दुनिया का सबसे अनमोल रत्‍न- प्रेमचंद

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

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dilafigar ek kantile pe d ke niche daman chak kiye baitha hua khoon ke aansoo baha raha tha. vah saundary ki devi yani malaka dilafareb ka sachcha aur jan dene vala premi tha. un premiyoan mean nahian, jo itr-phulel mean basakar aur shanadar kap doan se sajakar ashik ke vesh mean mashooqiyat ka dam bharate haian. balki un sidhe-sade bhole-bhale fidaiyoan mean jo jangal aur paha doan se sar takarate haian aur fariyad machate phirate haian. dilafareb ne usase kaha tha ki agar too mera sachcha premi hai, to ja aur duniya ki sabase anamol chiz lekar mere darabar mean a tab maian tujhe apani gulami mean qabool karooangi. agar tujhe vah chiz n mile to khabaradar idhar rukh n karana, varna sooli par khianchava dooangi. dilafigar ko apani bhavanaoan ke pradarshan ka, shikave-shikayat ka, premika ke saundary-darshan ka tanik bhi avasar n diya gaya. dilafareb ne jyoan hi yah faisala sunaya, usake chobadaroan ne garib dilafigar ko dhakke dekar bahar nikal diya. aur aj tin din se yah afat ka mara adami usi kantile pe d ke niche usi bhayanak maidan mean baitha hua soch raha hai ki kya karooan. duniya ki sabase anamol chiz mujhako milegi? namumakin! aur vah hai kya? qarooan ka khajana? abe hayat? khusaro ka taj? jame-jam? takhtetaoos? paravez ki daulat? nahian, yah chizean haragiz nahian. duniya mean zaroor inase bhi mahangi, inase bhi anamol chizean maujood haian magar vah kya haian. kahaan haian? kaise mileangi? ya khuda, meri mushkil kyoankar asan hogi?

dilafigar inhian khayaloan mean chakkar kha raha tha aur aql kuchh kam n karati thi. munir shami ko hatim-sa madadagar mil gaya. ai kash koee mera bhi madadagar ho jata, ai kash mujhe bhi us chiz ka jo duniya ki sabase beshaqimat chiz hai, nam batala diya jata! bala se vah chiz hath n ati magar mujhe itana to maloom ho jata ki vah kis qism ki chiz hai. maian gh de barabar moti ki khoj mean ja sakata hooan. maian samundar ka git, patthar ka dil, maut ki avaz aur inase bhi zyada benishan chizoan ki talash mean kamar kas sakata hooan. magar duniya ki sabase anamol chiz! yah meri kalpana ki u dan se bahut oopar hai.

asaman par tare nikal aye the. dilafigar yakayak khuda ka nam lekar utha aur ek taraph ko chal kh da hua. bhookha-pyasa, nange badan, thakan se choor, vah barasoan viranoan aur abadiyoan ki khak chhanata phira, talave kaantoan se chhalani ho gaye, sharir mean haddiyaan hi haddiyaan dikhayi dene lagian magar vah chiz jo duniya ki sabase besh-qimat chiz thi, n mili aur n usaka kuchh nishan mila.

ek roz vah bhoolata-bhatakata ek maidan mean ja nikala, jahaan hajaroan adami gol baandhe kh de the. bich mean kee amame aur choge vale dadhiy़l qazi afasari shan se baithe hue apas mean kuchh salah-mashavira kar rahe the aur is jamat se zara door par ek sooli kh di thi. dilafigar kuchh to kamazori ki vajah se kuchh yahaan ki kaiphiyat dekhane ke irade se thithak gaya. kya dekhata hai, ki kee log nangi talavarean liye, ek qaidi ko jisake hath-pair mean zanjirean thian, pak de chale a rahe haian. sooli ke pas pahuanchakar sab sipahi ruk gaye aur qaidi ki hathakadiy़aan, bediy़aan sab utar li gayian. is abhage adami ka daman saik doan begunahoan ke khoon ke chhiantoan se rangin tha, aur usaka dil neki ke khayal aur raham ki avaz se zara bhi parichit n tha. use kala chor kahate the. sipahiyoan ne use sooli ke takhte par kh da kar diya, maut ki phaansi usaki gardan mean dal di aur jalladoan ne takhta khianchane ka irada kiya ki vah abhaga mujarim chikhakar bola-khuda ke vaste mujhe ek pal ke lie phaansi se utar do taki apane dil ki akhiri arajoo nikal looan. yah sunate hi charoan taraph sannata chha gaya. log achambhe mean akar takane lage. qajiyoan ne ek marane vale adami ki aantim yachana ko radd karana uchit n samajha aur badanasib papi kala chor zara der ke lie phaansi se utar liya gaya.

