अमिट स्मृति -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

phalguni poornima ka chandr ganga ke shubhr vaksh par alok-dhara ka srijan kar raha tha. ek chhota-sa bajara vasant-pavan mean andolit hota hua dhire-dhire bah raha tha. nagar ka anand-kolahal saik doan galiyoan ko par karake ganga ke mukt vatavaran mean sunaee p d raha tha. manoharadas hath-muanh dhokar takiye ke sahare baith chuke the. gopal ne byaloo karake uthate hue poochha-

babooji, sitar le aooan?

aj aur kal, do din nahian. -manoharadas ne kaha.

vah! babooji, aj sitar n baja to phir bat kya rahi!

nahian gopal, maian holi ke in do dinoan mean n to sitar hi bajata hooan aur n to nagar mean hi jata hooan.

to kya ap chaleange bhi nahian, tyohar ke din nav par hi biteange, yah to b di buri bat hai.

yadyapi gopal baras-baras ka tyohar manane ke lie sadharanat: yuvakoan ki tarah utkanthit tha; parantu sattar baras ke boodhe manoharadas ko svayan boodha kahane ka sahas nahian rakhata. manoharadas ka bhara hua muanh, dridh avayav aur balishth aang-vinyas gopal ke yauvan se adhik poorn tha. manoharadas ne kaha-

gopal! maian gandi galiyoan ya rang se bhagata hooan. itani hi bat nahian, isamean aur bhi kuchh hai. holi isi tarah bitate mujhe pachas baras ho gaye.

gopal ne nagar mean jakar utsav dekhane ka kutoohal dabate hue poochha-aisa kyoan babooji?

ooanche takiye par chitt lekar lambi saans lete hue manoharadas ne kahana arambh kiya-

ham aur tumhare b de bhaee giridharadas sath-hi-sath javahirat ka vyavasay karate the. is sajhe ka hal tum janate hi ho. haan, tab bambee ki dookan n thi aur n to aj-jaisi relaga diyoan ka jal bharat mean bichha tha; isalie rathoan aur ikkoan par bhi log lambi-lambi yatrayean karate. vishal saphed ajagar-si p di huee uttariy bharat ki vah s dak, jo bangal se kabul tak pahuanchati hai sadaiv pathikoan se bhari rahati thi. kahian-kahian bich mean do-char kos ki nirjanata milati, anyatha pyaoo, baniye ki dookanean, p dav aur sarayoan se bhari huee is s dak par b di chahal-pahal rahati. yatra ke lie pratyek sthan mean ghante mean das kos janevale ikke to bahutayat se milate. banaras isamean vikhyat tha.

ham aur giridharadas holikadah ka utsav dekhakar das baje laute the ki prayag ke ek vyapari ka patr mila. isamean lakhoan ke mal bik jane ki asha thi aur kal tak hi vah vyapari prayag mean thaharega. usi samay ikkevan ko bulakar sahej diya aur ham log gyarah baje so gaye. soory ki kiranean abhi n nikali thi; dakshin pavan se pattiyaan abhi jaise jhoom rahi thian, parantu ham log ikke par baithakar nagar ko kee kos pichhe chho d chuke the. ikka b de veg mean ja raha tha. s dak ke dono or lage hue am ki manjariyoan ki sugandh tivrata se nak mean ghus kar madakata utpann kar rahi thi. ikkevan ki bagal mean baithe hue raghunath maharaj ne kaha-sarakar b di thand hai.

kahana n hoga ki raghunath maharaj banaras ke ek nami lathait the. un dinoan aisi yatraoan mean aise manushyoan ka rakhana avashyak samajha jata tha.

soory bahut oopar a chuke the, mujhe pyas lagi thi. tum to janate hi ho, maian dono bela booti chhanata hooan. amoan ki chhaya mean ek chhota-sa kuana dikhaee p da, jisake oopar mureredar pakki chhat thi aur niche charoan or dalane thian. maianne ikka rok dene ko kaha. poorab vali dalan mean ek baniye ki dookan thi, jisapar gu d, chana, namak, sattoo adi bikate the. mere jhole mean sab avashyak saman the. sidhiy़oan se chadh kar ham log oopar pahuanche. saray yahaan se do kos aur gaanv kos bhar par tha. is ramaniy sthan ko dekhakar vishram karane ki ichchha hoti thi. anek pakshiyoan ki madhur boliyoan se milakar pavan jaise surila ho utha. thandee banane lagi. pas hi ek niboo ka vriksh khoob phoola hua tha. raghunath ne baniye se haan di lekar kuchh phooloan ko bhigo diya. thandee taiyar hote-hote usaki mahak se man mast ho gaya. chaandi ke gilas jholi se bahar nikale gaye; par raghunath ne kaha-sarakar, isaki bahar to purave mean hai. baniye ko pukara. vah to tha nahian, ek dhima svar sunaee p da-kya chahie?

