बनजारा -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

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dhire-dhire rat khisak chali, prabhat ke phooloan ke tare choo padऩa chahate the. vindhy ki shailamala mean giri-path par ek jhund bailoan ka bojh lade ata tha. sath ke banajare unake gale ki ghantiyoan ke madhur svar mean apane gramagitoan ka alap mila rahe the. sharad rritu ki thand se bhara hua pavan us dirgh path par kisi ko khojata hua dau d raha tha.

ve banajare the. unaka kam tha saraguja tak ke jangaloan mean jakar vyapar ki vastu kray-vikray karana. pray: barasat chho dakar ve ath mahinean yahi udyam karate. us parichit path mean chalate hue ve apane parichit gitoan ko kitani hi bar un paha di chattanoan se takara chuke the. un gitoan mean asha, upalambh, vedana aur smritiyoan ki kachot, thes aur udasi bhari rahati.

sabase pichhevale yuvak ne abhi apane alap ko akash mean phailaya tha; usake git ka arth tha-

‘‘maian bar-bar labh ki asha se ladane jata hooan; parantu hai us jangal ki hariyali mean apane yauvan ko chhipanevali kolakumari, tumhari vastu b di mahangi hai! meri sab pooanji bhi usako kray karane ke lie paryapt nahian. pooanji badhane ke lie vyapar karata hooan; ek din dhani hokar aooanga; parantu vishvas hai ki tab bhi tumhare samane rank hi rah jaooanga!’’

alap lekar vah jangali vanaspatiyoan ki sugandh mean apane ko bhool gaya. yauvan ke ubhar mean nandoo aparichit sukhoan ki or jaise agrasar ho gaya tha. sahasa bailoan ki shreni ke agrabhag mean hal-chal machi. t dat d ka shabd, chillane aur koodane ka utpat hone laga. nandoo ka sukh-svapn toot gaya, ‘‘bap re, daka!’’-kahakar vah ek paha di ki gaharaee mean utarane laga. gir p da, ludhaqata hua niche chala. moorchchhit ho gaya.

hakim paragana aur ianjiniyar ka p dav adhik door n tha. daka p danevala sthan doosare hi din bhi d se bhar gaya. go dait aur sipahiyoan ki dau d-dhoop chalane lagi. chhoti-si paha di ke niche, phoos ki jhop di mean, oosha kiranoan ka guchchha sunahale phool ke sadrish jhoolane laga tha. apane dono hathoan par jhuki huee ek saanvali-si yuvati us ahat purush ke mukh ko ekatak dekh rahi thi. dhire-dhire yuvati ke mukh par muskarahat aur purush ke mukh par sacheshtata ke lakshan dikhalaee dene lage. purush ne aankhe khol di. yuvati pas hi dhara hua garam doodh usake muanh mean dalane lagi. aur yuvak pine laga.

yuvak ki utani chot nahian thi, jitana vah bhay se akrant tha. vah doodh pikar svasth ho chala tha. uthane ki cheshta karate hue poochha-‘‘moni, tum ho!’’

‘‘haan, chup raho.’’

‘‘ab maian changa ho gaya hooan, kuchh darane ki bat nahian.’’ abhi yuvak itana hi kah paya tha ki ek kol-chaukidar ki kroor aankhean jhop di mean jhaankane lagi. yuvak ne use dekha. chaukidar ne hansakar kaha-‘‘vah moni! daka bhi dalavati ho aur daya bhi karati ho! batao to, kaun-kaun the; sahab poochh rahe haian!’’

moni ki aankhean chadh gayian. usane daant pisakar kaha-‘‘tum paji ho! jao, meri jhop di mean se nikal jao!’’

‘‘haan, yah kaho. to tumhara man rijh gaya hai is par, yah to kabhi-kabhi tumhara pyaj-meva lene ata tha n!’’-chaukidar ne kaha.

ghayal baghini-si vah t dap uthi. chaukidar kuchh sahama. parantu vah poora kaiyaan tha, apani bat ka rukh badalakar vah yuvak se kahane laga-‘‘kyoan ji, tumhara bhi to loota gaya hai, kuchh tumhean bhi chot aee hai! chalo, sahab se apana hal kaho. bahut se mal ka pata laga hai; chalakar dekho to!’’

