बुद्धू का काँटा भाग-3
kuean par dekha ki chhah-sat striyaan pani bharane aur bharakar le jane ki kee dashaoan mean haian. gaanvoan mean parada nahian hota. vahaan sab purush sab striyoan se aur sab striyaan sab purushoan se nidar hokar batean kar leti haian. aur shaharoan ke lambe ghooanghatoan ke niche jitana pap hota hai, usaka dasavaan hissa bhi gaanvoan mean nahian hota. isi se to kahavat mean bap ne bete ko upadesh diya hai ki lanbe ghooanghat-vali se bachana. anajan purush kisi bhi stri se ‘bahan’ kahakar bat kar leta hai aur stri baja mean jakar kisi bhi purush se ‘bhaee’ kahakar bol leti hai. yahi vachik sandhi din bhar ke vyavaharoan mean ‘pasaport’ ka kam de deti hai. hansi-thattha bhi hota hai, par koee durbhav nahian kh da hota. rajapootane ke gaanvoan mean stri ooant par baithi nikal jati hai aur khetoan ke log ‘mamiji, mamiji’ chillaya karate haian n unaka arth us shabd se badhakar kuchh hota hai aur n vah chidhati hai. ek gaanv mean barat jimane baithi. us samay striyaan samadhiyoan ko gali gati haian. par galiyaan n gaee jati dekh nagarik-sudharak barati ko b da harsh hua. vah gram ke ek vriddh se kah baitha, ‘b di khushi ki bat hai ki apake yahaan itani taraqqi ho gee hai.’ buddha bola, ‘haan sahab, taraqqi ho rahi hai. pahale galiyoan mean kaha jata tha, phalane ki phalani ke sath aur amuk ko amuk ke sath. log-lugaee sunate the, hans dete the. ab ghar-ghar mean ve hi batean sachchi ho rahi haian. ab galiyaan gaee jati haian to choroan ki dadhi mean tinake nikalate haian. tabhi to aandolan hote haian ki galiyaan bad karo, kyoanki ve chubhati haian.
raghunath yadi chahata to kisi bhi pani bharane vali se pine ko pani maang leta. parantu usane ab tak apani mata ko chho dakar kisi stri se kabhi bat nahian ki thi. striyoan ke samane bat karane ko usaka muanh khul n saka. pita ki kathor shiksha se balakapan se hi use vah svabhav p d gaya tha ki do varsh prayag mean svatantr rahakar bhi vah apane charitr ko, keval purushoan ke samaj mean baithakar, pavitr rakh saka tha. jo kone mean baithakar upanyas padha karate haian, unaki apeksha khule maidan mean khelane valoan ke vichar adhik pavitr rahate haian- isilie phutab aaul aur h aauki ke khila di raghunadh ko kabhi stri vishayak kalpana hi nahian hoti thi; vah manavi srishti mean apani mata ko chho dakar aur striyoan ke hone ya n hone se anabhijn tha. vivah usaki drishti mean ek avashyak kintu durjney bandhan tha jisamean sab manushy phansate haian aur pita ki ajnanusar vah vivah ke lie ghar usi ruchi se a raha tha jisase ki koee pahale-pahal thietar dekhane jata hai. kuean par itani striyoan ko ikattha dekhakar vah saham gaya, usake lalat par pasina a gaya aur usaka bas chalata to vah bina pani piye hi laut jata. astu, chupachap dor lota lekar ek kone par ja kh da hua aur dor kholakar phaansa dene laga.
prayag ke bordiang ki totiyoan ki kripa se, janm bhar kabhi kuean se pani nahian khiancha tha, n lote mean phaansa lagaya tha. aisi avastha mean usane sari dor kuean mean bakher di aur usaki jo chhor lote se baandhi, vah kabhi to lote ko ek sau bis aansh ke kon par latakati aur kabhi sattar par. dor ke jab bat khulate haian tab vah pahuanch peanch khati hai. in peanchoan mean raghunath ki baanhean bhi ulajh geean. sir nicha kie jyoan hi vah dor ko sulajhata tha, tyoan hi vah ulajhati jati thi. use pata nahian tha ki gaanv ki striyoan ke lie vah adbhut kautuk nayanotsav ho raha tha.
dhire-dhire tika-tippani aranbh ho gee. ek ne hansakar kaha, ‘patavari hai, paimaish ki jarib phailata hai.’
doosari boli, ‘na, bajigar hai, hath-paanv baandhakar pani mean kood p dega aur phir sookha nikal aega.’
tisari boli, ‘kyoan lalla, gharavaloan se l dakar ae ho?’
chauthi ne kaha, ‘kya kuean mean davaee daloge? is gaanv mean to bimari nahian hai.’
itane mean ek l daki boli, ‘kahe ki davaee aur kahaan ka patavari? ana di lote mean phaansa dena nahian ata. bhaee, mere gh de ko mat kuean mean dal dena, tumane to sari mean d hi rok li!’ yoan kahakar vah samane akar apana gh da uthakar le gee.
pahali ne poochha, ‘bhaee tum kya karoge?’
l daki bat katakar bol uthi, ‘kuean ko baandheange.’
pahali- ‘are! bol to.’ l daki- ‘maan ne sikhaya nahian.’
sankoch, pyas, lajja aur ghabarahat se raghunath ka gala ruk rah tha; usane khaansakar kanth saf karana chaha. l daki ne bhi vaisi hi avaj ki. is par pahali stri badhakar age aee aur dor uthakar kahane lagi, ‘kya chahate ho? bolate kyoan nahian?’