purave de jao!

tho di hi der mean ek chaudah varsh ki ladaqi sidhiy़oan se oopar ati huee najar p di. sachamuch vah saloo ki chhiant pahane ek dehati ladaqi thi, kal usaki bhabhi ne usake sath khoob gulal khela tha, vah jagi bhi maloom p dati thi-madira-mandir ke dvar-si khuli huee aankhoan mean gulal ki garad u d rahi thi. palakoan ke chhajje aur barauniyoan ki chikoan par bhi gulal ki bahar thi. sarake hue ghooanghat se jitani alakean dikhalaee p datian, ve sab rangi thian. bhitar se bhi us sarala ko koee rangin banane laga tha. n jane kyoan, is chhoti avastha mean hi vah chetana se ot-prot thi. aisa maloom hota tha ki sparsh ka manovikaramay anubhav use sachesht banaye rahata, tab bhi usaki aankhe dhokha khane hi par oopar uthatian. purava rakhane hi bhar mean usane apane kap doan ko do-tin bar thik kiya, phir poochha-aur kuchh chahie? maian muskara kar rah gaya. us vasant ke prabhav mean sab log vah susvadu aur sugandhit thandee dhire-dhire pi rahe the aur maian sath-hi-sath apani aankhoan se us balika ke yauvanonmad ki madhuri bhi pi raha tha. charoan or se niboo ke phool aur amoan ki manjariyoan ki sugandh a rahi thi. nagaroan se door dehatoan se alag kuane ki vah chhat sansar mean jaise sabase ooancha sthan tha. kshan bhar ke lie jaise us svapn-lok mean ek apsara a gee ho. s dak par ek bailaga di vala bandaloan se tika hua aankhe band kiye hue biraha gata tha. bailoan ke haankane ki zaroorat nahian thi. vah apani rah pahachanate the. usake gane mean upalambh tha, avedan tha. balika kamar par hath rakkhe hue b de dhyan se use sun rahi thi. giridharadas aur raghunath maharaj hath-muanh dho aye; par maian vaise hi baitha raha. raghunath maharaj ujadd to the hi; unhoanne hansate hue poochha-

kya dam nahian mila?

giradharadas bhi hans p de. gulab se rangi huee us balika ki kanapati aur bhi lal ho gee. vah jais sachet-si hokar dhire-dhire sidhi se utarane lagi. maian bhi jaise tandra se chauank utha aur savadhan hokar pan ki gilauri muanh mean rakhata hua ikke par a baitha. gho da apani chal se chala. ghante-dedh ghante mean ham log prayag pahuanch gaye. doosare din jab ham log laute, to dekha ki us kuean ki dalan mean baniye ki dookan nahian hai. ek manushy pani pi raha tha, usase poochhane par maloom hua ki gaanv mean ek bhari durghatana ho gayi hai. dopahar ko dhurahatta khelane ke samay nashe mean rahane ke karan kuchh logoan mean danga ho gaya. vah baniya bhi unhian mean tha. rat ko usi ke makan par daka p da. vah to mar hi dala gaya, par usaki ladaqi ka bhi pata nahian.

raghunath ne akkh dapan se kaha-are, vah mahalakshmi aisi hi rahian. unake lie jo kuchh n ho jay, tho da hai.

raghunath ki yah bat mujhe bahut buri lagi. meri aankhoan ke samane charoan or jaise holi jalane lagi. thik sal bhar bad vahi vyapari prayag aya aur mujhe phir usi prakar jana p da. holi bit chuki thi, jab maian prayag se laut raha tha, usi kuean par thaharana p da. dekha to ek vikalaang daridr yuvati usi dalan mean p di thi. usaka chalana-phirana asambhav tha. jab maian kuean par chadhऩe laga, to usane daant nikalakar hath phaila diya. maian pahachan gaya-sal bhar ki ghatana samane a gayi. n jane us din maian pratijna kar baitha ki aj se holi n khelooanga.

vah pachas baras ki biti huee ghatana aj bhi pratyek holi mean nee hokar samane ati hai. tumhare b de bhaee giridhar ne mujhe kee bar holi manane ka anurodh kiya, par maian unase sahamat n ho saka aur maian apane hriday ke is nirbal paksh par abhi tak dridh hooan. samajha n, gopal! isalie maian ye do din banaras ke kolahal se alag nav par hi bitata hooan.