प्रणय-चिह्न -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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is lekh ka punarikshan evan sampadan hona avashyak hai. ap isamean sahayata kar sakate haian. "sujhav"

‘‘kya ab ve din laut aveange? ve ashabhari sandhyayean, vah utsah-bhara hriday-jo kisi ke sanket par sharir se alag hokar uchhalane ko prastut ho jata tha-kya ho gaya?’’

‘‘jahaan tak drishti dau dati hai, jangaloan ki hariyali. unase kuchh bolane ki ichchha hoti hai, uttar pane ki utkantha hoti hai. ve hilakar rah jate haian, ujali dhoop jalajalati huee nachati nikal jati hai. nakshatr chupachap dekhate rahate haian,- chaandani muskarakar ghooanghat khianch leti hai. koee bolanevala nahian! mere sath do batean kar lene ki jaise sabane shapath le li hai. rat khulakar roti bhi nahian-chupachap os ke aansoo girakar chal deti hai. tumhare nishphal prem se nirash hokar b di ichchha huee thi, maian kisi se sambandh n rakhakar sachamuch akela ho jaooan. isalie jan-sansarg se door is jharane ke kinare akar baith gaya, parantu akela hi n a saka, tumhari chinta bich-bich mean badha dalakar man ko khianchane lagi. isalie phir kisi se bolane ki, len-den ki, kahane-sunane ki kamana balavati ho gee.

‘‘parantu koee n kuchh kahata hai aur n sunata hai. kya sachamuch ham sansar se nirvasit haian-achhoot haian! vishv ka yah nirav tiraskar asahy hai. maian use hilaooanga; use jhakajhorakar uttar dene ke lie badhy karooanga.’’

kahate-kahate ekantavasi gupha ke bahar nikal p da. samane jharana tha, usake par patharili bhoomi. vah udhar n jakar jharane ke kinare-kinare chal p da. barabar chalane laga, jaise samay chalata hai.

sota age badhate-badhate chhota hota gaya. kshin, phir kramash: aur kshin hokar marubhoomi mean jakar vilin ho gaya. ab usake samane sikata-samudr! charoan or dhoo-dhoo karati huee baloo se mili samir ki uttal tarangean. vah kh da ho gaya. ek bar charoan or aankh phira kar dekhana chaha, par kuchh nahian, keval baloo ke thape de.

sahas karake pathik age badhऩe laga. drishti kam nahian deti thi, hath-pair avasann the. phir bhi chalata gaya. viral chhaya-vale khajoor-kunj tak pahuanchate-pahuanchate vah gir p da. n jane kab tak achet p da raha.

ek pathik path bhoolakar vahaan vishram kar raha tha. usane jal ke chhiante diye. ekantavasi chaitany hua. dekha, ek manushy usaki seva kar raha hai. nam poochhane par maloom hua-‘‘sevak.’’

‘‘tum kahaan jaoge?’’-usane poochha.

‘‘sansar se ghabarakar ekant mean ja raha hooan.’’

‘‘aur maian ekant se ghabarakar sansar mean jana chahata hooan.’’

‘‘kya ekant mean kuchh sukh nahian mila?’’

‘‘sab sukh tha-ek du:kh, par vah b da bhayanak du:kh tha. apane sukh ko maian kisi se prakat nahian kar sakata tha, isase b da kasht tha.’’

‘‘maian us du:kh ka anubhav karooanga.’’

‘‘prarthana karata hooan, usamean n p do.’’

‘‘tab kya karooan?’’

‘‘laut chalo; ham log batean karate hue jivan bita deange!’’

‘‘nahian, tum apani batoan mean vish ugaloge.’’

‘‘achchha, jaisi tumhari ichchha.’’

donoan vishram karane lage. shital pavan ne sula diya. gahari niand lene par jage. ek doosare ko dekhakar muskarane lage. sevak ne poochha-‘‘ap to idhar se a rahe haian, kaisa path hai?’’

‘‘nirjan marubhoomi.’’

‘‘tab to maian n jaooanga; nagar ki or laut jaooanga. tum bhi chaloge?’’

‘‘nahian, is khajoor-kunj ko chho dakar maian nahian jaooanga. tumase bolachal kar lene par aur logoan se milane ki ichchha jati rahi. ji bhar gaya.’’

‘‘achchha, to maian jata hooan. koee kam ho, to batao, kar dooanga.’’