isi bhi d mean ek khoobasoorat bhola-bhola ladaqa ek chh di par savar hokar apane pairoan par uchhal-uchhal farji gho da dau da raha tha, aur apani sadagi ki duniya mean aisa magan tha ki jaise vah is vakt sachamuch kisi arabi gho de ka shahasavar hai. usaka chehara us sachchi khushi se kamal ki tarah khila hua tha jo chand dinoan ke lie bachapan hi mean hasil hoti hai aur jisaki yad hamako marate dam tak nahian bhoolati. usaka dil abhi tak pap ki gard aur dhool se achhoota tha aur masoomiyat use apani god mean khila rahi thi.

badanasib kala chor phaansi se utara. hazaroan aankhean us par g di huee thian. vah us l dake ke pas aya aur use god mean uthakar pyar karane laga. use is vakt vah zamana yad aya jab vah khud aisa hi bhola-bhala, aisa hi khush-v-khurram aur duniya ki gandagiyoan se aisa hi pak saf tha. maan godiyoan mean khilati thi, bap balaean leta tha aur sara kunaba jan nyochhavar karata tha. ah! kale chor ke dil par is vaqt bite hue dinoan ki yad ka itana asar hua ki usaki aankhoan se, jinhoanne dam to dati huee lashoan ko t dapate dekha aur n jhapakian, aansoo ka ek qatara tapak p da. dilafigar ne lapakakar us anamol moti ko hath mean le liya aur usake dil ne kaha-beshak yah duniya ki sabase anamol chiz hai jis par takhte taoos aur jamejam aur abe hayat aur zare paravez sab nyochhavar haian.

is khayal se khush hota kamayabi ki ummid mean saramast, dilafigar apani mashooqa dilafareb ke shahar minosavad ko chala. magar jyo-jyoan manjilean tay hoti jati thian usaka dil baith jata tha ki kahian us chiz ki, jise maian duniya ki sabase beshaqimat chiz samajhata hooan, dilafareb ki aankhoan mean kadr n huee to maian phaansi par chadha diya jaooanga aur is duniya se namurad jaooanga. lekin jo ho so ho, ab to kismat-azamaee hai. akhirakar paha d aur dariya tay karate shahar minosavad mean a pahuancha aur dilafareb ki dyodhi par jakar vinati ki ki thakan se toota hua dilafigar khuda ke fazal se hukm ki tamil karake aya hai, aur apake qadam choomana chahata hai. dilafareb ne fauran apane samane bula bheja aur ek sunahare parade ki ot se faramaish ki ki vah anamol chiz pesh karo. dilafigar ne asha aur bhay ki ek vichitr man:sthiti mean vah booand pesh ki aur usaki sari kaifiyat bahut purasar laphzoan mean bayan ki. dilafareb ne poori kahani bahut gaur se suni aur vah bheant hath mean lekar zara der tak gaur karane ke bad boli-dilafigar, beshak toone duniya ki ek beshaqimat chiz dhooandh nikali, teri himmat aur teri soojhaboojh ki dad deti hooan! magar yah duniya ki sabase beshaqimat chiz nahian, isalie too yahaan se ja aur phir koshish kar, shayad ab ki tere hath vah moti lage aur teri qismat mean meri gulami likhi ho. jaisa ki maianne pahale hi batala diya tha maian tujhe phaansi par chadhava sakati hooan magar maian teri jaanbakhshi karati hooan isalie ki tujhamean vah gun maujood haian, jo maian apane premi mean dekhana chahati hooan aur mujhe yaqin hai ki too zaroor kabhi-n-kabhi kamayab hoga.

nakam aur namurad dilafigar is mashooqana inayat se zara diler hokar bola-ai dil ki rani, b di muddat ke bad teri dyodhi par sajada karana nasib hota hai. phir khuda jane aise din kab aeange, kya too apane jan dene vale ashiq ke bure hal par taras n khaegi aur kya apane roop ki ek jhalak dikhakar is jalate hue dilafigar ko ane vali sakhtiyoan ke jhelane ki taqat n degi? teri ek mast nigah ke nashe se choor hokar maian vah kar sakata hooan jo aj tak kisi se n ban p da ho.

