mere pas log ate hain. ve kahte hain - hamen sannyas lena hai; lekin jara beti ki shadi ho jae; kyonki agar shadi n hui aur hamne sannyas le liya to archnen a jaengi, shadi karna mushkil ho jaega. aur kisi tarah khoj bhi liya var to barat men koi sammilit n hoga. ek dafa yah larki ki shadi ho jae to manai sannyas lene ke lie taiyar hun. lekin ye kam kahin itni asani se hal hote hain? larki ki shadi ho jaegi; patni bimar pari hai, kal mar jaegi to? arthi men bhi log sammilit hone vale nahin hain. arthi pari rahegi aur koi vahan n aega to ghabrahat hogi.
apman anubhav hota hai, pareshani hoti hai, arachan hoti hai. sukh-dukh men admi chahta hai koi sath ho. larki ki shadi kar doge; kal larki ka bachcha hone vala hai, uski bhi shadi karni paregi. chijen kahin samapt thore hi hoti hain. is duniya men kahin purn viram ata hai kya kabhi? yahan n kuch shuru hota hai, n kuch ant hota hai. tum jab ae, tab bhi sab chal raha tha. tumhen pata nahin, age kafi chal chuka tha. tum chale jaoge, tab bhi sab chalta rahega. yah anant silsila hai. admi marne ke pahle bhi marne ka vichar karta hai ki arthi men kaun-kaun sammilit honge.
tumne kabhi socha is par ki nahin? ‘kitni bhir-bhar rahegi? akhbaron men kya chapega? log kya kahenge? marne ke bad log prashansa men kuch kahenge ki nahin?’ amrika men ek admi hua- rabart riple. vah admi jindgi bhar se apne dhang ka admi tha. anuthe kam karne ki use adat thi. to usne anuthe dhang se marna chaha. usne apne sekretriyon ko bulaya aur unsee kaha ki dekho, khabar kar do akhbaron ko ki main mar gaya. daektar to kahte hain ki chaibis ghante se jyada bach nahin sakunga. to unhonne kaha- lekin abhi ap jinda hain aur akhbaron men khabar karne ki abhi kya jarurat hai? jab ap marenge tab karenge. to usne kaha - tum pagal ho.... . main parh lena chahta hun ki mere marne ke bad log kya kahenge, kya likhenge ! aur main duniya ka pahla admi hona chahta hun, jisne apne marne ki khabar parhi.
marne ka bhi main upyog kar lena chahta hun. bat to unhen bhi janchi. unhonne suchna kar di akhbaron ko. akhbaron men khabren chap gain, editoriyal nikle. vah admi prasiddh tha; jivanabhar ka khoji tha; usne anuthi baten khoji thin. uski bahut-si kitaben hain; agar kabhi tumne dekhi hon, uski kitabon ka nam ek hi hai- ‘biliv it aer naet.’ ‘mano ya n mano’. usne aise tathya khoje, jo mane nahin ja sakte. lekin ve tathya hain. ve sabhi vaigyanik arthon men tathya hain, aitihasik hain. lekin ekadam se bharosa nahin ata. yahi jindgi bhar uska kam tha. uske pas ek machli thi, jo ulta tairti thi. vah akeli machli thi duniya men. sabhi machliyan ulta nahin tairtin; magar uske pas ek machli thi, jo ulta tairti thi.
aise usne bahut-si chijen bhi ikatthi ki thin sari duniya men ghum-ghumakar. anutha khoji tha. mujhe nahin kaha. jab mainne parha to raebart riple ki kitab men parha ki jablpur ke pas itni mil dur par falan jagah ek khajur ka vriksh hai, jismen do funge hain. khajur ke vriksh men ek hi hota hai. shakhaen nahin hotin khajur ke vriksh men. vah akela vriksh hai sari prithvi par. jab uski kitab parhi, tab main gaya khojne. mila mujhe, vah vriksh tha vahan. magar usne uske sanbandh men kaise pata lagaya tha, kya kiya tha ! vah jindgi bhar khojta raha hai isi tarah ki chijen, jo anuthi hon. to usne kaha-meri maut bhi vaisi hi honi chahie. chaibis ghante pahle khabar de di, mar gaya.
akhbar men sanpadkiya chape, chitra chape, prashansaen chapin, stutiyan chapin. dusre din usne ve sab parhin aur fotografar ko usne kaha ki inhen parhte hue mere chitra nikal lo; ab ye chitra chap do ki yah admi itihas ka pahla admi hai, jisne apni maut ki khabar khud parhi. ab main nishnichtta se mar sakta hun, kyonki sab thik hai, kahin koi garabar nahin hai.t