KHOTUAH

By ~ Vz Vualnam

Khuakhual tuh a nu toh Sinzawl khua ah a khosa uhi. A pa a sihna a sawtta. Tuivai lui a ngabeng lai gamtang khialkha a tuikia a si ahi. A papite leh a paneute Lamka a a peemna uh a sawt simta. Khosa theilua hikei mahle uh summai nopzawk deuhna chia Lamka zaang delh ahi uh. A nite nih Sinzawl a pasal nei a khosa in a om ua, huaite kaankuahna in a nu toh a khosa liailiai uhi. A nu nasep a kizen ziak in huchipi in haksa a sa kei uh. Sinzawl CES school ah pawl li a simlel a, a nu kiang ah, ‘Kei le pawl giat ka hih chiang in khatna in ka pang dia, hileh Daniel Scholarshipte’n ka fee di hon piaksak di ua, nang nna nakpi a na sep ngai nawn lou di,’ khawng a chi zel hi. Himahleh vaang in a phalta kei. Huai kum khristmas ma deuh in a nu a hong damlou ek a, a beisan hi. A papite a hong hoh ua, Khuakhual a pisuk ua, a ompih uhi. 

A papite ahihleh Vengnuam ah a teng uhi. A innkiang uh lamkabom ah pa Gin in laibu leh naupangte’ vanzat neneuhte zuakna dawr a bawl hi. Pa Gin ahihleh sepaih penson ahi a, a tapa neihsun Khuakhualte chia khawng a hihlai in a khuai a, a nung sawt lou in a zi a khuainawn a, huai nung zi nei nawn lou a amah kia a tolten ahi. Tanau nai chih ding leng nei lou ahi a, ittu-kemtu ding leng a nei kei hi. A dawr kiang ah Maypaak kung a pou a, a liim ah tutna ding nuamtak a doh a, a tu ding a om thapai hi. 

A papi’n Khuakhual a innkiang ua skul gina khol lou khat ah a kaisak hi. Skul kaitawp chiang in vokan la in alang-alang ah a diang a, nitak chiang in a nupi’ khau a zialpih zel hi. Tua bang hinkhua tuh Khuakhual in tawlhuai a sa mahmah a, himahleh phunna ding himhim a nei kei. Skul kai sung nuam a sa a, inntun ding a lin thei mahmah hi. Inn a tunkuan chiang in tua pa Gin’ dawr kong a tutna ah a va tu nilouh zel a, sawt lou a tutzoh chiang in a pai zel hi. Pa Gin in a na mu gige a, a inn ua a khosakdan khawng leng simtheih thou ahihman in a hehpih a, a tapapa toh a tehna khat a neihzawkmah lai toh a lainat mahmah hi. 

Ni khat Khuakhual’ papi a va houpih a, ‘Skul kai a tawp chiang in ka dawr hong ngakpih henla, ke’n a skul fee ka piaksak di,’ chi’n a va gen hi. A papi’n lem a na sa a, huai nungsang tuh Khuakhual in skul tawp ding a ngaklah thei mahmah a, a tawp chiang in inn a leng pai lou in pa Gin kiang ah a thaam malam zel hi. Pa Gin in a hihleh bangdang chi ahi kei a, inn a Khuakhual in lai a sim man louhdan a thei a, dakkal nih dakkal thum beek laisimna hun a neih khakleh chia a papi’ kia a va nget ahi. Pa Gin in Khuakhual hoihtak in a thuhilh a, lai nakpi a sim ding in a hasuan hi. Khuakhual leng laisim lunglut chih mahtak a kipak mahmah a, hun awl amuh tuh phatuamtak in a zang hi. 

A kumnawn in pa Gin in Khuakhual’ papi a va houpih nawn a, ama’ deihna skul a kaisak ding leh sen-le-pan teng ama’n si ding ahihdan a gen a, himahleh a nupi’n, ‘Hiai ei a mi’n hichitel a a hong buaipih di uh le hi kei. I etkol zoh dandan in enkol le himai. Denchia a minse ding ei hi hang,’ chi’n a papi a thuzoh a, pa Gin ngetna a nial uhi. Huai kum tuh Khuakhual leng a kaina mah ah a sunzom a, pa Gin in bel a kiang ah lai a simsak gige a, a tuison fi leng a sensak touden hi.