dilafareb ashiq ki yah chav-bhari batean sunakar gussa ho gayi aur hukm diya ki is divane ko kh de-kh de darabar se nikal do. chobadar ne fauran garib dilafigar ko dhakke dekar yar ke kooche se bahar nikal diya.

kuchh der tak to dilafigar apani nishthur premika ki is kathorata par aansoo bahata raha, aur sochane laga ki kahaan jaooan. muddatoan raste napane aur jangaloan mean bhatakane ke bad aansoo ki yah booand mili thi, ab aisi kaun-si chiz hai jisaki qimat is abadar moti se zyada ho. hazarate khijr! tumane sikandar ko abehayat ke kuean ka rasta dikhaya tha, kya meri baanh n pak doge? sikandar sari duniya ka malik tha. maian to ek begharabar musafir hooan. tumane kitani hi doobati kishtiyaan kinare lagayi haian, mujh garib ka be da bhi par karo. ai alimuqam jibaril! kuchh tumhi is nimajan, dukhi ashiq par taras khao. tum khuda ke ek khas darabari ho, kya meri mushkil asan n karoge! garaz yah ki dilafigar ne bahut fariyad machayi magar usaka hath pakadऩe ke lie koee samane n aya. akhir nirash hokar vah pagaloan ki tarah dubara ek taraf ko chal kh da hua.

dilafigar ne poorab se pachchhim tak aur uttar se dakkhin tak kitane hi jangaloan aur viranoan ki khak chhani, kabhi barfistani chotiyoan par soya, kabhi daravani ghatiyoan mean bhatakata phira magar jis chiz ki dhun thi vah n mili, yahaan tak ki usaka sharir haddiyoan ka ek dhaancha rah gaya.

ek roj vah sham ke vakt kisi nadi ke kinare khastahal p da hua tha. bekhudi ke nashe se chauanka to kya dekhata hai ki chandan ki ek chita bani huee hai aur us par ek yuvati suhag ke jo de pahane solahoan siangar kiye baithi huee hai. usaki jaangh par usake pyare pati ka sar hai. hazaroan adami gol baandhe kh de haian aur phooloan ki barakha kar rahe haian. yakayak chita mean se khud-b-khud ek lapat uthi. sati ka chehara us vakt ek pavitr bhav se alokit ho raha tha. chita ki pavitr lapatean usake gale se lipat gayian aur dam-ke-dam mean vah phool-sa sharir rakh ka dher ho gaya. premika ne apane ko premi par nyochhavar kar diya aur do premiyoan ke sachche, pavitr, amar prem ki antim lila aankh se ojhal ho gayi. jab sab log apane gharoan ko laute to dilafigar chupake se utha aur apane chak-daman kurate mean yah rakh ka dher samet liya aur is mutthi bhar rakh ko duniya ki sabase anamol chiz samajhata hua, saphalata ke nashe mean choor, yar ke kooche ki taraph chala. abaki jyoan-jyoan vah apani manzil ke qarib ata tha, usaki himmatean badhati jati thian. koee usake dil mean baitha hua kah raha tha-abaki teri jit hai aur is khayal ne usake dil ko jo-jo sapane dikhae unaki charcha vyarth hai. akhikar vah shahar minosavad mean dakhil hua aur dilafareb ki ooanchi dyodhi par jakar khabar di ki dilafigar surkh-roo hokar lauta hai aur huzoor ke samane ana chahata hai. dilafareb ne jaanbaz ashiq ko fauran darabar mean bulaya aur us chiz ke lie, jo duniya ki sabase beshaqimat chiz thi, hath phaila diya. dilafigar ne himmat karake usaki chaandi jaisi kalaee ko choom liya aur muththi bhar rakh ko usaki hatheli mean rakhakar sari kaifiyat dil ko pighala dene vale lafjoan mean kah sunayi aur sundar premika ke hothoan se apani qismat ka mubarak faisala sunane ke lie intazar karane laga. dilafareb ne us muththi bhar rakh ko aankhoan se laga liya aur kuchh der tak vicharoan ke sagar mean doobe rahane ke bad boli-ai jan nichhavar karane vale ashiq dilafigar! beshak yah rakh jo too laya hai, jisamean lohe ko sona kar dene ki sifat hai, duniya ki bahut beshaqimat chiz hai aur maian sachche dil se teri ehasanamand hooan ki toone aisi anamol bheant mujhe di. magar duniya mean isase bhi zyada anamol koee chiz hai, ja use talash kar aur tab mere pas a. maian tahedil se dua karati hooan ki khuda tujhe kamayab kare. yah kahakar vah sunahare parade se bahar ayi aur mashooqana ada se apane roop ka jalava dikhakar phir najaroan se ojhal ho gayi. ek bijali thi ki kauandhi aur phir badaloan ke parade mean chhip gayi. abhi dilafigar ke hosh-havas thikane par n ane paye the ki chobadar ne mulayamiyat se usaka hath pakadaqar yar ke kooche se usako nikal diya aur phir tisari bar vah prem ka pujari nirasha ke athah samundar mean gota khane laga.

