‘Pa, pa, thouta ou, Zaangpi a hoh di na chih kha, ni suak dekta eive, thouta ou’ chi in a unau un apa aphawng vengvung uhi. Unau nih ahi ua, kal masa a akua ua pan pusuak a len kizil pan ahi uhi. Akua un suahlam a nga a, tua akua uapan a daakkhiat chiang un mual-le-mual kikaal a zanggam kiphah dihdiah amu ua, nopchi asa mahmah uhi. Tua zanggam pen amau ‘Zaangpi’ achi uhi. Tua zaangpi laitak ah gul bagbang a kawi ngenngon a kiheek khat amu ua, tua tuh Zaangthampi achi uhi. Tua mun a hohpih ding in apa uh azawn nilouh uhi. Apa un lah akhem zohlouh chiang in ‘len na siam chiang un k’on hohpih ding’ ana chizel hi. Tua apa thuchiam thei gige uh ahihmanin kaal khat len a kisin nung ua siam kisa a tua mun a hohpih dia apa phut ahi uhi.

‘Bawite, tua mun louleng mun kilawm dang tampi ah ka hon hohpih ut. Himahleh ei zaw vaphual i hi ua, kawlgiit bang maimai i hikei uh. Tua zaangpi ah mihingte a om ua, amaute’n hon mu le uh ahon man ding ua, i sa uh ane ding ua, i luguhte uh a inn uah ataak ding ua, i khamul leh meimulte in a lute uh azeem ding uhi. Tua bang a lauhuai  omna mun ah ka hon hohpih theikei. Lauhuai mun a gamta ding in lah na khate uleh na meite uh na zangsiam naikei ua. Na hong pichin ua, huih sang na doptheih ua, sanglen na siam chiang un, huaihun chiang in i hoh ding uh,’ chi in akhemdai nawn hi.

‘Banghang a mihingte’n i sa hon ne di uh eita? Bang achia eita i muukte uh a inn ua ataak di uhi?’ chi in adong ua, apa’n, ‘Amaute mihingte ahi uh. Thilsiamte lak a tungnung leh pilpente ahi ua, amaute nial ding bangmah a omkei. A utte uh athat ua, a utte uh ane ua, thilsiam dang teng lak ah amau nial ding bangmah a omkei.  Huaiziakin amau apan kihepmang i chidamna pen  ahi,’ chi in ahilh hi. ‘Tangthu in amaute pathiante’n akhut mahmah ua abawl uh, apilna uh ahop uh ahi achi hi. Amaute apil ua, thil ahihthei uhi.  Gamlapi apan gamsate thah theihna dawi-ai ginngaih anei uhi. I gamtatna munte khawng uah a dawi-ai uh a nusia ua, tuamun a i va pai chiang in a dawi-ai un honna mantang hi. Na hong piching ding ua, tuate khensiamdan na hon sintou ding uh,’ chi in akizing thuhilh uhi.

Huchih laitak in kipi hon zing theipi veh ding chiau vengvung in ahong leng ua, a upa zawpen in apa kiah, ‘Naak tam u e maw pa, naak nopchiit e. Bang achia a amau atam uh? Ei lah eiteng kia i hi ua. Ei bangbang midang omlou hia?’ chi in adong a, apa’n khuisa kawm in, ‘Bawi aw, tua zaangpi gam nidang in gampalak ahi a, huai hunlai in tua gammang ah i na teng ua, tua zaangthampi na chih uh lui ahi a, tua luidung khawng a gamta a nuam i na sak mahmah hunlai uh a om hi. Tua lai in i tam mahmah ua, i gamlumthei mahmah uhi. Himahleh simlam a apan mihingte ahong luut ua, a lemtang masa thah leh neek masak in ahon nei ua, huchiin mau’ omlouhna taanglam ah awlawl in i kikhiintou uhi. Himahleh amau omlouhna aneikei ua, akoimun-akoimun hitaleh galmuanna himhim a omnawnkei. Huaiziak in mite’n simlam gam munkhat  eite adia bitna a omna mun, galmuangam achih uah hon paisanta uhi. Himahleh bangzah hiamte’n pi-le-pu’ gam nuselou ding, sih-le-sih, dam-le-dam a ngak ding chi in ana omden uhi. Huchi’n tua i omna talkha tang ah i belh ding nanung gammang i na beel uhi. Khat khat in i mangthang ua, kum masa tan in kei toh na nu toh, ka lawmte uh dang hih ka om uhi. Himahleh nikum a ata uh mihingte dawi-ai in amat ziak in amau leng simgamlam ah ahon pemsan uhi. Na nu leng peem a ut a, himahleh na pu’n hiai gam ngak ding, hiai gam a luphum ding a hon ngetna ka na aw ziak in ka peekkhe theikei. Na pu’n lah migam a teeksih sang in mahni gam a khansih amanphazaw ahon chi ngal a,’ chi in a khangthu uh ahilh hi.

