JITTO KI KAHANI

Jitto ka favorite time pass tha chat ki munder par baith ke ganv ke sahan ko taakna. Aate-jaate anjaane chehre dekh kar Jitto ko lagta tha ke uske andar kahi kuch aa jaa raha hai. Jaise, kal hi ki baat thi. Zamindar aa kar uske baap ko paise de gaya tha. Keh gaya tha-‘Are kaka, kya budhape mein kaam kar rahe ho? Budhape mein chain ki bansi bajao. Jitto ko hamari haveli bhej do, rani ban kar raaj karegi’. Gaanv ke zamindar se kaun nahi parichit tha. Gaanv ka bachcha-bachcha jaanta tha use. Har gaanvwale par uski buri nazar thi. Par Jitto, Jitto to jaise alag hi mitti ki bani thi. Phool si Jitto…..phurr se udhkar kabhi idhar, phurr se udhkar kabhi udhar; kisi ke haath na aati thi. Jab bachche khel rahe hote to bachche ki kilkariyon mein bhi uski awaaz goonjti thi. Jitto ka baap, bechara Dinanath, kabhi bhare poore ghar ka maalik hua karta tha lekin haye re ye bimari. Uski patni ko na jaane kaun sa rog laga ke sukhti hi chali gai. Aur ek din usne Dinanath ke haath mein apni phool si Jitto ko saunp diya aur swarg sidhaar gayi. Dinanath, jo kabhi Seth Dinanath hua karta tha, aaj Dinu ho gaya tha. Jitto, bachpan se, gaanv ke bachchon ke saath khelkar badhi hui thi. Padhai likhai ka koi prachalan to tha nahi to Jitto neb hi padhai na kari. Gaanv ki thakurbadi thi, waha pujariji ne jo do duni chaar, chaar duni aath aur wahi alif be te se, sikha diye, wahi seekh liya. Phool si bachchi shaam ko kahaniya sunti; wahi kahaniya, puja ke saath puja ki taiyariyon mein chal rahi kahaniya aur saath hi saath, subah shaam milne waale prasad ka masoom laalach. Suresh, Jitto ke saath khel ke bada hua tha. Gabru jawaan jab kheto mein kaam karta to do bail ek taraf aur ek taraf Suresh.
Aise hi jaise-taise din guzarte gaye. Umr badhti gayi aur zindagi guzarti gayi. Bachpan kab jawani ki dehleez langh gaya, iska pata hi nahi chala. Jitto ka badan phool sa khil utha tha. Yauvan chupaye nahi chupta tha. Upar se garibi ki maar. Phate kapdo ke andar se jhankta yauvan, jis par zamindar ki nazar padte der nahi lagi.
Kehte hai naa, baap bada na bhaiya, sabse bada rupaiya. Kismat dekho, dinu kaka ko diye huye paise khatam ho gaye. Zamindar sar pe sawaar tha. Do Jodi kapde bhejwaye aur sandesha bhej diya zamindar ne ke dinu kaka ke saare karz maaf. Aur kapde le jao aurJitto ko bhej do. Marta kya na karta. Dinu gaya aur Jitto ke kapde le aaya. Jhooth mooth ki Jitto ki doli aayi aur Jitto ko baith ke zamindar ke haweli jaana pada. Is ghatna ke baad to jaise, Suresh ka dil hi toot gaya.
