Jhelam nadee par shaam (kunjavihaaree das)

 Part 1

jhelam ke tat par - jhelam kee maan kee god mein, shreenagar ke logon ko poshit kiya jaata hai - jisakee kalakal dhvani smrtiyon ya jeevan ko jeevant nahin karatee hai? saara paanee, sunavaaya - kashmeeree is nadee kee prashansa mein bolate hain. isaka aakaar abaadhit jharane jaisa hai, lekin paanee gahara neela hai, ghoomata-phirata hai aur shreenagar ke poore kshetr ko chhoo raha hai. yadi jhelam ko baahar rakha gaya hai, to shree ko shreenagar se baahar rakha jaana chaahie. unhonne kashmeer rangamanch ke mukhy kiradaar kee bhoomika nibhaee hai. shreenagar kashmeer ka hrday hai, jhelam isakee mukhy dhamanee hai. hamaara krooz poore shreenagar kee aatma ko aakarshit karane ke lie hai.

hamane ek shikaara (kashmeer se ek chhotee naav) kirae par lee, isake saath do chaukiyaan judee huee hain, seeten makhamal se dhakee huee hain, seeton par chaar log baith sakate hain. sir par rang-biranga chhatr kheencha jaata hai. chhatr ke chaaron khambhon par laal, neela aur peela rang ka kaagaj lapeta gaya hai, jisaka aadha hissa jhande kee tarah hava mein lahara raha hai. haulee (nauree) muslim - paanch haath ka lamba aadamee, bada ghoonghat pahane, gadde ko hilaaya aur bade sammaan se hamen baithaaya, kapada beech mein liya aur dheere-dheere aage badhaaya. hamaaree naav har imaarat, bageeche, pul aur ghaat ko peechhe chhodate hue kaee achal aur achal hausaboton ke beech daudatee rahee.

nadi ke donon or shahar ke do hisse han , yog sutr rakhane ke liye sat pul banaye gaye han . inka nirman alag - alag kal men alag - alag shasakon ke kal men hua hai . aligdal sbuse purana hai , 14 17 i . , ise ali alsah ke samay men banaya gaya tha . isake alava aamir kadal , haba kadal , fateh kadal , jain kadal , nakshma kadal , safa kadal ke nam par chhah aur pul han . ve lkadi se bane hote han ; shrinagar men jhelm nadi ko pani dekar in sat pulon ko par kiya ja sakta hai . jhelm ke kinare bade - bade back , school , hotal , colage , mandir , masjid , godam , factriyan , yatri aur vyapari isi nadi se safar karte han . jahan kharlaga house bot men dukanen han , vahan kalin , shol , lkadi aur kagaj vibhinn vastuon se sajaye gaye han , log aakar saman kharid rahe han . jahan nav men ek parivar rahata hai , vahan bahari duniya men vilay karne ka koi mauka nahi hai , is pani ke ghar men chhote - chhote bacche khel rahe han -- bhai - bahan . yah jivan bade pamane par hai , duniya bhar men ek nav ya ek bada pul hai . ghar ghar ki nav chala raha hai , uttar ki or dekh raha hai , vah dub gaya , ' vah kyon nahi aaya ? 

doosaree or ek yuvatee ek patthar par apane kapade bichhaakar use peet rahee hai. yahaan kapade gande hote hain, mehanat kam hotee hai, haathon ko thande paanee kee jaroorat nahin hotee. ek naavik nauka se saamaan utha raha hai, ek boodha aadamee kinaare par baitha sigaret pee raha hai, usakee daadhee lambee hai. charavaaha bakariyon ka gobar la raha hai. khambhe par ek ke baad ek doriyaan bandhee huee hain; kaun daphtar se laut raha hai, kaun baajaar ja raha hai, kaun praarthana karane ja raha hai, kaun mandir ja raha hai. yah sundar yuvak kaun hai? ek kolej chhaatr hone ke baad! usake chehare par laaparavaah bhaav, hothon par sigaret, vah jaldee-jaldee chal raha hai, shaayad koee philm dekh raha hai.

