Aapne mrtyu ko kya bilkul nazdeek se dekha hai? ya kabhi ye socha hai ki jab aap kisi ko bina vidvesh ke mar dein to usake baad aapaki kya manaahsthiti hogi. Kaisa lagata hai jab aam jindagi mein log aapako aur aapake peshe ko ek tarah ke khauf se dekhte hain. ek aam jan ke liye ye saval betuke aur bemani se lagenge. par jab bat ek peshevar jallad ki ho to ye prashn behad prasangik ho uthate hain. inhi prashnon ko lekar keral ke angloindian upanyasakar Shashi Warrior pahunch jate hain Janardan Pillai ke paas, jinhonne travanakor ke raja ke shasan kal aur usake uparant mein tin dashakon mein 117 fansiyan deen thin. lekhak ne is upanyas mein un sari baton ko bina lag lapet pathakon tak pahunchane ki koshish ki hai jise janardan ne apani soch aur samajh ke hisab se lekhak dvara di gaee copiyon mein likha aur apane marne ke pahale lekhak ko saugat ke roop mein chhod gaya.
ye pustak sabase pahale 1990 mein Hangman's Journal ke nam se angreji mein prakashit huee aur isaka hindi sanskaran pahali baar penguin books ne yatra books ke sahayog se 2006 mein nikala. is sanskaran ka angreji se anuvad kumudani pati ne kiya hai. is upanyas ka vishay kuchh aisa hai jo na chahate huye bhi aapako ye sochane ke liye majaboor kar deta hai ki fansi ke samay jan jane vale aur lene vale ki kya dasha hoti hai. par us baare mein bad mein bat karate hain pahale ye bataiye ki fansi lagane ki bat kahate huye kya aapane kabhi socha hai ki vastav mein ye prakriya hai kya? par lekhak pathak ko is duvidha mein jyada der nahin rakhate aur upanyas ka aagaj kuchh yoon karate hain...
"......ise patan kahate hain
isake liye jailoron ke paas ek laghu talika hoti hai, yah batane ke liye ki aparadhi vyakti gardan mein lage fande sahit kitani doori tak gire jise usaka kaam safaee se tamam ho. visheshajnyon ka kahana hai ki use utana hi girana chahiye ki usake veg se rassi usaki gardan tod de. yadi sharir adhik door girata hai to rassi usaki gardan mein dhans jati hai aur bahut sanbhav hai ki sir ko alag kar de. yadi sharir paryapt doori par nahin girata hai to gardan nahin tootegi aur vyakti ko dam ghutakar mitane mein kuchh minute lagenge...."
Janardan apane sansmaran mein kaee baar fansi dene ke pahale hone vali kavayad ka jikr karate hain. fansi ke takhte ka parikshan pahale bina vajan ke aur fir vajan ke sath kiya jata hai. jallad ka sabase pramukh kary hota hai rassi ki ganth ko sahi jagah lagana. ganth sahi jagah lagi to gardan turant tootati hai varna kaidi ki dam ghutakar dhire dhire maut hoti hai. purane jamane mein rassi khud jallad taiyar karata tha. rassi ka us hisse ko chikana rakhane ke liye jo gardan ko chhoota hai, makkhan ya rifanid tel ka is tarah istemal hota tha ki makkhan rassi ke reshon mein poori tarah sama jaye. ab to narm kapaas ka prayog hone laga hai.
takhta, livara, rassi ki janch ke bad livar chhoda jata hai to takhta niche divar se lagi paiding se takarata hai jo aavaj ko kam karane ke liye lagaya gaya hota hai. parikshan ho chuka hai. sab kuchh sahajata se sampann hone ke bad bhi janardan asahaj mahasoos kar rahe hain. ve janate hain ki aaj ki rat fansi lagane ke pahale vali rat koee kaidi unase aankhen nahin milayega. us rat janardan khud se saval poochhate hain
"..maut ko jivan se sahaj banane ke liye ham apane jivan ka itana samay kyoon laga dete hain? .."
