gurbÉÈ isMG bMnoafxf AuhnF vicqr pfqrF ivwcoN sI ijhnF ny sfzy kOmI jIvn dy Aus inafry dOr df srgrm sfQ idwqf, jdoN smfjI qy isafsI afdrÈ afpxf muwl rwKdy sn qy jdoN iehnF afdrÈF pRqI byinafË ijhI vÌfdfrI dI afpxI kiÈÈ huMdI sI.
aÌsos hY ik ieh pfqr hOlI hOlI qurdy jFdy hn. myry ijhy ijhnF lokF ƒ iehnF pfqrF dy hmsÌr hox df mfx hfisl hY, AuhnF leI iehnF df ivgocf iksy bypnfh suMJ ivc iGr jfx vFg hY. ijvyN hI iksy sfQI jF dosq dy qur jfx dI Ébr imldI hY, ieh suMJ hor gUhVI ho jFdI hY.
pihlF mdn lfl dIdI dy qur jfx dI Ébr afeI, CyqI ipwCoN bMnoafxf dy sdIvI ivCoVy df sunyhf iml igaf. vfsqv ivc aijhy ikMny hI hor nFa hn ijhnF dy mfqm nUM mYN ajy qwk bolF ivc nhIN Zfl sikaf. iehnF nfvF ivc dlbIr (pMjfbI itRibAUn) hY ijsny bMnoafxf qy nvF Ëmfnf pRIvfr dy hor sfQIaF dy ivckfr klm df hunr iswiKaf qy iewk sulJy hoey qy isrkwZ pwqrkfr hox df drjf hfisl kIqf. iehnF ivc ikRÈn Bfrdvfj hY ijsdI jYnrl mYnyjrI hyT asIN stfÌ mYNbr aVy-QuVy smyN azvFs hfisl krn dI klf iswKy— aqy Auh ikhVf smF sI jdoN asIN aVI-QuVI hflq ivc nhIN sF huMdy. avqfr isMG mlhoqry ƒ mYN iehnF nfvF ivc Èfml krn dI KuwlH nhIN lYNdf ikAuNk Auh vwKrI pwDr dy iKzfrI sn. iPr vI, keI mOikaF AuWqy Auh isrkwZ afgU hox dI afpxI hYsIaq Buwlf ky holI Kyzx vrgIaF sfzIaF KrmsqIaF ivc Èfml ho jFdy sn.
jy mYN Buwldf nhIN qF gurbÉÈ isMG bMnoafxf nfl myrI mulfkfq pMjfhivaF dy aKIr ivc jF swTivaF dy ÈurU ivc AudoN hoeI jdoN Auh akflI isafsq nfloN alihdgI aÉiqafr kr irhf sI. AuhnIN idnIN Auh Kwdr dy lMmy kuVqy qy pMj-kkfrI brykF vfly kCihry ivc afpxy sfQIaF nfl jI[tI[roz AuWqy GuMmdf huMdf sI. sfzy toly dI afvfrgI df mihvr vI iehI huMdf sI. afpxy sfdf pihrfvy qy afpxy sMjIdf suBfa kfrn Auh jvfnI ivc hI bfbf aKvfAux lwg ipaf sI.
BfvyN bfbf bMnoafxf dI akflI afgU mfstr qfrf isMG, ajIq dy aYzItr sfDU isMG hmdrd qy hor AuWcI pwDr dy akflI hlikaF nfl coKI nyVqf sI pr Auh AudoN vI mlMg hI huMdf sI. mlMgI leI afËfd qbIaq hoxf ËrUrI hY. myrI pwkI rfey hY ik AusdI qbIaq dI afËfdI ny hI Ausƒ eynI CyqI qrwkIpsMd isafsq vwl qy aMq ƒ nvF Ëmfnf dy sMpfdkI mMzl ivc ilaFdf ijQy Ausny Aumr Br PkIrI kwtI.
sfzI mulfkfq df iek itkfxf afÈf ipRMitMg pRYs huMdf sI. ieh pRYs jI[tI[ roz dI nuwkr AuWqy huMdf sI. ies Coty ijhy pRYs df mflk (ijsdf nFa Èfied hrikÈn isMG sI) iek mfisk prcf vI pRkfÈq krdf sI ijs ivc mYN vI afpxI koeI nf koeI ilKq bMnoafxf dI isPfrÈ nfl Cpvf lYNdf sF.
AuhnF idnF ivc Èihr jlMDr dys dI vMz dy kfrx hoey AujfVy ipwCoN ajy sMBl hI irhf sI. hux vfly aMbydkr cONk qoN kMpnI bfÊ qwk dy jI[tI[roz dy ivckfrly ihwsy ivc kcihrIaF qoN ielfvf iewkf-duwkf cfh-Kfny qy rYstorF hI huMdy hn. jy sfzy toly ivcoN iksy dI jyb ivc pYsy huMdy qF iehnF cfh-KfinaF ivcoN iksy ivc bYTky asIN sfihq, isafsq qy ÌlsÌy bfry AurlIaF prlIaF mfrdy, sunihrI svyr dIaF gwlF krdy aqy supny buxdy. jF iPr igafnI hIrf isMG drd dy sMpfdn hyT Cpdy “PulvfVI” dy dÌqr ivc jF nfl lgdy ipafrf isMG Bogl dy igafnI kflj ivc hox vflIaF sfihqk bYTkF ivc Èfml huMdy qy sfihiqk rcnfvF qy isDfqF AuWqy bihsF krdy aqy pMjfbI ivc anuvfdq rUsI sfihq dy hvfilaF nfl iek dUsry ƒ pRBfvq krn dI koiÈÈ krdy. iehnF mjilsF qy bYTkF dy sdkf hI bMnoafxf nfl nyVqf ny dosqI df rMg aKiqafr kIqf.
jdoN qwk Auh ‘nvF Ëmfnf’ ivc afieaf, Auh eys hwd qwk sfzf ho cuwkf sI ik ies ipwCoN Ausdy mn ivc iksy hor pfsy jfx dI soc qwk nhIN afeI. ‘nvF Ëmfnf’ ivc rihMidaF asF iek dUsry dy ivafhF qy bwicaF dy jnmF dy jÈn mnfey. ieQy hI asIN iek dUsry dy duwK suwK vMzfey, iehI sfzf BfeIcfrf sI. ieQy hI sfƒ keI duKFq Jlxy pey ijhnF ivc sfzy bVy hI hoxhfr sfQI bljIq pƒ df Br jvfnI ivc sVk hfdsy df iÈkfr ho jfxf sI. sfzy ivwcoN jwgbfxI ivc igaf bMq isMG rfeypurI awqvfdIaF hwQoN kql hoieaf qF sfƒ Ausdf vI zfhZf duwK hoieaf.
nvF Ëmfnf dy sfQIaF dI ies sFJ df Aus vrnxXog dyx ivc bhuq vwzf ihwsf sI, ijhVI ies prcy ny pMjfbI pwqrkfrI df mUMhmwQf sMvfrn ivc pfeI. ieh dyx nvF Ëmfnf dy afpxy ivq nfloN ikqy vwD sI. jy ies dyx ipwCy kMm krdI sFJ sfzy sfiraF dI iËMdgI df iewk ivsyÈ muhFdrf bxI qF ies ivc bMnoafxf qy AusdI pqnI hrbIr df vI Enf hI ihwsf sI ijMnf iksy hor df. vfsqv ivc sfzy sfiraF dy pUry dy pUry pRIvfr sFJ df mfhOl isrjx dI Gflxf ivwc Èfml sn. sFJ qy apxwq df iehI mfhOl sI ijs ivwc nvyN afAux vfly bVy sMgfAU qy cuwpkIqy isKFdrU vI CyqI hI sOK mihsUs krn lwg pYNdy qy nvF Ëmfnf adfry nfl pwkI qrHF juV jFdy sn.
bfbf bMnoafxf ipCly keI sflF qoN dyÈBgq Xfdgr jlMDr nfl sMbMDq sI. iesy smyN dOrfn Auh keI purskfrF nfl snmfinq hoieaf, adfrf nvF Ëmfnf ny qF Ausƒ snmfinq krnf hI sI aqy kIqf.
bfbf ipCly kuwJ smyN qoN bImfr vI sI qy icMqq vI. Ausƒ afpxI bytI anUpmf dIaF pRIvfrk pRyÈfnIaF  df zfhZf mlfl sI qy iehI AusdI ishq ivwc ivgfV df vwzf kfrn sI. BfvyN ihMdosqfn ivwc aOrq jfqI ny aiDkfrF dy Kyqr ivwc coKI pRfpqI kr leI hY pr kfƒnI pycIdgIaF qy adflqI AulJxF ajy vI AuhnF ƒ brfbrI-afDfrq iensfÌ qwk phuMcx dy rfh ivc dIvfr bxky Kloa jFdIaF hn. afpxI bydfÊ qy bygrË iËMdgI dy sdkf gurbÉÈ isMG bMnoafxf ƒ ijs cYn qy ieqmInfn nfl ies dunIaf qoN ruÉsq hox df aiDkfr hoxf cfhIdf sI, AuhI Aus qoN sfzy byihs smfj ny Koh ilaf.
Ausdy puwqr zf[ nvpRIq isMMG ny iËMdgI qy smfj ivwc bxfeI afpxI QF dI bMnoafxf ƒ zUMGI qswlI sI. bfby dI bImfrI dy lMby smyN qoN lY ky afKrI sfhF qwk sFB sMBfl dI iËMmyvfrI zf[ nvpRIq ny inBfeI.
bMnoafxf iewk mKsUs dOr dI numfieMdgI krdf sI. Aus dOr dy ijMny vI qkfËy sn Ausny pUry kIqy. aijhy qkfiËaF ivwc Èfml sI; hr iksm dy ainaF nfl lVfeI, hr sMBv hwd qwk sMjm qy iqafg aqy afpxIaF sfrIaF slfhIaqF nfl afpxy afp ƒ Aucyry afdrÈF leI smrpq krn df idRV ierfdf.
bMnoafxf leI PYË df ieh iÈar Èfied swB qoN ZuwkvIN ÈrDFjlI hY:
jo hm py guËrI so guËrI
mgr Èby ihjrF
hmfry aÈk qyrI afkLbq
sMvfr cly

