प्रतिज्ञा उपन्यास भाग-1

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

kashi ke ary-mandir mean pandit amaranath ka vyakhyan ho raha tha. shrota log mantramugdh se baithe sun rahe the. prophesar dananath ne age khisak kar apane mitr baboo amritaray ke kan mean kaha - 'rati huee spich hai.' amritaray spich sunane mean tallin the. kuchh javab n diya.

dananath ne phir kaha - 'saph rati huee maloom hoti hai, baithana vyarth hai! tenis ka samay nikala ja raha hai.'

amritaray ne phir bhi kuchh javab n diya. ek kshan ke bad dananath ne phir kaha - 'bhaee, maian to jata hooan.'

amritaray ne bina unaki taraph dekhe hi kaha - 'jaie.'

dananath - 'tum kab tak baithe rahoge?'

amritaray - 'maian to sari spich sun kar jaooanga.'

dananath - 'bas, ho nire buddhoo, are spich mean hai kya? rat kar suna raha hai.'

amritaray - 'to ap jaie n. maian apako rokata to nahian.'

dananath - 'aji ghantoan bolega. raan d ka charkha hai ya spich hai.'

amritaray - 'uanh, sunane do. kya bak-bak kar rahe ho? tumhean jana ho jao, maian sari spich sun kar hi aooanga.'

dananath - 'pachhataoge. aj prema bhi khel mean aegi.'

amritaray - 'to tum usase meri taraph se kshama maang lena.'

dananath - 'mujhe kya garaj p di hai jo apaki taraph se kshama maangata phirooan.'

amritaray - 'achchha n maangana. kisi tarah piand bhi chho do.'

dananath itani asani se chho dane vale adami n the. gh di nikal kar dekhi, pahaloo badala aur amaranath ki or dekhane lage. unaka dhyan vyakhyan par nahian, pandit ji ki dadhi par tha. usake hilane mean unhean b da anand aya. bolane ka marj tha. aisa manoranjak drishy dekh kar vah chup kaise rahate? amritaray ka hath daba kar kaha - 'apaki dadhi kitani saphaee se hil rahi hai, ji chahata hai, noch kar rakh looan.'

amritaray - 'tum b de abhage ho jo aise suandar vyakhyan ka anand nahian utha sakate.'

amaranath ji ne kaha - 'maian apake samane vyakhyan dene nahian aya hooan.'

dananath (dhire se) - 'aur kya ap ghas khodane ae haian?'

amaranath - 'batean bahut ho chukian, ab kam karane ka samay hai.'

dananath - '(dhire se) jab apaki jaban kaboo mean rahe?'

amaranath - 'ap logoan mean jin mahashayoan ko patni-viyog ho chuka hai, vah kripaya hath uthaean.'

dananath - 'ophphoh! yahaan to sab randue-hi-randue baithe haian.'

amaranath - 'ap logoan mean kitane mahashay aise haian, jo vaidhavy ki bhanvar mean p di huee abalaoan ke sath apane kartavy ka palan karane ka sahas rakhate haian. kripaya ve hath uthae rahean.'

are! yah kya? kahaan to charoan taraph hath-hi-hath dekh p date the, kahaan ab ek bhi hath najar nahian ata, hamara yuvak-samaj itana kartavyashoony, itana sahasahin hai! magar nahian - vah dekhie, ek hath abhi tak utha hua hai. vahi ek hath yuvak mandali ke taj ki raksha kar raha hai. sabaki aankhean usi taraph phir gee. are! yah to baboo amritaray haian.

dananath ne amritaray ke kan mean kaha - 'yah tum kya kar rahe ho! hath niche karo.'

amritaray ne dridhata se uttar diya - 'kadam age badha kar phir pichhe nahian hata sakata.'

vakta ne kaha - 'itani b di sabha mean keval ek hath utha dekhata hooan. kya itani b di sabha mean keval ek hi hriday hai, aur sab pashan haian?'

amritaray ne dananath ke kan mean kaha - 'tum kyoan hath nahian uthate?'

dananath - 'mujhamean nakkoo banane ka sahas nahian hai.'

amaranath - 'abhi tak koee doosara hath nahian utha. jaisi apaki ichchha. maian kisi ko majaboor nahian karata, haan, itani prarthana karata hooan ki in batoan ko bhool n jaiega. baboo amritaray ko maian unake sahas par badhaee deta hooan.'