par ye kitab fansi ki prakriya se kahin jyada fansi dene vale ke antarman mein jhankati hai aur yahi is upanyas ka sabase sashakt pahalu bhi hai. kisi ko marana chahe vo aapaki dyooti ka hissa kyon na ho manasik roop se behad yantrana dene vala hota hai. aur janardan is yantrana se har fansi ke bad doobate utarate hain. kyon ye pesha chuna unhonne? pet palane ke liye isake aalava koee chara bhi to nahin tha. man ko samajhate hain. aakhirakar ve raja ke nirnay ka palan bhar kar rahe hain. vo raja jise dharati par bhagavan ka doot banakar bheja gaya hai. par kuchh salon ke bad jab janardan skool ke samay ke apane purane shikshak se milate hain to ve raja ke bhi ek samany insan hone ki asaliyat se vakif hote hain aur unake dil par hatya ka bojh har fansi ke bad badata chala jata hai.
par kisi ki jan lene ke pap se bachane ka dar sirf jallad ki pareshani ka sabab nahin tha,. khud raja bhi is pap ke bhagidar nahin banane ke liye ek alag tarah ki nautanki ko anjam dete the. lekhak ne is dilachasp prakaran ka khulasa apani pustak mein kiya hai.
ye pustak sabase pahale 1990 mein Hangman's Journal ke nam se angreji mein prakashit huee aur isaka hindi sanskaran pahali baar penguin books ne yatra books ke sahayog se 2006 mein nikala. is sanskaran ka angreji se anuvad kumudani pati ne kiya hai. is upanyas ka vishay kuchh aisa hai jo na chahate huye bhi aapako ye sochane ke liye majaboor kar deta hai ki fansi ke samay jan jane vale aur lene vale ki kya dasha hoti hai. par us baare mein bad mein bat karate hain pahale ye bataiye ki fansi lagane ki bat kahate huye kya aapane kabhi socha hai ki vastav mein ye prakriya hai kya? par lekhak pathak ko is duvidha mein jyada der nahin rakhate aur upanyas ka aagaj kuchh yoon karate hain...
"......ise patan kahate hain
isake liye jailoron ke paas ek laghu talika hoti hai, yah batane ke liye ki aparadhi vyakti gardan mein lage fande sahit kitani doori tak gire jise usaka kaam safaee se tamam ho. visheshajnyon ka kahana hai ki use utana hi girana chahiye ki usake veg se rassi usaki gardan tod de. yadi sharir adhik door girata hai to rassi usaki gardan mein dhans jati hai aur bahut sanbhav hai ki sir ko alag kar de. yadi sharir paryapt doori par nahin girata hai to gardan nahin tootegi aur vyakti ko dam ghutakar mitane mein kuchh minute lagenge...."
Janardan apane sansmaran mein kaee baar fansi dene ke pahale hone vali kavayad ka jikr karate hain. fansi ke takhte ka parikshan pahale bina vajan ke aur fir vajan ke sath kiya jata hai. jallad ka sabase pramukh kary hota hai rassi ki ganth ko sahi jagah lagana. ganth sahi jagah lagi to gardan turant tootati hai varna kaidi ki dam ghutakar dhire dhire maut hoti hai. purane jamane mein rassi khud jallad taiyar karata tha. rassi ka us hisse ko chikana rakhane ke liye jo gardan ko chhoota hai, makkhan ya rifanid tel ka is tarah istemal hota tha ki makkhan rassi ke reshon mein poori tarah sama jaye. ab to narm kapaas ka prayog hone laga hai.
takhta, livara, rassi ki janch ke bad livar chhoda jata hai to takhta niche divar se lagi paiding se takarata hai jo aavaj ko kam karane ke liye lagaya gaya hota hai. parikshan ho chuka hai. sab kuchh sahajata se sampann hone ke bad bhi janardan asahaj mahasoos kar rahe hain. ve janate hain ki aaj ki rat fansi lagane ke pahale vali rat koee kaidi unase aankhen nahin milayega. us rat janardan khud se saval poochhate hain
"..maut ko jivan se sahaj banane ke liye ham apane jivan ka itana samay kyoon laga dete hain? .."