The death of Professor Nirmal Azad on September 14, 2005 at Patiala brought a tragic end to a turbulent life. His life can be divided into two phases- an early phase, which was creative and productive, and a later phase which, it appears, was troubled and self-destructive. My association with him was primarily during his early phase and my view of him is more influenced by the memories of that phase. I came to know Nirmal when I was studying for my Honours School in Economics degree at Panjab University, Chandigarh where Nirmal had come to study for his Masters in Economics. Along with some other friends, we both got involved in varying degrees with the Maoist movement which had captured the imagination of the idealistic youth all over the world in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Even at that time Nirmal had an unusually strong individualistic streak in him which did not gel well with the collectivist ethos of the Marxist tradition. Though other friends were very critical of his individualistic streak, I persuaded those friends, though not always successfully, to be more tolerant of him. I treated him with respect and affection and he was more open to suggestions for change when I used to talk to him alone. He confessed to me that he was very influenced by Napoleon’s life which propelled him to adopt an attitude of conquest towards life. This Bonapartist influence did not sit comfortably with the Marxist ethos and though this contradiction seems to have pervaded his entire life, the intellectual attraction of Marxism proved more powerful in his early phase.

He passed his MA with first class, taught at Panjab University’s post-graduate centre at Rohtak in Haryana (which later became Maharishi Dayanand University) for a few years and then settled at Punjabi University, Patiala. Born in March 1947, he was the first in his family to have studied at the university like many in his generation. He was proud of the transition he had made from a village life in a backward part of Gurdaspur district to a respectable academic life. He helped many younger members of his large family to acquire higher education and upward social mobility. He showed keen interest in educating his sisters and other girls in the family. He married Balbir, a bold and generous woman with left-wing political orientation, who contributed significantly to sharpening his perspective on gender equality. Nirmal’s politics had a deep impact on many younger members of his family. His younger brother Kulwant and sister Devinder joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). Later on after the split in Punjab’s CPM, they joined the CPM (Pasla). One of his cousins Gurmeet was once a leading figure in the pro-Maoist Punjab Students Union, the most powerful student organisation in Punjab in the 1960s and the 1970s. Both Gurmeet and Devinder along with most immediate members of Nirmal’s family have migrated to America. It is, perhaps, a reflection of the tortured nature of Punjabi society and politics since the 1980s that Gurmeet has turned towards religion and Sikh nationalism. If one were to construct a historical profile of Nirmal’s family in the last few decades, it will mirror many trends in Punjabi society concerning rural-urban migration, women’s education, landscape of competing political ideologies and migration to the West.

Nirmal’s attachment to his social roots led him to do research on the small peasantry in Punjab and he produced an impressive PhD thesis on the subject.  Based on the Leninist method of the differentiation of the peasantry, his work shows scholarly reading on the subject but at the same time reluctance to engage critically with Marxist orthodoxy. When I was studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and published my first paper on the Italian Marxist Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, he congratulated me but also told me that he did not particularly like my ‘drift’ towards Trotskyism and European Marxism. He did, however, show more openness when he invited me and a group of my ‘Trotskyist’ friends from JNU for a seminar on the Left movement in India under the banner of Marxist Study Forum he had organised in Patiala. Through this Forum, which was the first of its kind in any Punjab city, Nirmal made a leading contribution towards the radicalisation of intellectual and political culture in Patiala. He organised lectures and discussions on contemporary economic and political issues. The left wing scholars who visited Patiala at the invitation of the Marxist Study Forum included Krishna Bharadwaj, Randhir Singh, Prabhat Patnaik, G.S. Bhalla, Utsa Patnaik, T. Shanin and Bipin Chandra. I had accompanied Krishna Bharadwaj, my MPhil supervisor at JNU, to her lecture at Patiala and I remember that she was highly impressed with the level and quality of intellectual exchange she had experienced at her lecture.