l daki -’pharasi boleange.’
raghunath ne sharm se kuchh aankhean ooanchi kian, kuchh muanh pherakar kuean se kaha, ‘mujhe pani pina hai, -lote se nikal raha- nikal looanga.’
l daki- ‘parasoan tak.’
stri boli, ‘to ham pani pila dean. la bhagyavanti, gagari utha la. inako pani pila dean.’
l daki gagari utha laee aur boli, ‘le mami ke palatoo, pani pi le, sharama mat, teri bahoo se nahian kahooangi.’
is par sab striyaan khilakhilakar hans p dian. raghunath ke chahare par lali dau d gee. usane yah dikhana chaha ki mujhe koee dekh nahian raha, yadyapi das-barah striyaan usake bhauchakkepan ko dekh rahi thian. srishti ke adi se koee apani jheanp chhipane ko samarth n hua, n hoga. raghunath ulta jheanp gaya.
‘nahian, nahian, maian ap hi-’ l daki- ‘kuean mean kood ke.’
is par ek aur hansi ka phauvara phoot p da.
raghunath ne kuchh aankhean uthakar l daki ki or dekha. koee chaudah-pandrah baras ki l daki, shahar ki chhokariyoan ki tarah pili aur dubali nahian, hasht-pusht aur prasannamukh. aankhoan ke dele, kale saphed, nahian kuchh matiya nile aur pighalate hue. yah jan p data tha ki dele abhi pighalakar bah jaeange. aankhoan ke chautarang hansi; othoan par hansi aur sare sharir par nirog svasthy ki hansi. raghunath ki aankhean aur nichi ho geean.
stri ne phir kaha, ‘pani pi lo ji, l daki kh di hai.’
raghunath ne hath dhoye. ek hath muanh ke age lagaya; l daki gagari se pani pilane lagi. jab raghunath adha pi chuka tha tab usane shvas lete-lete aankhean ooanchi kian. us samay l daki ne aisa muanh banaya ki thi-thi karake raghunath hans p da, usaki nak mean pani chadh gaya aur sari astin bhig gee. l daki chup.
raghunath ko khaansate, dagamagate dekhakar vah stri age chali aee aur gagari chhinati huee l daki ko jhi dakakar boli- ‘tujhe rat-din ootapan hi soojhata hai. inhean galasooand chala gaya. aisi hansi bhi kis kam ki. lo, maian pani pilati hooan.’
l daki- ‘doodh pila do, bahut der huee; aansoo bhi poanchh do.’
sachche hi raghunath ke aansoo ke aansoo a ge the. usane stri se jal lekar muanh dhoya aur pani piya. dhire se kaha, ‘bas ji, bas.’
l daki- ‘ab ke ap nikal leange.’
raghunath ko muanh poanchhate dekhakar stri ne poochha, ‘kahaan rahate ho?’
‘agare.’
‘idhar kahaan jaoge?’
l daki- (bich hi mean)- ‘shikarapur! vahaan aisoan ka gurudvara hai.’ striyaan khilakhila uthian.
raghunath ne apane gaanv ka nam bataya. ‘maian pahale kabhi idhar aya nahian, kitani door hai, kab tak pahuanch jaooanga?’ ab bhi vah sir uthakar bat nahian kar raha tha.
l daki- ‘yahi pandrah-bis din mean. tin-char sau kos to hoga.’
stri- ‘chhiah, do-dhaee bhar hai, abhi ghante bhar mean pahuanch jate ho.’
‘rasta sidha hi hai n?’
l daki- ‘nahian to baean hath ko mu dakar chi d ke pe d ke niche dahine hath ko mu dane ke pichhe satavean patthar par phir baean mu d jana, age sidhe jakar kahian n mu dana; sabase age ek gid d ki gupha hai, usase uttar ko ba d ulaanghakar chale jana.’
stri- ‘chhokari too bahut sir chadh gee hai, chikar-chikar karati hi jati hai! nahian ji ek hi rasta hai; samane nadi avegi; parale par baean hath ko gaanv hai.’
l daki- ‘nadi mean bhi yoan hi phaansa lagakar pani nikalana.’
stri usaki bat anasuni karake boli, ‘kya us gaanv mean dak-baboo hokar ae ho?’
raghunath- nahian, maian to prayag mean padhata hooan.’
l daki- ‘o ho, piragaji mean padhate haian! kuean se pani nikalana padhate hoange?’
stri- ‘chup kar, jyada bak-bak kam ki nahian; kya isilie too mere yahaan aee hai?’
is par mahila-mandal phir hans p da. raghunath ne ghabarakar ilahi ki or dekha to vah maje mean pe d ke niche chilam pi raha tha. is samay raghunath ko haji ilahi se eershya hone lagi. usane socha ki haj se lautate samay samudr mean khatare kam haian, aur kuean par adhik.
l daki – ‘kyoan ji, paragaji mean akkal bhi bikati hai?’
raghunath ne muanh pher liya.
stri- ‘to gaanv mean kya karane jate ho?’
l daki- ‘kamane-khane.’
stri- ‘teri kaianchi nahian band hoti! yah l daki to pagal ho jaegi.’
raghunath- ‘maian vahaan ke baboo shobharamaji ka l daka hooan.’
stri- ‘achchha, achchha, to kya tumhara hi byah hai?’
raghunath ne sir nicha kar liya.
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