‘‘mera! mera koee kam nahian.’’

‘‘soch lo.’’

‘‘nahian, vah tumase n hoga.’’

‘‘dekhooanga, sambhav hai, ho jay.’’

‘‘looni nadi ke us par ramanagar ke zamiandar ki ek sundar kanya hai; usase koee sandesh kah sakoge?’’

‘‘cheshta karooanga. kya kahana hoga?’’

‘‘tin baras se tumhara jo premi nivarsit hai, vah khajoor-kunj mean vishram kar raha hai. tumase ek chihn pane ki pratyasha mean thahara hai. ab ki bar vah ajnat videsh mean jayaga. phir lautane ki asha nahian hai.’’

sevak ne kaha-‘‘achchha, jata hooan, parantu aisa n ho ki tum yahaan se chale jao; vah mujhe jhootha samajhe.’’

‘‘nahian, maian yahian pratiksha karooanga.’’

sevak chala gaya. khajoor ke pattoan se jhop di banakar ekant-vasi phir rahane laga. usako b di ichchha hoti ki koee bhoola-bhataka pathik a jata, to khajoor aur mithe jal se usaka atithy karake vah ek bar grihasth ban jata.

parantu kathor adrisht-lipi! usake bhagy mean ekantavas jvalant aksharoan mean likha tha. kabhi-kabhi pavan ke jhoanke se khajoor ke patte khadakh da jate, vah chauank uthata. usaki avastha par vah kshinakay srot rogi ke saman hans deta. chaandani mean door tak marubhoomi sadi chitrapati-si dikhaee deti.

bhag 2

maan bhookhi thi. budhiy़a jhop di mean dane dhooandh rahi thi. us par nadi ke kagare par donoan ki dhuandhali pratikriti dikhaee de rahi thi. pashchim ke kshitij mean niche ast hota hua soory badaloan par apana rang pheank raha tha. badal niche jal par chhaya-dan kar raha tha. nadi mean dhoop-chhaanh bichhi thi. ‘sevak’ doangi liye, idhar yatri ki asha mean, baloo ke rookhe tat se laga baitha tha.

usake keval maan thi. vah yuvak tha. svami-kanya se vah kisi premi ka sandesh kah raha tha; raja (jamiandar) ko sandeh hua. ve kruddh hue, big d gaye, parantu kanya ke anurodh se usake pran bach gaye. tab se vah doangi chalakar apana pet palata tha.

tamisra a rahi thi. nirjan pradesh nirav tha. lahariyoan ka kal-kal band tha. usaki donoan aankhe pratiksha ki dooti thian. koee a raha hai! aur bhi thahar jaooan-nahian, laut chalooan. daande doangi se jal mean gira diye. ‘chhap’ shabd hua. use sikatatat par bhi pad-shabd ki bhranti huee. rukakar dekhane laga.

‘‘maanjhi, us par chaloge?’’ ek komal kanth, vanshi ki jhanakar.

‘‘chalooanga kyoan nahian, udhar hi to mera ghar hai. mujhe lautakar jana hai.’’

‘‘mujhe bhi avashyak kary hai. mera priyatam us par baitha hai. usase milana hai. jald le chalo.’’-yah kahakar ek ramani akar baith gee. doangi halaki ho gee, jaise chalane ke lie nachane lagi ho. sevak sandhya ke gahare prakash mean use aankhean g dakar dekhana chahata tha. ramani khilakhilakar hans p di. boli-‘‘sevak, tum mujhe dekhate rahoge ki khena arambh karoge.’’

‘‘maian dekhata chalooanga, kheta chalooanga. bin dekhe bhi koee khe sakata hai.’’

‘‘achchha, vahi sahi. dekho, par khete bhi chalo. mera priy kahian laut n jay, kahian laut n jay; shighrata karo.’’-ramani ki utkantha usake ubharate hue vaksh-sthal mean shvas banakar phool rahi thi. sevak daande chalane laga. do-char nakshatr nil gagan se jhaank rahe the. avaruddh samir nadi ki shital chadar par khulakar lotane laga. sevak tallin hokar khe raha tha. ramani ne poochha-‘‘tumhare aur kaun hai?’’