Nirmal made innovative contributions to curriculum development and research direction at Punjabi University, Patiala. He introduced several radical economics modules to the University’s MA and MPhil programmes. He encouraged his research students to adopt political economy approach in their research perspectives and supervised many PhD, MPhil and MA dissertations. Along with his research and teaching commitments, Nirmal also played a leading role in the trade union work of the Punjabi University Teachers Association.

Nirmal also made an effort to broaden his intellectual horizons by academic visits to some leading institutions abroad. He spent 6 months in Warsaw to acquaint himself with the research on the  functioning of centrally  planned economies and 9 months in Paris to familiarise himself with the research on the revolutionary potentialities of the peasantry. During his stay in Warsaw and Paris, he was a keen observer of the social and political trends in Poland and France. When he came back from Warsaw, he told me that he was struck by the problem of alcoholism in Poland which, he thought, was indicative of some malaise in that society but he also praised the humane methods of the police in picking up drunkards from the streets at night and transporting them to their residences. Nirmal also observed the close proximity between the Catholic Church and the Communists in Poland, and wondered whether in the context of Punjab, Akali-Communist alliance based on the progressive potentialities of the egalitarian teachings of the Sikh Gurus was the most desirable political combine. He was in Paris at the time of the Operation Blue Star and he told me that he was amazed by the ordinary Parisians’ sympathy with Bhindranwale and his comrades in their resistance to the entry of the Indian army into the Golden Temple complex.

When I came back from JNU to teach at Panjab University, Chandigarh, Nirmal not only asked me but virtually forced me to write a paper in Punjabi on ‘Imperialism, Indian Capitalism and Punjab Economy’ for a seminar he had organised at Patiala. Later on, he was kind enough to include it as the leading paper in Punjab di Arthikta, a book he edited for Punjabi University, Patiala. This book was the first academic book on Punjab economy in Punjabi. I remain indebted to him for the opportunity he gave me in writing an economics paper in Punjabi because that is the only paper  on Punjab economy I have managed to write in Punjabi. What I admired most in Nirmal was that he wrote extensively on Punjab economy for Punjabi language newspapers. In order to reach as broad and diverse readership as possible, he wrote for newspapers with varying ideological orientations. These included the Punjabi nationalist Ajit, the Hindu nationalist Jag Bani, the ideologically ambiguous Punjabi Tribune, the pro-CPM Desh Sevak and the Sikh nationalist Aj Di Awaz. Through his writings in these newspapers, he has not only contributed to enhancing the understanding of Punjab economy among the readers of these newspapers, he has also contributed to the enrichment of Punjabi language and its modern scientific vocabulary. It might not be an exaggeration to say that of all Punjabi academics, it was Nirmal whose writings reached the largest number of readers in Punjab through his contributions to the Punjabi newspapers. His contribution to economic journalism in Punjabi will be difficult to surpass in the near future.

My friend Amarjit Chandan, the London based Punjabi poet, has reminded me about Nirmal’s interest in Punjabi poetry. Many of Nirmal’s poems have been published in Punjabi newspapers and magazines. Chandan also remembers Nirmal’s ‘jatki’ (peasant) sense of humour. According to Chandan who met Nirmal in Patiala a few years ago, when he saw the photographs of Lenin, Bhagat Singh and Bhindranwale on the walls of his ‘rather grand office’, he thought that that summed up Nirmal’s personality. I guess that the appeal these three different types of historical figures had for Nirmal was that all of them subscribed to some version of the voluntarist conception of historical change. The earlier Bonapartist influence was finding new manifestations.

Nirmal contributed many articles on different dimensions of the Punjab economy to journals and edited books. He valued highly the exchange of opinions and views with fellow academics and political activists.  When my first article was published in Economic and Political Weekly in 1983, Nirmal wrote a letter of appreciation from Paris and also conveyed the appreciation of the article by Ashok Rudra, a leading left wing Indian economist, who was also a visiting academic in Paris then. Nirmal was as generous in appreciation as he was harsh in condemnation.  He alienated many people, including some of his friends and well wishers, by the harshness with which he sometimes treated them.
  
After I came to Oxford in the late 1980s, I came to hear very many unpleasant things about him and his life. I felt sad to hear all that but felt helpless to do anything. I thought that if he could be re-connected to scholarly activities, that might give a productive orientation to his creative energies. With that objective in mind, I tried to persuade him to participate in a few international conferences. I even arranged some funding for him to contribute a paper to the Political Economy of Punjab panel at the International Congress of Asian and North African Studies at Hong Kong in 1993 and the European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies at Edinburgh in 2000. He wrote papers for both the conferences but eventually did not turn up. He probably had gone too far into the dark alleys of depression and self-harm.  My friend Prof. Bhupinder Singh from Patiala thinks that one reason for Nirmal’s “disorientation” was the collapse of Soviet Union and the rise of religious fundamentalism in India.

My friend Professor Birinder Pal Singh from Patiala, who informed me about Nirmal’s death, also gave me one piece of information about Nirmal which was not previously known.  A few months ago before his death, Nirmal had quietly expressed a wish in a letter to the university authorities that all of his provident fund earnings and the books be donated to the Punjabi University Library. It seems that this letter was later on withdrawn. It looks as if he was grappling with the conflicting pulls of the self and the collective. He seemed to be wanting to have a last shot at dialectics. Perhaps, he wanted to convert his loneliness, alienation and social isolation into social commitment.

(This is a slightly revised version of the obituary published in the Journal of Punjab Studies, Vol.12, No 2)

sLrDfjlI vjoN:

lfl isMG 'idl'
"CyVo CyVo idl dIaF gwlF
kro ikqy koeI hwlf guwlf"
lyKk:
mrhUm hirBjn isMG

lfl isMG idl ny afpxy nvyN kfiv-sMgRih ‘bhuq sfry sUrj` dI iek kfpI ‘muhwbq nfl zf: hirBjn leI ByjI hY, aYn AuhnIN idnIN jdoN lok iek dUjy ƒ nvyN sfl dI vDfeI kfrz Byjdy hn. inAUË ipRMt dy myl df GsmYlf ijhf kfÊË, ikqy loVoN vD gUVHI isafhI dy pUMJy qy ikqy loVoN Gtf-mwDr isafhI dy bymlUm ijhy Dwby. srvrk qoN ipTvrk qk ies df koeI vI nkÈ aYsf nhIN jo vyKx-pVHn vfly ƒ afpxy vwl sYxq krdf hovy. myrf jI nhIN sI krdf ik swT ku siÌaF dI ies ikqfbVI ƒ huMMgfrf dyvyN. qF kI nvyN sfl dI ies ‘muhwbq nfl` ByjI hoeI sugfq ƒ nFh ikvyN kr idaF. afpxy suBf muqfibk mYN ies df vfk lYNdf hF. ikqfb boldI hY:

