homaraja ko baahr jaato hI kOiSayar nao BaItr dstk dI.
'sar¸ maOMnao saaomavaar kao nahIM Aanaa hO. Aap [na ibalaaoM pr hstaxar kr doM tao kSmaIra saaomavaar kao pOsao D/a^ krvaa laoogaa. TO@saI vaalaaoM kI BaI kaÔI pomaOMT donao kao hao ga[- hO. ]nako Ôaona BaI Aanao lagao hOM. kuC pomaOMT Aap kI BaI hO.' khto hue ]sanao ibalaaoM kI Ôa[la ]sako saamanao rK dI.

]sanao AaMK maUMd kr ibalaaoM pr hstaxar krnao Sau$ kr ide. vah Aaja saaro kama jaldI sao inabaTa laonaa caahta qaa¸ taik saaZ,o caar bajao ko baad vah pUrI trh fursat maoM hao AaOr tba kao[- Ôa[la ]sako saamanao na laa[- jaae. [saI baIca TolaIÔaona kI GaMiTyaaM qaaoD,I–qaaoD,I dor maoM GanaGanaatI rhIM. j,yaadatr Ôaona p~karaoM ko qao¸ jaao yah jaananaa caah rho qao ik Aaja kaOna–saa p`osa naaoT do rho hao. kuC Ôaona falatU iksma ko qao. k[- Ôaona eosao BaI Aae¸ ijasamaoM ]sako 'hOlaao' khto hI dUsarI trÔ sao Ôaona kaT idyaa gayaa. ]sao yaad Aayaa ik ek laD,kI nao ]sao kuC idna phlao kha qaa ik vah isaÔ- ]sakI Aavaaja, saunanao ko ilae hI Ôaona krtI hO. tba sao ]sao laganao lagaa ik Aa^iÔsa maoM Aa[- hr blaOMk ka^la ]saI laD,kI kI haotI hO. ]sa laD,kI nao yah baat ]sao [tnaI saaÔgaao[- sao kOsao kh dI qaI ik vah Ôaona pr isaÔ- ]sakI Aavaaja, hI saunanaa caahtI hO¸ [sa savaala kao laokr vah k[- baar maaqaapccaI kr cauka qaa AaOr Aaja vah ifr sao [sa savaala ko BaMvar maoM nahIM ]laJanaa caahta qaa.

Aaja ]sao [Mtja,ar qaa GaD,I kI saU[yaaoM ko saaZ,o caar ko gaiNat tk phMucanao ka. qaaoD,I–qaaoD,I dor baad ]sakI inagaahoM dIvaar GaD,I kI Aaor ]z jaatIM. khIM saokMD ka samaya batanao vaalaI saU[- kI caala Aaja QaImaI tao nahIM pD, ga[-. yah maugaalata haoto hI vah ApnaI GaD,I sao dIvaar GaD,I ko samaya ka imalaana krnao lagata. daonaaoM maoM samaya ek jaOsaa pakr ]sakI baocaOnaI baZ, jaatI.

jaOsao hI dIvaar GaD,I nao saaZ,o caar bajao ka samaya dSaa-yaa¸ irvaa^laivaMga caoyar ko saharo GaUmato hue ]sanao Apnao kmaro ko p`vaoSa War kI Aaor pIz kr laI AaOr iKD,ikyaaoM ka pda- pICo sarka kr saamanao pgaDMDI kI Aaor JaaMknao lagaa. ]sao [saI pgaDMDI sao haokr ]sako Aa^iÔsa Aanaa qaa. saaZ,o caar sao paOnao paMca bajao ko baIca vah kBaI BaI Aa saktI hO¸ yah ihsaaba tao ]sanao phlao hI lagaa ilayaa qaa¸ laoikna jaba samaya [sasao }pr hao gayaa tao ]sakI AQaIrta baZ,nao lagaI.
'zMDa lao Aa}M sar.' caprasaI nao jaananaa caaha.
'ABaI Ékao.' ]sanao pgaDMDI kI Aaor hI inagaahoM jamaae hue kha. caprasaI kmaro sao baahr laaOT gayaa.

