Tenali Rama aur Chor

Tenali Raman, Vijayanagara ke raja Krishnadevaraya ke priya vidooshak aur mantri, apni buddhi ke liye utne hi prasiddh the jitne raja apne paraakram ke liye. Unki chaturaai ne anek baar raajya bachaaya tha, aur raja unhein bhai ki tarah prem karte the. Parantu Tenali ki teekhi jeebh ne darbaar mein shatru bhi banaaye the, aur mehal ki deevaaron ke paar chor aur dhoort jaante the ki mantri ke ghar mein churaane yogya khazaane hain. Ek raat Tenali Raman apne bistar mein jaagte lete the, kyonki unhone apne udyaan mein komal dhvaniyaan suni thin, tahni ka chatakna, patton ki sarsaraahat, aisi dhvaniyaan jo raat ki vaayu ki nahin thin. Ve chupchaap uthe, khidki se dekha, aur apne aam ke vrikshon ke beech hilti parchhaaiyaan dekhin. Chor aaye the, aur unki sankhya va auzaaron se unhone anumaan lagaaya ki kam se kam aadha darjan the, chhuriyon aur rassiyon se lais. Tenali ka pehla vichaar chillaakar apne sevakon ko jagaane ka tha, parantu unhone sheeghra sambhaavana gini. Unke sevak kam aur vriddh the, aur chor anek va hataash the. Ladaai khatarnaak hoti, aur shor se chor jo haath lage lekar bhaag hi jaate. Tab Tenali ne vahi kiya jismein ve sarvshreshth the: unhone socha. Unhone apni patni ko dheere se jagaaya aur kaan mein apni yojana phusphusaai. Usne chaudi aankhon se suna, sir hilaaya, aur milkar unhone ek chhota naatak khelna aarambh kiya, itne zor se bolte hue ki baahar ke chor har shabd sun sakein. Priya, Tenali ne nakli bhay se kaanpte swar mein kaha, maine suna hai ki aaj raat hamaari galiyon mein chor ghoom rahe hain. Ham apne samast sone aur ratnon ka kya karein? Yadi ve hamaare ghar mein ghus gaye, to ham apna sab kuch kho denge. Unki patni ne utne hi zor se uttar diya ki unhein khazaana vahaan chhipaana chaahiye jahaan koi chor kabhi dekhne na soche. Aur vah kahaan hai, Tenali ne poochha. Hamaare aangan ke puraane kuein mein, unki patni ne kaha. Koi chor kabhi kuein ki tali mein nahin khojega. Uttam vichaar, Tenali chillaaye. Aao har sikka, har ratna, hamaari har bahumulya vastu ekatra karein, ek bade lohe ke sandook mein rakhein, aur aaj raat hi use kuein mein utaar dein. Aur is prakaar bahut khankhanaahat aur karaah ke saath Tenali aur unki patni ne ek bhaari lohe ka sandook aangan mein ghasita, yah nishchint karte hue ki chor shor sun sakein, aur bade prayaas se use rassi par puraane kuein mein utaar diya. Tab ve bheetar gaye, dwaar band kiye, aur deep bujha diye, maano sone ja rahe hon. Udyaan ke choron ne har shabd suna tha, aur unki aankhein lobh se chamkin. Ve ghar ke andhere aur maun hone tak ruke, phir kuein tak renge. Unmein se ek ne kaali gehraaiyon mein jhaanka. Sandook neeche hai, vah phusphusaaya. Hamein keval baalti-baalti jal nikaalna hai, jab tak kuaan khaali na ho, aur tab ham neeche utarkar khazaana le sakte hain. Yah kathor, pyaasa kaam tha, parantu lobh ne unhein shakti di. Saari raat chhahon chor baari-baari se rassi par lage rahe, baalti-baalti jal nikaalte aur udyaan mein daalte. Ve sone ke sikkon aur heere ke haaron ke swapna dekhte, aur bina vishraam kaam karte. Bhor tak kuaan lagbhag khaali tha, aur chor thake hue, paseene se tar, haath chhile aur chhaalon waale. Unmein se ek ko sandook laane rassi par neeche utaara gaya. Usne kuein ki tali ki keechad mein tatola, bada loha sandook paaya, aur kaanpte haathon se dhakkan khola. Bheetar na sona tha, na ratna, na kisi prakaar ka khazaana. Keval pattharon ka dher tha aur taadpatra ka ek tukda, jis par Tenali ke apne haath se likha tha: Moorkhon! Tumne saari raat mere udyaan ko seencha hai. Dhanyavaad. Choron ne sandesh ko ghoora, phir ek-doosre ko, aur unka krodh aseem tha. Parantu badla lene baahar nikalne se pehle praatah surya uday hua, aur Tenali Raman apne sevakon aur raja ke rakshakon sahit, jinhein unhone bhor mein bulaaya tha, kuein par prakat hue. Khaali kuein ki tali mein fanse chor bina ladaai pakde gaye. Raja Krishnadevaraya hanse jab tak unke mukh par aansu na beh gaye, jab unhone katha suni, aur unhone Tenali ko sone aur sammaanon se puraskrit kiya. Aur Tenali ka udyaan, us raat itni achhi tarah seencha gaya, us varsh pehle se adhik sundar khila, ek jeevant smaran ki teekshna buddhi balvaan bhuja se adhik moolyavaan hai, aur lobh sada apna hi kuaan khodta hai.