purfxy qy ssqy kpiVaF dI mihk
ssqy sfbx krIm `c mihkdI
ies qoN vwzI ÉuÈI koeI iPr nhIN aFvdI

ienHF pMgqIaF dI siqh ivc kuJ vI qF aYsf nhIN ijs ƒ hsIn ikhf jf sky, qF vI myry hI Dur zUMG ivc puiVaf hoieaf kMzf cuBk mfrdf hY. ies sqrHF iksy ÊrIb kuVI dy ivafh dI gwl suxfAuNdIaF. Aus df ivafh purfxy-ssiqaF kpiVaF `c huMdf hY. Auhƒ sjfieaf-sMgfiraF vI ssqy sfbx krIm nfl jFdf hY. Aus dy vwzy duK-sfgr ivc bs eynf ku suK df jËIrf hY. ieh pMgqIaF mYƒ afpxIaF hI aMg sfk lgdIaF hn ijnHF qoN, pqf nhIN iks mËbUrI vs mYN ivCiVaf hoieaf hF. Ausy acyq mjbUrI df pRyiraf mYN ienHF qoN KihVf CuzfAux leI, afpxf mn iksy hor pfsy moVn leI, ies ‘ikqfby ssqI mihk` df aglf vrkf Poldf hF. Aus vrky qy bs eynf hI iliKaf hY:

ieh gwl dwsI jfey
jy dUjy sqfry dy lokF ƒ
pwQr ho jfvx
nf muV AuTx
pÈUaF ƒ ies df jy anuBv ho jfey
jMglF ƒ nws jfvx
mnuwKqf qoN zrdy cIÉdy

rUh-klbUq ivcoN iek JuxJuxI cIr pfAuNdI lMG jFdI hY. ssqy kfÊj qy iliKaf ieh sunyhf bVy mihMgy muwl df hY. kOVy duK ivc ilKIaF ieh pMgqIaF mYN Èrmsfr ho ky pVHdf hF. pihlI Èrm qF mYƒ ies gwl dI afAuNdI hY ik mYN vDIaf kivqf leI acyq hI vDIaf kfÊj-CpfeI dI mMg ikAuN krn lwg ipaf hF. mYlI lukfeI ƒ pRgtfAux vflI ilKq df muhFdrf vI mYlf ikAuN nf hovy? mYƒ jfpdf hY mYN iksy ‘dUjy sqfry` df bMdf hF qy pwQr ho cuwkf hF. afpxy sqfry lokF dy pRmfixk duwK qoN dUr. myry aMdroN Auh ihMsf Éqm ho cuwkI hY ijs krky iksy dUjy dy duK df kMzf vI afpxI awzI ivc puV skdf hY. lfl isMG idl dIaF ieh iswD pwDrIaF sqrF afzy dfa mfr krdIaF hn. ienHF ivc bVf iqwKf ivaMg hY jo kihMdf qF hY ik myrI gwl sux ky qusIN pwQr ho jfEgy, pr pVHn vfly ƒ jfpdf hY ik pwQr qF mYN pihlF hI ho cuwkf hY, hux mYƒ afpxI pQrfeI mnuwKqf ƒ muV bhfl krn cfhIdf hY. mYN afpxI DrqI dI pRmfixk ‘mnuwKqf qoN zrdy cIÉdy`, ‘jMgl ƒ nws` afey pÈUaF ivcoN hF qy mYƒ muV afpxy ipMz vwl muVx df afhr-pfhr krnf cfhIdf hY, afpxy BoNa-mMzly dy idmfÊI jËbfqI pwDr qk muV apVx leI sucyq Auprflf krnf cfhIdf hY. iesy leI qF mYƒ jfipaf sI ik ieh kivqfvF anMd nhIN dyNdIaF, Èrm pYdf krdIaF. anMd dyx vflIaF kivqfvF iËMdgI ƒ afpxI itkI QF qy sgoN hor itkf dyNdIaF hn. Èrmsfr krn vflIaF nËmF bMdy ƒ afpxI QfAuN putdIaF hn, afpxy afp dI nvIN AusfrI leI vMgfrdIaF hn.
ijs imwtI nfl mnuwK dI nvIN AusfrI hoxI hY, Aus ƒ lfl isMG idl dIaF awKF QfxI vyKx df jqn krnf cfhuMdf hF. dunIaF dI kivqf ivc lgBg nwby ÌI sdI iËkr aOrq df hY. hux qk hr QF Èfier aOrq leI hwsdf, aOrq leI roNdf, Auhdy leI jIAuNdf, lVdf qy mrdf irhf hY. aOrq dy aYsy sMGxy iËkr ny hI sfzI kivqf ƒ ilËilËf kr idqf hY. aOrq sMsfr Br dI kivqf dI mUl iekfeI, pRfQimk imwtI hY. lfl isMG ny vI aOrq df iËkr bVI Bfvukqf nfl kIqf hY, pr AuhdI Bfvukqf ivc ilËilËypn df pRvyÈ nhIN. AuhdI Bfvukqf pMjfbI-kfiv-ivrsy ivcoN imlI ilËilËIaq qoN eydF hI mukq hY ijvyN Auhdf iËhn ijvyN hY-iqvyN-itikaf rhy df acyq pRcfr krn vflI bRfhmxI iËhnIaq qoN mukq hY. QF-pr-QF Auh bRfhmxI imwQF dy mukfbly nvIaF pMcFg (cONh vrxF qoN prHf) imwQf pyÈf krdf hY. AunHF ivwcoN iek ies qrHF hY:

lok kihx ik bld idaF isMÕF qy DrqI
mYN munkr hF
pr myrf ivÈvfÈ atwl hY
ik afpxy hwQ Auqy DrqI
aOrq ny hY cuwkI hoeI

ies imwQ dI Aus ny ieko vyly kUlI-koml aqy krVI-kTor ivafiKaf kIqI hY. DrqI dI mihk aOrq dy bdn vrgI, DrqI dI ÌslF df lihrfAu aOrq dy pwlU vrgf, DrqI df pfxI aOrq dy qn-mn vFg inrml hY. ieh purfxI pMjfbI kivqF qoN pRfpq ivrsy df muwK hY ijs ƒ lfl isMG idl pCfxdf hY, pr ies Aupr Aus df bl nhIN. Aus df bl qF Drq aqy aOrq ivckfr kOVI, krVI qy kTor sFJ Aupr hY. Auh kihMdf hY:

DrqI qy aOrq dI pIV ikMnI iek hY.
imhnq dy ihwsy BuwKF hn
isqm dy nYxIN aMgfry hn
DrqI dy nYxIN hMJU hn
aOrq dy nYxIN hMJU hn
iesy leI sfgr Kfry hn

lfl isMG idl iesy koVy dy krVy pwK df bulfrf hY. mfsUm afidvfsxF qoN lY ky vysvfvF qk, BolI, duwK-sihxI qy kuJ-nf-kihxI lokfeI qoN lY ky ienklfb dIaF mfvF, BYxF, DIaF, XfnI ik vysvfvF qRImqF qk AuhdI nËr df Gyrf hY. ies Gyry QfxI lMGdy lMGdy jo vyrvy myry iËhn ivc itky rih gey hn, Auh quhfƒ dwsx ƒ jI kr afieaf hY.
DrqI dy Bfr hyT itkI aOrq qF ‘afid`- vfsx hY. jo eynI BolI hY ik Auh aiq kTor vfsqivkqf ivc rihMdI hoeI vI kUlIaF kUlIaF imwQF ivc ivÈvfs krI jFdI hY:

asIN rfxIaF sF
jMglF `c nOkr ivafhy
ieh dfqIaF
sfzy mrdF dy hwQF dIaF dfqIaF

lfl isMG afpxy ‘cusq` ivaMg mfsUm qy ‘BolIaF` kuVIaF rfhIN sMcfrdf hY. BolI gwl vI ikMnI cusq ho skdI hY, ieh jfnxf cfho qF lfl isMG idl dI gwl suxo. mfsUm kuVI afpxy bfbl dy Kyq ivc nwcdI hY qy Buwl jFdI hY ‘ik Kyq qF sfzy nhIN.` tuwty slIprF vflI kuVI afpxy Aus Kyq ivc ncdI hY ik ijs ivc ‘BKVf Aug afieaf hY.` mukwdmy ivc hfry, prfey ho cuwky, KyqF sMbMDI vI eys kuVI ƒ afs BrI KuÈI hY:

bfbl qyry KyqF ivc
trYktr nwcxgy iksy idn
bfbl qyry KyqF ivc

afpxy KyqF ivc prfey tYrktrF df nfc srl swc vI hY qy jitl ivaMg vI. drasl ‘mfsUmIaq` df hr inrCl bol afpmuhfry hI ‘ivaMg` bx jFdf hY. AuhdI ÉuÈI df ieËhfr vI kMzy vFg cuwBdf hY. sfdgI rfhIN guJloN-guMJl jitlqf dI pyÈfkfrI ivc lfl isMG idl byjoV hY. ies qrHF dI iek kivqf hY ‘kuVylI ipMz dIaF vfsxF.` ‘kuVylI iek swpxI df nF ey. sB qoN vD Ëihr vflI swpxI. iPr vI ieh AunHF dy ipMz df nF ey.` afpxy ipMz df vfsqivkqf nF dwsx ivc vI ivaMg hY. awj jo mihË nF hY, klH ƒ kfrj bx jfvygf. lfl isMG idl ivaMg rcdf nhIN, Auh afpxy siBafcfr df nF dwsdf hY aqy sfƒ afpxI iËMdgI dy Aus Kyqr dI smJ afAuNdI hY ijs df hoxf hI ivaMg hY. kuVylI dIaF vfsxF ‘jfxdIaF hn ik rfvx dy bMdy kfly kpVy pihxdy hn. iPr vI Auh kflf pihxdIaF hn.` ieh kivqf sfzI pRcilq rihxI-bihxI dy hwk jF ivroD ivc kuJ nhIN kihMdI. ieh rihx-bihxI qF Éud afpxy pRqI mÈkrI hY. mjUrI leI inkldIaF sfd-murfdIaF aOrqF ssqy kfly kpVy pihnx leI mjbUr hn, BfvyN

Auh jfxdIaF hn
ik rfÉÈ kflf pihxdy hn

sfzI rihxI-bihxI Éud afpxy pRqI dI Éqrf hY. ieh ivaMg iksy nhIN kIqf, ieh sfzI rihxI-bihxI dy ÉmIr df ainwKV ihwsf hY. ieho jyhIaF aOrqF vI KuÈI vyly nwcdIaF hn qF AunHF df nfc vI Éqry Biraf sunyhf bx jFdf hY:

EdoN asIN bhuq Coty sF
jd sfƒ igwDy dy Jurmt `coN
qIvIaF ny mfr Bjfieaf sI
EdoN nHfmy dI aOrq
sB kpVy Auqfr ky nwcI sI
Auh mUMh `c mMjf AuTf ky
jF pfxI Biraf GVf lY ky nwc lYNdI sI

inrpwK jfpx vflI ieh AukqI vI mnuwKI smfj ivclI iksy iDr df pwK pfldI hY. nHfmy dI aOrq Es koVmy ivcoN hY jo ‘gFDI qoN vD nMgf` hY. jdoN ieh bflVI sI qF AunHF inrbsqr kuVIaF ivcoN sI jo:

byr cugdIaF BlIaF
inrbsqr kuVIaF
phfVI awk dy pwqy
TIkr
iekwTy krky
imwtI dIaF rotIaF bxf ky
guwzI dy ptoly igxdIaF

jdoN Auh ivafhuxjog hoeI qF bfbl ny ‘purfxy qy ssqy kpiVaF` ivc Auhƒ agFh qor idqf. agly Gr Auh ‘corF qy rfÉÈF` dy rMg vfly ‘kfly kpVy` pihndI hY. Aus ivc cikRq kr swkx vfly nfc dI aihlIaq hY. pr styj Aupr jfx vfly nfc dI nrqkI dI ‘zrYWs` nhIN. kpiVaF ivc nwcx dI bjfey Auh kudrq dy idqy pRfQimk kwjx, inrol nMg, ivc nwcdI hY. ies qoN Cuwt Auh kr vI kI skdI hY. Aus dy ies aml ivc vI iek rmË hY. Auh nMgI nwcI hY ikAuNik Aus dy pwly swc qoN isvf hor kuJ nhIN. iËMdgI df hr dOlq qoN mihrUm ieh klfkfr nMgf nwcdf hY, ‘BFzy `coN lUx JfVdI/gfAux lgdI/idEr df ipafr. pr guËfrn ienHF klf-kfrnfimaF nfl vI nhIN huMdI. Auhdy bwcy jdoN inafxy hn qF ‘aOlfd` dI KuÈI drdF isr-pIVF sMg JulsI jFdI, jdoN jvfn huMdy hn qF ‘Auhdf puwq do QwpV nf sih sikaf/byruËgfrI dy/pfgl ho quiraf[[[[[` ieh AunHF klfkfrF ivcoN hY jo mihrUmI dy sqfey inq idn dy guËfry leI ruwKF dy swk lfhuMdIaF hn qy eynI ku gusqfKI leI vI apmfinq huMdIaF hn. ‘tfhlIaF ik ijwQoN zwky lfhuMdIaF. iJVkF dy ky mfvF lfhIaF jFdIaF.` DrqI dIaF eynIaF ngUxIaF cIËF qoN vFJIaF geIaF ieh klfkfr jF qF ‘qyrI swjx kuVI gwzI dy phIey hyT kuclI geI` vrgI koeI ÈY bx jFdIaF hn jF afÉr afpxy nMgy ipMzy dI klf ivKfAux vflIaF vysvfvF. nMgf hoxf ienHF dI hoxI hY. jy Auh vysvfvF nf vI bxn qF vI Auh nMgIaF hn. mihrUmI hwQoN (‘byr cuxdIaF BolIaF/inrbsqr kuVIaF`) jF jfbr hwQoN (‘koeI khy/qyrI mF puls ny nMgI kr idwqI`) ikqy Auh mfvF hn, nMgf nwcdIaF hn qy mrd AunHF lfigEN Bjf idwqy jFdy sn, ikqy ieh vysvfvF hn, nMgf nwcdIaF hn qy mrdF ƒ afpxy lfgy bulfAuNdIaF hn. inrol mrdF ƒ ijnHF ƒ inrol mfdf dI loV hY, bs. klH ieh nMgIaF bfËfr ivc af jfxgIaF qy iksy ienklfb dIaF mfvF, BYxF, DIaF bx jfxgIaF. lfl isMG idl kihMdf hY :