GaD,I kI saU[yaaM Aba paMca bajanao kI gavaahI do rhI qaIM. ]sakI AQaIrta Aba inaraSaa maoM badlanao lagaI. dF,tr ko kma-caarI Apnao iTifna AaOr qaOlao ]zakr ek–ek krko jaanao lagao qao. vah Apnao kmaro sao ]z kr baahr baD,o hala maoM cahla–kdmaI krnao lagaa. yahaM sao pgaDMDI hI nahIM¸ pgaDMDI sao jau,DI saD,k BaI idKtI qaI. ]sakI inagaahoM Aba pgaDMDI kI bajaaya¸ saD,k pr ]sao tlaaSanao lagaI qaIM.

inaraSaa kI isqait Aba JauMJalaahT AaOr gaussao maoM tbadIla haonao lagaI qaI. 'Aaja ko baad maOM ]sasao kBaI baat nahIM k$Mgaa. ]sanao AaiK,r mauJao samaJa @yaa rKa hO. @yaa maOM ]sako [Mtja,ar maoM yahIM rat Bar baOza rhUM. @yaa vah jaanabaUJa kr nahIM Aa[- yaa ifr ]sao yaad hI nahIM rha.' saaocato–saaocato vah gaussao sao ]fnanao lagaa.

savaa paMca bajao vah ha^la sao inakla kr ifr Apnao kmaro maoM Aa gayaa. kusaI- pr baOzto hI ]sao lagaa ik GaD,I kI saU[yaaM ]saka mauMh icaZ,a rhI hOM. sahsaa ]sakI inagaah maoja, pr rKo ]na pnnaaoM pr pD,I¸ ijanhoM kuC hI dor phlao sTOnaao Ta[-p krko rK ga[- qaI. saaqa hI flayaUD kI SaISaI BaI pD,I qaI. yah pnnao ]sakI khanaI ko qao¸ ijasao ]sanao Aaja hI pUra ikyaa qaa. vah yah khanaI ]sa laD,kI kao pZ,anaa caahta qaa¸ ijasao saaZ,o caar bajao Aanaa qaa. laoikna vah nahIM Aa[- qaI. vah baar–baar khanaI ko pnnao ]laTnao–plaTnao lagaa.

tBaI pdcaap sao kmaro ka sannaaTa TUTa AaOr saaqa hI [Mtja,ar kI Daor BaI. gaussaa¸ xaaoBa¸ inaraSaa¸ JauMJalaahT na jaanao ikna kba`aoM maoM jaakr gauma hao ga[-. vah saamanao KD,I mauskra rhI qaI.
'saa^rI sar¸ maOM laoT hao ga[-. basa kama hI [tnaa j,yaada qaa.' dor sao Aanao kI Saima-MdgaI BaI ]sako SabdaoM maoM qaI AaOr sapaTbayaanaI BaI.
'mauJao sacamauca bahut gaussaa Aa rha qaa Aap pr.' mauskrato hue vah isaÔ- [tnaa hI baaolaa.

vah ekTk ]sao doKtI rhI. lagaa¸ kmaro maoM hvaa bahnaa BaUla ga[- hao AaOr samaya izzk gayaa hao. kuC dor saMvaadhInata kI saI isqait rhI. vah ]na ica~aoM kao doKnao maoM maSagaUla hao ga[- qaI¸ ijanamaoM p`Ìit ko rMgaaoM ko baIca ]sakI mauskrahT ko rMga BaI qao. yah rMga SaaoK BaI qao¸ caTK BaI AaOr caTkIlao BaI. kao[- BaI rMga fIka nahIM qaa. hr rMga maoM ija,MdgaI ko sapnao dja- qao.
vah ]sako caohro kI trÔ doKta rha. p`Ìit ko rMga ]sako caohro pr BaI iKla ]zo qao. ]sao lagaa pUro kmaro maMo [na rMgaaoM kI raoSanaI fOla ga[- hO. [sa raoSanaI maoM BaInaI–BaInaI mahk BaI qaI. yah mahk iksa fUla kI hao saktI hO¸ vah saaocanao lagaa.
homaraja kaolD iD/Mk rK gayaa qaa. saaqa hI ek PlaoT maoM namakIna ibaskuT BaI.

'laIijae zMDa.' ]sanao saMvaadhInata kI isqait kao taoD,a.
vah isap krnao lagaI. baaolaI kuC nahIM. kao[- savaala BaI ]sanao nahIM pUCa. baD,a Aaga`h krnao pr ]sanao dao baar ek–ek namakIna ibaskuT ]zayaa. tIsarI baar PlaoT Aagao baZ,anao pr vah baaolaI¸
'Aap Kud tao Ka nahIM rho. mauJao hI iKlaae jaa rho hOM.'
vah JaoMp gayaa.

pRYz : 1.2.3

Aagao—