Birbal aur chori ki angoothi: Badhne waali laathiyaan

Baadshah Akbar ke paas asaadhaaran sundarta ki ek angoothi thi, ek door ke raja ka uphaar, jismein heera jada tha jo pakde taare jaisa chamakta tha. Vah use apne samast ratnon se adhik prem karta tha aur har din pehenta tha. Ek sandhya, nagar se pare vanon mein lambe aur dhoolbhare shikaar se lautne ke baad, vah apne kaksh mein haath dho raha tha jab usne paaya ki angoothi uski ungli se gaayab thi. Usne apne vastra, apne kaksh aur shikaar-bhoomi khoji, parantu angoothi kaheen na mili. Akbar kruddh hua, kyonki angoothi amoolya thi. Usne un aath sevakon ko bulaaya jo us din uski seva mein the, saais aur jalvaahak aur shikaari, aur unse ek-ek karke kathorta se poochtaachh ki, parantu har ek ne samast pavitra ki shapath lekar nirdoshta kahi, aur kisi ke viruddh pramaan na tha. Baadshah un sabko dand dene waala tha jab Birbal ne hastakshep kiya. Jahaanpanaah, Birbal ne haath jodkar aage badhte hue kaha, doshi ke saath nirdosh ko dand mat deejiye. Mujhe keval ek din deejiye, aur main aapki angoothi khoj loonga aur chor ka naam bataaunga. Akbar turant sehmat hua, kyonki vah Birbal ki pragya par poorn vishvaas karta tha. Birbal ne aathon sevakon ko us sandhya mashaall-deepta kaksh mein bulaaya aur gambheerta se bola, uska mukh unhone kabhi dekha usse kathor. Ek mahaan apraadh hua hai, usne kaha. Baadshah ki priya angoothi chori hui hai, aur tummein ek chor hai. Parantu main dayaaheen nahin hoon. Main tummein har ek ko paki baans ki ek laathi doonga, sab theek samaan lambaai ki, mere apne haathon se maapi hui. Unhein aaj raat ghar le jaao. Mere jaadu se chor ki laathi praatah tak ek ungli lambi badh jaayegi, jabki nirdoshon ki laathiyaan aparivartit rahengi. Unhein kal vaapas lao, aur chor gyaat hoga. Sevakon ne kaanpte haathon se apni-apni laathiyaan leen aur bhaari man se chale gaye. Us raat unmein saat shaanti se soye, kyonki unki antaraatma nirmal thi, apne parivaaron aur apne nanhe vetan ke swapna dekhte hue. Parantu aathvaan, jisne sachmuch shikaar ke samay baadshah ki ungli se angoothi sarkaai thi, bhay se jaagta pada raha. Yadi meri laathi praatah tak lambi badh gayi, usne socha, to main pakda jaaunga aur mrityudand paaunga. Main ise kaise rokoon? Ant mein use ek dhoorta vichaar aaya. Yadi jaadu meri laathi ek ungli badhaata hai, to main aaj raat gupta roop se ek ungli kaat doonga, aur praatah tak vah anyon jaisi hi hogi. Apni chaturaai se prasann hokar usne tez chaaku liya aur saavdhaani se apni laathi se ek ungli kaati, chheelan raakh mein chhipaai, aur phir gahan soya, palaayan ke swapna dekhta hua. Agle praatah aathon sevak apni laathiyon sahit laute, aur darbaariyon ki badi bheed dekhne ekatra hui, kyonki Birbal ke vichitra jaadu ki baat mahalbhar phail gayi thi. Birbal ne laathiyon ko ek-ek karke liya aur ek mez par lambi pankti mein rakha. Saat laathiyaan aashcharyajanak roop se theek samaan lambaai ki thin. Aathveen ek ungli chhoti thi. Birbal ne use darbaar ke saamne uthaaya. Chor ko dekho, usne goonjte swar mein ghoshana ki jo kaksh ke har kone tak pahuncha. Doshi manushya ne, yah bhay karke ki uski laathi badhegi, raat mein use chhota kaata, yah na samajhkar ki jaadu ko chaaku se nahin chhala ja sakta. Chor taaze doodh jaisa shvet hua. Vah kaanpta hua baadshah ke saamne ghutanon par gira, aansuon sahit apna apraadh sweekaar kiya, aur vah bahumoolya angoothi lautai, jise usne chaturaai se apne joote ke tale mein chhipaaya tha. Akbar atyant apaar prasannachitt aur poornatah santusht hua. Usne Birbal ko swarna aur ratnon se bharpoor puraskrit kiya, aur saat nirdosh sevakon ko kshama kiya, unmein har ek ko unke bhay ki poorti hetu uphaar dete hue. Chor ko vidhi anusaar dand mila. Yah katha har baazaar aur gaanv mein sikhaane sunai jaati hai ki aparaadhbodh apne bheetar apna dand liye rehta hai, ki pakde jaane ka bhay aparaadhi ko swayam prakat hone hetu baadhya karta hai, aur sacchi pragya, jaise Birbal ki, ko bal ya dhamki ki aavashyakta nahin, keval maanav hriday ki samajh chaahiye. Chor ki apni dhoortata hi vah rassi bani jisne use phaansa, aur har kathan se Birbal ka naam aur ujjval hua.