Tua bang thute’n a tate asuk lungnoplouh ding lau in, ‘Hong pai un, zaangpi ahoh na ut uleh len kisin mengmeng un,’ chi in a lenkhiatpih hi. Huchia alen kawikawi lai un luita kiang a sakhinou khat kap kawmkawm a loupa ne amu ua, akiang a singkung a va boh in ‘Bang achia kap na hiam,’ chia ava dot uleh aman, “Zan in ka nu toh galzaang ah ann ka ne ua, thakhat in thil khat ngaih a ngaih in hong ding dom a, ka nu a kipuuk a, ‘Tai in, bawi, tai in,’ ahon chi a, amah leng ahong thou a, ahon taipih a, himahleh sau ka tawima un ahong puuknawn a, ‘Tai in bawi, hong kinunghei hetke’n, ahat theipen in tai inla, khiangkungpi apounalam ah kibu in, hong kiik hetke’n,’ ahon chi a, ahong thoh ding ka ngak a, himahleh ahong thohnawnlouh tak in kei leng ka tai hi. Ka nu koi a om ahi di? Bangchi ahi di amah?’ chi in aw ling pepelh in ahon gen hi. Huchihlai in apa uh ahong tung a, ‘Na nu ahong pai nawnkei ding, na mu nawnkei ding, nang khe a na din hunta ahi. Kisa inla, kou kiang ah hong pai in,’ achi a, ‘Bangziak eita ka nu ahong pai nawnlouh di, ka nu bangchi eita?’ chi in kahpau pepelh in adong hi. ‘Mihingte’n ala ta uh, amau adeihte uh ala uh. Alaakte uh mangngilh kizil louhngal bangmah i hihtheih a omkei. Hong un ni a suun dekta, i paita ding uh,’ chi in apaipih hi.

Hun hong paizel a, vaphual noute leng alawmthak utoh kithuah in nuamtak in hunte ahon zangtou uhi. ‘Kou len ka siam chiang ua zaangpi a hoh di. Nang bel n’ong hoh theikei ding, na leng theikei a,’ chi in alawm uh asial zel uhi.

Nitaklam khat a kogei a kizuun a, akhamul pouthakte khawng uh hah a anu toh a omlai un apa uh a kiang deuh ua singkung khat ah bangpi leng hihdi omlou napi in aphiaphia a, huchihlaitak in thakhat in ging ngaihtak ahong gingdom a, kiguih a a daakphei uleh apa uh a tuanna singkung apan awl a leilak kidenna a mu ua, atate lau leh ling a a-omlai un anu un dai ding in a khutvaan a, huchihlai in apa uh awl in ahong lengkhenawn a, himahleh aleng hoih theikei hi. A innkuante apan mihingte gamla theipen a pikhiat sawm in a thaneih teng suah in aleng a, himahleh a khaguh langkhat a kitanziak in a leng  theikei a, gamlalou alen nung in lei a kidenna nawn hi. Mihing nih in a delhsuk uhi. Tua teng a tate leh azi in diipkua leh mangbang in ana en kilkel uhi. Tua zoh in anu un atate a ko sung uah aluutpih a, lah kapkhe ngamlou, lah kideek zoulou in a kidiik seihseih geuh uhi. Anu un, ‘Laukei un bawite, zingkhua ahong vaak ding a, na pa ahong pai ding a, huaichiang in hiai lauhuai mun nusia in galmuangam ah i pai ding uh,’ chi in akhem a, atate bel kidiik kawmkawm in a ihmusuk uhi. Amah bel a lunggim mahmah a, zingkal ahong tung nawn ding a, himahleh apasal ahong tungnawnkei ding chihlah athei ngal a. Hiaitan ana letkip hiai gam a it a ngaihte’ luguh kitaakna mun nusia a mundang a pai ding a ngaihsut chiang in naa asa a, lah a tate a etchiang in hichimai a mihingte’ khut a amanthat ding uh angaingam mahmahkei hi. Ut in utkei leh zingkhua ahong vaak ding a, atate bang vai hawmpih mahmah ding hiam chi in lungngai in a khuisa vungvung hi.

