoukei mahle’ng lehlamtak a kakipak veve hi. Aziakbel, I Zodawn lam khuate’ uh kuaman lah ngaihsaklou, zunlouh leh puahlouh a om himahleh,a zin/painuam hichituk a tam ahih man in. Himahleh, hunteng a mitam gige ahi zenzen kei, Chrismas/kumthak leh naupangte’ skul khawl hunlai khawng a mitam phet ahi. Huchilou kar in bel gari amituang dile om khollou ahih man in, gari neite’n le service lou phialphial dan uh ana hihi.

Gari sung-le-pua a mihing leh van dim phihpheh, gari’n le pozoukei leh kilawm phial in Zodawn lamzuan in k’ong kipan khe nuanua ta uhi. Gari tung a kituang ahih man in vot petmah a, daitui chuh sam leh mitmul nasan a kipan hong takkhe keuhkeuh mai hi. Votlua ahih man in letna ngal kilen tentun a, ‘kawn’ khinkhen kawm in kahong houlim tiptip ta uhi. Gamla i hongtung deuhdeuh leh, ‘Zogam huihsiang’ ana tam deuhdeuh a, vot mahmah mahleh thovenghuai mahmah hi. Sun dak 12 khawng honggin hialchiang in bel Zohuihkhisiang teng koilam kidenna a d’uam ah ‘leivui khu’ toh k’ong kinuai nawn zel uhi. Gari nih kizui kahi ua, kou’ a nanungzaw kahih laizokmah utoh, zingkar a sam leh mitmul a daitui paak nilnel te tu’n leivui khu in a khekkhe hithet hi. Gari nih kizui kahih man un khukhawl a, driver pa’ kiang ah “khawlzek photni’uh, khulua ei” kachi ua kakhawl uhi. Ka hongkipan khe nawn ua hinahleh huai gari’n honna ngak bawl a diam a kapha zui pah uhi. Hatloulua, makhelh diing kachih chiang unlah hat mahmah a bangzel a, hon eng-bawl lampang deuh a d’uam ah, sun nileng in kakizui kha nilouh maimah uhi.

Nitaklam dak 2:30 lakvel in kapianna leh khanletna Vangkhua Zawlpi damtak in katung hi. Gari tung a pat kadak vel a, khua leng ana kuul mahmah a, theihngei hongpai khakleh chi’n gari’ tung a kipat kadak khe nilouh hi. Himahleh, Zawlpi kaphaklouhna sawtta ahih man in ka theihlouh ana tam mahmah a, a diak in naupanglamte’ bang katheih a om nawn mangkei hi. A nu le-pa min uh zaw kithei kha ding hiven chin banglou hiamhiam kangaihtuah laitak in, katunna di ka U’tate khat in “ Pu Mang hongkum ve” hong chikheguih a, lamdang bang kasa dekmawk hi. Theihlouh kar a ngaihtuahna ana pai sau mahmah ahi diing ee... Keileng gari a pat kakitawm khiakleh kakhu phurphur zozen hi.Inn lamzuan a kapai touh kawm in kadak velvel a, nidang a hohna gige innte’ khawng bang ana omnawn kei a, ‘huan’ din a kibawl maimah a, vangkholai a lawmta kim a singdang englou nunnuam laitual ngabang lenlai nite maimit laukha’n hong lang dundun a khasiattha khawngpeuh a suak hi. Gari tuanna a kiniin lua ahih man in kisilsiang zohkeileh kilawm zozen hi. Himahleh, Zodawn siktui siang kikkel a kisil kahih man in kisiangnuam mahmah a, ki ‘taal’ pah ngiatngiat in nidang tengsang mah in leng kisiangzoleh kilawm zouhial hi. Tui i dawn leleng dangtak sukha petmah a, dangtak pha khawl hi. Ka gari tuanna haksa lua ahih man kagim petmah hi. Himahleh, kakhua uh mualdawn a om ahih man in Zogam huihkhi laang hiauhiau banah, Zogam siktui siang kilkel dawn leh kisilna dia kizang ahih man in katawl leng a dampah mai hi.

