Neela Siyaar

Ek mahaan van mein ek siyaar rehta tha jo chatur tha parantu kaayar, sada bhookha aur sada bhaybeet. Vah balvaan pashuon ke shikaar se tukde churaakar aur har ladaai se bhaagkar jeevit rehta. Ek sandhya, bhay se teekhi bhookh se prerit hokar vah van ke kinaare ek gaanv mein ghusa, koi murgi ya thoda anaaj churaane ki aasha mein. Parantu gaanv ke kutton ne uski gandh paayi aur galiyon mein uska peechha kiya, bhaunkte aur uski ediyon par jhapatte hue. Ghabraahat mein siyaar andha dauda aur ek rangrez ke bade kund mein sir ke bal gira, gehre neele neel ke gaadhe ghol mein gardan tak doob gaya. Vah chhatpataaya aur baahar nikla, tapakta aur haanfta hua, aur kutton ke paane se pehle van mein bhaag gaya. Jab praatah hua aur usne van ke taal mein apna pratibimb dekha, to apni aankhon par vishvaas na kar saka. Uska dhoosar-bhoora rom gaya tha. Uske sthaan par alaukik neele rang ka chamakta rom tha, dopahar ke aakaash ya mor ke kanth jaisa. Vah bhavya, rahasyamay aur van ke kisi bhi pashu se poornatah bhinn dikhta tha. Jab vah vrikshon ke beech chala, to anya pashu rukkar ghoorne lage. Hiran peechhe hate, bandar bhay se chillaaye, aur jungli sooaron tak ne use chauda maarg diya. Unmein se kisi ne pehle kabhi neela pashu nahin dekha tha, aur bhay ne unke hriday bhar diye. Siyaar, sada ki tarah pratyutpannamati, ne ek kshan mein apna avsar dekha. Apni poori oonchaai tak tankar usne apne sabse gambheer swar mein ghoshna ki ki vah koi saadhaaran pashu nahin hai. Devta, usne kaha, sinh raja ke atyaachaar se van-pashuon ke kasht se dravit hue the, aur unhone use swarg se neeche bheja hai, divya neele rang mein ranga hua, unka naya shaasak aur rakshak banne. Vah apne divya gyaan se unke vivaadon ka nyaay karega, usne kaha, aur kisi pashu ko ab sinh se darne ki aavashyakta nahin. Van-pashu, saral aur bhole, chhal mein poornatah fans gaye. Ve neele siyaar ke saamne jhuke, use uttam phal aur chuninda maans laaye, aur phoolon va patton ka sinhaasan banaaya. Yahaan tak ki sinh bhi praani ke vichitra rang aur aatmavishvaasi dhang se bhramit aur vismit hokar door raha aur kar deta raha. Anek saptaahon tak neela siyaar raja ki tarah raha. Vah uttam bhojan khaata, sabse komal maand mein sota, aur aadambarpurn ghoshnaon se vivaad suljhaata, is beech bhaybeet ki koi satya jaan lega. Usne kisi pashu ko nikat aane se mana kiya, taaki varsha ya nadi uska rahasya dho na de, aur kisi ko snaan karte na dekhne diya. Uski shakti badhi, aur uske saath uska ahankaar badha, yahaan tak ki vah apna hi jhooth maanne laga aur anya siyaaron, apni hi jaati ke saath vishesh tiraskaar se vyavhaar karta, jab bhi ve nikat aate unhein bhaga deta. Parantu abhimaan ne, sada ki tarah, uske patan ki taiyaari ki. Ek chaandni raat, jab neela siyaar apne phoolon ke sinhaasan par baitha van ka sammaan grahan kar raha tha, to door siyaaron ka ek jhund huaan-huaan karne laga, pahaadiyon ke paar ek-doosre ko pukaarte hue. Dhvani ne uske rakt mein kuch gehra aur vanya jaga diya. Yah uski hi jaati ka sangeet tha, vah geet jo usne apne roopaantaran se pehle hazaar baar gaaya tha. Usne virodh karne ka prayaas kiya. Usne jabde bheenchi aur akadkar baitha raha, parantu huaan-huaan aur tez va aanandmay hua, aur antatah uska asli svabhaav uske dhong ko cheerkar baahar nikla. Sir peechhe phenkkar neele raja ne munh khola aur poori shakti se huaan-huaan kiya, ek lambi, vanya, asandigdh siyaar ki huaan-huaan. Usi kshan jaadu toot gaya. Sinh, haathi, hiran aur shesh sabhi apne divya shaasak ko ghoorte rahe, phir ek-doosre ko, aur samajh suryodaya ki tarah aayi. Yah koi devta nahin tha, koi divya raja nahin. Yah keval ek siyaar tha, neele rang mein ranga, jisne un sabhi ko moorkh banaaya tha. Unki lajja ek dhadkan mein krodh mein badal gayi. Garjana aur chinghaad ke saath ve kaanpte dhongi par jhapte, jo apne praan bachaane van ke andhere bhaag mein bhaaga, uska neela rom dhool se sana aur uske shaahi swapna khandhar. Vah un bhaagon mein phir kabhi nahin dikha. Van-pashuon ne ek paath seekha jo ve kabhi na bhoole: ki koi vesh, chaahe kitna bhi chamkeela ho, sada ke liye kisi ke asli svabhaav ko nahin chhipa sakta, aur jo chhal se uthte hain ve satya se girte hain. Yah katha hamein smaran karaane sunai jaati hai ki dhong ek aisa rang hai jo sada dhul jaata hai, aur der-saver har huaan-huaan dhongi ko ujaagar kar deti hai.