dilafigar ka hiyav chhoot gaya. use yaqin ho gaya ki maian duniya mean isi tarah nashad aur namurad mar jane ke lie paida kiya gaya tha aur ab isake siva aur koee chara nahian ki kisi paha d par chadhaqar niche kood p dooan, taki mashooq ke julmoan ki fariyad karane ke lie ek haddi bhi baqi n rahe. vah divane ki tarah utha aur girata-p data ek gaganachumbi paha d ki choti par ja pahuancha. kisi aur samay vah aise ooanche paha d par chadhऩe ka sahas n kar sakata tha magar is vaqt jan dene ke josh mean use vah paha d ek mamooli tekari se zyada ooancha n najar aya. qarib tha ki vah niche kood p de ki hare-hare kap de pahane hue aur hara amama baandhe ek bujurg ek hath mean tasabih aur doosare hath mean lathi liye baramad hue aur himmat badhane vale svar mean bole-dilafigar, nadan dilafigar, yah kya buzadiloan jaisi harakat hai! too muhabbat ka dava karata hai aur tujhe itani bhi khabar nahian ki mazaboot irada muhabbat ke raste ki pahali manzil hai? mard ban aur yoan himmat n har. poorab ki taraf ek desh hai jisaka nam hindostan hai, vahaan ja aur teri arajoo poori hogi.

yah kahakar hazarate khijr gayab ho gaye. dilafigar ne shukriye ki namaz ada ki aur taza hausale, taza josh aur alaukik sahayata ka sahara pakar khush-khush paha d se utara aur hindostan ki taraph chal p da.

muddatoan tak kaantoan se bhare hue jangaloan, ag barasane vale registanoan, kathin ghatiyoan aur alanghy parvatoan ko tay karane ke bad dilafigar hind ki pak sarazamin mean dakhil hua aur ek thande pani ke sote mean safar ki takaliphean dhokar thakan ke mare nadi ke kinare let gaya. sham hote-hote vah ek chatiyal maidan mean pahuancha jahaan beshumar adhamari aur bejan lashean bina kafan ke p di huee thian. chil-kaue aur vahashi darinde mare p de hue the aur sara maidan khoon se lal ho raha tha. yah daravana drishy dekhate hi dilafigar ka ji dahal gaya. ya khuda, kis musibat mean jan phansi, marane valoan ka karahana, sisakana aur ediy़aan ragadaqar jan dena, darindoan ka haddiyoan ko nochana aur gosht ke loth doan ko lekar bhagana, aisa haulanak sin dilafigar ne kabhi n dekha tha. yakayak use khyal aya, yah l daee ka maidan hai aur yah lashean soorama sipahiyoan ki haian. itane mean qarib se karahane ki avaz ayi. dilafigar us taraf phira to dekha ki ek lamba-t danga adami, jisaka mardana chehara jan nikalane ki kamazori se pila ho gaya hai, zamin par sar jhukaye p da hua hai. sine se khoon ka phauvvara jari hai, magar abadar talavar ki mooth panje se alag nahian huee. dilafigar ne ek chith da lekar ghav ke muanh par rakh diya taki khoon ruk jae aur bola-ai javaanmard, too kaun hai? javaanmard ne yah sunakar aankhean kholian aur viroan ki tarah bola-kya too nahian janata maian kaun hooan, kya toone aj is talavar ki kat nahian dekhi? maian apani maan ka beta aur bharat ka sapoot hooan. yah kahate-kahate usaki tyoriyoan par bal p d gaye. pila chehara gusse se lal ho gaya aur abadar shamashir phir apana jauhar dikhane ke lie chamak uthi. dilafigar samajh gaya ki yah is vakt mujhe dushman samajh raha hai, narami se bola-ai javaanmard, maian tera dushman nahian hooan. apane vatan se nikala hua ek garib musafir hooan. idhar bhoolata-bhatakata a nikala. baray meharabani mujhase yahaan ki kul kaifiyat bayan kar.

