परीक्षा-1 -प्रेमचंद
nadirashah ki sena ne dilli mean katleam kar rakha hai. galiyoan mean khoon ki nadiyaan bah rahi haian. charoan taraph hahakar macha hua hai. bazar band haian. dilli ke log gharoan ke dvar band kiye jane ki khair mana rahe haian. kisi ki jan salamat nahian hai. kahian gharoan mean ag lagi huee hai, kahian bazar lut raha hai; koee kisi ki phariyad nahian sunata. reesoan ki begamean mahaloan se nikali ja rahi haian aur unaki behuramati ki jati hai. eerani sipahiyoan ki rakt pipasa kisi tarah nahian bujhati. manav hriday ki kroorata, kathorata aur paishachikata apana vikaralatam roop dharan kiye hue haian. isi samay nadirashah ne badashahi mahal mean pravesh kiya.
dilli un dinoan bhogavilas ki keandr bani huee thi. sajavat aur takalluph ke samanoan se reesoan ke bhavan bhare rahate the. striyoan ko banav-siangar ke siva koee kam n tha. purushoan ko sukh-bhog ke siva aur koee chianta n thi. rajaniti ka sthan shero-shayari ne le liya tha. samast prantoan se dhan khianch-khianchakar dilli ata tha aur pani ki bhaanti bahaya jata tha. veshyaoan ki chaandi thi. kahian titaroan ke jo d hote the, kahian bateroan aur bulabuloan ki paliyaan thanati thian. sara nagar vilas-nidra mean magn tha. nadirashah shahi mahal mean pahuancha to vahaan ka saman dekhakar usaki aankhean khul gayian. usaka janm daridr-ghar mean hua tha. usaka samast jivan ranabhoomi mean hi kata tha. bhogavilas ka use chasaka n laga tha. kahaan ranakshetr ke kasht aur kahaan yah sukh-samrajy. jidhar aankh uthati thi, udhar se hatane ka nam n leti thi.
sandhya ho gayi thi. nadirashah apane saradaroan ke sath mahal ki sair karata aur apani pasand ki chijoan ko batorata hua divane-khas mean akar karachobi masanad par baith gaya, saradaroan ko vahaan se chale jane ka hukm de diya, apane sab hathiyar kholakar rakh diye aur mahal mean daroga ko bulakar hukm diya- maian shahi begamoan ka nach dekhana chahata hooan. tum isi vakt unako suandar vastrabhooshanoan se sajakar mere samane lao. khabaradar, jara bhi der n ho ! maian koee ujr ya inakar nahian sun sakata.
2
daroga ne yah nadirashahi hukm suna to hosh u d gaye. vah mahilaean jin par kabhi soory ki drishti bhi nahian p di kaise is majalis mean ayeangi ! nachane ka to kahana hi kya ! shahi begamoan ka itana apaman kabhi n hua tha. ha narapishach ! dilli ko khoon se rangakar bhi tera chitt shaant nahian hua ! magar nadirashah ke sammukh ek shabd bhi jaban se nikalana agni ke mukh mean koodana tha. sir jhukakar adab baja laya aur akar ranivas mean sab begamoan ko nadirashahi hukm suna diya; usake sath hi yah ittala bhi de di ki jara bhi tammul n ho, nadirashah koee ujr ya hila n sunega ! shahi khanadan par itani b di vipatti kabhi nahian p di; par is samay vijayi badashah ki ajna ko shirodhary karane ke siva pran-raksha ka any koee upay nahian tha.
begamoan ne yah ajna suni to hatabuddhi-si ho gayian. sare ranivas mean matam-sa chha gaya. vah chahal-pahal gayab ho gayi. saik doan hridayoan se is atyachari ke prati ek shap nikal gaya. kisi ne akash ki or sahayatayachak lochanoan se dekha, kisi ne khuda aur rasool ko sumiran kiya; par aisi ek mahila bhi n thi jisaki nigah katar ya talavar ki taraph gayi ho. yadyapi inamean kitani hi begamoan ke nasoan mean rajapootaniyoan ka rakt pravahit ho raha tha; par iandriyalipsa ne ‘jauhar’ ki purani ag thandi kar di thi. sukhabhog ki lalasa atm-samman ka sarvanash kar deti hai. apas mean salah karake maryada ki raksha ka koee upay sochane ki muhalat n thi. ek-ek pal bhagy ka nirnay kar raha tha. hatash hokar sabhi lalanaoan ne papi ke sammukh jane ka nishchay kiya. aankhoan se aansoo jari the, diloan se ahean nikal rahi thian; par ratn-jatit abhooshan pahane ja rahe the, ashru-sianchit netroan mean surama lagaya ja raha tha aur shok-vyathit hridayoan par sugandh ka lep kiya ja raha tha. koee kesh gooanthati thi, koee maangoan mean motiyaan piroti thi. ek bhi aise pakke irade ki stri n thi, jo eeshvar par athava apani tek par, is ajna ka ullanghan karane ka sahas kar sake.