ieh vysvfvF qRImqF kuVIaF
myrIaF mfvF BYxF qy DIaF hn
qy quhfzIaF vI
ieh gAUaF pUjx vfly ihMdusqfn dIaF
mfvF, BYxF qy DIaF hn [[[
jy nhIN
qF ieh afAux vfly ienklfb dIaF
mfvF, BYxF qy DIaF hn

lfl isMG idl ajoky pMjfbI kivqf ipV ivc asloN nvyklf nkÈ hY. dUjy kvIaF nfloN AuhdI vwKr ieh hY ik Auh afpxy lokF ƒ AunHF dy smfjk pRsMg nfl joVI rwKdf hY. Auh Élf ivc ltkI aOrq, pRymkf, pqnI, mF jF vysvf dI gwl nhIN krdf, ienHF sBnF dy nfl nfl qurdf hY ienHF dI mihrUmI df cfnx-Gyrf, ienHF dy ivgocy df hflf, ienHF df pirvfr. imsfl vjoN AuhdI nËr ivc pMjfb ‘ruwKF ivc iGry ipMzF` jF ‘Gfh dIaF pMzF hyT` isvfey nfl jfx vfly byilbfsy bMidaF nfl sMbMiDq hY. iesy leI pMjfb afpxIaF BUgoilk hwdF qoN pfr byhd mnuwKqf qk PYl jFdf hY:

mYlf prnf
vDI dfVHI
muVHky qy kMz df kflf kIqf Jwgf
lwqF nMgIaF
pYr pfty
kI bMgfl
kI kyrlf
pÈUaF ipCy jFdy CyVU
DUV ivc hr pfsy pMjfbI lwgdy hn

inwgr pMjfbIaq dI ieh Bfvnf qy sMklpnf Aus polI lwPfËI qoN vwKrI hY. jo bypRMsg hvf ivc tfhxIEN tuwty pwiqaF vFg BtkdI hY. pMjfbIaq dy ies qrHF dy dfavy iksy pRqwK jF proK mksdIaq nfl juVy hoey hn. ies lwÌfËI dy acyqn ivc inwjI suafrQ-iswDI df muhFdrf sfÌ pCfixaF jFdf hY. ies qrHF dIaF ilKqF aÉIr afpxy dys dy prbqF, pfxIaF, mOsmF, ieiqhfsk vyrivaF dI ksIdfgoeI krn lwg pYNdIaF hn. lfl isMG jfxdf hY ik afpxI mF-BUmI dIaF ieh kudrqI dOlqF vI ijnHF leI nhIN, Auh afpxI aiq mihrUmI dy bfvjUd vI afpxI jMmx-BON ƒ ipafr krdy hn:

qyry nIly prbqF krky nhIN
nf nIly pfxIaF leI
jy ieh buwZI mF dy vflF jhy
gohV-rMgy vI huMdy
qd vI mYN qYƒ ipafr krdf
nf huMdy qd vI
mYN qYƒ ipafr krdf
ieh dOlqF dy ÉËfny
myry leI qF nhIN
BfvyN nhIN
ipafr df kfrn koeI nhIN huMdf
JUT kdy bymksd nhIN huMdf

dyÈ-ipafr dI ies Bfvnf dy nflo nfl qurdf hY ivgocy df qyËfb-iqwKf iehsfs. ies kQn do ipCy kihx vfly dI smwucI ÈÉsIaq df pUrf Ëor hY, Auhdy nFhmuK qy hFmuK dohF qrHF dy pfsfr boldy hn. iËwlq dy isvf dys df koeI vyrvf vI afpxf nf hox krky, kihx vfly ƒ QkyvyN df iehsfs hY. kuJ vI afpxf nhIN, iks leI Audm ikAuN krF? qy Pyr iehsfs ik ijQy kuJ vI myrf nhIN, EQy hUMJf Pyr ky ikAuN nf kuJ afpxf isrjF? smuwcI ÈÉsIaq ivcoN Aupjx vflI, afpxy iswDy puwTy dovyN pfsy ieko vfr hMZfAux vflI ajyhI kivqf bVI durlwB ÈYa hY:
nFhmuuK:
kuwqy BONkdy hn:
‘myrf Gr, myrf Gr`
jgIrdfr:
‘myrf ipMz, myrI slqnq`
‘myrf dyÈ, myrI slqnq`
lok isrÌ kihMdy hn:
‘myrI iksmq, myrI iksmq`
mYN kI afKF?
kuJ vI krn ƒ
qy nf krn ƒ
idl nhIN krdf
myrf Brf, swjx, kuVI, mF, dyÈ
kuJ vI nhIN myrf
idl Ausy kihr dI kFg hoeI DVkdf hY

hFmuK:
myrIaF bfhvF df bl
nf Gtdf hY nf vDdf hY
idl Ausy kihr dI kFg hoeI DVkdf hY
ieh prbq AuTf dyvF
khI dy cypy vFg
hUMJ dyvF ieh Bvn sVkF qoN

hr QF iËMdgI dI iswD-puT ƒ ieko sfhy Aujfgr krn vflI, srl bolI ivc jitl sc ƒ pyÈ krn vflI ies kivqf ƒ myrf nmskfr hY. ies pMcfg kivqf df muhFdrf asloN nvyklf hY, pMjfbI ivc ieh pihlI vfr afpxI aduqI afb-qfb nfl Aujfgr hoieaf hY. ieh koeI byËmInf ‘jwt` hY ijs dy dMd ÌfilaF qoN vI iqwKy hn. ieh koeI ‘mujfry df puwq` hY jo jyl qoN bfhr qy jyl dy aMdr dovyN QF nMgf hY. jyl ivc zikaf vI jo GoVy dI tfp vFg nwcdf hY. ieh koeI ‘nfmHf Bgq` hY jo dfrU `c gut ho ky ictkfrI vjfAuNdf hY. ies dy bol sux ky lok BY-BIq huMdy hn. hfly qwk lok ienHF bolF ƒ aMnHI Èrfb dy hfVy nfl cuwp krf ky ibTf dyNdy rhy hn:

dfrU `c gut ho ky
awKF mIt lYNdf hY qy ictkfrI vjfAuNdf hY
sfQI BY-BIq ho ky Aus ƒ bYTf lYNdy hn
hfVf iek hor dyNdy ny
aMnHI Èrfb df

