प्रतिज्ञा उपन्यास भाग-8

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

vaishakh mean prema ka vivah dananath ke sath ho gaya. shadi b di dhoom-dham se huee. sare shahar ke reesoan ko nimantrit kiya. lala badariprasad ne donoan hathoan se rupe lutae. magar dananath ki or se koee taiyari n thi. amritaray chanda karane ke lie bihar ki or chale the aur takid kar ge the ki dhoom-dham mat karana. dananath unaki ichchha ki avahelana kaise karate.

idhar poorna ke ane se sumitra ko mano aankhean mil geean. usake sath batean karane se sumitra ka ji hi n bharata. adhi-adhi rat tak baithi, apani duahkh katha sunaya karati. jivan mean usaka koee sangi n tha. pati ki nishthurata nity hi usake hriday mean chubha karati thi. is nishthurata ka karan kya hai, yah samasya usase n hal hoti thi. vah bahut suandar n thi, phir bhi koee use roopahin n kah sakata tha. banav-shrriangar ka to use maraj-sa ho gaya tha. pati ke hriday ko pane ke lie vah nit naya shrriangar karati thi aur is abhisht ke poore n hone se usake hriday mean jvala-si dahakati rahati thi. ghi ke chhiantoan se bhabhakana to jvala ke lie svabhavik hi tha, vah pani ke chhiantoan se bhi bhabhakati thi. kamalaprasad jab usase apana prem jatate, to usake ji mean ata, chhati mean chhuri mar looan. ghav mean yoan hi kya kam pi da hoti hai ki koee us par namak chhi dake. aj se tin sal pahale sumitra ne kamalaprasad ko pa kar apane ko dhany mana tha. do-tin mahine usake din sukh se kate, lekin jyoan-jyoan donoan ki prakriti ka virodh prakat hone laga, donoan ek-doosare se khianchane lage. sumitra udar thi, kamalaprasad palle sire se kripan. vah paise ko thikari samajhati thi, kamalaprasad kau diyoan ko daant se pak data tha. sumitra sadharan bhikshuk ko bhiksha dene uthati to itana de deti ki vah chutaki ki charam sima ka atikraman kar jata tha. usake maike se ek bar ek brahmani koee shubh samachar laee thi. use usane nee reshami sa di utha kar de di udhar kamalaprasad ka yah hal tha ki bhikshuk ki avaz sunate hi garaj uthate the. rool utha kar marane dau date the, do-char ko to pit hi diya tha, yahaan tak ki ek bar dvar par a kar kisi bhikshuk ki, yadi kamalaprasad se muthabhe d ho gee, to use doosari bar ane ka sahas n hota tha. sumitra mean namrata, vinay aur daya thi, kamalaprasad mean ghamand, uchchhriankhalata aur svarth. ek vriksh ka jiv tha, doosara prithvi par reangane vala. usamean mel kaise hota dharm ka jnan, jo daanpaty jivan ka sukh mool hai, donoan mean kisi ko n tha.

poorna ke ane se kamalaprasad aur sumitra ek-doosare se aur prithakh ho ge. sumitra ke hriday par lada hua bojha uth-sa gaya. kahaan to vah din-b-din viraktavastha mean khat par p di rahati thi, kahaan ab vah haradam hansati-bolati rahati thi, kamalaprasad ki usane paravah hi karana chho d di. vah kab ghar mean ata hai, kab jata hai, kab khata hai, kab sota hai, usaki use jara bhi fikr n rahi. kamalaprasad lanpat n tha. sabaki yahi dharana thi ki usamean chahe aur kitane hi durgun hoan, par yah aib n tha. kisi stri par tak-jhaank karate use kisi ne n dekha tha. phir poorna ke roop ne use kaise mohit kar liya, yah rahasy kaun samajh sakata hai. kadachit poorna ki saralata, dinata aur ashray-hinata ne usaki kupravritti ko jaga diya. usaki kripanata aur kayarata hi usake sadachar ka adhar thi. vilasita mahangi vastu hai. jeb ke rupe kharch karake bhi kisi aphat mean phans jane ki jahaan pratikshan sanbhavana ho, aise kam mean kamalaprasad jaisa chatur adami n p d sakata tha. poorna ke vishay mean koee bhay n tha. vah itani saral thi ki use kaboo mean lane ke lie kisi b di sadhana ki zaroorat n thi aur phir yahaan to kisi ka bhay nahian, n phansane ka bhay, n pit jane ki shanka. apane ghar la kar usane shankaoan ko nirast kar diya tha. usane samajha tha, ab marg mean koee badha nahian rahi. keval gharavaloan ki aankh bacha lena kafi tha aur yah kuchh kathin n tha, kiantu yahaan bhi ek badha kh di ho gee aur vah sumitra thi.

