लकड़ी का कटोरा

ek vrddh vyakti apane bahu – bete ke yahaan shahar rahane gaya . umr ke is padaav par vah atyant kamajor ho chuka tha , usake haath kaampate the aur dikhaee bhee kam deta tha . vo ek chhote se ghar mein rahate the , poora parivaar aur usaka chaar varsheeya pota ek saath dinar tebal par khaana khaate the . lekin vrddh hone ke kaaran us vyakti ko khaane mein badee dikkat hotee thee . kabhee matar ke daane usakee chammach se nikal kar pharsh pe bikhar jaate to kabhee haanth se doodh chhalak kar mejaposh par gir jaata .

bahu -bete ek -do din ye sab sahan karate rahe par ab unhen apane pita kee is kaam se chidh hone lagee . “ hamen inaka kuchh karana padega ”, ladake ne kaha . bahu ne bhee haan mein haan milaee aur bolee ,” aakhir kab tak ham inakee vajah se apane khaane ka maja kirakira rahenge , aur ham is tarah cheejon ka nuksaan hote hue bhee nahin dekh sakate .”

agale din jab khaane ka vaqt hua to bete ne ek puraanee mej ko kamare ke kone mein laga diya , ab boodhe pita ko vaheen akele baith kar apana bhojan karana tha . yahaan tak kee unake khaane ke bartanon kee jagah ek lakadee ka katora de diya gaya tha , taaki ab aur bartan na toot -phoot saken . baakee log pahale kee tarah hee aaraam se baith kar khaate aur jab kabhee -kabhaar us bujurg kee taraph dekhate to unakee aankhon mein aansoo dikhaee dete . yah dekhakar bhee bahu-bete ka man nahin pighalata ,vo unakee chhotee se chhotee galatee par dheron baaten suna dete . vahaan baitha baalak bhee yah sab bade dhyaan se dekhata rahata , aur apane mein mast rahata .

ek raat khaane se pahale , us chhote baalak ko usake maata -pita ne zameen par baith kar kuchh karate hue dekha , “tum kya bana rahe ho ?” pita ne poochha ,

bachche ne maasoomiyat ke saath uttar diya , “ are main to aap logon ke lie ek lakadee ka katora bana raha hoon , taaki jab main bada ho jaoon to aap log isamen kha saken .” ,aur vah punah apane kaam mein lag gaya . par is baat ka usake maata -pita par bahut gahara asar hua ,unake munh se ek bhee shabd nahin nikala aur aankhon se aansoo bahane lage . vo donon bina bole hee samajh chuke the ki ab unhen kya karana hai . us raat vo apane boodhe pita ko vaapas dinar tebal par le aaye , aur phir kabhee unake saath abhadr vyavahaar nahin kiya.