प्रतिज्ञा उपन्यास भाग-15

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

dananath yahaan se chale, to unake ji mean aisa a raha tha ki isi vakt ghar-bar chho d kar kahian nikal jaooan! kamalaprasad apane sath unhean bhi le dooba tha. janata ki drishti mean kamalaprasad aur vah abhinn the. yah asanbhav tha ki unamean se ek koee kam kare aur usaka yash ya apayash doosare ko n mile. janata ke samane ab kis muanh se kh de hoange kya yah unake sarvajanik jivan ka aant tha? kya vah apane ko is kalank se prithakh kar sakate the?

magar kamalaprasad itana gaya-bita adami hai! itana kutil, itana bhrashtachari! itana nich! phir aur kis par vishvas kiya jae? aisa dharmanuragi manushy ab itana patit ho sakata hai, to phir doosaroan se kya asha? jo prani shil aur paropakar ka putala tha, vah aisa kamaandh kyoan kar ho gaya? kya sansar mean koee bhi sachcha, nek nishkapat vyakti nahian hai.

ghar pahuanch kar jyoanhi vah ghar mean ge, prema ne poochha - 'tumane bhi bhaiya ke vishay mean koee bat suni? abhi mahari n jane kahaan se ootapataang batean sun aee hai. mujhe to vishvas nahian ata.'

dananath ne aankhean bacha kar kaha - 'vishvas n ane ka karan!'

'tumane bhi kuchh suna hai?'

'haan suna hai. tumhare ghar hi se chala a raha hooan.'

'to sachamuch bhaiya ji poorna ko bagiche le ge the?'

'bilkul sach hai!'

'poorna ne bhaiya ko mar kar gira diya, yah bhi sach hai?'

'ji haan, yah bhi sach hai.'

'tumase kisane kaha?'

'tumhare pita ji ne!'

'pita ji ki n poochho. vah to bhaiya par udhar hi khae rahate haian.'

'to kya samajh looan ki unhoanne kamalaprasad par mithya dosh lagaya.'

'nahian, yah maian nahian kahati; magar bhaiya mean aisi adat kabhi n thi.'

'tum kisi ke dil ka hal kya jano! pahale maian unhean dharm aur sachchaee ka putala samajhata tha. par aj maloom hua ki vah lanpat hi nahian, parale sire ke jhoothe haian. poorna ne bahut achchha kiya. mar dalati to aur bhi achchha karati. n maloom usane kyoan chho d diya. tumhara bhaee samajh kar use daya a gee hogi?'

prema ne ek kshan soch kar sandigdh bhav se kaha - 'mujhe ab bhi vishvas nahian ata. poorna barabar mere yahaan ati thi. vah usaki or kabhi aankh utha kar bhi n dekhate the. isamean zaroor koee-n-koee peanch hai. bhaiya ji ko bahut chot to nahian aee.'

dananath ne vyangy karake kaha - 'ja kar jara maraham-patti kar ao n!'

prema ne tiraskar ki drishti se dekh kar kaha - 'bhagavan jane, tum b de nirdayi ho, kisi ko vipatti mean dekh kar bhi tumhean daya nahian ati.'

'aise papiyoan par daya karana daya ka durupayog karana hai. agar maian bagiche mean us vakt hota ya kisi tarah mere kanoan mean poorna ke chillane ki avaz pahuanch jati, to chahe phaansi hi pata, par kamalaprasad ko jianda n chho data, aur phaansi kyoan hoti, kya qanoon aandha hai? aisi dasha mean maian kya, sabhi aisa hi karate. dusht, jise ek anathini abala par atyachar karate lajja n aee aur vah bhi jo usi ki sharan a p di thi. maian aise adami ka khoon kar dalana pap nahian samajhata.'

prema ko ye kathor batean apriy lagian. kadachit yah bat siddh hone par usake man mean bhi aise hi bhav ate, kiantu is samay use jan p da ki keval use jalane ke lie, keval usaka apaman karane ke lie yah chot ki gee hai. agar is bat ko sach bhi man liya jae, to bhi aisi jali-kati batean karane ka prayojan? kya ye batean dil mean rakhi ja sakati thian?

usake man mean prabal utkantha huee ki chal kar kamalaprasad ko dekh kar aean, par is bhay se ki tab to yah aur bhi big d jaeange, usane yah ichchha prakat n ki. man-hi-man aianth kar rah gee.

ek kshan ke bad dananath ne kaha - 'ji chahata ho, to ja kar dekh ao. chot to aisi gahari nahian hai, par makkar aisa kie hue haian, mano goli lag gee ho.'

prema ne virakt ho kar kaha - 'tum to dekh hi ae, maian ja kar kya karooangi.'