aakaash mein ek durlabh baadal, baadal ke baad aakaash; aasamaan, baadalon, dhundh ke baad, sooraj nadee ke paanee ke saamane jhuk gaya, shaam kee os par gulaabee pair chale, aisa lag raha tha ki vah hamaaree or aa raha hai, usake shankh haathon ke dhundh ke sparsh ne man ko utsaahit kar diya. sunaharee taaree taral sunaharee dhaara mein, shaam setu par baithee, kashmeeree ladakee kee tarah sundar. tab indrajaal ne apanee bhujaen laakhon baar sudoor shila tak phailaeen, vrkshon mein agni khil uthee, him mein laal garmaash jal utha! baadalon mein pyaase kee tarah bhaap uthee. seeng ke seeng par baadal ka naya seeng, saroo aur saphed ped par pakshee kee sunaharee chonch. is sandhya kee mahima se saara sansaar raamamay ho gaya. phir yah pashchim kee or laharaaya, himaadri ke hajaaron seengon ko paar karata hua aur ant mein ek bindu mein lupt ho gaya. shreenagar mein roshan hua akshara sitaara, shakada ne hamaara munh moda.

naav dhaara ke vipareet dheere-dheere - bahut dheere-dheere - chal rahee thee. dil thak gaya, avasaad; mainne kaha- haajee, apane desh kee ek kahaanee sunao. hallee ne kaha, "baaboo, main moorkh vyakti hoon, kya aap jaanate hain?".    mainne kaha- haan, mainne bachapan mein apane maata-pita se bahut kahaaniyaan sunee hain, ek batao. haajee ne dekha-ham nahin chhodenge, kuchh der socha aur gala saaph karake chal diye.raajaapuu, mantreepuu sangat, unake beech paanee nahin bahata hai. jab kisee ke man mein koee baat aatee hai to vah use kahe bina nahin rah paata, itana khushee ka din khushee mein bah jaata hai.

ek din, mantree ke bete ne dekha ki raajaapoo munh pherakar baitha hai, aur bola, "sangat, tumhen kya yaad aa raha hai?" agar yah kho gaya hai to main ise dhoondh loonga, agar yah toot gaya hai to main ise bana doonga, saragar chand ne kaha, main ise do hisson mein laoonga. kya tumhen mujhase koee samasya hai?

raajapoo ne kaha, "sangate, main kal raat sapana dekh raha hoon, chandra udiya jaisa ek roop, bhoomi kee raanee, desh ka raaja, phulasenj loot raha tha, titalee ka peechha kar raha tha, mujhe dekh raha tha, mujhe dekh raha tha, mujhase baat kar raha tha! " aankh gaayab ho gaee, chalee gaee, kaheen gaayab ho gaee, vah anadekhee aakrti meree aankhon ke saamane naach rahee hai, agar tum use na lao to meree aasha chhod do.

mantree ke bete ne poochha- tumhen kou kee disha vaala vah bageecha yaad hai? razaapuu ne kaha- mujhe apanee aankhon ke saamane saare raaste dikh rahe hain, us ladakee kee shaadee kaise hogee, kar lo. jab main use dekhata hoon to peene ka man nahin karata.

jaise hee kuaantra kaanp raha tha, raajaapu mantripuru ne astabal se do achchhe ghode chune, unakee peeth par baithe aur unhen kode maare. banabuda, ghoda pahaadee se oopar aur neeche kood gaya; jaise-jaise samay beetata hai, yah ek keemat par pahunch jaata hai. chaudee sadak, kinaare oonchee tootee imaaraten, sabase zyaada saahibee sinh kee aavaaz mein apane ghode se utara, ganne se sana hua, aur raaja ke bageeche mein pravesh kiya - phoolon kee duniya; phool kaun hai aur titalee kaun hai? jemma dekh rahee hai - hava se bahane vaale pedon par os ko dekh rahee hai. jaise ki ladake ne use andha kar diya ho, alaara ne ladake ko seedha kiya aur bhaag gaee. sapane mein jooo ke roop kee chhaaya khilee, hakeekat mein pahale hajaar baar chaunkee. yah dekhakar raajaapu cheta doob gaya.

mantree ke bete ne use khoj-khojakar saavadhaan kiya, khoj-khojakar use ek sthaan par rakha, vah svayan ghar par naanabaee banakar rahane laga. usane use itana dhan diya, itane achchhe-achchhe kek banavaaye aur usake haath mein raajajema ko bhej diye. raajaajema ne kek khaaya aur kaha- ye tumhaare kek jaisa nahin lag raha, sach batao ye kek kisane banaaya? pitaavikaali ne kaha-yah sir rahega to bataoonga. jemma abhaya ne usase kaha, kubo se mere ghar mein ek batoee hai; ye kek usane tumhaare lie alag se bheja hai. jemma ne kaha- jaldee se use yahaan le aao.