sabha visarjit ho gee. log apane-apane ghar chale. pandit amaranath bhi vida hue. keval ek manushy abhi tak sir jhukae sabha-bhavan mean baitha hua tha. yah baboo amritaray the.

dananath ne ek minat tak bahar kh de ho kar unaka iantazar kiya. tab bhavan mean ja kar bole - 'are, to chaloge ya yahian baithe rahoge?'

amritaray ne chauank kar kaha - 'haan-haan, chalo.'

donoan mitr a kar tamatam par baithe. tamatam chali.

dananath ke pet mean choohe dau d rahe the. bole - 'aj tumhean yah kya soojhi.'

amritaray - 'vahi jo tumhean nahian soojhi.'

dananath - 'prema sunegi to kya kahegi?'

amritaray - 'khush hogi. kam-se-kam, use khush hona chahie. apane mitroan ko kartavy ke age sir jhukate dekh kar kaun khush nahian hota?'

dananath - 'aji jao bhi, batean banate ho. use tumase kitana prem hai, tum khoob janate ho. yadyapi abhi vivah nahian hua, lekin sara shahar janata hai ki vah tumhari mangetar hai. socho, use tum kitani bar prem-patr likh chuke ho. tin sal se vah tumhare nam par baithi huee hai. bhale adami, aisa ratn tumhean sansar mean aur kahaan milega? agar tumane usase vivah n kiya to tumhara jivan nasht ho jaega. tum kartavy ke nam par jo chahe karo par use apane hriday se nahian nikal sakate.'

amritaray - 'yah maian khoob samajh raha hooan bhaee, lekin ab mera man kah raha hai ki mujhe usase vivah karane ka adhikar nahian hai. pandit amaranath ki bat mere dil mean baith gee hai.'

dananath ne amaranath ka nam ate hi nak siko d kar kaha - 'kya kahana hai, vah! rat kar ek vyakhyan de diya aur tum lattoo ho ge. vah bechare samaj ki kya khak vyavastha kareange? yah achchha siddhaant hai ki jisaki pahali stri mar gee ho, vah vidhava se vivah kare!'

amritaray - 'nyay to yahi kahata hai.'

dananath - 'bas, tumhare nyay-path par chalane hi se to sare sansar ka uddhar ho jaega. tum akele kuchh nahian kar sakate. haan, nakkoo ban sakate ho!'

amritaray ne dananath ko sagarv netroan se dekh kar kaha - 'adami akela bhi bahut kuchh kar sakata hai. akele adamiyoan ne hi adi se vicharoan mean kraanti paida ki hai. akele adamiyoan ke krityoan se sara itihas bhara p da hai. gautam buddh kaun the? vah akela apane vicharoan ka prachar karane nikala tha aur usake jivan-kal hi mean adhi duniya usake charanoan par sir rakh chuki thi. akele adamiyoan se rashtroan ke nam chal rahe haian. rashtroan ka aant ho gaya. aj unaka nishan bhi baki nahian, magar akele adamiyoan ke nam abhi tak chal rahe haian. ap janate haian ki pleto ek amar nam hai, lekin kitane adami aise haian jo yah janate haian ki vah kis desh ka rahanevala tha. maian akela kuchh n kar sakooan, yah doosari bat hai. bahudha samooh bhi kuchh nahian kar sakata. samooh to kabhi kuchh nahian kar sakata, lekin akela adami kuchh nahian kar sakata, yah maian n manooanga.'

dananath saral svabhav ke manushy the. jivan ke saralatam marg par chalane hi mean vah santusht the. kisi siddhaant ya adarsh ke lie kasht sahana unhoanne n sikha tha. vah ek k aaulej mean adhyapak the. das baje k aaulej jate. ek baje laut ate. baki sara din sair-sapate aur hansi-khel mean kat dete the.