January khabul ahih man in nnasep tha-iit luatdi om omlou, louvaatte’n le tha-iit khollou ahi diing ua, sunma khawng vavat zual in, sunnung chiah ‘singlukham’ diingpu in hongpai vauhvauh sek uhi. ‘Anntun’ pozen a louvaat chuh omvetlou dan ahi. Keibel lovaat a kuan ut mahle’ng, ka gari tuanna thuaklel kahi ding a, kahitaang ziak in katunni kar uh ka-inn om den hi. Kapeih chang in bel dainawl ah, ‘vasa’ khawng kava beng zel hi, ‘thuang pakta’ ahih man in vasa tam mahmah a, ka air gun pokha hi le’ng chih kia ka lungsim in a om nilouh hi. Tua bel, ‘singgophel’ a tangdia ‘sailiim/sailum’ kizang ahi a, asiamte’n bel tam pipi man sek uhi. Kaalkhat khawng ka-om chiang in kei le louvaat di’n kava kuantei hi. Louvaatlouhna sawtta ahih man in ka , ka tembul letna kakhut sung mun 2/3 bang hong pol pah tialtual in, huai a polna te bang hong kek/kitam zomah a, tem le kalentang theinawn tatak kei hi. Lou kalkhat khawng vatkha man changchang in louvaat kazou ua, nnasep di poimawh lua om khawllou ahih man in gamkhawng kavaak zelhi. Louvvat chuh kuapeuh kipai baih chiat ahih man in, nitaklam nineem chiang in kholaipi ah ‘volley ball’ peuh kabengzel ua, mi kitamthou ahih man in nuam kisa thei mahmah thou hi.

February kha bei diing ahih tak man in huihnung haatthei mahmah ta hi. ‘Tapphou nisa’ leng uang mahmah ta a, vuahzuklouhna sawtta ahih man in luidung a tuiluangte khawng le tawmmahmah ta a, ‘ngadet/gusuk’ chihkhawng hun ahih man in ‘gusu’ in lawmte toh kikuan nainai sek a, tam kiman ngeikhawlkei mahleh nuamkisa thei mahmah hi. Khosung a zawng tuihak mahmah ahih man in nitak chiang in, chih simsimte’ toh tui kitawi; khua votsim lai ahih man in in lui mun a mei kiseem a singdang ki-eng vetlou hi!. Tuitawi khawng chuh nuam sak a kisak thoh leng ahi dinga, tui hak mahleh, tui kingah thei mahmah sek hi.

Hunte hongpai zel in ‘tapphou nisa’ chuh hong uang mahmah ta a; singlounasep kipat taktakna dia ‘lou haal’ chuh a hong hun petmah ta hi. Louhaal ni’n bel kuapeuh ki-inn om chiat a. mahni’ inntung chiat ah tuibeel toh kipat in mei-ek in hongboh diing veng in kitangpang(duty) siuhseuh hi. Mibangzahhiam lah gamkang in khosung honpeh khakding lauhziak in gamkaang phelh in buaithei mahmah uhi. Khenkhat leuleu lah gamkatziak a ‘sakang lum’ om khak leh chi’n a zong in buai in buai thei uhi. Buaina chuh a kituam thei khopmai!! Hiai louhaal hunlai bel tuihai laitak ahih man in buaihuai leh lauhuai khawl hi. Himahleh, khenkhat meiphelh ut a ut thoh te’n bel naumsa mahmah uh ua, meikang phelh malak ah gamhaal beh chihkhawng thangsak mahmah uhi.

Singtang’ lounasep kipan taktak ta ding ahih man in kuapeuh in kitha-iit chiatta ahi diing a loukuan baih bang kituh mah kibang zozen ta hi. Zingkar dak 6 khawng a ann kine, annnekkam khuahna toh nasem dia kisak ahi mai hi. Nasep vante rong tuamtuam( a nitziak a rongtuam!) vot dikdek zozen leh ‘tata’ khedap, ataw kithuapthuapna sah zozen, gik meimui bulhzok in, ‘sakhaupi’ vom ngimngem zozen khatkuah in a kintheilam a loulam kizuan pah vengveng hi. Loutun chaing a le khawltawldam chih leng omlou in, sakhaupi pen ‘bawmta’ a khekzok in, bawmta kawng akhih tang chitchet, a sung a a buhtuh ding ‘ buhhum’ koihzok in leh ‘tu’ lazok in loulai lam kidenna pah vengveng ahi mai hi. Vuahzulou, leitak lak ah buh ihon tuh phitphit bang chuh hiitang a baihsam telmai hi. Buhtuh zou mahni gawlvang khualna ziak in ‘sakhithang/gumthang, mankhawng’ leh thang tuamtuam kam in kibuai thei mahmah a, inn om chih khwng chuh manglam a le matphak ahi nawn hauh kei!!

