प्रतिध्वनि -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

manushy ki chita jal jati hai, aur bujh bhi jati hai parantu usaki chhati ki jalan, dvesh ki jvala, sambhav hai, usake bad bhi dhakh-dhak karati huee jala kare.

tara jis din vidhava huee, jis samay sab log ro-pit rahe the, usaki nanad ne, bhaee ke marane par bhi, rodan ke sath, vyang svar mean kaha-‘‘are maiya re, kisaka pap kise kha gaya re!’’- tabhi asann vaidhavy thelakar, apane kanoan ko ooancha karake, tara ne vah tikshn vyang rodan ke kolahal mean bhi sun liya tha.

tara sampann thi, isalie vaidhavy use door hi se darakar chala jata. usaka poorn anubhav vah kabhi n kar saki. haan, nanad rama apani daridrata ke din apani kanya shyama ke sath kisi tarah katane lagi. dahej milane ki nirasha se koee byah karane ke lie prastut n hota. shyama chaudah baras ki ho chali. bahut cheshta karake bhi rama usaka byah n kar saki. vah chal basi.

shyama nissahay akeli ho gee. par jivan ke jitane din haian , ve karavasi ke saman katane hi hoange. vah akeli hi ganga-tat par apani bari se sate hue kachche jhop de mean rahane lagi.

manni nam ki ek budhiy़a, jise ‘dadi’ kahati thi, rat ko usake pas so rahati, aur n jane kahaan se, kaise usake khane-pine ka kuchh prabandh kar hi deti. dhire-dhire daridrata ke sab avashisht chihn bikakar shyama ke pet mean chale gaye.

par, usaki am ki bari abhi nilam hone ke lie hari-bhari thi!

komal atap ganga ke shital sharir mean abhi ooshma utpann karane mean asamarth tha. navin kisalay usase chamak uthe the. vasant ki kiranoan ki chot se koyal kuhuk uthi. am ki kairiyoan ke guchchhe hilane lage. us am ki bari mean madhav-rritu ka dera tha aur shyama ke kamaniy kalevar mean yauvan tha.

shyama apane kachche ghar ke dvar par kh di huee megh-sankranti ka parv-snan karane valoan ko kagar ke niche dekh rahi thi. samip hone par bhi vah manushyoan ki bhi d use chiantiyaan reangati huee jaisi dikhayi p dati thi. manni ne ate hi usaka hath pak dakar kaha-‘‘chalo beti, ham log bhi snan kar avean.’’

usane kaha-‘‘nahian dadi, aj aang-aang toot raha hai, jaise jvar ane ko hai.’’

manni chali gee.

tara snan karake dasi ke sath kagare ke oopar chadhऩe lagi. shyama ki bari ke pas se hi path tha. kisi ko vahaan n dekhakar tara ne santusht hokar saans li. kairiyoan se gadaraee huee dali se usaka sir lag gaya. dali rah mean jhuki p dati thi. tara ne dekha, koee nahian hai; hath badhakar kuchh kairiyaan to d lian.

sahasa kisi ne kaha-‘‘aur to d lo mami, kal to yah nilam hi hoga!’’

tara ki agni-ban-si aankhean kisi ko jala dene ke lie khojane lagian. phir usake hriday mean vahi bahut din ki bat pratidhvanit hone lagi-‘‘kisaka pap kisako kha gaya, re!’’-tara chauank uthi. usane socha, rama ki kanya vyang kar rahi hai- bhikh lene ke lie kah rahi hai. tara hoanth chabati huee chali gee.

ek sau paanch - ek ,

ek sau paanch - do ,

ek sau paanch rupaye- tin!

boli ho gee. amin ne poochha-‘‘nilam ka chauthaee rupaya kaun jama karata hai?’’

ek gathile yuvak ne kaha-‘‘chauthaee nahian, kul rupaye lijiye.’’ tara ke nam ki rasid bana rupaya samane rakh diya gaya.

shyama ek am ke vriksh ke niche chupachap baithi thi. use aur kuchh nahian sunaee p data tha, keval duggiyoan ke sath ek-do-tin ki pratidhvani kanoan mean gooanj rahi thi. ek samajhadar manushy ne kaha-‘‘chalo, achchha hi hua, tara ne anath ladaqi ke baithane ka thikana to bana rahane diya; nahian to ganga kinare ka ghar aur tin bighe ki bari, ek sau paanch rupaye mean! tara ne bahut achchha kiya.’’

budhiy़a manni ne kaha-‘‘bhagavanh jane, thikana kahaan hoga!’’

shyama chupachap sunati rahi. sandhya ho gee. jinaka usi amaraee mean ni d tha, un pakshiyoan ka jhund kalarav karata hua ghar lautane laga. par shyama n hili; use bhool gaya ki usake bhi ghar hai.

