सुनहला साँप -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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‘‘yah tumhara dussahas hai, chandradev!’’

‘‘maian saty kahata hooan, devakumar.’’

‘‘tumhare saty ki pahachan bahut durbal hai, kyoanki usake prakat hone ka sadhan asath hai. samajhata hooan ki tum pravachan dete samay bahut hi bhavatmak ho jate ho. kisi ke jivan ka rahasy, usaka vishvas samajh lena hamari-tumhari buddhiroopi ‘eksarez’ ki paradarshita ke pare hai.’’-kahata hua devakumar hans p da; usaki hansi mean vijnata ki avajna thi.

chandradev ne bat badalane ke lie kaha-‘‘is par maian phir vad-vivad karooanga. abhi to vah dekho, jharana a gaya-ham log jise dekhane ke lie ath mil se aye haian.’’

‘‘saty aur jhooth ka putala manushy apane hi saty ki chhaya nahian chhoo sakata, kyoanki vah sadaiv andhakar mean rahata hai. chandradev, mera to vishvas hai ki tum apane ko bhi nahian samajh pate.’’-devakumar ne kaha.

chandradev baith gaya. vah ekatak us girate hue prapat ko dekh raha tha. masoori paha d ka yah jharana bahut prasiddh hai. ek gahare gaddhe mean girakar, yah nala banata hua, thukaraye hue jivan ke saman bhaga jata hai.

chandradev ek tallukedar ka yuvak putr tha. apane mitr devakumar ke sath masoori ke grishm-nivas mean sukh aur svasthy ki khoj mean aya tha. is paha d par kab badal chha jayeange, kab ek jhoanka barasata hua nikal jayega, isaka koee nishchay nahian. chandradev ka naukar pan-bhojan ka saman lekar pahuancha. donoan mitr ek akharot-vriksh ke niche baithakar khane lage. chandradev tho di madira bhi pita tha, svasthy ke lie.

devakumar ne kaha-‘‘yadi ham logoan ko bich hi mean bhigana n ho, to ab chal dena chahiye.’’

pite hue chandradev ne kaha-‘‘tum b de darapok ho. tanik bhi sahasik jivan ka anand lene ka utsah tumamean nahian. savadhan hokar chalana, samay se kamare mean jakar band ho jana aur atyant rogi ke saman sadaiv pathy ka anuchar bane rahana ho, to manushy ghar hi baitha rahe!’’

devakumar hans p da. kuchh samay bitane par donoan uth kh de hue. anuchar bhi pichhe chala. booandean p dane lagi thian. sabane apani-apani barasati sanbhali.

parantu us varsha mean kahian vishram karana avashyak pratit hua, kyoanki usase bacha lena barasati ke boote ka kam n tha. tinoan chhaya ki khoj mean chale. ek paha di chattan ki gupha mili, chhoti-si. ye tinoan usamean ghus p de.

bhavoan par se pani poanchhate hue chandradev ne dekha, ek shyam kintu ujjval mukh apane yauvan ki abha mean damak raha hai. vah ek paha di stri thi. chandradev kala-vijn hone ka dhoang karake us yuvati ki sudaul gadhऩ dekhane laga. vah kuchh lajjit huee. pragalbh chandradev ne poochha-‘‘tum yahaan kya karane aee ho?’’

‘‘baboo ji, maian doosare paha di gaanv ki rahane vali hooan, apani jivika ke lie aee hooan.’’

‘‘tumhari kya jivika hai?’’

‘‘saanp pak dati hooan.’’

chandradev chauank utha. usane kaha-‘‘to kya tum yahaan bhi saanp pak d rahi ho? idhar to bahut kam saanp hote haian.’’

‘‘haan, kabhi khojane se mil jate haian. yahaan ek sunahala saanp maianne abhi dekha hai. use ....’’ kahate-kahate yuvati ne ek dhoanke ki or sanket kiya.

chandradev ne dekha, do tivr jyoti!

pani ka jhoanka nikal gaya tha. chandradev ne kaha-‘‘chalo devakumar, ham chalean. ramoo, too bhi to saanp pak data hai n? devakumar! yah b di saphaee se bina kisi mantr-j di ke saanp pak d leta hai!’’ devakumar ne sir hila diya.

ramoo ne kaha-‘‘haan sarakar, pak dooan ise?’’

