December Buhchiar

December kaal li-na khawng a hong hita. Ziingkal baihtak ahi.

Taxi heekpa’n a horn meekmeek mahleh lampi ot in a om tuankei uh. Flyover abawl ziak un traffic a jam nasa lua. Innlam pai dia kisa, huai Delhi University siamsin nu’n a Kingfisher flight a laplouh khaak diing alau mahmah.

Mumbai khohun nuamtak nuai ah huai officer-nou pa, Marine Drive ah lungmuang tak a ‘walking a pai’ heuhheuh lai in, zaan a office a asaappa toh a kihouna uh a phawkkhe guih a. Suty a ngetsa, a phallouh khaak diing alau mahmah.

IBM Bangalore a seem pa'n night duty zouphet, a pisa nuai ua ATM a sum a valaak khiat dek leh a sum hongpawt ta reengreeng lou. A sum lah kiam. Balance omlai teng in lah daih nawnlou. A sanggam pa’ pocket money di leh van man di, a huntak a, a khaak theihlouh khaak diing alau mahmah.

Happy Valley taang lam apan hong kipan, ziing nisuak in a tohlet uh a hon khohkha panta. Nupi nu'n singpi bawldia kisa, gas a hon tohkuang leh, a hong engsim zuapzuap a. Ann-le-meh min tan a daihlouh khaak diing alau mahmah.

Khawlhun nuam zang dia innlam pai, nungak-tangval hon khat, Dimapur peel ah bus in a hongtai ngiahngiah ua. Tunkaal ngaaklah gawpta ahihman un, Manipur a bandh a na om nawn khaak diing alau mahmah uh.

Lamka venglai a mihausa mahmah pa, a innchhawng hulliap apan, ziing singpi leh sang limtak dawnkawm in a hong daakkhia a. A neih-le-lam, a huangsuang, a kongtual liantak mai, a gari te, leh a inn thupi tak te umkiim veel a ding vialvual diing dai saangtak alam, tukum sung a azoh manlouh khaak diing alau mahmah.

Huchilai in, Zodawn khota khat ah, lamnawl a bi-inn neuchik sung apan meikhu a hongpawt tou ngiaingiai a. Innsung ah, nupi khat leh a ta, naupang nih te'n mei a awi dirdir uhi. Naupang neuzaw pen in a nu kiang ah, "Nu, ka gilkial," a chi a. A nu'n bangmah a gen kei. A innsung uh a hon enkual a. Daappeek a kibawl, innbaang leh tuang apan huihvot hongluut te'n, kithopna'ng puanlum gina nei hetlou, amah leh a tate a muut huauhuau a. Akawng a aveh, a sumbawm a honmai a; Ch 50 leng a om zou nawnkei. A anntang koihna bawm uh a honhong a; a tozelh phial ana omta. A chini bawm uh a melhphei lai in, a tapa pa'n, "Nu, ka gilkial," a chi nawn a. Chini a ngolhna uh akha a sim bang phata ahihlam a hon thei khia a. Chi ahihleh omzek lai.

"Bawi, ann i huan mengmeng dia, i nepah di uh aw."

"Nu, ka gil a kial voi!"

A nu’n annbeel a hon suang a, a hongsou bibirh ta. Nou nih a honla a, buhtui naang dilhdelh a sung a, chi a sohkhit in siikkeu in a hontok hi. Huchiin, a tate apia a. A tate’n limsa tak in a dawn kitkit ua, a kipaak mahmah uhi.

Himahleh, aman bel, a ann neek diing un tukum Krismas tan a daihlouh khaak diing a lau mahmah.
* * *



Krismas leh Kiteen hun hongtung nawnta.

Delhi tangval khat in a nungak nu, Krismas zang dia innlam paidek airport ah vakha. A nungak nu’n a luutsan dekkuan a kha, khitui a mangpha kikhaak khawng paa salou inchin a nap niit thruai mai, chidan eive.

