Vyaapaari aur lohe ki taraazoo: Loha khaane waale choohe

Vyaapaariyon ke ek mahaan nagar mein ek vyaapaari rehta tha jo eemaandaar aur samriddh tha, jaanne waalon mein sammaanit, aur uska ek mitra tha jo na eemaandaar tha, na samriddh, yadyapi vah donon hone ka dikhaava karta tha. Ek din vyaapaari ko vyavsaay hetu door desh jaana pada, aur vah apni bhaari lohe ki taraazoo, vah mahaan tula jisse vah apna maal taulta tha, lambi yaatra mein nahin le jaana chaahta tha. Mitra, usne kaha, mere lautne tak meri lohe ki taraazoo surakshit rakho, kyonki vah mere liye moolyavaan hai. Mitra muskaan sahit sehmat hua, aur vyaapaari chala gaya. Maas dheere beete, aur vyaapaari videsh mein samriddh hua, masaale aur resham achhe moolyon par khareedte hue aur praayah apne ghar aur apne vishvast mitra ka vichaar karte hue. Jab vah lauta, to vah mitra ke ghar gaya aur apni taraazoo maangi. Aah, mitra ne dukhi mukh banaakar kaha, mere paas buri soochana hai. Jab tum baahar the, choohe mere bhandaar mein ghuse aur tumhaari lohe ki taraazoo kha gaye. Uska kuch nahin bacha. Vyaapaari ne use ghoora. Choohon ne, usne dheere se kaha, thos loha khaaya? Yah satya hai, mitra ne dridhta se kaha. Mere ghar ke choohe bahut saahasi hain. Vyaapaari turant samajh gaya ki uske mitra ne taraazoo sikkon hetu bech di thi aur daanton se jhooth bol raha tha, parantu usne kuch na kaha, kyonki uska mukh sthir sarovar jaisa shaant raha. Bina pramaan aarop lagaane se keval jhagda hota, atah vah muskuraaya aur kaha, kuch nahin ho sakta. Jo khaaya gaya vah khaaya gaya. Hum is par aur na sochein. Mitra prasann hua ki uski chaal safal hui. Kuch dinon baad vyaapaari ne, jo apne man mein ek yojana ghuma raha tha, mitra ke yuva putra ko nadi mein snaan hetu saath aane ko aamantrit kiya. Baalak prasannata se gaya, aur jab ve nadi par the, vyaapaari ne baalak ko paas ke ek mitra ke ghar mein chhipaaya, gharvaalon se use surakshit rakhne aur kuch na kehne ko kehkar. Phir vyaapaari akela ghar lauta. Us sandhya, jab surya asta ho raha tha, mitra vyaapaari ke ghar daudta aaya, apne putra ko vyaakulta se khojta hua. Mera baalak kahaan hai, vah chillaaya. Vah tumhaare saath nadi gaya tha aur lauta nahin. Vyaapaari ne theek vaisa hi dukhi mukh banaaya jaisa uske mitra ne banaaya tha. Mere paas buri soochana hai, usne kaha. Jab hum snaan kar rahe the, ek baaz aakaash se jhapta aur tumhaare putra ko utha le gaya. Mitra ne avishvaas se ghoora. Ek baaz baalak ko utha le gaya? Yah asambhav hai. Koi baaz bachche ko uthaane ko paryaapt balvaan nahin. Kya, vyaapaari ne shaanti se kaha. Aur phir bhi tum mujhe bataate ho ki tumhaare ghar ke choohon ne meri thos lohe ki taraazoo khaai. Batao, mitra, kaun adhik aashcharyajanak hai: ki choohe loha khaayein, ya ki baaz baalak uthaaye? Mitra ka mukh peela pada, kyonki usne chaturaai ka jaal apne chaaron or kasta dekha. Yah paagalpan hai, vah chillaaya. Mera putra vaapas do. Prasannata se, vyaapaari ne kaha, jab tum meri taraazoo, ya sikkon mein uska moolya vaapas doge. Jhagda itna badha ki padosi ekatra hue, aur ant mein maamla nagar ke nyaayaadhish ke saamne le jaaya gaya. Nyaayaadhish ne, shvet daadhi waale ek gyaani vriddh ne, donon purushon ko badhte manoranjan se suna. Jab usne vyaapaari ka bachaav suna, ki jahaan choohe loha khaate hain, vahaan baaz baalak utha sakte hain, to vah zor se hansa. Tark poorn hai, nyaayaadhish ne ghoshana ki. Ya to donon aashcharya satya hain, ya donon poornatah asatya. Kyonki koi baaz kabhi baalak nahin uthaata, koi choohe kabhi taraazoo nahin khaate. Taraazoo, ya uska poorn moolya sikkon mein vyaapaari ko lautaaya jaaye, aur baalak uske pita ko lautaaya jaaye. Dhokhebaaz mitra, samast nagar ke saamne atyant lajjit hokar, ne taraazoo ka poorn moolya chukaaya, aur vyaapaari ne turant baalak ko poornatah sakushal aur atyant prasannachitt uske apne ghar pahunchaaya. Panchatantra yah prasiddh katha sikhaane sunaata hai ki beimaani ka uttar krodh se nahin, apitu buddhi se dena shreshth hai, ki jhoothe ke apne hi shabda vah rassi ban sakte hain jo use kaskar baandhe, aur dhairya aur buddhi rakhne waala eemaandaar manushya sada antim hansi hansega.