Pawl sagih bang a hon zoutou a, pa Gin in a pakta mahmah hi. A ma’ ta a khuaisa hong thounawn bang in a mu a, a it in a lainat mahmah. ‘Kumnawn chiah Khotuah Trust Scholarship ka exam di. Hileh pawl sawm tan scholarship kimu di,’ Khuakhual in kithalawptak in pa Gin kiah a chi a, ‘Hi e. Huai dia na poimoh a omleh hon gen le chi’n,’ pa Gin in a chi hi. Khotuah Trust Scholarship ahihleh tagahte a ding a scholarship Khotuah Trust in a sai ahi a, kumteng in pawl giat sim ding tagah a lunglutte’n exam a pia ua, a siampen sawm teel in a om ua, pawl sawm a hih tan uh a en kol uhi. 

Tua examna a ding in a kisakhol a, laisim ding om louh kaal chia naupang dangte’n zalentak a hun a zat sung un ama’n tuh hun-awl a muh sunsun laisimna ding in a zang hi. Kimuang mahmah in a va exam a, a kimuan bang in a va tuhzou hi. ‘Tua tuh skul hoih a kaitheita ding,’ chi’n pa Gin toh a kipak mahmah uhi. 

St Paul ah a va kikhum a, taimatak in lai a hon sim a, kumtawp examna a a pawl ua khatna a ngahman in a skul in a kumnawn in tuison fi a awl ua, aman a scholarship sumte zangthang het lou in a khol tiipteep hi. Solkal a pan scholarship pen ahihleh amah kitan ngam lou in a nupi’ kiang ah a pezel a, bang a kizang hiam leng a theipih ngei kei. Hun hong paizel in pawl sawm leng sangtak in a hon zou a, himahleh a scholarship lah bei ding hita, solkal’ scholarship kia a lah kivakzoh ding hilou ahihchiang in a maban ding a lungzing sim mahmah hi. 

Skul lut lah hong hun ding hita, amau lah pa Gin toh maban ding thei lou in a buai mahmah ua, pa Gin in leng lah pawl huaitan hial hong hihchiang in sumsen bang hong tamta a, sutuah zou ding in a kigingta kei hi. ‘Dorcas hall ah GS pa ka va houpih di. Pathian in ama’ tungtawn in lampi a hon honsak zenzen khamoh di hia. A kihon kei lele bang manna omlah hi lou a,’ Khuakhual in pa Gin ki’ah a chi a, pa Gin in leng va daak himhim poi lou eive chi in ni khat Khuakhual tuh zakta pipi in Dorcas hall ah a va hoh hi. 

‘Huchi bang vaakna tuh saptuam in kinei het lou in, khopi saptuam tuamtuamte’n a diak a Zodawnlam a naupangte a ding deuh in pan tuamtuam a hon la ua, huai ngahkhate bel sawm-le-nihtan huhna ngah pawl om un, huaite lah hihtheih geih chi lou a. Bangteng hileh admission a na bawl himhim inla, kei mimal in houpih theihtheih ka na houpih dia, tasamte lam a banzak nuam khawng om hiam k’on kan dia, Pathian in pha a sak leh lampi hong kihong na ke maw. A hong kihong kei hial lelah ngoh theih i nei kei dia,’ chi’n GS in ana houlimpih a, Khuakhual leng lam-etna khat toh a kiik hi. 

GS apan bangmah thu a zaaknawn pah louh chiang in a lungke sim a, kivenna di’n Lamka College ah leng admission a va bawl himhim hi. Skul lut lah hong hun peetmah ding hita, GS apan lah bangmah thu a om louh chiang in lam-etna teng a koihkheta hi. Huchia Lamka College a maban sunzom mai ding a ana kingaihsut khit in ni khat GS a pan phone a hong pai a, a ofis ah a va mu pah hi. 

‘Mimal kiphal nih-le-thum ka mu a, amaute’n na tangthu a zak chiang un hon lainat in pangkhawm a hon vaak a sawm ua, Pathian in lampi hon bawlsak ahih chiang in nang leng Pathian na hon phawk mahmah a, taimatak a lai na hon sim touh ding hi’n teh. Banghiam chia omdan kilawm lou khawng a na hong om lehbel hon panpih utte leng thadahkha thei uh ahihman in hong pilvang mahmah le teh. Zingchiang in hon vaak ding te hiai ah a hong hoh ding ua, amaute toh kimu di’n nitaklam dak thum in hong hoh nawn in aw,’ chi in GS pa’n kithalawptak in a na gen a, Khuakhual kipak in a mittui a paak hial hi.

Huchi’n skul a hong kai nawn a, mi kizen leh taima ahihman in amah vaaktute leng a lungkim mahmah uhi. Huchia pawl sawmlekhat sim kimlai pa Gin a hong dam kei ek mawk a, a enkol ding dang lah om lou ahihman in ama’n a buaipih theih dandan in a buaipih zel hi. TB ana hi a, daktorte’n ahihleh zekai lawta, a damsiang thei nawn kei ding, chi in inn a hoihtak a ki-enkol ding in a thuhilh uhi. Huchi’n amau tegel kikoltuah in hinkhua a hon zang uhi. Giah bel a va giakzen kei a, himahleh amau inn a a buai louh sung tuh pa Gin kiang ah a omden hi. 