yah sunate hi ghayal sipahi bahut mithe svar mean bola-agar too musafir hai to a mere khoon se tar pahaloo mean baith ja kyoanki yahi do aangul zamin hai jo mere pas baqi rah gayi hai aur jo sivay maut ke koee nahian chhin sakata. afasos hai ki too yahaan aise vaqt mean aya jab ham tera atithy-satkar karane ke yogy nahian. hamare bap-dada ka desh aj hamare hath se nikal gaya aur is vakt ham bevatan haian. magar (pahaloo badalakar) hamane hamalavar dushman ko bata diya ki rajapoot apane desh ke lie kaisi bahaduri se jan deta hai. yah as-pas jo lashean too dekh raha hai, yah un logoan ki hai, jo is talavar ke ghat utare haian. (muskarakar) aur goya ki maian bevatan hooan, magar ganimat hai ki dushman ki zamin par mar raha hooan. (sine ke ghav se chith da nikalakar) kya toone yah maraham rakh diya? khoon nikalane de, ise rokane se kya fayada? kya maian apane hi desh mean gulami karane ke lie zinda rahooan? nahian, aisi zindagi se mar jana achchha. isase achchhi maut mumakin nahian.

javaanmard ki avaz maddhim ho gayi, aang dhile p d gaye, khoon itana zyada baha ki khud-b-khud band ho gaya, rah-rahakar ekadh booand tapak p data tha. akhirakar sara sharir bedam ho gaya, dil ki harakat band ho gayi aur aankhean muand gayian. dilafigar ne samajha ab kam tamam ho gaya ki marane vale ne dhime se kaha-bharatamata ki jay! aur usake sine se khoon ka akhiri qatara nikal p da. ek sachche deshapremi aur deshabhakt ne deshabhakti ka haq ada kar diya. dilafigar par is drishy ka bahut gahara asar p da aur usake dil ne kaha, beshak duniya mean khoon ke is qatare se zyada anamol chiz koee nahian ho sakati. usane fauran us khoon ki booand ko jisake age yaman ka lal bhi hech hai, hath mean le liya aur is diler rajapoot ki bahaduri par hairat karata hua apane vatan ki taraf ravana hua aur sakhtiyaan jhelata akhirakar bahut dinoan ke bad roop ki rani malaka dilafareb ki dyodhi par ja pahuancha aur paigam diya ki dilafigar surkharoo aur kamayab hokar lauta hai aur darabar mean hazir hona chahata hai. dilafareb ne use fauran hazir hone ka hukm diya. khud hasbe mamool sunahare parade ki ot mean baithi aur boli-dilafigar, abaki too bahut dinoan ke bad vapas aya hai. la, duniya ki sabase beshaqimat chiz kahaan hai?

dilafigar ne meanhadi-rachi hatheliyoan ko choomate hue khoon ka vah katara us par rakh diya aur usaki poori kaifiyat purajosh lahaje mean kah sunayi. vah khamosh bhi n hone paya tha ki yakayak vah sunahara parada hat gaya aur dilafigar ke samane husn ka ek darabar saja hua nazar aya jisaki ek-ek nazanin julekha se badhaqar thi. dilafareb b di shan ke sath sunahari masanad par sushobhit ho rahi thi. dilafigar husn ka yah tilasm dekhakar achambhe mean p d gaya aur chitralikhit-sa kh da raha ki dilafareb masanad se uthi aur kee qadam age badhaqar usase lipat gayi. ganevaliyoan ne khushi ke gane shuroo kiye, darabariyoan ne dilafigar ko nazarean bheant kian aur chaand-sooraj ko b di ijjat ke sath masanad par baitha diya. jab vah lubhavana git band hua to dilafareb kh di ho gayi aur hath jodaqar dilafigar se boli-ai jaannisar ashiq dilafigar! meri duaean bar ayian aur khuda ne meri sun li aur tujhe kamayab v surkharoo kiya. aj se too mera malik hai aur maian teri lauandi!

yah kahakar usane ek ratnajatit manjoosha mangayi aur usamean se ek takhti nikali jis par sunahare aksharoan mean likha hua tha-

‘khoon ka vah akhiri qatara jo vatan ki hifajat mean gire duniya ki sabase anamol chiz hai.’

sanbandhit lekh

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