Ek zamane mein isi gaaon mein ek kisan rehta tha jo bhedein bhi charaya karta tha. Ek din, woh apni bhedon ko charagah mein le gaya, aur jab woh char rahi thin, to achanak us ne ghaas ke sarsarane ki ek ajeeb awaz suni, jo pehle to kisi billi ke bacche ki awaz jaisi lagi. Apne tajassus ke hathon majboor ho kar, woh boorha charwaha yeh dekhne ko wahan chala gaya ke yeh mustaqil awaz kahan se aa rahi hai, aur phir yeh dekh kar us ki hairat ki intiha na rahi ke wahan sher ka ek akela, hanpta kanpta hua baccha maujood tha, jo zahir hai ke apne khandan se bichar gaya tha. Us ka pehla khyal us khatre ke bare mein tha jis mein woh mubtala ho sakta tha agar woh us bacche ke zyada qareeb rehta aur us ki maa ya doosre sher wapas aa jate. Is liye woh boorha aadmi jaldi se us jagah se hat gaya aur door se intizar karne laga ke aaya sherni ya sheron ka jhund wapas aata hai ya nahi. Taham, jab suraj gharub hone laga aur sher ke bacche ko lene koi na aaya, to charwahe ne apni behtareen hikmat ke mutabiq, aur us sher ke bacche ki hifazat aur baqa ke pesh-e-nazar, ise apne farm-house le jaane aur is ki dekh-bhal karne ka faisla kiya. Agle aath mahinon ke dauran, charwahe ne is bacche ko apne hathon se taza doodh pilaya aur use farm-house ke ek mehfooz ahate ke andar garm, pur-sukoon aur aaram-deh mahool ke andar rakha. Jab woh baccha mazboot azlaat se bharpoor ek chust, pur-kashish aur chharira wujood ban gaya, to woh use rozana bhedon ke sath charane ke liye bahar le jaane laga. Sher ka woh baccha bhedon ke sath hi bara hua aur galle ka hissa ban gaya. Unhon ne bhi use apne hi ek fard ke taur par qabul kar liya, aur woh bhi unhi ki tarah amal karta tha. Jab pandrah mahine guzar gaye, to woh chhota baccha ab ek jawan sher ban chuka tha, lekin woh bilkul bhedon ki tarah amal karta, awaz nikalta, rad-e-amal deta aur bartao karta tha. Haqiqat mein, woh sher sohbat ki wajah se bhed ban chuka tha. Woh apni zaat ko kho kar unhi mein se ek ho gaya tha. Char saal baad, ek garm din, charwaha ek be-barg darakht ke halke se saye mein panah liye ek chattan par baitha apne galle ki nigahbani kar raha tha jo pani peene ke liye ek darya ke pur-sukoon, behte hue pani mein se pee raha tha. Woh sher jo khud ko bhed samajhta tha, pani peene ke liye un ke peeche peeche pani mein chala gaya. Achanak, darya ke bilkul doosri taraf, ghane jangal ki jhariyon se ek bahut bara daranda namoodar hua jise is sher ne pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha. Bhedon par khauf tari ho gaya aur, jaise baqa ki kisi jibillat ke sehar mein aa kar, unhon ne pani se mukhalif simt mein chhalang lagayi aur farm ki simt dour laga di. Woh us waqt tak nahi rukin jab tak ke woh sab baare ki baar ke peeche mehfooz tariqe se ik इकट्ठी na ho gayin. Ajeeb baat yeh thi ke woh sher, jo ab ek mukammal jawan sher tha, woh bhi khauf se larazta hua unhi ke sath dubka baitha tha. Jis waqt bhedon ka poora jhund apni jaan bachane ke liye bhag raha tha, to us darande ne ek aisi awaz nikali jis ne poore jangal ko hila kar rakh diya. Thori der baad jab us ne oonchi ghaas se upar apna sar uthaya, to charwaha dekh sakta tha ke us ne apne khoon-aalood munh mein galle ke ek memne ki be-jaan laash daba rakhi thi. Us aadmi ko maloom ho gaya ke jangal ke is hisse mein khatra phir se laut aaya hai. Agle saat din bagehir kisi mazeed waqie ke guzar gaye, aur phir, ek roz jab galla hasb-e-mamool char raha tha, to woh