ek ghanta bhi n gujarane paya tha ki begamat poore-ke-poore abhooshanoan se jagamagati, apane mukh ki kaanti se bele aur gulab ki kaliyoan ko lajati, sugandh ki lapatean u dati, chhamachham karati huee divane-khas mean akar nadirashah ke samane kh di ho gayian.
3
nadirashah ne ek bar kanakhiyoan se pariyoan ke is dal ko dekha aur tab masanad ki tek lagakar let gaya. apani talavar aur katar samane rakh dian. ek kshan mean usaki aankhean jhapakane lagian. usane ek aang daee li aur karavat badal li. jara der mean usake kharratoan ki avajean sunayi dene lagian. aisa jan p da ki vah gahari nidra mean magn ho gaya hai. adh ghante tak vah p da sota raha aur begamean jyoan-ki-tyoan sir nicha kiye divar ke chitroan ki bhaanti kh di rahian. unamean do-ek mahilaean jo dhith thian, ghooanghat ki ot se nadirashah ko dekh bhi rahi thian aur apas mean dabi jaban mean kanaphoosi kar rahi thian- kaisa bhayankar svaroop hai ! kitani ranonmatt aankhean haian ! kitana bhari sharir hai ! adami kahe ko hai, dev hai !
sahasa nadirashah ki aankhean khul gayian. pariyoan ka dal poorvavath kh da tha. use jagate dekhakar begamoan ne sir niche kar liye aur aang sametakar bhean doan ki bhaanti ek-doosare se mil gayian. sabake dil dh dak rahe the ki ab yah jalim nachane-gane ko kahega, tab kaise kya hoga ! khuda is jalim se samajhe ! magar nacha to n jayaga. chahe jan hi kyoan n jay. isase zyada jillat ab n sahi jayagi.
sahasa nadirashah kathor shabdoan mean bola- ai khuda ki bandiyo, maianne tumhara imtahan lene ke lie bulaya tha aur afasos ke sath kahana p data hai ki tumhari nisabat mera jo guman tha, vah harph-b-harph sach nikala. jab kisi kaum ki auratoan mean gairat nahian rahati to vah kaum murada ho jati hai.
dekhana chahata tha ki tum logoan mean abhi kuchh gairat baki hai ya nahian. isalie maianne tumhean yahaan bulaya tha. maian tumhari behuramati nahian karana chahata tha. maian itana aish ka banda nahian hooan, varana aj bhe doan ke galle charata hota. n itana havasaparast hooan, varana aj pharas mean sarod aur sitar ki tane sunata hota, jisaka maja maian hiandustani gane se kahian zyada utha sakata hooan. mujhe sirph tumhara imtahan lena tha. mujhe yah dekhakar sachcha malal ho raha hai ki tumamean gairat ka jauhar baki n raha. kya yah mumakin n tha ki tum mere hukm ko pairoan tale kuchal detian ? jab tum yahaan a gayian to maianne tumhean ek aur mauqa diya. maianne niand ka bahana kiya. kya yah mumakin n tha ki tumamean se koee khuda ki bandi is katar ko uthakar mere jigar mean chubha deti. maian kalam-e-pak ki kasam khakar kahata hooan ki tum mean se kisi ko katar par hath rakhate dekhakar mujhe behad khushi hoti, maian un najuk hathoan ke samane garadan jhuka deta ! par afasos hai ki aj taimoori khanadan ki ek beti bhi yahaan aisi nahian nikali jo apani huramat biga dane par hath uthati ! ab yah saltanat jianda nahian rah sakati. isaki hasti ke din gine hue haian. isaka nishan bahut jald duniya se mit jaega. tum log jao aur ho sake to ab bhi saltanat ko bachao varana isi tarah havas ki gulami karate hue duniya se rukhsat ho jaogi.