par ye kitab fansi ki prakriya se kahin jyada fansi dene vale ke antarman mein jhankati hai aur yahi is upanyas ka sabase sashakt pahalu bhi hai. kisi ko marana chahe vo aapaki dyooti ka hissa kyon na ho manasik roop se behad yantrana dene vala hota hai. aur janardan is yantrana se har fansi ke bad doobate utarate hain. kyon ye pesha chuna unhonne? pet palane ke liye isake aalava koee chara bhi to nahin tha. man ko samajhate hain. aakhirakar ve raja ke nirnay ka palan bhar kar rahe hain. vo raja jise dharati par bhagavan ka doot banakar bheja gaya hai. par kuchh salon ke bad jab janardan skool ke samay ke apane purane shikshak se milate hain to ve raja ke bhi ek samany insan hone ki asaliyat se vakif hote hain aur unake dil par hatya ka bojh har fansi ke bad badata chala jata hai.
par kisi ki jan lene ke pap se bachane ka dar sirf jallad ki pareshani ka sabab nahin tha,. khud raja bhi is pap ke bhagidar nahin banane ke liye ek alag tarah ki nautanki ko anjam dete the. lekhak ne is dilachasp prakaran ka khulasa apani pustak mein kiya hai.
har mrtyudand ke thik pahle vale din dopahar tak usaki kshama yachana ki arji raja ke paas pesh ki jati thi. raja sham ko fansi ki saja ko aajivan karavas mein badal dete par unake is nirnay ko amal mein lane ke liye unaka harakara sooryoday ke bad nikalata taki jab tak vo jel tak pahunche, fansi lag chuki ho. pata nahin raja aisa karake kisako chhalava dete the par bechara jallad kya karata usake paas to in chhalavon ki dhal bhi nahin thi. isaliye to un di gaee fansiyon ke baare mein janardan sochana nahin chahata. use lekhak par krodh aata hai ki kyon unake chakkar mein pada. par sochana padata hai chetan man mein na sahi to achetan svapnil man se....
".....main pahale sidiyan dekhata hoon, betaratib patthar ki sidiyan, jo fansi ke takhte ke niche bane andhere kuyen ki or jati hain. .............fansi ke takhte para, fande ke thik niche nakab pahane aadami khada hai. usaki dharidar poshak kadak or taja hai. vah nakab kuchh ajib sa hai......... sudoor dhol ki aavaj tej hoti hai aur main samajh jata hoon ki kya gadabadi hai. nakab adhik chapata sa hai. kam se kam vo utha huaa hissa hona chahiye , jahan aadami ki nak uthati hai. ....antaradrshti se ek pal mein jan leta hoon ki nakab ke pichhe koee chehara nahin hai.
nakab hi chehara hai.
bhay gahara hota jata hai . mujhe yahan se kisi tarah bach nikalana hai. vah lohe ka daravaja mujhase lagabhag tis fut door hai par main daud nahin pa raha hoon. main bahut takalif ke sath dhire dhire daravaje tak pahunchata hoon, par yah kya? daravaje par bhari tala pada hai jise main hila nahin sakata.
kisi poorvabhas ke chalate mudata hoon. vahan chapate nakab vala aadami dikhata hai, usake hath pair poori tarah mukt hain. main apani gardan ke ird gird usake majaboot hathon ko kasata huaa mahasoos karata hoon. main sans nahin le pa raha... main aankhen band karane ki koshish karata hoon taki usaka chapata sa nakab meri aankhon se ojhal ho jaye, par lakh chahakar bhi ye sanbhav nahin ho pata. jaise jaise apane ghutanon par dhasakata jata hoon mujhe maloom hota hai ki meri chhati ke bhitar dil fat jayega...."
janardanaise svapn se achanak jag uthe hain. par apani purani yadon ko taja karane ke kram mein ye svapn aur bhayavah hote jate hain. aakhir kaun sa aparadh bodh unhen salata hai aur usase nikalane ke liye ve kis tarah apane aapako manasik roop se taiyar karate hain ? in baton se judi is rochak aur ek alag tarah ke upanyas ki charcha jari rahegi agali kadi mein ...