sumitra poorna ko ek kshan ke lie bhi n chho dati thi, donoan bhojan karane sath-sath jatian. chhat par dekho to sath, kamare mean dekho to sath, rat ko sath, din ko sath. kabhi donoan sath hi sath so jatian. kamalaprasad jab shayanagar mean ja kar sumitra ki rah dekhata-dekhata so jata, to n jane kab vah usake pas a jati. poorna se ekaant mean koee bat karane ko use avasar n milata tha. vah man mean sumitra par jhuanjhala kar rah jata. akhir ek din usase n raha gaya. rat ko jab sumitra aee, to usane kaha - 'tum rat-din poorna ke pas kyoan baithi rahati ho? vah apane man mean samajhati hogi ki yah to achchhi bala gale p di. aiesi to koee b di samajhadar bhi nahian ho ki tumhari batoan mean use anand ata ho. tumhari bevakoophi par hansati hogi.'

sumitra ne kaha - 'akeli p di-p di kya karooan? phir yah bhi to achchha nahian lagata ki maian aram se soooan aur vah akeli roya kare. uthana bhi chahati hooan, to chimat jati hai, chho dati hi nahian. man mean meri bevakoophi par hansati hai ya nahian yah kaun jane; mera sath use achchha n lagata ho, yah bat nahian.'

'tumhean yah khyal bhi nahian hota ki usaki aur tumhari koee barabari nahian? vah tumhari saheli banane ke yogy nahian haian.'

'maian aisa nahian samajhati.'

'tumhean utani samajh hi nahian, samajhogi kya?'

'aisi samajh ka n hona hi achchha hai.'

us din se sumitra parachhaee ki bhaanti poorna ke sath rahane lagi.

kamalaprasad ke charitr mean ab ek vichitr parivartan hota jata tha. naukaroan par daant-phatakar bhi kam ho gee. kuchh udar bhi ho gaya. ek din bazar se bangali mithaee lae aur sumitra ko dete hue kaha - 'jara apani sakhi ko bhi chakhana. sumitra ne mithaee le li; par poorna se usaki charcha tak n ki.' doosare din kamalaprasad ne poochha - 'poorna ne mithaee pasand ki hogi?' sumitra ne kaha - 'bilkul nahian, vah to kahati thi, mujhe mithaee se kabhi prem n raha.'

kee dinoan ke bad kamalaprasad ek din do reshami sa diyaan lae aur bedh dak apane kamare mean ghus ge. donoan saheliyaan ek hi khat par leti batean kar rahi thian, hakabaka kar uth kh di hueean. poorna ka sir khula hua tha, mare lajja ke usaki deh mean pasina a gaya. sumitra ne pati ki or kupit netroan se dekha.

kamalaprasad ne kaha - 'are! poorna bhi yahian hai. kshama karana poorna, mujhe maloom n tha. yah dekho sumitra do sa diyaan laya hooan. saste damoan mean mil geean. ek tum le lo, ek poorna ko de do.'

sumitra ne sa diyoan ko bina chhue kaha - 'inaki to aj koee zaroorat nahian. mere pas sa diyoan ki kami nahian hai aur poorna reshami sa diyaan pahanana chaheangi, to maian apani nee sa diyoan mean se ek de dooangi.' kyoan bahan, isamean se logi koee sa di?'

poorna ne sir hila kar kaha - 'nahian, maian reshami sa di le kar kya karooangi.'

kamalaprasad - 'kyoan, reshami sa di to koee chhoot ki chiz nahian!'

sumitra - 'chhoot ki chiz nahian; par shauq ki chiz to hai. sabase pahale to tumhari poojy mataji hi chhati pitane lageangi.'

kamalaprasad - 'magar ab to lautane n jaooanga. bajaj samajhega dam sun ke dar ge.'

sumitra - 'bahut achchhi haian, to prema ke pas bhej dooan. tumhari besahi huee sa di pa kar apana bhagy sarahegi. maloom hota hai, ajakal kahian koee rakam muft hath a gee hai. sach kahana, kisaki gardan reti hai. gaanth ke roope kharch karake tum aisi phijool ki chizean kabhi n lae hoge.'

kamalaprasad ne agney-drishti se sumitra ki or dekh kar kaha - 'tumhare bap ki tijori to di hai, aur bhala kahaan daka marane jata.'

sumitra - 'maangate to vah yoan hi de dete, tijori to dane ki naubat n ati. magar svabhav ko kya karo.'

