Paidaaish 34

deena kee ismatdaree

¹ek din yaaqoob aur liyaah kee betee deena kan’aanee aurton say milnay kay liyay ghar say niklee. ²shaher men ek aadmee banaam sikam raheta tha. us ka vaalid hamor us ilaaqay ka hukmaraan tha aur hivvee qaum say taalluq rakhta tha. jab sikam nay deena ko dekha to us nay usay pakad kar us kee ismatdaree kee. ³lekin us ka dil deena say lag gaya. vah us say muhabbat karnay laga aur piyaar say us say baaten karta raha. ⁴us nay apnay baap say kaha, “is ladkee kay saath meree shaadee kara den.”

⁵jab yaaqoob nay apnee betee kee ismatdaree kee khabar sunee to us kay betay maveshiyon kay saath khulay maidaan men thay. is liyay vah un kay vaapas aanay tak khaamosh raha.

⁶sikam ka baap hamor shaher say nikal kar yaaqoob say baat karnay kay liyay aaya. ⁷jab yaaqoob kay beton ko deena kee ismatdaree kee khabar milee to un kay dil ranjish aur ghussay say bhar gaay ki sikam nay yaaqoob kee betee kee ismatdaree say israaeel kee itnee beizzatee kee hai. vah seedhay khulay maidaan say vaapas aaay. ⁸hamor nay yaaqoob say kaha, “meray betay ka dil aap kee betee say lag gaya hai. meharbaanee karkay us kee shaadee meray betay kay saath kar den. ⁹hamaaray saath rishta baandhen, hamaaray betay-betiyon kay saath shaadiyaan karaaen. ¹⁰phir aap hamaaray saath is mulk men rah sakengay aur poora mulk aap kay liyay khula hoga. aap jahaan bhee chaahen aabaad ho sakengay, tijaarat kar sakengay aur zameen khareed sakengay.” ¹¹sikam nay khud bhee deena kay baap aur bhaaiyon say minnat kee, “agar meree yah darakhwaast manzoor ho to main jo kuchh aap kahengay ada kar doonga. ¹²jitna bhee maher aur tuhfay aap muqarrar karen main day doonga. sirf meree yah khwaahish pooree karen ki yah ladkee meray aqad men a jaaay.”

¹³lekin deena kee ismatdaree kay sabab say yaaqoob kay beton nay sikam aur us kay baap hamor say chaalaakee karke ¹⁴kaha, “ham aisa naheen kar saktay. ham apnee bahen kee shaadee kisee aisay aadmee say naheen kara saktay jis ka khatna naheen hua. is say hamaaree beizzatee hotee hai. ¹⁵ham sirf is shart par raazee hongay ki aap apnay tamaam ladkon aur mardon ka khatna karvaanay say hamaaree maanind ho jaaen. ¹⁶phir aap kay betay-betiyon kay saath hamaaree shaadiyaan ho sakengee aur ham aap kay saath ek qaum ban jaaengay. ¹⁷lekin agar aap khatna karaanay kay liyay tayyaar naheen hain to ham apnee bahen ko lay kar chalay jaaengay.”

¹⁸yah baaten hamor aur us kay betay sikam ko achchhee lageen. ¹⁹naujavaan sikam nay fauran un par amal kiya, kyoonki vah deena ko bahut pasand karta tha. sikam apnay khaandaan men sab say muazzaz tha. ²⁰hamor apnay betay sikam kay saath shaher kay darvaazay par gaya jahaan shaher kay faislay kiay jaatay thay. vahaan unhon nay baaqee shaheriyon say baat kee. ²¹“yah aadmee ham say jhagadnay vaalay naheen hain, is liyay kyoon na vah is mulk men hamaaray saath rahen aur hamaaray darmiyaan tijaarat karen? hamaaray mulk men un kay liyay bhee kaafee jagah hai. aao, ham un kee betiyon aur beton say shaadiyaan karen. ²²lekin yah aadmee sirf is shart par hamaaray darmiyaan rahenay aur ek hee qaum bannay kay liyay tayyaar hain ki ham un kee tarah apnay tamaam ladkon aur mardon ka khatna karaaen. ²³agar ham aisa karen to un kay tamaam maveshee aur saara maal hamaara hee hoga. chunaanchay aao, ham muttafiq ho kar faisla kar len taaki vah hamaaray darmiyaan rahen.”

²⁴sikam kay shaheree hamor aur sikam kay mashvray par raazee huay. tamaam ladkon aur mardon ka khatna karaaya gaya. ²⁵teen din kay baad jab khatnay kay sabab say logon kee haalat buree thee to deena kay do bhaaee shamaaoon aur laavee apnee talvaaren lay kar shaher men daakhil huay. kisee ko shak tak naheen tha ki kya kuchh hoga. andar ja kar unhon nay bachchon say lay kar boodhon tak tamaam mardon ko qatl kar diyaa ²⁶jin men hamor aur us ka beta sikam bhee shaamil thay. phir vah deena ko sikam kay ghar say lay kar chalay gaay.

²⁷is qatl-ay-aam kay baad yaaqoob kay baaqee betay shaher par toot paday aur usay loot liya. yoon unhon nay apnee bahen kee ismatdaree ka badla liya. ²⁸vah bhed-bakriyaan, gaay-bail, gadhay aur shaher kay andar aur baahar ka sab kuchh lay kar chaltay banay. ²⁹unhon nay saaray maal par qabza kiya, aurton aur bachchon ko qaidee bana liya aur tamaam gharon ka saamaan bhee lay gaay.

³⁰phir yaaqoob nay shamaaoon aur laavee say kaha, “tum nay mujhay museebat men daal diya hai. ab kan’aanee, farizzee aur mulk kay baaqee baashindon men meree badnaamee huee hai. meray saath kam aadmee hain. agar doosray mil kar ham par hamla karen to hamaaray pooray khaandaan ka satyaanaas ho jaaega.” ³¹lekin unhon nay kaha, “kya yah theek tha ki us nay hamaaree bahen kay saath kasbee ka sa sulook kiya?”