jawan sher pani peene ke liye darya par gaya. Jaise hi woh pani par jhuka, achanak woh khaufzada ho gaya aur salamti ke liye farm-house ki taraf bhaga. Bhedein nahi bhagin balkeh hairan huin ke woh is tarah hawas-bakhta ho kar kyun bhaga, jabkeh sher hairan tha ke bhedein kyun nahi bhagin kyunke us ne us darande ko dubara dekha tha magar woh to pani mein usi ka apna aks tha. Jab woh yeh samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha ke woh kya dekh raha hai, achanak woh daranda jangal se dubara namoodar ho gaya. Poora galla ek martaba phir intihi sabuk-raftari se farm-house ki taraf bhaga, lekin is se pehle ke woh jawan sher harakat kar pata, woh daranda pani mein us ki taraf barha aur ek aisi kaan-parti awaz nikali jis ne poore jangal ko dehla diya. Ek lamhe ke liye, jawan sher ko aisa mehsoos hua jaise us ki zindagi ka khatma hone wala hai. Us ne mehsoos kiya ke us ne sirf ek nahi balkeh do darande dekhe hain; ek pani mein aur ek apne samne. Jaise hi woh daranda us ke das fit ke daire mein aaya aur khaufnak taqat ke sath us ke samne ghuraya, to us ka sar is uljhan se chakra gaya, jaise woh daranda us se keh raha ho, "Koshish karo, aur aao mere peeche chlo." Jab khauf ne jawan sher ko jakar liya, to us ne us darande ko raazi karne aur waisi hi awaz nikalne ki koshish karne ka faisla kiya. Taham, us ke khule hue jabron se jo wahid awaz nikli woh ek bhed ki awaz thi. Doosre darande ne aur zyada buland awaz ke sath rad-e-amal diya jo goya yeh keh rahi thi, "Dubara koshish karo." Saat ya aath koshishon ke baad, achanak jawan sher ne khud ko waisi hi awaz nikalte hue suna jaisi us darande ki thi. Us ne apne jism mein ek aisi hilchal aur aise jazbaat mehsoos kiye jinhein woh pehle kabhi nahi jaanta tha. Yeh aisa tha jaise woh zehn, jism aur rooh ki mukammal tabdeeli ke tajurbe se guzar raha ho. Achanak, us darya ke paas do darande ek doosre par aur ek doosre ke samne ghura rahe the. Phir charwahe ne kuch aisa dekha kise woh kabhi bhula nahi paye ga. Jaise hi un khaufnak awazon ne milon tak jangal ko hila kar rakh diya, woh bara daranda ruka, us ne jawan sher ki taraf apni peeth ki aur jangal ki taraf chal diya. Phir woh ruka aur us ne ek baar phir jawan sher ki taraf dekha aur ghuraya, jaise keh raha ho, "Kya tum aa rahe ho?" Woh jawan sher is ishare ka matlab samajh gaya aur achanak use ehsaas hua ke us ke faisle ka din aa pohancha hai; woh din jab use yeh intikhab karna hoga ke aaya woh ek bhed ke taur par zindagi guzarata rahe ya woh daranda ban jaye jise us ne abhi abhi daryaft kiya hai. Woh jaanta tha ke apni haqiqi shakhsiyat banne ke liye, use farm ki mehfooz, pur-amn, sehat-afza aur sada zindagi ko chhor kar jangal ki khaufnak, wahshi, be-lagam, be-qayas aur khatarnak zindagi mein dakhil hona hoga. Yeh apni haqiqat ko wasee paimaane par jaanne, apni haqiqat ko amli taur par jeene aur doosri zindagi ke jhoote aks ko peeche chhor dene ka din tha. Yeh ek "bhed" ko jangal ka badshah banne ki dawat thi. Sab se aham baat yeh ke yeh ek haqiqi sher ke ghair-haqiqi wujood ke liye ek haqiqi sher ki rooh hasil karne ki dawat thi. Go-mago ki halat mein, farm aur jangal ki taraf chand baar dekhne ke baad, jawan sher ne farm aur un bhedon ki taraf apni peeth kar li jin ke sath woh barson tak raha, aur dheere dheere us darande ke peeche peeche jangal mein chala gaya takeh wahi ban jaye jo woh hamesha se tha yani ek haqiqi sher aur jangal ka badshah.