'nahian bhaee, maian kisi ko rokata nahian. aisa n ho, pichhe se kahane lago tumane jane n diya. maian bilkul nahian rokata.'

'maianne to kabhi tumase kisi bat ki shikayat nahian ki. kyoan vyarth ka dosh lagate ho? meri jane ki bilkul ichchha nahian hai.'

'haan, ichchha n hogi, maianne kah diya n! mana karata, to zaroor ichchha hoti! mere kahane se chhoot lag gee.'

prema samajh gee ki yah usi chande vale jalase ki taraph ishara hai. ab aur koee batachit karane ka avasar n tha. dananath ne vah aparadh ab tak kshama nahian kiya tha. vahaan se uth kar apane kamare mean chali gee.

dananath ke dil ka bukhar n nikalane paya. vah mahinoan se avasar khoj rahe the ki ek bar prema se khoob khuli-khuli batean karean, par yah avasar unake hath se nikal gaya. vah khisiyae hue bahar jana chahate the ki sahasa unaki mata ji a kar bolian - 'aj sasural ki or to nahian ge the beta? kuchh g dab d sun rahi hooan.'

dananath mata ke samane sasural ki koee buraee n karate the. auratoan ko aprasann karane ka isase koee saral upay nahian hai. phir abhi unhoanne prema se kathor batean ki thian, usaka kuchh khed bhi tha. ab unhean maloom ho raha tha ki vahi batean sahanubhooti ke dhang se bhi kahi ja sakati thian. man khed prakat karane ke lie atur ho raha tha bole - 'sab gap hai, ammaan ji.'

'gap kaisi, bazar mean sune chali ati hooan. ganga-kinare yahi bat ho rahi thi. vah brahmani vanita-bhavan pahuanch gee.'

dananath ne aankhean pha d kar poochha - 'vanita-bhavan! vahaan kaise pahuanchi.'

'ab yah maian kya janooan? magar vahaan pahuanch gee, isamean sandeh nahian. kee adami vahaan pata laga ae. maian kamalaprasad ko dekhate hi bhaanp gee thi ki yah adami nigah ka achchha nahian hai, lekin tum kisaki sunate the?'

'ammaan, kisi ke dil ka hal koee kya janata hai?'

'jinake aankhean haian, vah jan hi jate haian. haan, tum jaise adami dhokha kha jate haian. ab shahar mean tum jidhar jaoge, udhar uangaliyaan utheangi. log tumhean doshi thaharaeange. vah aurat vahaan ja kar n jane kya-kya batean banaegi. ek-ek bat ki sau-sau lagaegi. yah maian kabhi n manooangi ki pahale se kuchh saanth-gaanth n thi. agar pahale se koee batachit n thi to vah kamalaprasad ke sath akele bagiche mean gee kyoan? magar ab vah sara aparadh kamalaprasad ke sir rakh kar ap nikal jaegi. mujhe dar hai ki kahian tumhean bhi n ghasite. jara mujhase usaki bheant ho jati, to maian poochhati.'

dananath ke pet mean choohe dau dane lage. unake pet mean koee bat n pach sakati thi. prema ke kamare ke dvar par ja kar bole - 'kuchh suna, poorna vanita-bhavan pahuanch gee.'

prema ne unaki or dekha. usaki aankhean lal thian. vah batean, jo hriday ko malate rahane par usake mukh se n nikalane pati thi, 'kartavy aur shanka jinhean aandar hi daba deti thi', aansoo ban kar nikal jati thian. chande vale jalase mean jana itana ghor aparadh tha ki kshama hi n kiya ja sake? vah jahaan jate haian, jo karate haian, kya usase poochh kar karate haian? isamean sandeh nahian ki vidya, buddhi aur umr mean usase badhe hue haian, isalie vah adhik svatantr haian, unhean us par nigarani rakhane ka hak hai. vah agar use koee anuchit bat karate dekhean, to rok sakate haian. lekin us jalase mean jana to koee anuchit bat n thi. kya koee bat isilie anuchit ho jati hai ki amritaray ka usamean hath hai? inamean itani sahanubhooti bhi nahian, sab kuchh jan kar bhi anajan banate haian!

dananath usaki lal aankhean dekh kar prem se dravit ho uthe. apani kathorata par lajja aee. prem ki pragati jal ke pravah ki bhaanti hai, jo tho di der ke lie rook jae, par apani gati nahian badal sakati, yah bat vah kyoan bhool ge. ek akat saty ke virodh karane ka prayashchit ab unake sivay aur kaun karega? madhur kanth se bole - 'poorna to vanita-bhavan pahuanch gee.'