‘‘kyoan moni! ab jel jaogi n? bolo; ab se bhi achchha hai. hamari bat man jao.’’-chaukidar ne p dav se door hathak di se jak di huee moni se kaha. moni apani aankhoan ki syahi sandhya ki kalima mean mila rahi thi. pe doan ke us jhuramut mean door vah banajara bhi kh da tha. ek bar moni ne usaki or dekha, usake oth ph dak uthe. vah boli-‘‘maian kisi ko nahian janati, aur nahian janati thi ki upakar karane jakar yah apaman bhogana p dega!’’ phir jel ki bhishanata smaran karake vah dinata se boli-‘‘chaukidar! meri jhop di aur sab pe d le lo; mujhe bacha do!’’

chaukidar hans p da. bola-mujhe vah sab n chahie; bolo, tum meri bat manogi, vahi....’’

moni ne chillakar kaha-‘‘nahian, kabhi nahian!’’

nar-pishach chaukidar ne bedard hokar kee thapp d lagaye, par moni n roee, n chillayi. vah hathi l dake ki tarah us maranevale ka muanh dekh rahi thi.

hakim paragana ek achchhe siviliyan the. ve kaimp se tahalane ke lie gaye the; nandoo ne n-jane unase hath jo date hue kya kaha, ve udhar hi chal p de, jahaan moni thi.

sab batean samajhakar sahab ne moni ki hathak di kholate hue chaukidar ki pith par do-tin beant jamaye, aur kaha-‘‘dekh badamash! aj to tujhe chho data hooan, phir is tarah ka koee kam kiya, to tujhase chakki hi pisavaooanga. asali dakuoan ka pata lagao.’’

moni p dav se chali gee. aur nandoo apana bail pahachanakar le chala! vah phir barabar apane us vyapar mean laga raha.

kee mahine bad-

ek din phir pyaj-meva lene ki lalach mean nandoo usi moni ki jhop di ki or pahuancha. vahaan jakar usane dekha-jhop di se sab patte ke chhajan titar-bitar hokar bikhar rahe haian aur patthar ke dhoanke ab-tab girana chahate haian. bhitar koo da hai, jahaan vah pahale jangali vastuoan ka dher dekha karata tha. usane pukara-‘‘moni!’’ koee uttar n mila. nandoo lautakar apane path par ane laga.

samane dekha-paha di nadi ke tat par baithi huee moni ko! vah hansata hua phool kumhala gaya tha apane donoan pair nadi mean dale baithi thi. nandoo ne pukara-‘‘moni!’’ vah phir bhi kuchh n boli. ab vah pas a gaya. moni ne dekha. ek bar usake muanh par kuchh taravat-si dau d gee, phir sahasa k di dhoop nikal ane par ek bauchhar ki gili bhoomi jaise rookhi ho jati hai, vaise hi usake muanh par dhool u dane lagi.

nandoo ne poochha-‘‘moni! pyaj-meva hai?’’

moni ne rookhepan se kaha-‘‘ab maian nahian batorati, nandoo. bechane ke lie nahian ikaththa karati.’’

nandoo ne poochha-‘‘kyoan, ab kya ho gaya?’’

‘‘jangal mean vahi sab to ham logoan ke bhojan ke lie hai, use bech dooangi, to khaooangi kya?’’

‘‘aur pahale kya tha?’’

‘‘vah lobh tha; vyapar karane ki, dhan batorane ki ichchha thi.’’

‘‘ab vah ichchha kya huee?’’

‘‘ab maian samajhati hooan ki sab log n to vyapar kar sakate haian aur n to sab vastu bazar mean bechi ja sakati hai.’’

‘‘to maian laut jaooan?’’

‘‘haan, laut jao; jab tak os ki booandoan se thandi dhool tumhare pairoan mean lage, utane samay mean apana path samapt kar lo!’’

‘‘ladana chho d dooanga, moni!’’

‘‘oho! yah kyoan? maian is paha di par nistabdh prabhav mean ghantiyoan ke madhur svar ki asha mean anamani baithi rahati hooan. vah pahuanchane ka; bojh utarane ke vyakul vishram ka anubhav karake sukhi rahati hooan. maian nahian chahati ki kisi ko ladane ke lie maian bojh ikaththa karooan; nandoo!’’

nandoo hatash tha. vah apane bailoan ki khali pith par hath dhare chupachap apane path par chalane laga.