Zingkhua ahong suak peetmah a, zingsang dang toh akibang keihial hi. Akiim-apaam ua ganhing dangte bel innkuan kim in a thou siausiau lai uhi. Nizung in akua uh ahon tatvaak tak in a tate aphawng a, ‘Bawite, hiai mun nuse ding i hi uh,kisa unla, na lawm uh mangpha va khaak un,’ achi a, atate’n , ‘Ka pa hong pai nailou pi,’ achi ua, aman, ‘Na pa ahong painawnkei ding. Kin meng un, i zekai thei nawnkei,’ achi a, amau leng kihihhalh in alawm uh mangpha khak ding in sakhinou  kiang ah a va hoh ua, ‘Kou ka paikhe dek uh, ka nu’n galmuangam lam ah pai ding achi a nang lah n’ong pai theikei dia, na leng theikei a,’ a va chi ua, sakhinou ahong dah mahmah a, kintak in anu kianglam ah a taiphei a, ava houpih a, ‘Nungak, nou paikhe dek uh maw?’ a va chihleh vaphual nu’n, ‘Hiai ah i omthei nawnkei uh, nang leng gammang sahna lam ah kibuta in, ana haat inla, mihingte khut ah ana puuk ke’n. Lawm ding na mupah ding a, nuam na sa pah ding. Himahleh pilvang tak in om un. Mihingte ahong pil chiang un zalen tak a i omna ding uh ahon bawlsak ding uh. Gamdang mihingte apilta ua, huai gamte ah eite zalentak in i omthei uhi. Himahleh hiai gam a mihingte a pilnaikei ua, amau ahong pil mateng uh bitna a omna munlam ah ka va kibu ding uh. Vaphual ka hi ua, ka manthat mai ding uh ahoihkei.  Hon that a hon nete’ adi’n lah vasa lak a vasa tungnungpen ka hi ngal ua. Ei a dia mun bit a om chiang in ka hong kiiknawn ding uh,’ chi in agen hi.

Lengkhe peetmah ding a akisak lai un vaphualnou u zawpen in, ‘Ka pa’n mi’ gam a teeksih sang in ei gam a khansih a manphazaw ahon chi a, himahleh ke’n zaw ka pa’ hon vaikhah ka kee,bit zoukei, nang honna kepbitsak in. Khansih ding nangawn abei ma in ka va kibuphot ding uh. Mahni gam a teeksih theih hun ahong tun chiang in ka hong kiiknawn ding uh, huai chiang in i kimu nawn ding uh,’ achi a, sakhinou in, ‘Ka na haat, ka na keem ding. Hong pai nawn pah un aw, kei leng ka khe in ahon tutzohna tantan ah ka pai ding a, mun galmuang zawdeuh lam ka zuan ding. I kimuh mateng mangpha awleh,’ chi in a kikhen uhi.

Zouhuihkhi hong lang hialhial a, tua huih dong in awl in a lengkhia ua, it in khelah mahle uh manthat ding ngaingamlou in, ‘Mangpha… Mangpha Zogam…’ chi in mittui kai zungzung in a mualkhumta uhi.