Ek chhote se gaon Pahucha mein ek imaandar aur nek dil insaan rehta tha — Dharmendra Diwakar. Sab log use “Dharmu Bhaiya” kehte the. Gaon wale use bahut maante the, kyunki wo hamesha sach bolta tha, madad karta tha, aur kabhi kisi se bura nahi sochta tha.
Sab kuch theek chal raha tha, jab ek din achanak gaon ke paas se ajeeb dhuaan uthne laga. Raat hone ke baad logon ne dekha — ek rakhchhas (monster) jungle se nikal kar gaon ke paas aa gaya! Uski aankhen laal thi, awaaz bijli ki tarah garajti thi, aur wo kehta tha,
“Main tumhara gaon barbaad kar dunga, agar tum mere saat sawalon ke sahi jawab na de paaye!”
Gaon ke mukhiya ji ne sab ko bulaya. Dar ke maare sab chup the, tabhi Dharmendra Diwakar aage badha aur bola,
“Agar kisi ko jawab dena hai, to main doonga. Mera gaon main hi bachaaunga.”
Mukhiya ne uske kandhe par haath rakha aur bola,
“Dharmu, tujhme himmat hai. Ja, tujhe ham sab ki duaayein hain.”
Agli subah Dharmendra ek chhoti jholi aur apna lathi le kar 7 jawab dhundhne nikal pada.
Pehla sawal tha — “Zindagi ka asli arth kya hai?”
Jungle ke ek buddhimaan baba ne kaha,
“Zindagi tab sundar hai jab tum kisi aur ke liye jeete ho.”
Dharmu ne likh liya pehla jawab — “Niswarth jeevan.”
Doosra sawal tha — “Sabse badi shakti kya hai?”
Usne pahadon ke sage rishi se suna — “Prem.”
Prem se insaan sabse kathin dil bhi jeet sakta hai.
Teesra sawal tha — “Andhere mein roshni ka kya arth hai?”
Ek andhi ladki ne kaha — “Aasha.”
Dharmu ne muskura kar uska dhanyavaad kiya.
Chautha sawal — “Dukh ka matlab kya hai?”
Ek mazdoor ne kaha, “Dukh humein majboot banata hai.”
Paanchwa sawal — “Insaan kab bada hota hai?”
Ek maa ne bola, “Jab wo galti maanne lagta hai.”
Chhatha sawal — “Sabse khoobsurat awaaz kya hai?”
Ek nadi boli, “Maafi ki awaaz.”
Aur aakhri, saatva sawal — “Rakhchhas bhi insaan ban sakta hai kya?”
Dharmu ne khud se jawab diya — “Haan, agar uske dil mein daya aa jaye.”
Wapas gaon pahuch kar usne sab jawab rakhchhas ke saamne rakh diye.
Rakhchhas hansne laga, phir uski aankhon se aansu girne lage.
“Tere jawab ne mujhe yaad dilaya, main bhi kabhi insaan tha…”
Rakhchhas ki roshni dheere-dheere kam hone lagi, aur wo hawa mein gayab ho gaya.
Gaon ke log jhoom uthe, “Dharmendra Diwakar ki jai ho!”
Us din ke baad, Pahucha gaon mein koi rakhchhas kabhi nahi aaya.
Dharmendra ne sabko sikhaya — sachchai, prem aur daya hi sabse badi shakti hai.