‘‘koee nahian, keval maan hai.’’

nav kinare pahuanch gee. ramani utarakar kh di ho gee. boli-‘‘tumane b de thik samay se pahuanchaya. parantu mere pas kya hai, jo tumhean puraskar dooan.’’

vah chupachap usaka muanh dekhane laga.

ramani boli-‘‘mera jivan-dhan ja raha hai. ek bar usase antim bheant karane aee hooan. ek aangoothi use apana chihn dene ke lie laee hooan aur kuchh nahian. parantu tumane is antim milan mean b di sahayata ki hai, tumhian ne usaka sandesh pahuanchaya. tumhean kuchh diye bina hamara milan asaphal hoga, isalie, yah chihn aangoothi tumhian le lo.’’

sevak ne aangoothi lete hue poochha- ‘‘aur tum apane priyatam ko kya chihn dogi?’’

‘‘apane ko svayan de dooangi. lautana vyarth hai. achchha, dhanyavad!’’ ramani tir-veg se chali gee.

vah hakka-bakka kh da rah gaya. akash ke hriday mean tara chamakata tha; usake hath mean aangoothi ka ratn. usase tare ka milan karate-karate jhop di mean pahuancha. maan bhookhi thi. ise bechana hoga, yahi chinta thi. maan ne jate hi kaha-‘‘kab se bhojan banakar baithi hooan, too aya nahian. b di achchhi machhali mili thi. le, jald kha le.’’ vah prasann ho gaya.

bhag 3

ekantavasi baitha hua khajoor ikattha kar raha tha. abhi prabhat ka komal soory khagol mean bahut ooancha nahian tha. ek sunahali kiran-si ramani samane a gee. atmavismrit hokar ekantavasi dekhane laga.

‘‘svagat atithi! ao baitho.’’

ramani ne atithy svikar kiya. boli-‘‘mujhe pahachanate ho?’’

‘‘tumhe n pahachanooanga, priyatame! anant path ka pathey koee pranay-chihn le aee ho; to mujhe de do! isilie thahara hooan.’’

‘‘laut chalo. is bhishan ekant se tumhara man nahian bhara?’’

‘‘kahaan chalooanga? tumhare sath jivan vyatit karane ka sadhan nahian; karane bhi n paooanga, lautakar kya karuanga? mujhe keval chihn de do, usi se man bahalaooanga.’’

‘‘maian use puraskar-svaroop de aee hooan. use pane ke lie to looni tat tak chalana hoga.’’

‘‘to chalooanga.’’

yatra ki taiyari huee. donoan laut chale. sevak jab sandhya ko doangi lekar lautata hai; tab usake hriday mean us ramani ki sudh a jati hai. vah aangoothi nikalakar dekhata aur pratiksha karata hai ki ramani laute, to use de dooan. use vishvas tha, kabhi to vah avegi.

doangi niche bandhi thi. vah jhop di se nikalakar chala hi tha ki samane ramani ati dikhaee p di. sath mean ek purush tha. n jane kyoan, vah doangi par ja baitha. donoan tir par akar kh de ho gaye. ramani ne poochha- ‘‘mujhe pahachanate ho?’’

‘‘achchhi tarah.’’

‘‘maianne tumhean kuchh puraskar diya tha. vah mera pranay-chihn tha. mera priy mujhe nahian lega, usi chihn ko lega. isilie tumase vinati karati hooan ki use de do.’’

‘‘yah anyay hai. meri majoori mujhase n chhino.’’

‘‘maian bhikh maangati hooan.’’

‘‘maian daridr hooan, dene mean asamarth hooan.’’

nirupay hokar ramani ne ekantavasi ki or dekha. usane kaha-‘‘tumane to use lauta dene ke lie hi rakh chho da hai. vah dekho, tumhari uangali mean chamak raha hai, kyoan nahian de dete?’’

‘‘maian samajh gaya, isaka mooly parishram se adhik hai. to chalo, abaki donoan ki seva karake isaka mooly poora kar dooan parantu daya karake ise mere hi pas rahane do. jinhean videsh jana hai, unako nauka ki yatra b di sukhad hoti hai.’’-kahakar ek bar usane jhop di ki or dekha. budhiy़a mar chuki thi. khali jhop di ki or se usane muanh phira liya. daande jal mean gira diye.

ramani ne kaha-‘‘chalo, yatra to karani hi hai, baith jayan.’’

ekantavasi hans p da. donoan nav par baith gaye. nav dhara mean bahane lagi. ramani ne hansakar poochha-‘‘keval dekhoge ya kheoge bhi?’’

‘‘nav svayan bahegi; maian keval dekhooanga hi.’’