Wo din au raaj ka din. Phool si Jitto ko, zamindar ke kukarmi haatho ne masalna chaha par achanak, jaise bijli si kaundhi. Zamindar ka pair phisla aur zamindar seedhiyon se girta hua zamin par aa gira. Uske poore badan par faazil par gaya tha. Jitto ka kaleja jaise moonh ko aa gaya. Bechari phool si Jitto ye bhool gayi ke zamindar uski hi zindagi barbad karne ke liye aage badha tha. Daudi-daudi neeche aayi Jitto aur zamindar ko uthaya. Bechari ki nazar mein to wahi uska pati tha. Gaanvwaalo ki nazar mein bhi wo uska pati tha. Aur ek maryada se bandhi Jitto, zamindar ke sewa-satkar mein lag gayi. Dugni umr se bhi zyada umr thi zamindar ki. Jitto ne koi kasar naa chodi. Saal par saal guzarte jaa rahe the. Do saal, chaar saal, paanch saal beet gaye the. Zamindar ki pehli patni, apne bachchon ko lekar mayke chali gayi thi. Usne kasam khayi thi ki kabhi is ghar ka rukh naa karegi. Laakh khat bheje lekin na uske bachche aaye na pehli patni. Zamindar apne kiye ke phal paakar, apne karmo par pachtata tha. Rota tha, bilakhta tha aur sochta tha ki bhagwan ne ye kaisi saza de di. Wo man hi man kehta-‘Ab kabhi bhi galti nahi karunga. Bas, bhagwan, mujhe apne paas bula lo’. Apni mehnat se Jitto ne zamindar ko kam se kam bolne layak sthiti mein to pahucha hi diya tha. Wo kehta-‘Jitto, tune mere liye apni zindagi barbad kar li’. Jitto kehti-‘Mujhe kya pata tha ji, main to bas ye jaanti thi ki aap mujhe byaah kar laaye the. Ab mujh par aap ka hi haq hai. Aur mera dharam hai ke main aapki sewa karu.’
Ek taraf idhar, din par din beet rahe the aur doosri taraf, Suresh, gaanv chod kar, sheher mein bas gaya tha. Wo chik aur sheetalpaati banana seekhta tha. Is kala mein Suresh maahir ho chukka tha. Uska dard, uski kala mein dikhta tha. Aise aise chitra ukedta wo apne chik aur sheetalpaati par ke log daanto tale ungliyaan daba lete.Uski prasidhhi dur dur tak phailti jaa rahi thi. Ek din usne socha-‘Apne gaanv chalta hoon. Apni zameen choorata hun zamindar ke haathon se. Itni shakti to aa hi gayi thi. Purkhon ki zameen jo karz mein doobe huye hai, use azaad kar dunga to, mere purkhon ko mukti patra mil jayega.’ Suresh gaanv gaya. Zamindar ko usne dekha. Usne zamindar ko dekha. Wo man hi man socha-‘Ye kya haal ho rakha tha. Zamindar to chalne se bhi laachar tha’. Usi ke bagal mein baithi dikhi Jitto. Jitto ab Jitto se Jitto rani ho chuki thi. Poore samrajya ki akeli maalkin. Jitto ke ishaare se us gaanv ki tooti bolti thi. Jo tha sab Jitto ka hi tha. Jitto ne itne dino ke baad Suresh ko dekha. Wo badal gaya tha. Pehchanne na saki wo pehli nazar mein Suresh ko. Lekin tees to ubharti hi hai. Saalo beeta bachpan, jawani ka saath, sab yaad aa gaya. Zamindar ki budhi aankho ne ise bhaapte zara bhi der nahi lagayi. Zamindar ne Suresh se kaha-‘Tu to Suresh hai na.’ Suresh ne haami bhari. Zamindar ne kaha-‘Are, tu to bada gabru ho gaya hai, kaha tha?’ Suresh ne kaha-‘Malik, kaam seekh raha tha. Maine socha ke apni zamine chura loon’. Zamindar ne kaha-‘Are, Suresh, tu apni zameen le jaa par mujhe mukti de jaa.’ Suresh ne kaha-‘Main kuch samjha nahi, malik’. Zamindar bola-‘Main sab jaanta hun, Suresh. Ye mere prayaschit karne ka aakhri mauka hai. Agar ise chod diya to upar mukti bhi nahi milegi. Jitto, zara idhar to aa’. Jitto ki aankhe tharthara rahi thi aur haath kaanp rahe the. Wo samajh nahi paa rahi thi ki zamindar kya karma chahta hai. Zamindar ne Jitto ka haath Suresh ke haath mein rakh diya aur Suresh ko kaha-‘Zameen ke saath ise bhi le jaa. Aaj se sab kuch tera aur mukti meri. Mujhe maaf karna Jitto’. Ye kehte hi zamindar ki garden dhalak gayi. Use mukti mil gayi thi. Jitto ko bhi.
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