amritaray siddhaantavadi adami the - b de hi sanyamashil. koee niyam-viruddh kam n karate. jivan ka sadvyay kaise ho, isaka unhean sadaiv dhyan rahata tha. dhun ke pakke adami the. ek bar koee nishchay karake use poora kie bina n chho date the. vakil the, par is peshe se unhean prem n tha. muvakkiloan ki batean sunane ki apeksha vidvanoan ki mook vani sunane mean unhean adhik anand ata tha. banae hue mukadame bhool kar bhi n lete the. lekin jis mukadame ko le lete, usake lie jan l da dete the, svabhav ke dayalu the, vyasan koee tha nahian, dhan sanchay ki ichchha bhi n thi, isalie bahut tho de mehanatane mean raji ho jate the. yahi karan tha ki unhean mukadamoan mean har bahut kam hoti thi. unaki pahali shadi us vakt huee thi, jab vah k aaulej mean padhate the. ek putr bhi hua tha, lekin stri aur putr donoan prasav-kal hi mean sansar se prasthan kar ge. amritaray ko bahan se bahut prem tha. unhoanne nishchay kiya, ab kabhi vivah n karooanga, lekin jab bahan ka vivah ho gaya aur mata-pita ki ek saptah ke aandar haije se mrityu ho gee, to akela ghar duahkhadayi hone laga. do sal tak deshatan karate rahe. laute to holi ke din unake sasur ne unhean bhojan karane ko bulaya. vah amritaray ke shil svabhav par pahale hi mugdh the unaki chhoti l daki prema sayani ho gee thi. usake lie amritaray se achchha var unhean doosara dikhaee n diya. prema se sakshat karane hi ke lie unhoanne amritaray ko bulaya tha. do sal pahale amritaray ne prema ko dekha tha. tab yah band kali, ab ek vikasit kusum thi, jisaki chhata aankhoan ko lubhati thi. hriday mean prem ka aankur jam gaya. jab kabhi ji oobata, sasural chale jate aur do gh di hans-bol kar chale ate. akhir ek din unaki sas ne matalab ki bat kah di. amritaray to prema ke roop aur gun par mohit ho hi chuke the. aandhe ko jaise aankhean mil gee. batachit pakki ho gee. isi sahalag mean vivah hone ki taiyariyaan thian ki aj amritaray ne yah pratijna kar li.

dananath yah lanba vyakhyan sun kar bole - 'to tumane nishchay kar liya?'

amritaray ne gardan hila kar kaha - 'haan, kar liya.'

dananath - 'aur prema?'

amritaray - 'usake lie mujhase kahian suyogy var mil jaega.'

dananath ne tiraskar-bhav se kaha - 'kya batean karate ho. tum samajhate ho, prema koee bazar ka sauda hai, ji chaha liya, ji chaha n liya. prem ek bij hai, jo ek bar jam kar phir b di mushkil se ukh data hai. kabhi-kabhi to jal, prakash aur vayu bina hi jivan paryant jivit rahata hai. prema keval tumhari mangetar nahian hai, vah tumhari premika bhi hai. yah soochana use milegi to usaka hriday bhagn ho jaega. kah nahian sakata, usaki kya dasha ho jae. tum us par ghor anyay kar rahe ho.'

amritaray ek kshan ke lie vichar mean doob ge. apane vishay mean to unhean koee chianta n thi. vah apane hriday ko kartavy ki bheant kar sakate the. isaka nishchay hi kar liya tha. us manovyatha ko sahane ke lie vah taiyar the, lekin prema ka kya hal hoga, isaka unhean dhyan n aya tha. prema kitani vicharashil hai, yah unhean maloom tha. unake satsahas ka samachar sun kar vah unaka tiraskar n karegi. vah unaka ab aur bhi samman karegi.

bole - 'agar vah utani hi sahriday hai, jitana maian samajhata hooan, to meri pratijna par use duahkh n hona chahie. mujhe vishvas hai ki use sun kar harsh hoga, kam-se-kam mujhe aisi hi asha hai.'

dananath ne muanh bana kar kaha - 'tum samajhate hoge ki b da maidan mar ae ho aur jo sunega vah phooloan ka har le kar tumhare gale mean dalane dau dega, lekin maian to yahi samajhata hooan ki tum purane adarshoan ko bhrasht kar rahe ho. tum nam par marate ho, samachar-patroan mean apani prashansa dekhana chahate ho, bas aur koee bat nahian. nam kamane ka yah sasta nuskha hai, harr lage n phitakari, aur rang chokha. ramaniyaan nam ki itani bhookhi nahian hoti. prema kitani hi vicharashil ho, lekin yah kabhi pasand n karegi ki usaka hriday kisi vrat ke hathoan choor-choor kiya jae. usaka jivan duahkhamay ho jaega.