budhiy़a ke sath amin sahab akar kh de ho gaye. amin ek sundar kahe jane yogy yuvak the, aur unaka yah sahaj vishvas tha ki koee bhi stri ho, mujhe ek bar avashy dekhegi. shyama ke saundary ko to daridray ne dhank liya tha; par usaka yauvan chhipane ke yogy n tha. kumar yauvan apani kri da mean vihval tha. amin ne kaha-‘‘manni! poochho, maian rupaya de dooan-abhi ek mahine ki avadhi hai, rupaya de dene se nilam ruk jayaga!’’

shyama ne ek bar tikhi aankhoan se amin ki or dekha. vah pusht kalevar amin, us anath balika ki drishti n sah saka, dhire se chala gaya. manni ne dekha , barasat ki-si gili chita shyama ki aankhoan mean jal rahi hai. manni ka sahas n hua ki usase ghar chalane ke lie kahe. usane socha, thaharakar aooangi to ise ghar liva jaooangi. parantu jab vah lautakar aee, to rajani ke andhakar mean bahut khojane par bhi shyama ko n pa saki.

tara ka uttaradhikari hua-usake bhaee ka putr prakash. akasmath sampatti mil jane se jaisa pray: hua karata hai, vahi hua-prakash apane-ape mean n rah saka. vah us dehat mean pratham shreni ka vilasi ban baitha. usane tara ke pahale ghar se kos-bhar door shyama ki bari ko bhali-bhaanti sajaya; usaka kachcha ghar to dakar bangala ban gaya. amaraee mean sadaqean aur kyariyaan dau dane lagian. yahian prakash baboo ki baithak jami. ab ise usake naukar ‘chhavani’ kahate the.

ashadh ka mahina tha. sabere hi b di umas thi. puravaee se ghanamandal sthir ho raha tha. varsha hone ki poori sambhavana thi. pakshiyoan ke jhund akash mean ast-vyast ghoom rahe the. ek pagali ganga ke tat ke oopar ki or chadh rahi thi. vah apane pratyek pad-vikshep par ek-do-tin asphut svar se kah deti, phir akash ki or dekhane lagati thi. amaraee ke khule phatak se vah ghus aee, aur pas ke vrikshoan ke niche ghoomati huee ‘‘ek-do-tin’’ karake ginane lagi.

laharile pavan ka ek jhoanka aya; tirachhi booando ki ek badh p d gee. do-char am bhi choo p de. pagali ghabara gee. tin se adhik vah ginana hi nahian janati thi. idhar booando ko gine ki amoan ko! b di g dab di huee. par vah megh ka tuk da barasata hua nikal gaya. pagali ek bar svasth ho gee.

mahokha ek dal se bolane laga. duggi ke saman usaka ‘‘doop-doop-doop’’ shabd pagali ko pahachana hua-sa maloom p da. vah phir ginane lagi-ek-do-tin! usake chup ho jane par pagali ne daloan ki or dekha aur prasann hokar boli-ek-do-tin! is bar usaki ginati mean b da ullas tha, vismay tha aur harsh bhi. usane ek hi dal mean pake hue tin amoan ko vrintoan-sahit to d liya, aur unhean jhukate hue ginane lagi. pagali is bar sachamuch balika ban gee, jaise khilaune ke sath khelane lagi.

mal a gaya. usane gali di, marane ke lie hath uthaya. pagali apana khel chho dakar chupachap usaki or ekatak dekhane lagi. vah usaka hath pak dakar prakash baboo ke pas le chala.

prakash yakshma se pi dit hokar in dinoan yahaan nirantar rahane laga tha. vah khaansata jata tha; aur takiye ke sahare baitha hua pikadan mean rakt aur kaph thookata jata tha. kankal-sa sharir pila p d gaya tha. mukh mean keval nak aur b di-b di aankhe apana astitv chillakar kah rahi thian. pagali ko pak dakar mali usake samane le aya.

vilasi prakash ne dekha, pagal yauvan abhi us pagali ke pichhe laga tha. kamuk prakash ko aj apane rog par krodh hua, aur poorn matra mean hua. par krodh dhakka khakar pagali ki or chala aya. prakash ne am dekhakar hi samajh liya aur phooh d galiyoan ki bauchhar se usaki abhyarthana ki.

pagali ne kaha-‘‘yah kis pap ka phal hai? too janata hai, ise kaun khayaga? bol! kaun marega? bol! ek-do-tin’’-

‘‘chori ko pagalapan mean chhipana chahati hai! abhi to tujhe bisoan chahane vale mileange! chori kyoan karati hai?’’-prakash ne kaha.

ek bar pagali ka pagalapan, lal vastr pahanakar usaki aankhoan mean nach utha. usane am to d-to d kar prakash ke kshay-jarjar hriday par khianchakar marate hue gina-ek-do-tin! prakash takiye par chitt letakar hichakiyaan lene laga aur pagali hansate hue ginane lagi-ek-do-tin. unaki pratidhvani amaraee mean gooanj uthi.