Hunte hongpai zel in vuahkhawng hongzu panpan ta a loukhoh hun ahi ta hi. Vuah zuzu ta ahih man in ‘ vaang vot (leech)’ bang leeng tam panpan ta a, gamkuan ding chiang a le form ngeina mah silh mah le hang zong thilnih hih beh a om- chikawm a vaangvot hong lut ding venna in khekor mong kihen bit chitchet banah, omna lamlam ah ‘lousan(potassium permanganate’ kipo den hi, Ahia, hiai loukhoh hun chaing in bel lawmta numei leh pasal ‘kilawm’ in nuam kisa mahmah a, nnasep gimlam le kiphawklou zozen hi, nuam kisa lua ahih man in. Chih simsimte’ khawng toh i kilawm a, sun ann nekchiang bang a chu.....!! Hiai loukhoh hunlai bel ‘tukpi’ lai ahih man in vuahzuk ziak a loukuantheih louh hun tammahmah hi. Loukuan theihlouh
chiang in kholak kipawt a, sunchiang in nungak helna ah ‘miim/taang/vaimiim’ chih khawng kikang in nuam kisa thei mahmah hi. Huihpi bangleng nung ut mahmah ahih man in huihpi’n inn tam pipi mutse sek hi. Kholak pawtna a huihpi ahongnung khak a, pawnate’ inn huihpi’n hon mutsiat dekkhak chiang in a inn a om tengteng pangkhawm in kuapeuh ‘inn kam’ ah kiluai genggong in ki-om hi. Huai chuh huihpi’n inn a mutsiatlouhna dia kipang dan ahi hi.

Nnasep hun leh hunlouh genlouh in nitak chiang in nungak hel in kipawt sek a, nuam thei mahmah hi. Nungak heelna ah nungak te nasepsep kiseppih a, sawt pipi kitu sek mahleh zingkar kithoubaih veve hi, zingkar thohbaih chuh singtang pa ngeina ahih man in. Banah, singtang a bel ei’ inn ahkigiakkhawlou a , mi’ inn ah ki ‘sawmgiak’ hi. Sawm inn pen ei mahni inn bang in kingai a ki-inntek mahmah hi. Amau’ leng hon midang bawlkei ua, mehlim a mehni khua un leng hon nekngaih thei mahmah ua, nuam petmah hi.

Kumkim bangpaita ahih man in loukuan bangleng nuam panpan tahi, haichi tuamtuam nekding tamta hih man in. Tangmai, dawnpawl, mazel, chih leh haichi tuamtuam tammahmah a, lehlam ah, hiaite’n loulai ah thou thaksak mahmah uhi. Loukuan bangleng anntun leh meh puak tultul a ngainawn kei a, anntun chouh pua in loumun ah meh kihuan a, lou a mehhuante lohtungphet huan ahih aman in limkhawl diak hi. Lou i giah leleng mehte lim kisa thei mahmah a, nuam veve hi. Himahleh, k’en bel haksa kasak na mahmah chuh zingkar thou phet, daitui nuai a loukhoh ahi. huai banah, mivainung a kikhawl theituanlou, nnasem a buai akibuai lai, nitum chiang a kikhawl pan, luilam a kisil dia kun, tungchaing a ann kihuan pan ahih man in gil kial man thei mahmah hi. Ahia, niteng a kileh a kuan gige sang in bel tha dam huai mahmah a, nnasep leng meetdeuh in louleng ki thozoh deuh hi. Lougiah a noplouh na khatnawn chuh, pawt chih om ngeilou, nitak anne zou lup hi maimah ahih man in, tungsolkha mualdawn ah hong tang singseng bang aw, lunglen huai petmah thou ahi. Lougiak maimai bangleng hichi tuk a kilungleng, gamdang/mundang a om kihi leh bang chituk in a ki-om taphet diam ah, kathei zoukei!! ***Nu, Kakipak!***

Author Note: Hiai Kumkhat Zodawn Ah.... chih pen Zodawn a kumkhat sung vingveng hun zatna gelh ding chih ahi a, huai ziak in Part-II pen awl in hon kisuahtou nawn diing...