lakhanoo ke naubaste mohalle men ek munshi maikoolal mukhtar rahate the. bade udar, dayalu aur sajjan purush the. apane peshe men itane kushal the ki aisa birala hi koee mukadama hota tha jisamen vah kisi n kisi paksh ki or se n rakhe jate hon. sadhu-snton se bhi unhen prem tha. unake satsng se unhonne kuchh tattvgyan aur kuchh ganje-charas ka abhyas prapt kar liya tha. rahi sharab, yah unaki kul-pratha thi. sharab ke nashe men vah qanooni masaude khoob likhate the, unaki buddhi prajvalit ho jati thi. ganje aur charas ka prabhav unake gyan par padata tha. dam laga kar vah vairagy aur dhyan men tallin ho jate the. mohallevalon par unaka bada rob tha. lekin yah unaki qanooni pratibha ka nahin, unaki udar sajjanata ka phal tha. mohalle ke ekkevan, gvale aur kahar unake agyakari the, sau kam chhod kar unaki khidamat karate the. unaki madyajanit udarata ne sabon ko vashibhoot kar liya tha. vah nity kachahari se ate hi alagoo kahar ke samane do rupaye phenk dete the. kuchh kahane-sunane ki zaroorat n thi, alagoo isaka ashay samajhata tha. sham ko sharab ki ek botal aur kuchh ganja tatha charas munshi ji ke samane a jata tha. bas, mahaphil jam jati. yar log a pahunchate. ek or muvakkilon ki katar baithati, doosari or sahavasiyon ki. vairagy ki aur gyan ki charcha hone lagati. bich-bich men muvakkilon se bhi mukadame ki do-ek baten kar lete ! das baje rat ko vah sabha visarjit hoti thi. munshi ji apane peshe aur gyan charcha ke siva aur koee dard sir mol n lete the. desh ke kisi andolan, kisi sabha, kisi samajik sudhar se unaka sambandh n tha. is vishay men vah sachche virakt the. bng-bhng hua, naram-garam dal bane, rajanitik sudharon ka avirbhav hua, svarajy ki akanksha ne janm liya, atm-raksha ki avajen desh men goonjane lagin, kintu munshi ji ki aviral shanti men jara bhi vighn n pada. adalat aur sharab ke sivay vah snsar ki sabhi chijon ko maya samajhate the, sabhi se udasin rahate the.