amritaray ka makan a gaya. tamatam rook gaya. amritaray utar kar apane kamare ki taraph chale. dananath jara der tak iantazar mean kh de rahe ki yah mujhe bulavean to jaooan, par jab amritaray ne unaki taraph phir kar bhi n dekha, to unhean bhay hua, meri batoan se kadachit inhean duahkh hua hai. kamare ke dvar par ja kar bole - 'kyoan bhaee, mujhase naraj ho ge kya?'

amritaray ne sajal netroan se dekh kar kaha - 'nahian dananath, tumhari batoan se maian kabhi naraj nahian ho sakata. tumhari jhi dakiyoan mean bhi vah ras hai, jo doosaroan ki vah-vah mean nahian. maian janata hooan, tumane is samay jo kuchh kaha hai, keval sneh-bhav se kaha hai. dil mean tum khoob samajhate ho ki maian nam ka bhookha nahian hooan, kuchh kam karana chahata hooan.'

dananath ne sneh se amritaray ka hath pak d liya aur bole - 'phir soch lo, aisa n ho pichhe pachhatana p de.'

amritaray ne kursi par baithate hue kaha - 'nahian bhaeejan, mujhe pachhatana n p dega. isaka mujhe poorn vishvas hai. sach poochho to aj mujhe jitana anand mil raha hai, utana aur kabhi n mila tha. aj kee mahinoan ke manosangram ke bad maianne vijay paee. mujhe prema se jitana prem hai, usase kee guna prem mere ek mitr ko usase hai. unhoanne kabhi us prem ko prakat nahian kiya, par maian janata hooan ki unake hriday mean usake prem ki jvala dahak rahi hai. maian bhagy ki kitani chotean sah chuka hooan. unhoanne ab tak ek chot bhi nahian sahi. vah nirasha unake lie ghatak ho jaegi.

yah sanket kisaki or tha, dananath se chhipa n rah saka. jab amritaray ki pahali stri jivit thi, usi samay dananath se prema ke vivah ki batachit huee thi. jab prema ki bahan ka dehaant ho gaya to usake pita lala badariprasad ne dananath ki or se muanh pher liya . dananath vidya, dhan aur pratishtha kisi bat mean bhi amritaray ki barabari n kar sakate the. sabase b di bat yah thi ki prema bhi amritaray hi ki or jhuki huee maloom hoti thi. dananath itane nirash hue ki ajivan avivahit rahane ka nishchay kar liya. donoan mitroan mean kisi prakar ka dvesh-bhav n aya. dananath yoan dekhane mean to nity prasannachitt rahate the, lekin vastav mean vah sansar se virakt se ho ge the. unaka jivan hi anand-vihin ho gaya tha. amritaray ko apane priy mitr ki aantarik vyatha dekh-dekh kar duahkh hota tha. vah apane chitt ko is pariksha ke lie mahinoan se taiyar kar rahe the. kiantu prema-jaisi anupam suandari ka tyag karana asan n tha. aisi dasha mean amritaray ki ye batean sun kar dananath ka hriday asha se pulakit ho utha. jis asha ko unhoanne hriday ko chir kar nikal dala tha, jisaki is jivan mean vah kalpana bhi n kar sakate the, jisaki aantim jyoti bahut din hue shaant ho chuki thi, vahi asha aj unake marmasthal ko chanchal karane lagi. isake sath hi amritaray ke devopam tyag ne unhean vashibhoot kar liya. vah gadagad kanth se bole - 'kya isilie tumane aj pratijna kar dali? agar vah mitr tumhari is udarata se labh uthae, to maian kahooanga vah mitr nahian, shatru hai aur yahi kya nishchay hai ki is dasha mean prema ka vivah tumhare usi mitr se ho?'

amritaray ne chiantit ho kar kaha - 'haan, yah shanka avashy ho sakati hai, lekin mujhe asha hai ki mere mitr is avasar ko hath se n jane deange. maian unhean aisa mandotsah nahian samajhata.'

dananath ne tiraskar ka bhav dharan karake kaha - 'tum use itana nich samajhana chahate ho, to samajh lo, lekin maian kahe deta hooan ki yadi maian us mitr ka thik anuman kar saka hooan, to vah apane badale tumhean nirasha ki bheant n hone dega.'

yah kahate hue dananath bahar nikal ae aur amritaray dvar par kh de, unhean rokane ki ichchha hone par bhi bula n sake.

sanbandhit lekh

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