मधुआ -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

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aj sat din ho gaye, pine ko kaun kahe-chhua tak nahian! aj satavaan din hai, sarakar!

tum jhoothe ho. abhi to tumhare kap de se mahank a rahi hai.

vah ... vah to kee din hue. sat din se oopar-kee din hue-andhere mean botal uan delane laga tha. kap de par gir jane se nasha bhi n aya. aur apako kahane ka....kya kahooan .... sach manie. sat din-thik sat din se ek booand bhi nahian.

thakur saradar sianh hansane lage. lakhanoo mean ladaqa padhata tha. thakur sahab bhi kabhi-kabhi vahian a jate. unako kahani sunane ka chasaka tha. khojane par yahi sharabi mila. vah rat ko, dopahar mean, kabhi-kabhi savere bhi ata. apani lachchhedar kahani sunakar thakur sahab ka mano-vinod karata.

thakur ne hansate hue kaha-to aj piyoge n!

jhooth kaise kahooan. aj to jitana milega, sab piooanga. sat din chane-chabene par bitaye haian, kisalie.

adh‌bhut! sat din pet katakar aj achchha bhojan n karake tumhean pine ki soojhi! yah bhi...

sarakar! mauj-bahar ki ek gh di, ek lambe du:khapoorn jivan se achchhi hai. usaki khumari mean rookhe din kat liye ja sakate haian.

achchha, aj din bhar tumane kya-kya kiya hai?

maianne?-achchha suniye-savere kuhara p data tha, mere dhuana se kambal-sa vah bhi soory ke charoan or lipata tha. ham donoan muanh chhipaye p de the.

thakur sahab ne hansakar kaha-achchha, to is muanh chhipane ka koee karan?

sat din se ek booand bhi gale n utari thi. bhala maian kaise muanh dikha sakata tha! aur jab barah baje dhoop nikali, to phir lachari thi! utha, hath-muanh dhone mean jo du:kh hua, sarakar, vah kya kahane ki bat hai! pas mean paise bache the. chana chabane se daant bhag rahe the. kat-kati lag rahi thi. parathevale ke yahaan pahuancha, dhire-dhire khata raha aur apane ko seankata bhi raha. phir gomati kinare chala gaya! ghoomate-ghoomate aandhera ho gaya, booandean p dane lagian, tab kahian bhag ke apake pas a gaya.

achchha, jo us din tumane g dariyevali kahani sunaee thi, jisamean asaphuddaula ne usaki ladaqi ka aanchal bhune hue bhutte ke dane ke badale motiyoan se bhar diya tha! vah kya sach hai?

sach! are, vah garib ladaqi bhookh se use chabakar thoo-thoo karane lagi! ... rone lagi! aisi nirdayi dillagi b de log kar hi baithate haian. suna hai shri ramachandr ne bhi hanuman ji se aisa hi ...

thakur sahab thathakar hansane lage. pet pak dakar hansate-hansate lot gaye. saans batorate hue samhalakar bole-aur b dappan kahate kise haian? kangal to kangal! gadhi ladaqi! bhala usane kabhi moti dekhe the, chabane lagi hogi. maian sach kahata hooan, aj tak tumane jitani kahaniyaan sunaee, sab mean b di tis thi. shahajadoan ke dukh de, rang-mahal ki abhagini begamoan ke nishphal prem, karun katha aur pi da se bhari huee kahaniyaan hi tumhean ati haian; par aisi hansane vali kahani aur sunao, to maian apane samane hi badhiy़a sharab pila sakata hooan.

sarakar! boodhoan se sune hue ve navabi ke sone-se din, amiroan ki rang-reliyaan, dukhiyoan ki dard-bhari ahean, rangamahaloan mean ghul-ghul kar maranevali begamean, apane-ap sir mean chakkar katati rahati haian. maian unaki pi da se rone lagata hooan. amir kangal ho jate haian. b de-b doan ke ghamand choor hokar dhool mean mil jate haian. tab bhi duniya b di pagal hai. maian usake pagalapan ko bhulane ke lie sharab pine lagata hooan-sarakar! nahian to yah buri bala kaun apane gale lagata!

thakur sahab ooanghane lage the. aangithi mean koyala dahak raha tha. sharabi saradi se thithura ja raha tha. vah hath seankane laga. sahasa niand se chauankakar thakur sahab ne kaha-achchha jao, mujhe niand lag rahi hai. vah dekho, ek rupaya p da hai, utha lo. lalloo ko bhejate jao.

sharabi rupaya uthakar dhire se khisaka. lalloo tha thakur sahab ka jamadar. use khojate hue jab vah phatak par ki bagalavali kothari ke pas pahuancha, to sukumar kanth se sisakane ka shabd sunaee p da. vah kh da hokar sunane laga.