Pawl sawmlenih bang a hon zoutou zel a, sangtak a a zoh ziak in amah vaaktute leng kipak mahmah in khat khit khat an a neekpih kheukhou uhi. NDA khawng, IIT khawng, doctor khawng zom ding in a kum kheukhou ua, huaite khawng a admission na muhleh nang sum sen ngai lou a education loan a laisim thei ding na hi, chi’n a kawkmuh uhi. 

Pa Gin lah damdeuh lou, damdeuh malak a a dinmun sehiaihiai, kemtu ding lah nei lou, huchih kikal ah Khuakhual in paisan thei dinmun a ding hi in a kithei kei a, maban lam-ethuai taktakte om mahleh tuate’ sang a pa Gin kep ngai poimohzaw in Lamka College a BA sutzop mai a, skul koi hiam a sepkawm theihleh sepkawm a, huchia maban zat phot mai a sawm hi. ‘Kei hon awlmoh kei hial in. Sawt le ka dam nawn kei ding. Ka bei hunhun in ka bei mai ding. Nang maban enzaw in. Kei putek leltak ziak in nang tuailai maban buai in om het ke’n,’ chi’n a tai a, himahleh Khuakhual a ta utkei. Huai a thupukna GS in a na za a, a ofis ah a sam a, ‘Hichi bang maban limchi na neih lai a na pa Gin ziak lel a ma hial mai ding mah na di maw? Pammaih lawlou hia?’ chi’n ana houlimpih hi. Khuakhual in bel, ‘Pa Gin om kei leh hiaitan tung lou ding ka hi. Leitung a hon lainat ka neihsun ahi. Tu in taisan leng ka damsung a khamuang thei lou ding ka hi. Thasial hetlou in honna enkol a, ka tung a a hoihna ka dit theihna omsun tuh tua ka hihtheih khom a amah ka etkol hi in ka thei,’ a chi hi. 

Mi tampite’n tai in thuhilh mahle uh a ta kei a, Lamka College ah BA sunzom in nidang a a skul kaina a veng ua skul ah a va sem hi. Pa Gin ahihleh a hatkei hiai a, lupna ngak phial a hita. A damdawi ding, aneek-ataakding a suktuahsak a, a va huansak hun bang leng a om hi. Tua bang a a khalohte innsung polam a ding a a zatlam a theih in a nupi’n a awi kei mahmah a, a enghou ni leng a tam hi. Himahleh Khuakhual in bel phunlou-paulou in hih dia kilawm a sak tuh a hih touzel hi. Huchia kum khat bang a hong kikol nung un pa Gin in kimuanmohna a hon nei a, a gou tengteng Khuakhual kiang a pekhia in a beisanta hi. Mite’n Khuakhual kiang ah, ‘Hiai ziak leltak a na maban na tawpsan maizaw hai honsa lua ke. Na maban na tawpsanna ziak tua bei hita, na maban lah bawlhoih theih nawn louh,’ chi’n a tai lailai uhi. Ama’n bel, ‘Ni khat lel amah ka kep ziak a ka maban tawpsan ding hi leng leng tawpsan ka thasial kei ding. Ka nu-le-pa chih louh a ta bang a hon it omsun amah ahi. Ka maban a buai het kei. Pathian hon bawlsak lampi hizaw in ka thei,’ chi’n a dawng zel hi.

A maban a hon sunzom zel a, sawt lou nung in BA a hon zou hi. Maban sutzop sawm tuan lou in skul ah a sem suak a, sepna tuamtuam a ding in a kisakhol hi. Hun hong paizel a, kum nih nung in thukizakna ah a min a hong tuang a, kum tampi nung a Lamka mite’n a mangngilhsa uh IAS phawkthak sak ding in Khuakhua in IAS a hon ngah hi. 

Result a suah ni in a hi heihuai a, innleng va pawtkhawm khiukheute’ then nung in lupna ah a kizam a, a vengte uh nungak a na ngaihguuk gige, lah hou leng a houpih ngamlouh Lialian a lungsim ah a lang nilouh a, a nui heuhauden hi. ‘Tu’n zaw kihoupih ngamta in teh,’ chi in facebook a Lialian’ lemlakte khawng a en thakthak hi...... Chi’n IAS khawng hisaksuk mai ni maw........ Bleh.

© Siamsinna leh Vakiangbu