mYN afpxy Èfier dosqF ƒ adb nfl isÌfrÈ krFgf ik iek inkcU ijhI ikqfb ƒ pVHo qy ies dy vzfkfr arQ nfl ieksur hox df jqn kro. hux qwk qusIN ‘nHfmy Bgq vFg kdI kdI hI ictkfrI vjfAuNdy rhy ho qy hr kfiv-rcnf bfad afpxy afp ƒ aMnHI Èrfb dy hfVy ivc Êrk kr lYNdy rhy ho. vrx-Drm ivc prvfn kivqf bhuq ho cuwkI, pMcFg surF ƒ afpxy bol Aucfrn df mOkf idE. lfl isMG idl dI kivqf ƒ ZukvF huMgfrf ieho hY:
CyVo CyVo idl dIaF gwlF
kro ikqy koeI hwlf guwlf

gnyrIaF

BuipMdr puryvfl dIaF gnyrIaF

isry dI gwl
ijwQy drsLn isMG kynYzIan dI qkrIr sB nUM cMgI aqy idlcsp lwgdI sI hfisaF nfl BrI huMdI, AuWQy ajIq isMG mfxk purI dI qkrIr KuLsLk qy lMbI. iek vfr Auh bol irhf sI. qkrIr mukwx ivc nhINN af rhI sI. sRoqy AuWT AuWT ky jfx lwgy. iksy kfmryz ny mfxkpurI nUM ikhf, "hux mukf vI iehnUM suxn vfly jfx lwg pey."
"mYN kI krF, mYN qF apxI gwl mukf ky htUMgf."
***************
sfD df zOrU
BfeI jI kQf krdy krdy josL ivc af gey. AunHF dIaF awKF awgy rfm lIlf dI qsvIr sI.
kihx lwgy, "koeI sfD (rfvx) zOrU KVkf ky qIvIN (sIqf) kwZ ky lY igaf."
iPr kQf kridaF nUM bhuq hI jooˆsL af igaf. kihx lwgy, "Eey bfhmxo kuJ sLrm kro."
***************
tYm pfs
muMzy dy mF ipAu nUM jdoN pYnsLn lwgI, qF ipAu Gr bYTf rihMdf jF bVI hwd pfrk ivc gyVf mfr afAuNdf. irtfiermYNt nfl Auh qMg ipaf sI. kMm qy sMgI sfQIaF nfl vfhvf vkq gujLLr jFdf sI. idwl lfAux leI muMzf Gr hor afAux lwg ipaf.
"qusINN eydF sfrf idn cuwp cuwp krky bYTy rihMdy E," muMzy ny mF ipAu dohF nUM cuwp cuwp bYiTaF nUM dyK ky ikhf.
"neIN kfkf, asIN afpo ivc lVIdf vI af!" ipAu boilaf.
***************
mwQf itkfeI
sfzy gvFZI muMzy ny mihMgI nvIN kfr leI.
AuhdI mF kihx lwgI, "jf kfkf, kfr mMidr dy mohr dI lMGf lY ieh vI mwQf tyk lAUgI."
***************
Blymfxs dI insLfnI
skIrq ieMzIaf qoN afieaf qF Auhny PUn kIqf qF imsjL ny PUn cuwikaf. Auh gwl krn qoN bfad mYnUM puwCx lwgI, "ieh vI lyKk af?"
"afho?"
"pr ieh qF Blfmfxs lwgdf."
***************
aMgryjL dI aMgryjLI
myrf mkYink iPl bfrkr PlorIzf amrIkf do hPiqaF dIaF CuwtIaF gujLfr ky afieaf. amrIkf bfry Auhny bhuq gwlF dwsIaF. Auhdy gwlF krn df ZMg idwl mnmohxf sI.
Auh kihx lwgf, "myry nfl amrIkf df bMdf bIar bfr ivc bhuq icr gwlF krdf irhf aqy cMgf imwqr bx igaf. "
iPr kihx lwgf, "Auh amrIkn kihx lwgf, qUM aMgryjLI qF cMgI qrF bol lYNdf. koeI koeI hI ivdysLˆI cMgI aMgryjLI bol skdf. lihjLf vI qkrIbn qkrIbn TIk eI af."
"pr qUM ivdysLI hox dy bfvjUd vI TIk aYN."
iPl kihx lwgf, "mYnUM hux qwk pqf nhINN lwgf ik ieh hwsx vflI gwl sI jF koeI hor."
***************
cmkdI nrs
imwqr nUM strYWcr qy pf ky apˆrysL QYtr nUM iljf rhy sI. ies kMm krn nUM ijs nrs nUM ikhf igaf Auh bhuq hI BYVI sLkl dI sI.
korI zor ivc BIV hox krn AuhnUM rukxf pY igaf.
Auh imwqr nUM kihx lwgI, "mYN sOrI aF, bws QoVI dyr dI gwl af."
imwqr kihMdf, "qUM myry iewQy eI jLihr df tIkf lf dy."
ajy hor gnyrIaF vI - ieky vfr ijafdf cUpx nfl mUMh iCilaf jFdf hY!!

1[
zfmn rUnIEn, koloryzo dI iewk aKLbfr ivwc nOkrI hfsl krn leI igaf. nOkrI leI ieh Aus df pihlf jqn sI.
Auh sMpfdk dy dPLqr dy bfhr bYTf sI ik cpVfsI ny af ky ikhf, ‘‘sfihb quhfzf ivijLitMg kfrz cfhuMdy hn.’’
rUnIEn kol ivijLitMg kfrz nhIN sI. (msLhUrI hfsl krn ipCoN vI Aus ny kdy ivijLitMg kfrz nhIN sI bxvfieaf). Auh nFh krn hI vflf sI ik Aus nUM afpxI jyb ivwc peI qfsL df iKLafl afieaf. Aus ny qfsL kwZI qy Aus ‘coN hukm df Xwkf cpVfsI nUM idMidaF ikhf, ‘‘ieh dy deIN sfihb nUM.’’
sMpfdk ny hukm df Xwkf vyiKaf qF Ausy vyly rUnIEn nUM bulf ky nOkrI qy rK ilaf,
qy Pyr dupihr df Kfxf afpxy nfl Kfx dI dfavq idwqI.

2[
iPLlm prozIAUsr, spfeIros skUrfs XUnfnI lihjy ivwc aijhI aMgryjLI boilaf krdf sI ik Aus dy shfiek, Aulirk bYl nUM Aus dI gwl smJx ivwc hmysLf aOK huMdI sI, qy afpxy kMnF qy KLfs jLor dyxf pYNdf sI.iewk idn skUrfs ny Aus nUM ikhf ik Auh afpxy kMn ivwc AuWcf suxn vflf XMqr lvfey. jd bYl XMqr lvf ky Aus kol afieaf qF skUrfs ny koeI gwl krn ipCoN puwiCaf, ‘‘kI hux myrI gwl suxfeI idMdI ey?’’
‘‘hF, iblkul sfPL suxfeI idMdI ey, pr hux quhfzf mqlb smJ nhIN afAuNdf.’’

