Sudama and Krishna — A Handful of Poha

Dosti par likhi sabse khoobsurat kathaon mein se ek — aur sabse purani bhi.

Krishna ke Dwarka ka raja banne se bahut pehle, woh Rishi Sandipani ke aashram mein vidyaarthi the. Wahan unka sabse pyaara dost tha Sudama — ek komal brahmin ladka. Ve saath padhte the. Saath lakdi chunne jaate the. Sab kuch baant-te the — bhookh bhi. Phir zindagi ne unhe alag kar diya. Krishna apna kartavya nibhaane Mathura-Dwarka chale gaye. Sudama ne shaadi ki, parivaar basaaya, aur gareebi mein buddha ho gaya. Kisi se madad maangne mein use sharm aati thi.

Waise, us gareebi ke peeche ek puraani katha thi. Aashram ke dinon mein ek baar guru-mata ne dono ko jungle se lakdi laane bheja — raaste ke liye kuch chane diye. Raaste mein Krishna so gaye. Bhookhe Sudama ne saare chane akele kha liye. Sarvagya Krishna ne kuch nahi kaha. Lekin us ek chhote swarth ka parinaam Sudama ko jeevan bhar bhugatna pada — jab tak usne apne haathon se Krishna ko khila kar us karz ko nahi chukaya.

Saal beet gaye. Sudama ke kapde phate hue the. Ghar tapakta tha. Bacche aksar bhooke pet so jaate the. Ek din uski patni Susheela ne haath jod kar kaha — 'Tumhaara dost Krishna ab mahaan raja hai. Bas usse milne chale jao. Bheekh maangne nahi — dost ke roop mein. Zaroor kuch achchha hoga.' Sudama jhijhka. Apni gareebi par sharminda. Lekin aakhir maan gaya. Ek shart par — woh kuch maangega nahi.

Uphaar ke liye uski patni ne padosi se ek mutthi poha udhaar liya. Phate kapde mein baandha. Uske haathon mein rakh diya. 'Humaare paas bas yahi hai,' usne dheere se kaha. Sudama dino tak paidal chalta raha — jab tak Dwarka ke sunehre dwaar saamne nahi aa gaye.

Dwaar dekh kar uska dil baith gaya. Sunehre dwaar. Vishaal mahal. Haathiyon par sawaar sainik. Aur woh — phate kapdon mein, pairon mein dhool liye. Ek pal socha, wapas laut jaaye. Aise vaibhav mein us jaise gareeb ka kya kaam? Phir use aashram ki woh barsaati raat yaad aayi — jab toofaan mein Krishna ne uska haath pakad rakha tha. Usne kadam aage badha diye. Dosti ka vishwaas mahal ki shaan se bada hota hai.

Pehredaron ne phate-kapdon waale brahmin ka mazaak udaaya. Lekin jab usne kaha — 'Krishna ko bata do ki Sudama aaya hai' — to ve sandesh andar le gaye. Krishna darbaar lagaye baithe the. Naam sunte hi woh sinhaasan se kood pade. Nange pair dwaar tak daud pade. Sudama ko itni zor se gale lagaya ki dono ki aankhon se aansu behne lage. Uska haath pakad kar andar le jaaya. Apne hi shaahi aasan par bithaaya. Apne haathon se uske dhool-bhare pair dhoye. Rani Rukmini gareeb mehmaan ko shaahi pankhe se hawa karne lagi. Darbaari hairan reh gaye.

Raat ko jab ve akele hue, Krishna ne puraani yaadein taaza ki. 'Yaad hai, Sudama? Guru-mata ne humein lakdi laane bheja tha. Jungle mein bhayankar toofaan aa gaya tha. Hum dono ne ek-doosre ka haath pakad rakha tha poori raat. Bijli kadakti rahi. Subah Gurudev humein dhoondhne aaye the.' Sudama ki aankhein bhar aayi. 'Aapko sab yaad hai, Krishna?' 'Dost ki har baat yaad rehti hai,' Krishna muskuraaye — 'chahe woh raja ban jaaye ya bhikhaari.'

Ve puraani baatein karte rahe — churaaye hue aamon ki, aadhi-seekhi padhai ki, barsaati raaton ki. Phir Krishna ki nazar Sudama ke haathon mein dabbi chhoti potli par padi. 'Mere dost, mere liye kya laaye ho?' Sudama sharma gaya. Chhupaane ki koshish ki. Lekin Krishna ne poha chheen liya — khushi se ek mutthi kha gaya. 'Mere mahal mein kuch bhi dost ke uphaar jitna meetha nahi lagta!' Ek aur mutthi kha li. Tab Rukmini ne dheere se unhe roka. Woh jaanti thi — har daane ke saath Krishna apne dost par dhan barsa rahe the.

Sudama kuch din raha. Dil bhara hua tha. Lekin honthon ne ek sikka tak nahi maanga. Jab gaya, chupchaap ghar ki taraf paidal chala. Sochta raha — kya yeh mulakaat galti thi? Jaise hi gaanv ke paas pahuncha, avishvaas mein ruk gaya. Jahan uski jhopdi thi, wahan ab ek sundar mahal khada tha. Patni badhiya kapdon mein dwaar par. Bacche phoolon ke bageeche mein hans rahe the. Use kisi samjhaane ki zaroorat nahi thi. Usne Dwarka ki taraf haath jod liye. Aankhein bheegi hui.

Kuch rishte len-den nahi hote, doston. Woh bas hote hain.