‘‘nahian-nahian, use pak dane de! haan, use hotal mean liva lana, ham log dekheange. kyoan dev! achchha manoranjan rahega n?’’ kahate hue chandradev aur devakumar chal p de.

kisi kshudr hriday ke pas, usake durbhagy se daivi sampatti ya vidya, bal, dhan aur saundary usake saubhagy ka abhinay karate hue pray: dekhe jate haian, tab un vibhootiyoan ka durupayog atyant aruchikar drishy upasthit kar deta hai. chandradev ka hotal-nivas bhi vaisa hi tha. rashi-rashi vidambanaean usake charoan or ghirakar usaki hansi u datian, par unamean chandradev ko to jivan ki saphalata hi dikhalayi deti.

usake kamare mean kee mitr ekatr the. ‘nera’ mahuar bajakar apana khel dikhala rahi thi. sabake bad usane dikhalaya, apana pak da hua vahi sundar sunahala saanp.

ramoo ekatak nera ki or dekh raha tha. chandradev ne kaha-‘‘ramoo, vah shishe ka baks to le a!’’

ramoo ne turant use upasthit kiya.

chandradev ne hansakar kaha-‘‘nera! tumhare sundar saanp ke lie yah baks hai.’’nera prasann hokar apane navin ashrit ko usamean rakhane lagi, parantu vah us sundar ghar mean jana nahian chahata tha. ramoo ne use badhy kiya. saanp baks mean ja raha. nera ne use aankhoan se dhanyavad diya.

chandradev ke mitroan ne kaha-‘‘tumhara anuchar bhi to kam khila di nahian hai!’’

chandradev ne garv se ramoo ki or dekha. parantu, nera ki madhurima ramoo ki aankhoan ki rah usake hriday mean bhar rahi thi. vah ekatak use dekh raha tha.

devakumar hans p da. khel samapt hua. nera ko bahut-sa puraskar mila.

tin din bad, hotal ke pas hi, chi d vriksh ke niche chandradev chupachap kh da tha- vah b de gaur se dekh raha tha-ek stri aur ek purush ko ghul-ghulakar batean karate. use krodh aya; parantu n jane kyoan, kuchh bol n saka. devakumar ne pith par hath dharakar poochha-‘‘kya hai?’’

chandradev ne sanket se us or dikha diya. ek jhuramut mean nera kh di hai aur ramoo kuchh anunay kar raha hai! devakumar ne yah dekhakar chandradev ka hath pak dakar khianchate hue kaha-‘‘chalo.’’

donoan akar apane kamare mean baithe.

devakumar ne kaha-‘‘ab kaho, isi ramoo ke hriday ki parakh to tum us din bata rahe the. isi tarah sambhav hai, apane ko bhi n pahachanate ho.’’

chandradev ne kaha-‘maian use ko de se pitakar thik karooanga-badamash!’’

chandradev ‘bal’ dekhakar aya tha, apane kamare mean sone ja raha tha, rat adhik ho chuki thi. use kuchh phis-phis ka shabd sunaee p da. use nera ka dhyan a gaya. vah hoanth katakar apane palang par ja p da. matra kuchh adhik thi. atishadan ke karnis par dhare hue shishe ka baks aur botal chamak uthe. par use krodh hi adhik aya, bijali bujha di.

kuchh adhik samay bitane par kisi chillahat se chandradev ki niand khuli. ramoo ka-sa shabd tha. usane svich dabaya, alok mean chandradev ne ashchary se dekha ki ramoo ke hath mean vahi sunahala saanp hathak di-sa jak d gaya hai! chandradev ne kaha-‘‘kyoan re badamash! too yahaan kya karata tha? are, isaka to pran sankat mean hai, nera hoti to!’’

chandradev ghab da gaya tha. itane mean nera ne kamare mean pravesh kiya. itani rat ko yahaan? chandradev krodh se chup raha. nera ne saanp se ramoo ka hath chhu daya aur phir use baks mean band kiya. tab chandradev ne ramoo se poochha-‘‘kyoan be, yahaan kya kar raha tha?’’ ramoo kaanpane laga.

‘‘bol, jaldi bol! nahian to teri khal udhe data hooan.’’

ramoo phir bhi chup tha.

chandradev ka chehara atyant bhishan ho raha tha. vah kabhi nera ki or dekhata aur kabhi ramoo ki or. usane pistaul uthaee, nera ramoo ke samane a gee. usane kaha-‘‘baboo ji, yah mere lie sharab lene aya tha, jo us botal mean dhari hai.’’

chandradev ne dekha, madira us botal mean apani lal hansi mean magn thi. chandradev ne pistaul dhar diya. aur botal aur baks uthakar dete hue muanh pherakar kaha-‘‘tum donoan ise lekar abhi chale jao, aur ramoo, ab tum kabhi mujhe apana muanh mat dikhana.’’

donoan dhire-dhire bahar ho gaye. ramoo apane malik ka man pahachanata tha.

doosare din devakumar aur chandradev paha d se utare. ramoo unake sath n tha.

thik gyarah mahine par phir usi hotal mean chandradev pahuancha tha. tisara pahar tha, rangin badal the, paha di sandhya apana rang jama rahi thi, pavan tivr tha. chandradev ne shishe ka palla band karana chaha. unhoanne dekha, ramoo sir par pitara dhare chala ja raha hai aur pichhe-pichhe apani mand gati se nera. nera ne bhi oopar ki or dekha, vah muskarakar salam karati huee ramoo ke pichhe chali gee. chandradev ne dh d se palla band karate hue socha-‘‘sach to, kya maian apane ko bhi pahichan saka?’’

sanbandhit lekh

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