1[

pMzq jvfhr lfl nihrU AuhnIN idnIN nfisk jyl ivwc sn. kYdIaF nUM Kfx leI jo rotIaF imilaf krdIaF sn, AunHF ivwc imwtI imlI hoeI huMdI sI. iewk idn nihrU jI ny ies bfry jyl dy suprzYNt kol isLkfieq kIqI,’’ieh rotIaF ikvyN KfDIaF jf skdIaF hn? ienHF ivwc imwtI imlI hoeI ey.’’
suprzYNt ny ivaMg nfl ikhf, ‘‘jyl ivwc mulk dI syvf krn afey ho, jF rotIaF ivwc imwtI dI isLkfieq krn?’’
‘‘hF mulk dI syvf krn hI afey hF,’’ nihrU jI ny ikhf, ‘‘mulk dI imwtI Kfx nhIN.’’
2[
kYQrIn kfrnyl nF dI aYktrYs Coty Coty rol vI bVI eImfndfrI nfl kiraf krdI sI. iewk vfr ‘‘aYNtonI qy klIEpytrf,’’ nftk ivwc Auh mOq dy iewk idRsL ivwc ies qrHF aihl bxI lMmI peI rhI ik drsLkF nUM lwgf, Auh scmuwc mr geI hY.
nftk KLqm hox qy Aus dy prvfr dy iewk dosq ny Aus dI pRsMsf kridaF ikhf, ‘‘kYQrIn df mOq vflf idRsL lf-jvfb sI. Aus df hr aMg aihl bixaf hoieaf sI. isrPL Aus dI CfqI df bymlUmf ijhf Auqfr-cVHf ds irhf sI ik Auh sfh lY rhI hY qy scI muwcIN mrI nhIN hY.’’ ieh suxidaF hI kYQrIn dy ipqf ny Aus nUM sucyq kridaF ikhf, ‘‘vyKxf, ikqy ieh gwl kYQrIn nUM nf kih dyxI, nhIN qF agly sLo ivwc Aus ny sfh lYxf vI bMd kr dyxf ey.’’

gF, sUr qy Koqf

iek vfr iek gF, sUr, qy Koqy ny iek mulk `coN Bwj jfx df PYslf kIqf, ikAuNik AuQy AuhnF ƒ iZwz BrvF Kfx ƒ nhIN sI imldf.
jd Auh iek hor mulk dI hwd `qy phuMcy, qF soc-ivcfr krn lwg ik Aus mulk ivc dfiÉl hoxf cfhIdf hY jF nhIN?
qd sUr ny ikhf, ‘‘pihlF mYN iekwlf jFdf hF qy AuQoN dy hflfq df pqf lfAuNdf hF. jy hflfq TIk hoey, qF Pyr asIN sfry jxy clFgy.`` Auh igaf qy kuJ hI icr ipCoN prq afieaf. afAuNidaF hI Aus ny ikhf, ‘‘bhuq burI hflq ey AuQoN dI! ijs ny vI mYƒ vyiKaf, Auho CurI lY ky mYƒ iËbfh krn leI myry ipCy Bwjf. AuQy qF hor vI iËafdf BuwK ey.``
‘‘pr mYƒ koeI vI iËbfh nhIN krygf, ikAuNik AuhnF ƒ myry duwK dI loV hovygI,`` gF ny ikhf. ‘‘so, mYN jf ky pqf lfAuNdI hF.`` Auh geI qy kuJ hI idnF ivcoN prq afeI. ‘‘AuQy rihxf bhuq aOKf ey, Aus ny ikhf.`` hr koeI hI myrI duwD pfAuxf cfhuMdy ey, pr iksy ƒ vI ies gwl dI prvfh nhIN ik mYƒ vI Kfx ƒ imlxf cfhIdf hY.``
‘‘qF hux mYN jf ky hflfq df pqf lfAuNdf hF. Koqy ny ikhf, ‘‘ikAuNik mYƒ iksy vI gwl df zr nhIN ey.`` Auh igaf qy kfÌI idnF qwk prq ky nf afieaf. gF qy sUr Aus ƒ AuzIkdy rhy. AuhnF ƒ ieh vI zr sI ik Aus ƒ iksy ny mfr hI nf mukfieaf hovy.
aÉIr, iek idn Auh AuhnF ƒ Koqy df sunyhf imilaf: ‘‘ieh mulk mYƒ bhuq rfs afieaf ey, qy mYN ieQy rihx df PYslf kr ilaf ey. ieQoN dy lok mYƒ afpxy `coN hI ik smJx lgy ny."

JUT dI mdd qoN ibnF koeI vI afdmI aj qwk mulkF nUM lVfAux ivwc kfmXfb nhIN hoieaf hY.
- slvfzor zI mYzrIafgf

mUrK qy bujLidl afdmI JUT qy DoKy df shfrf lYNdy hn - iPilp zormr

alock

smuMdr vwl sPLr AuWqy jf irhf GoVsvfr iek rfq sVk dy iknfry iewk srF ivwc puwjf, Auhny drvfjLy kol iewk drwKLq nfl GoVy nUM bMinHaf aqy srF ivwc pRvysL kr igaf .

awDI rfq nUM jdoN sfry sON rhy sn qF iewk cor afieaf aqy musfPr df GoVf corI kr ky lY igaf .

svyry AuWTx AuWqy XfqrI nUM afpxy GoVy dy corI ho jfx df pqf lwgf. Auh bhuq duKI hoieaf aqy Aus afdmI nUM mn hI mn burf-Blf kihx lwgf, ijs dy mn ivwc GoVy nUM corI krn df iKafl afieaf . srF ivwc Aus nfl Tihry dUjy afdmI vI AuWQy iekwTy ho gey qy gwlF krn lwgy.

pihly afdmI ny ikhf, ‘GoVy nUM asqbl dy bfhr bMnHxf ikMnI vwzI mUrKqf hY.`

dUjf afdmI boilaf, ‘hwd hY, GoVy dy agly pYrF nUM bMinHaf jf skdf sI.`

qIjy ny ikhf, ‘GoVy AuWpr eyny lMmy sPr `qy inklxf hI nf-smJI hY. cOQf boilaf, ‘kmjLor qy aflsI lok hI svfrI leI GoVf rwKdy hn.

musfPr nUM bVI hYrfnI hoeI, pRMqU Auh afpxy afp AuWqy kfbU nf rwK sikaf qy boilaf, Brfvo! ikAuNik myrf GoVf corI ho igaf hY, ies leI qusIN sfry myrIaF glqIaF qy kmIaF dwsx leI Auqfvly ho. hYrfnI hY, GoVf curfAux vfly afdmI dy gYr-kfnUMnI kMm bfry quhfzy lokF dy mUMhoN iek sLbd vI nhIN inkilaf.`

sfrIaF rfjnIqk pfrtIaF aKLIr ivwc afpxf hI JUT ingl ky mr jFdIaF hn. - jOn afrbrnft