रूप की छाया -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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kashi ke ghatoan ki saudh-shreni jahnavi ke pashchim tat par dhaval shailamala-si kh di hai. unake pichhe divakar chhip chuke. sidhiy़oan par vibhinn vesh-bhooshavale bharat ke pratyek prant ke log tahal rahe haian. kirtan, katha aur kolahal se janhavi-tat par chahal-pahal hai.

ek yuvati bhi d se alag ekant mean ooanchi sidhi par baithi huee bhikhari ka git sun rahi hai, yuvati kanoan se git sun rahi hai, aankhoan se samane ka drishy dekh rahi hai. hriday shoony tha, tara-mandal ke virath gagan ke saman shoony aur udas. samane ganga ke us par chamakili ret bichhi thi. usake bad vrikshoan ki hariyali ke oopar nila akash, jisamean poornima ka chandr, phike badal ke gol tuk de ke sadrish, abhi din rahate hi ganga ke oopar dikhaee de raha hai. jaise mandakini mean jal-vihar karane vale kisi dev-dvandv ki nauka ka gol pal. drishy ke svachchh pat mean kale-kale viandu dau date hue nikal ge. yuvati ne dekha, vah kisi uchch mandir mean se u de kapotoan ka ek jhund tha. drishti phirakar vahaan gee, jahaan tooti kath ki chauki par vivarn-mukh, lanbe asanyat bal aur kot pahane ek yuvak koee pustak padhऩe mean nimagn tha.

yuvati ka hriday ph dakane laga. vah utarakar ek bar yuvak ke pas tak aee, phir laut gee. sidhiy़oan ke oopar chadhate-chadhate usaki ek praudha sangini mil gee. usase b di ghabarahat mean yuvati ne kuchh kaha aur svayan vahaan se chali gee

praudha ne akar yuvak ke ekant adhyayan mean badha di aur poochha-‘‘tum vidyarthi ho?’’

‘‘haan, maian hindoo-skool mean padhata hooan .’’

‘‘kya tumhare ghar ke log yahian haian?’’

‘‘nahian, maian ek videshi, nissahay vidyarthi hooan.’’

‘‘tab tumhean sahayata ki avashyakata hai?’’

‘‘yadi mil jay, mujhe rahane ke sthan ka b da kasht hai.’’

‘‘ham log do-tin striyaan haian. koee a dachan n ho, to ham logoan ke sath rah sakate ho.’’

‘‘b di prasannata se, ap logoan ka koee chhota-mota kam bhi kar diya karooanga.’’

‘‘abhi chal sakate ho?’’

‘‘kuchh pustak aur saman hai, unhean leta aooan.’’

‘‘le ao, maian baithi hooan.’’

yuvak chala gaya.

ganga-tat par ek kamare mean ujjval prakash phail raha tha. yuvak vidyarthi baitha hua vyaloo kar raha tha. ab vah kalej ke chhatroan mean hai. usaka rahan-sahan badal gaya hai. vah ek suruchi-sampann yuvak ho gaya hai. abhav usase door ho gaye the.

praudha parasati huee boli-‘‘kyoan shailanath! tumhean apani chachi ka smaran hota hai?’’

‘‘nahian to, mere koee chachi nahian hai.’’

door baithi huee yuvati ne kaha-‘‘jo apani smriti ke sath vishvasaghat karata hai, use kaun smaran dila sakata hai.’’

yuvak ne hansakar is vyang ko u da diya. chupachap gh di ka tik-tik shabd sunata aur muanh chalata ja raha tha. man mean manovijnan ka path sochata jata tha-‘‘man kyoan ek bar hi ek vishay ka vichar kar sakata hai?’’

praudha chali gee. yuvak hath-muanh dho chuka tha. sarala ne pan bana kar diya aur kaha-‘‘kya ek bat maian bhi poochh sakati hooan?’’

‘‘uttar dene hi mean to chhatroan ka samay bitata hai, poochhiye.’’

‘‘kabhi tumhean ramagaanv ka smaran hota hai? yamuna ki lol lahariyoan mean se nikalata hua arun aur usake shyamal tat ka prabhat smaran hota hai? smaran hota hai, ek din ham log kartik poornima-snan ko gaye the, maian balika thi, tumane mujhe phisalate dekhakar hath pak d liya tha, is par sath ki striyaan hans p di thian, tum lajjit ho gaye the.’’

pachis varsh ke bad yuvak chhatr ne apane jivan-bhar mean jaise aj hi ek ashchary ki bat suni ho, vah bol utha-‘‘nahian to.’’

kee din bit gaye.

ganga ke sthir jal mean pair dale hue, niche ki sidhiy़oan par sarala baithi huee thi. karukary-khachit-kanchuki ke oopar kandhe ke pas siku di huee sa di; adha khula hua sir, bankim griva aur mastak mean kuankum-bindu-mahin chadar mean-sab alag-alag dikhaee de rahe the. moti palakoanvali b di-b di aankhe ganga ke hriday mean se machhaliyoan ko dhanoodh nikalana chahati thian. kabhi-kabhi vah bich dhara mean bahati huee doangi ko dekhane lagati. khenevala jidhar ja raha hai udhar dekhata hi nahian. ulate baithakar daan d chala raha hai. kahaan jana hai, isaki use chinta nahian.

sahasa shailanath ne akar poochha-

‘‘mujhe kyoan bulaya hai?’’

‘‘baith jao.’’

shailanath pas hi baith gaya. sarala ne kaha-‘‘ab tum nahian chhip sakate. tumhian mere pati ho, tumhian se mera bal-vivah hua tha, ek din chachi ke big dane par sahasa ghar se nikalakar kahian chale gaye, phir n laute. ham log ajakal anek tirthoan mean tumhean khojati huee bhatak rahi haian. tumhian mere devata ho; tumhian mere sarvasv ho. kah do-haan!’’

sarala jaise unmadini ho gee hai. yauvan ki utkantha usake badan par bikhar rahi thi. pratyek aang mean aang daee, svar mean maror, shabdoan mean vedana ka sanchar tha. shailanath ne dekha, kumudoan se praphullit sharatkal ke tal-sa bhara yauvan. sarvasv lutakar charanoan mean lot jane ke yogy saundary-pratima. man ko machala denevala vibhram, dhairy ko hilanevali lavanyalila. vakshasthal mean hriday jaise phailane laga. vah ‘haan’ kahane hi ko tha parantu sahasa usake muanh se nikal p da-

‘‘yah sab tumhara bhram hai. bhadre! mujhe hriday ke sath hi mastishk bhi hai.’’

‘‘gangajal chhookar bol rahe ho! phir se sach kaho!’’

yuvak ne dekha, godhooli-malina-jahnavi ke jal mean sarala ke ujjval roop ki chhaya chandrika ke saman p d rahi hai. ganga ka utana aansh mukut-sadrish dhaval tha. usi mean apana mukh dekhate hue shailanath ne kaha-

‘‘bhram hai sundari, tumhean pap hoga.’’

‘‘haan, parantu vah pap, puny banane ke liye utsuk hai.’’

‘‘maian jata hooan. sarala, tumhean roop ki chhaya ne bhrant kar diya hai. abhagoan ko sukh bhi du:kh hi deta hai. mujhe aur kahian ashray khojana p da.’’

shailanath utha aur chala gaya.

vimoodh sarala kuchh n bol saki. vah kshobh aur lajja se g di jane lagi. kramash: ghanibhoot rat mean sarala ke roop ki chhaya bhi vilin ho gee.

sanbandhit lekh

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