prema kuchh nishchay n kar saki ki is khabar par prasann ho ya khinn? dananath ne yah bat kis irade se kahi? usaka kya ashay tha, vah kuchh n jan saki. dananath kadachit usaka manobhav ta d ge. bole - 'ab usake vishay mean koee chianta n rahi. amritaray usaka be da par laga deange?'

prema ko yah vaky bhi pahale-sa jan p da. yah amritaray ki prashansa hai ya nianda? amritaray usaka be da kaise par laga deange? sadharan to is vaky ka yahi arth hai ki ab poorna ko ashray mil gaya, lekin kya yah vyangy nahian ho sakata?

dananath ne kuchh lajjit ho kar kaha - 'ab mujhe aisa jan p data hai ki amritaray par mera sandeh bilkul mithya tha. maianne aankhean band karake kamalaprasad ki pratyek bat ko ved-vaky samajh liya tha. maianne amritaray par kitana b da anyay kiya hai, isaka anubhav ab maian kuchh-kuchh kar sakata hooan. maian kamalaprasad ki aankhoan se dekhata tha. is dhoort ne mujhe b da chakama diya. n-jane meri buddhi par kyoan aisa parada p da gaya ki apane anany mitr par aise sandeh karane laga?'

prema ke mukh-mandal par sneh ka jaisa gahara rang is samay dikhaee diya vaisa aur pahale dananath ne kabhi n dekha tha. yah kuchh vaisa hi garvapoorn anand tha, jaise mata ko do roothe hue bhaiyoan ke manomaliny ke door ho jane se hota hai. boli - 'amritaray ki bhi to bhool thi ki unhoanne tumase milana-julana chho d diya? kabhi-kabhi apas mean bheant hoti rahati, to aisa bhram kyoan utpann hota? khet mean hal n chalane hi se to ghas-pat jam ata hai.'

'nahian, unaki bhool nahian sarasar mera dosh tha. maian shighr hi isaka prayashchit karooanga. maian ek jalase mean sara bhandapho d kar dooanga. in pakhandiyoan ki kalee khol dooanga.'

'kalee to kafi taur par khul gee, ab use aur kholane ki kya zaroorat hai.'

'zaroorat hai- kam-se-kam apani ijjat banane ke lie isaki b di sakht zaroorat hai. maian janata ko dikha dooanga ki in pakhandiyoan se mera mel-milap kis dhang ka tha. is avasar par maun rah jana mere lie ghatak hoga. uph! mujhe kitana b da dhokha hua. ab mujhe maloom ho gaya ki mujhamean manushyoan ko parakhane ki shakti nahian hai; lekin ab logoan ko maloom ho jaega ki maian jitana jani dost ho sakata hooan, utana hi jani dushman bhi ho sakata hooan. jis vakt kamalaprasad ne us abala par kudrishti dali, agar maian maujood hota, to avashy goli mar deta. jara is shadayantr ko to dekho ki bechari ko us bagiche mean liva le gaya, jahaan din ko adhi rat ka-sa sannata rahata hai. bahut hi achchha hua. isase shraddha ho gee hai. ji chahata hai, ja kar usake darshan karooan. magar abhi n jaooanga. sabase pahale is bagulabhagat ki khabar leni hai.'

prema ne pati ko shraddha ki drishti se dekha. unaka hriday itana pavitr hai, vah aj tak yah n samajhi thi. ab tak usane unaka jo svaroop dekha tha vah ek kritaghn, dveshi, vicharahin, kutil manushy ka tha. agar yah charitr dekh kar bhi vah dananath ka adar karati thi, to isaka karan yah prem tha, jo dananath ko usase tha. aj usane unake shuddh, nirmal aantahkaran ki jhalak dekhi. kitana sachcha pashchattap tha! kitana pavitr krodh! ek abala ka kitana samman!

usane kamare ke dvar par a kar kaha - 'maian to samajhati hooan is samay tumhara chup rah jana hi achchha hai. kuchh dinoan tak log tumhean badanam kareange, par aant mean tumhara adar kareange. mujhe bhi yahi shanka hai ki yadi tumane bhaiya ji ka virodh kiya to pita ji ko b da duahkh hoga.'

dananath ne mano vish ka ghooant pi kar kaha - 'achchhi bat hai, jaisi tumhari ichchha. magar yad rakho, maian kahian bahar muanh dikhane layaq n rahooanga.'

prema ne prem-kritajn netroan se dekha. kanth gadgadh ho gaya. muanh se ek shabd n nikala. pati ke mahanh tyag ne use vibhor kar diya. usake ek ishare par apaman, nianda, anadar sahane ke lie taiyar ho kar dananath ne aj usake hriday par adhikar pa liya. vah muanh se kuchh n boli, par usaka ek-ek rom pati ko ashirvad de raha tha.

tyag hi vah shakti hai, jo hriday par vijay pa sakati hai.