to sooar, rota kyoan hai? kuanvar sahab ne do hi latean lagaee haian! kuchh goli to nahian mar di? karkash svar se lalloo bol raha tha; kintu uttar mean sisakiyoan ke sath ekadh hichaki hi sunaee p d jati thi. ab aur bhi kathorata se lalloo ne kaha-madhua! ja so rah, nakhara n kar, nahian to uthooanga to khal udhe d dooanga! samajha n?

sharabi chupachap sun raha tha. balak ki sisaki aur badhऩe lagi. phir use sunaee p da-le, ab bhagata hai ki nahian? kyoan mar khane par tula hai?

bhayabhit balak bahar chala a raha tha! sharabi ne usake chhote se sundar gore muanh ko dekha. aansoo ki booandean dhulak rahi thian. b de dular se usaka muanh poanchhate hue use lekar vah phatak ke bahar chala aya. das baj rahe the. k dake ki sardi thi. donoan chupachap chalane lage. sharabi ki maun sahanubhooti ko us chhote-se saral hriday ne svikar kar liya. vah chup ho gaya. abhi vah ek tang gali par ruka hi tha ki balak ke phir se sisakane ki use ahat lagi. vah jhi dakakar bol utha-

ab kya rota hai re chhokare?

maianne din bhar se kuchh khaya nahian.

kuchh khaya nahian; itane b de amir ke yahaan rahata hai aur din bhar tujhe khane ko nahian mila?

yahi kahane to maian gaya tha jamadar ke pas; mar to roj hi khata hooan. aj to khana hi nahian mila. kuanvar sahab ka ovarakot lie khel mean din bhar sath raha. sat baje lauta, to aur bhi nau baje tak kuchh kam karana p da. ata rakh nahian saka tha. roti banati to kaise! jamadar se kahane gaya tha! bhookh ki bat kahate-kahate balak ke oopar usaki dinata aur bhookh ne ek sath hi jaise akraman kar diya, vah phir hichakiyaan lene laga.

sharabi usaka hath pak dakar ghasitata hua gali mean le chala. ek gandi kothari ka daravaza dhakelakar balak ko lie hue vah bhitar pahuancha. tatolate hue salaee se mitti ki dhebari jalakar vah phate kambal ke niche se kuchh khojane laga. ek parathe ka tuk da mila! sharabi use balak ke hath mean dekar bola-tab tak too ise chaba, maian tera gadha bharane ke lie kuchh aur le aooan-sunata hai re chhokare! rona mat, royega to khoob pitooanga. mujhase rone se b da bair hai. paji kahian ka, mujhe bhi rulane ka....

sharabi gali ke bahar bhaga. usake hath mean ek rupaya tha. barah ane ka ek deshi addha aur do ane ki chay....do ane ki pakau di... nahian-nahian, aloo-matar...achchha, n sahi, charoan ane ka maans hi le looanga, par yah chhokara! isaka gadha jo bharana hoga, yah kitana khayaga aur kya khayega. oh! aj tak to kabhi maianne doosaroan ke khane ka soch-vichar kiya hi nahian. to kya le chalooan?-pahale ek addha to le looan. itana sochate-sochate usaki aankhoan par bijali ke prakash ki jhalak p di. usane apane ko mithaee ki dookan par kh da paya. vah sharab ka addha lena bhoolakar mithaee-poori kharidane laga. namakin lena bhi n bhoola. poora ek rupaye ka saman lekar vah dookan se hata. jald pahuanchane ke lie ek tarah se dau dane laga. apani kothari mean pahuanchakar usane donoan ki paant balak ke samane saja di. unaki sugandh se balak ke gale mean ek taravat pahuanchi. vah muskarane laga.

sharabi ne mitti ki gagari se pani uan delate hue kaha-natakhat kahian ka, hansata hai, soandhi bas nak mean pahuanchi n! le khoob, thooansakar kha le, aur phir roya ki pita!

donoan ne, bahut din par milanevale do mitroan ki tarah sath baithakar bharapet khaya. sili jagah mean sote hue balak ne sharabi ka purana b da kot odh liya tha. jab use niand a gee, to sharabi bhi kambal tanakar b dab dane laga. socha tha, aj sat din par bharapet pikar soooanga, lekin yah chhota-sa rona paji, n jane kahaan se a dhamaka?