Nikum lam a Singngat ah Tuailai Day a di lapawl zil uh hiveh aw. Unau nih ki-group kha unchin, a naunu’n laa va zil, a u pa’n va zillou. Chihleh, group leader pa’n a naunu kiang ah, “Na u abang chi maww?” chia a dotleh, alu susuk ngauh kawm a, “Adau!” chi a dawng.

Huai bangdeuh in, i Krismas zatdaan uh leng ‘dau’ gawpta eideh aw, chih theih in a om hi.

Nikum a Delhi apan innlum a Krismas zang dia pai, Khuakhual in, “Biakinn lam ah ka lamet sang in hou ka sa,” chi hi. “Nidang dan a phuur tak leh nuam tak a lengkhop chih om nawnlou. A minpu mah bang.” Siampu in, “Pianna khua, nu-leh-pa tenna leh khanletna a Krismas zat ahihziak in nuam ka sa veve. Ahihziak in, nidang toh tehvual ahikei. Kumdang ngai a lungleng tak a Krismas zang kihi lel a de aw,” chi in gen hi.

“Krismas le mi’n hou ngaih gawpta,” chiin Sanmawi in gen. “Mi hong huchih chiang ua ei le kiphur zou taktak lou aka hia.” Biakhoih in, “Krismas le thring gawpta chihchu lawmte kampau a kiza tampen. Neulai a kumbul apat Krismas ngak pen om nawnlou. Theihlouh kal a tung mawk,” chi a, “annek khawmna bang a omlouh leh Pathianni maimai mah bang,” chi in behlap hi.

Puite in le nikum, a veng ua Krismas kilopdan nuam salou petmah. “Biakinn mun nih ana kisuahta inchin, mitheih le tawmgawp. Lengkhawmna ah Krismas phawkpha le omlou mahbang. Neulai kan a Krismas nuam omkei,” chi maidan eive.

Jehou Samte in, “Nikum Krismas keimah tawk in nuam ka sa mahmah,” chi hi. “Hilele, nitak lengkhop anuam keilua. Tawp pahpah. Tuailai lamte phurdan toh upate phurdan kibanglou.” Khokhawl in le, “Nidang toh kibang lou vek himai,” chi. “Gintak s’ah nuamlou zaw. Hilele innlam ahihziak a chu nuam kisa himhim.”

“Kei ngaihdan in Krismas da deuhdeuh in ka thei. A kithalawp pawl om mahleh nidang dan a vaisaidan nuamzou nawnlou kasa,” Kimbawi in chi hi. “Atawpna ah chu i innkuan pih te toh zatmah nuam pen, akoikoi hitaleh.”

Joy Thanglian in, “Neulai a Krismas nuam ka sakdan tuk in nuam ka sa thei taktak kei. I khanletna mun a le ki omkha nawnlou. A mite, a mun hong kidangta,” chi hi. “Neulai a lawmte toh Mas zatkhawm ki ut. Tulai a ahihleh nu-le-pa te toh zatkhawm nuam kisa zota,” chi in geen behlap hi.

Sangpui in, “I Kristian-na in kum 100 apelh chet leh i Krismas dawndan leh zatdan te, tuma a i pipu te’ zatdan agen utoh tehkhin in chu kikhe lota. Krismas omzia theilou a zang itam lota un ka thei,” chi hi.

Innlam a om Suasuan in hichiin gen, “Mundang a om te hehpih huai theilua uh eivoi. Phuurtak a Krismas zangdia inn hongpai unchin, hilele ei a innmun a om te a na kiphuur taktak lou ahihchia, amau kia a a hongphuur-na daan uh om theilou.”

Ahimhim in, khopi khawng saang a innlam (read as Lamka) a Krismas zat nuamzaw eive maw. Lamka sang a le Zodawn lam ah nuam zawtham hilai. Huaichiah, i pichin nung sang a i naupang lai a Mas i zatte nuam kisa zaw. Adik hia? Akoi-abang hileh, nidang a Krismas nuamtak a a kizat seklai ni te ngai vungvung a, tukum Krismas lungleng tak leh houchik a zangliam mailou in, tuhun, tukum mahmah, a nuam theibang pen in zatchiat sawmni aw.