kamalaprasad ne poorna ki or muanh karake kaha - 'sunati ho poorna inaki bat. pati se batean karane ka yahi dhang hai! tum bhi inhean nahian samajhatian, aur kuchh nahian to adami sidhe muanh bat to kare. jab se tum aee ho, mizaj aur bhi asaman par chadh gaya hai.'

poorna ko sumitra ki kathorata buri maloom ho rahi thi. ekaant mean kamalaprasad sumitra ko jalate hoan, par is samay to sumitra hi unhean jala rahi thi. use bhay hua ki kahian kamalaprasad mujhase naraj ho ge, to mujhe is ghar se nikalana p dega. kamalaprasad ko aprasann karake yahaan ek din bhi nibah nahian ho sakata, yah vah janati thi. isalie vah sumitra ko samajhati rahati thi. boli - 'maian to barabar samajhaya karati hooan, babooji poochh lijie jhooth kahati hooan?'

sumitra ne tivr svar mean kaha - 'inake ane se mere mizaj kyoan asaman par chadh gaya, jara yah bhi bata do. mujhe to inhoanne rajasianhasan par nahian baitha diya. haan, tab akeli p di rahati thi, ab gh di-do gh di inake sath baith leti hooan kya tumase itana bhi nahian dekha jata.'

kamalaprasad - 'tum vyarth bat badhati ho, sumitra! maian yah kab kahata hooan ki tum inake sath uthana-baithana chho d do, maianne to aisi koee bat nahian kahi.'

sumitra - 'aur yah kahane ka ashay hi kya hai ki jab se yah aee hai, tumhara mizaj asaman par chadh gaya hai.'

kamalaprasad - 'kuchh jhooth kah raha hooan? poorna khud dekh rahi haian. tumhean unake satsang se kuchh shiksha grahan karani chahie thi. inhean yahaan lane ka mera ek udyeshy yah bhi tha. magar tumhare oopar inaki sohabbat ka ulta hi asar hua. yah bechari samajhati hogian, magar tum kyoan manane lagian. jab tum mujhi ko nahian ginatian, to vah bechari kis ginati ki haian. bhagavan sab duahkh de, par bure ka sang n de. tum inamean se ek sa di rakh lo poorna, doosari maian prema ke pas bheje deta hooan.'

sumitra ne donoan sa diyoan ko utha kar dvar ki or pheank diya. donoan kagaz mean tah ki huee rakhi thian. aangan mean ja girian. mahari usi samay aangan dho rahi thi. jab tak vah dau d kar sa diyaan uthave, kagaz bhig gaya aur sa diyoan mean dhabbe lag ge. poorna ne tiraskar ke svar mean kaha - 'yah tumane kya kiya, bahan dekho to sa diyaan kharab ho geean.'

kamalaprasad - 'inaki karatootean dekhati jao! is par maian hi bura hooan, mujhi mean jamane-bhar ke dosh haian.'

sumitra - 'to le kyoan nahian jate apani sa diyaan.'

kamalaprasad - 'maian tumhean to nahian deta.'

sumitra - 'poorna bhi n leangi.'

kamalaprasad - 'tum unaki or se bolane vali kaun hoti ho? tumane apana thika liya hai ya jamane bhar ka thika liya hai. bolo poorna, ek rakh dooan n? yah samajh lo ki tumane inakar kar diya, to mujhe b da duahkh hoga.'

poorna b de sankat mean p d gee. agar sa di leti hai, to sumitra ko bura lagata hai, nahian leti, to kamalaprasad bura manate haian. sumitra kyoan itana duragrah kar rahi hai, kyoan itana jame se bahar ho rahi hai, yah bhi ab usase chhipa n raha. donoan pahaluoan par vichar kar usane sumitra ko prasann rakhane hi ka nishchay kiya. kamalaprasad rooth kar usako koee hani nahian pahuancha sakate. adhik-se-adhik use yahaan se chala jana p dega. sumitra aprasann ho gee, to n jane kya gajab dhae, n jane usake man mean kaise-kaise kutsit bhav uthean. boli - 'babooji, reshami sa diyaan pahanane ka mujhe nishedh hai, le kar kya karooangi, aisa hi hai to koee moti-jhoti dhoti la dijiega.'

yah kah kar usane kamalaprasad ki or vivash netroan se dekha. unamean kitani dinata, kitani kshama-prarthana bhari huee thi. mano ve kah rahi thian - 'lena to chahati hooan par looan kaise! inhean ap dekh hi rahe haian, kya ghar se nikalane ki ichchha hai?'

kamalaprasad ne koee uttar nahian diya. sa diyaan chupake se utha lian aur pair patakate hue bahar chale ge.