ek chintapoorn alok mean aj pahale pahal sharabi ne aankh kholakar kothari mean bikhari huee daridray ki vibhooti ko dekha aur dekha us ghutanoan se thuddi lagaye hue nirih balak ko; usane tilamilakar man-hi-man prashn kiya-kisane aise sukumar phool ko kasht dene ke lie nirdayata ki srishti ki? ah ri niyati! tab isako lekar mujhe ghar-bari banana p dega kya? durbhagy! jise maianne kabhi socha bhi n tha. meri itani maya-mamata-jis par, aj tak keval botal ka hi poora adhikar tha-isaka paksh kyoan lene lagi? is chhote-se paji ne mere jivan ke lie kaun-sa indrajal rachane ka bi da uthaya hai? tab kya karooan? koee kam karooan? kaise donoan ka pet chalega? nahian, bhaga dooanga ise-aankh to khole?

balak aang daee le raha tha. vah uth baitha. sharabi ne kaha-le uth, kuchh kha le, abhi rat ka bacha hua hai; aur apani rah dekh! tera nam kya hai re?

balak ne sahaj hansi hansakar kaha-madhua! bhala hath-muanh bhi n dhoooan. khane lagooan? aur jaooanga kahaan?

ah! kahaan bataooan ise ki chala jay! kah dooan ki bha d mean ja; kintu vah aj tak du:kh ki bhaththi mean jalata hi to raha hai. to... vah chupachap ghar se jhallakar sochata hua nikala-le paji, ab yahaan lautooanga hi nahian. too hi is kothari mean rah!

sharabi ghar se nikala. gomati-kinare pahuanchane par use smaran hua ki vah kitani hi batean sochata a raha tha, par kuchh bhi soch n saka. hath-muanh dhone mean laga. ujali dhoop nikal aee thi. vah chupachap gomati ki dhara ko dekh raha tha. dhoop ki garami se sukhi hokar vah chinta bhulane ka prayatn kar raha tha ki kisi ne pukara-

bhale adami rahe kahaan? saloan par dikhaee p de. tumako khojate-khojate maian thak gaya.

sharabi ne chauankakar dekha. vah koee jan-pahachan ka to maloom hota tha; par kaun hai, yah thik-thik n jan saka.

usane phir kaha-tumhian se kah rahe haian. sunate ho, utha le jao apani san dharane ki kal, nahian to s dak par pheank dooanga. ek hi to kothari, jisaka maian do rupaye kiraya deta hooan, usamean kya mujhe apana kuchh rakhane ke lie nahian hai?

oho? ramaji, tum ho bhaee, maian bhool gaya tha. to chalo, aj hi use utha lata hooan.-kahate hue sharabi ne socha-achchhi rahi, usi ko bechakar kuchh dinoan tak kam chalega.

gomati nahakar, ramaji, pas hi apane ghar par pahuancha. sharabi ki kal dete hue usane kaha-le jao, kisi tarah mera isase pind chhoote.

bahut dinoan par aj usako kal dhona p da. kisi tarah apani kothari mean pahuanchakar usane dekha ki balak baitha hai. b dab date hue usane poochha-kyoan re, toone kuchh kha liya ki nahian? bhar-pet kha chuka hooan, aur vah dekho tumhare lie bhi rakh diya hai. kah kar usane apani svabhavik madhur hansi se us rookhi kothari ko tar kar diya. sharabi ek kshan chup raha. phir chupachap jal-pan karane laga. man-hi-man soch raha tha-yah bhagy ka sanket nahian, to aur kya hai? chalooan phir san dene ka kam chalata karooan. donoan ka pet bharega. vahi purana charakha phir sir p da. nahian to, do batean kissa-kahani idhar-udhar ki kahakar apana kam chala hi leta tha? par ab to bina kuchh kiye ghar nahian chalane ka. jal pikar bola-kyoan re madhua, ab too kahaan jayaga?

kahian nahian.

yah lo, to phir kya yahaan jama g di hai ki maian khod-khod kar tujhe mithaee khilata rahooanga.

tab koee kam karana chahie.

karega?

jo kaho?

achchha, to aj se mere sath-sath ghoomana p dega. yah kal tere liye laya hooan! chal, aj se tujhe san dena sikhaooanga. kahaan, isaka kuchh thik nahian. pe d ke niche rat bita sakega n!

kahian bhi rah sakooanga; par us thakur ki naukari n kar sakooanga?-sharabi ne ek bar sthir drishti se use dekha. balak ki aankhe dridh nishchay ki saugandh kha rahi thian.

sharabi ne man-hi-man kaha-baithe-baithaye yah hatya kahaan se lagi? ab to sharab n pine ki mujhe bhi saugandh leni p di.

vah sath le janevali vastuoan ko batorane laga. ek gatthar ka aur doosara kal ka, do bojh hue.

sharabi ne poochha-too kise uthayega?

jise kaho.

achchha, tera bap jo mujhako pak de to?

koee nahian pak dega, chalo bhi. mere bap kabhi mar gaye.

sharabi ashchary se usaka muanh dekhata hua kal uthakar kh da ho gaya. balak ne gathari ladi. donoan kothari chho d kar chal p de.