Us din ladke ne taish me aakar Lakshmi ki pith par char dande barsa diye the.vah badi bhaybhit aur ghabrai thi. Jo bhi usake pas jata,sir hila use marne ki koshish karti ya fir uchhalati - kudti,gale ki rassi todkar khutte se aajad hone ka prayas karti.
Karamat Ali idhar do-char dino se aswasth tha.lekin jab usne yah suna ki rahman ne gay ki pith par dande barsaye hai to usase raha nahi gaya.vah kisi prakar charpai se uthkar dhire -dhire chalkar bathan me aaya . Aage badhkar uske mathe par hath fera,puchkara aur hole-se usaki pith par hath fera. Lakshmi ke sharir me ek sirhan - si duad gayi.
" Oh kambhakt ne kitni bedardi se pita hai."
Usaki bibi ramjani boli - "lo , chot ki jagah par yah rogan laga do. Bechari ko aaram milega ."
Karamat Ali gusse me bola - "kya achha hi agar isi lathi se tumhare rehman ke dono hath Tod diye jaye. Kahi is tarh pita jata hai?"
Ramjani boli - "Lakshmi ne aaj bhi dudh nahi diya."
" To usaki saja ise lathiyo se di gai?"
" Rahman se galti ho gayi, ise vah kabulta hai."
Ramjani kuchh der khadi rahi fir vaha se hatati hui boli - " dekho, apna khyal rakho. Pav idhar - udhar gaya to kamar sikvate rahoge."
Karamat Ali ne fir pyar se lakshmi ki pith sahalai.muh- hi -muh me badbadaya - " maf kar lakshmi, rahman bada murkh hai. Umra ke sath tu bhi budha gai hai. Dairyfarm ke doctor ne to pichhali bar hi kah diya tha, yah tera aakhiri baras hai."
Lakshmi shant khadi apne jakhmo par tel lagvati rahi. Vah karamat Ali ke mitra gyan Singh ki nishani thi. Gyan Singh aur karamat Ali ek - dusre ke padosi to the hi , ve karkhane me bhi ek hi vibhag me kam karte the. Pray ek sath duty par jate aur ek sath hi Ghar lotate.
Gyan Singh ko maveshi palne ka bahut shok tha. Pray uske Ghar ke darvaje par bhais ya gay bandhi rahti. Tin bars pahle usne ek jarsi gay kharidi thi. Uska nam usne Lakshmi rakha tha. Adhed umra ki lakshmi itna dudh de deti thi ki usase gharki jarurat Puri ho jane ke baad baki dudh gali ke kuchh gharo me chala jata. Dudh bechana gyan Singh ka dhanda nahi tha. Keval gay ko chara aur darra aadi dene ke liye kuchh paise juta leta tha.
Nokri se avkash ke baad gyan Singh ko company ka vah makan khali krna tha. Samsya thi to lakshmi ki. Vah lakshmi ko kisi bhi halat me bech nahi sakta tha. Use apne sath le jana bhi sambhav nahi tha. Jab avkash me das - pandrah din hi rah gaye to karamat Ali se kaha - " miya! Agar lakshmi ko tumhe saup du to kya tum use swikar karoge...?"
Miya karamat Ali ne kaha tha - "neki aur puchh - puchh. Bhala isase badi khushnasibi mere liye kya hogi?"
Karamat Ali pichhale ek varsh se us gay ki seva karta chala aa raha tha. Gay ki dekhbhal me koi kasar nahi chhodi thi.
Karamat Ali ko lakshmi ki pith par rogan lagane ke baad bhi itminan nahi huaa. Vah usake sir par hath ferta raha. Lakshmi sthir khadi rahi uski or jidnyasapurn drushti se dekhti rahi. Karamat Ali ko laga jaise lakshmi kahna chahti ho - " yadi mai tumhare kam ki nahi hu to mujhe aajad kar do. Mai yah Ghar chhodakar kahi chali jaungi."
Karamat Ali duty par jane ki taiyari me tha. Tabhi ramjani boli - " Rahman ke abba, agar lakshmi dudh nahi degi to ham iska kya karenge? Kya khutte se bandhkar ham ise khilate pilate rahenge...?"
" Janvar hai. Bandha hai to ise khilana - pilana to padega hi ."
" Jante ho is mehangai ke jamane me sirf sada chara dene me hi tin - sadhe tin sau mahine ka kharcha hai ."
" So to hai." Kahte huye karamat Ali aage kuchh nahi bola. Ghar se nikalkar karkhane ki taraf ho liya. Raste me vah ramjani ki bat par vichar kar raha tha, lakshmi agar dudh nahi degi to iska kya karenge. Yah khyal to usake man me aaya hu nahi tha ki ek samay aisa bhi aa sakta hai ki gay ko ghar ke samne khutte se bandhkar muft me khilana bhi pad sakta hai.
Uske sathi naim ne use kuchh pareshan dekha to puchha - " karamat miya, kya bat hai, bade pareshan najar aate ho? Kheriyat to hai ?"
"Aisi koi vishesh bat nahi hai."
" Kuchh to hoga."
" Kya batau. Gay ne dudh dena band kar diya hai, budhi ho gayi hai. Baithakar khilana padega aur us jamane me gay - bhais palne ka kharcha...."
Isme pareshan hone ki kya jarurat hai? Gay bech do ."
Karamat Ali ne kaha, "ha, pareshani se chhutkara paya ja sakta hai. Bahut aasan tarika hai. Lakshmi ki bech diya tha jaye." Vah naim ke pas se hatkar apne kam me jut gaya.
Karamat Ali rat ka gaya savere karkhane se lauta . Rat ki duty se ghar lautane par hi vah lakshmi ko duhta tha. Ghar me ghuste hi usane ramjani se puchha - " kya lakshmi ko Abhi tak chara nahi diya ?"
Ramjani boli - " Rahman se kaha to tha."
" Tum dono ki marji hoti to gay ko ab tak chara mil gaya hota . Agar vah dudh nahi de rahi hai to use bhuka rakhoge? " Kahte huye karamat kata hua puaal,khali aur darra aadi le jakr lakshmi ke liye sani taiyar karne laga.
Lakshmi utavali - si taiyar ho rahi sani me muh marne lagi .
Gay ko sani dekar karamat Ali uski pith dekhne laga . Rogan ne achha kam kiya tha. Dag kuchh halke pad Gaye the.
Das - pandrah dino se yo hi chal Raha tha. Ek din jab karamat Ali ne puaal lane ke liye ramjani se paise mange to vah boli, " mai kaha se paise du ? Pahle to dudh ki bikri ke paise mere paas jama rahte the. Unme se de deti thi. Ab kaha se du ?"