Baatooni Kachhua

Kamal ke phoolon se ghiri ek sundar jheel mein ek kachhua rehta tha jiske do param mitra the, hanson ka ek joda. Teenon avibhaajya the. Har praatah hans kachhue ke paas tairte, aur har sandhya ve tat par baithkar taaron ke nikalne tak baatein karte, us vishaal sansaar ki kahaaniyaan baantte jo hanson ne apni yaatraon mein dekha tha. Kachhue ko ye kahaaniyaan priya thin, parantu uske svabhaav mein ek dosh tha: vah kabhi chup nahin reh sakta tha. Vah har katha ke beech bolta, har vaakya mein tokta, aur un vishayon par mat deta jinke baare mein vah kuch nahin jaanta tha. Uske mitra use prem karte the, parantu jab uski bakbak bekaaboo hoti to ve praayah ek-doosre ko dekhte. Tab ek varsh varsha nahin hui. Jheel sikudne lagi, kamal murjhaaye, aur machhliyaan keechad mein haanfne lagin. Hans jaante the ki unhein ek door ki jheel ki ore udna hoga jahaan abhi jal shesh tha, anyatha ve mar jaayenge. Kachhua samaachaar sunkar roya, kyonki jal ke bina vah bhi nasht hoga, aur apne mitron ke bina vah jeena nahin chaahta tha. Usne unse use saath le jaane ki bheekh maangi, parantu hanson ne dukh se sir hilaaya. Ham aakaash mein udte hain, unhone kaha, aur tum ud nahin sakte. Yaatra lambi hai, aur chalne waale ke liye koi maarg nahin. Kachhue ne kathor vichaar kiya, kyonki uska jeevan is par nirbhar tha, aur antatah use ek upaay soojha. Usne hanson se ek mazboot dandi khojne ko kaha. Dono hans dandi ko apni chonchon ke beech pakdenge, pratyek ek sire par, aur kachhua dandi ke madhya ko apne hi jabdon se mazbooti se pakdega. Is prakaar ve use vaayu mein nayi jheel tak le ja sakenge. Hans chatur yojana se prasann hue, parantu unhone ek kathor shart rakhi. Udaan ke dauraan tumhein ek bhi shabd nahin bolna hai, unhone chetaaya. Ek bhi shabd nahin, chaahe tum kuch bhi dekho ya suno. Yadi tumne munh khola, to dandi chhoot jaayegi, aur tum girkar mar jaaoge. Kachhue ne gambheer vachan diya, aur hanson ke aakaash mein uthte hi dandi ko poori shakti se pakad liya. Pehle sab theek raha. Vaayu sarsaraati nikli, dharti neeche chitrit kaaleen jaisi phaili, aur kachhue ka hriday aashcharya se bhar gaya. Ve vanon aur nadiyon ke oopar, gaanvon aur kheton ke oopar ude, aur kachhue ne sansaar ko aisa dekha jaisa pehle kabhi nahin dekha tha. Tab ve ek gaanv ke oopar se guzre, aur galiyon mein khelte bachchon ne oopar dekha aur vichitra drishya dekha: do hans ek kachhue ko dandi par aakaash mein le ja rahe hain. Bachche hansi se chillaaye aur ishaara kiya, aur graameen ghoorne va chakit hone apne gharon se baahar aaye. Unki prashansa suno, abhimaani kachhue ne socha, uska seena phoolta hua. Unhone itna adbhut kabhi nahin dekha. Tab ek graameen chillaaya, moorkh kachhue ko dekho! Vah sochta hai ki pakshi ki tarah ud sakta hai! Kachhue ka abhimaan aag ki tarah bhadak utha. Moorkh, usne krodh se socha, main moorkh nahin hoon, main jeevit sabse chatur kachhua hoon, aur yah meri hi yojana thi. Vah chetaavani bhool gaya, dandi bhool gaya, apne aahat abhimaan ke siva sab bhool gaya. Karaara uttar dene ke liye munh kholte hue vah chillaaya, main nahin hoon ek... parantu shabd kabhi poorn na hue. Jaise hi uske jabde khule, dandi fisal gayi, aur kachhua patthar ki tarah aakaash se gira. Vah gaanv ke chauk ki kathor dharti se takraaya aur tukdon mein toot gaya, jabki hanste graameen bhay se maun ho gaye. Dono hans oopar chakkar lagaate rahe, apne mitra ke liye rote hue, parantu ve kuch na kar sake. Ve bhaari hriday se door ki jheel ki ore ude, us saathi ka shok manaate hue jiski chatur yojana uski hi bekaaboo jeebh ne nasht kar di thi. Yah katha Bharat ke har vidyaalaya mein sunai jaati hai, aur iska paath har baalak ki smriti mein ankit hai: ki vaani ek khazaana hai jise saavdhaani se kharch karna chaahiye, ki abhimaan hamein un chetaavaniyon ko bhi bhula deta hai jo hamaare praanon ki raksha karti hain, aur ki ek kshan ko bhi arakshit jeebh us gyaan ko ek pal mein nasht kar sakti hai jise banaane mein aajeevan laga tha.