Āstar 2
naee malika kee talaash
1baad men jab baadshaah ka ghussa thanda ho gaya to malika usay dubaara yaad aanay lagee. jo kuchh vashtee nay kiya tha aur jo faisla us kay baaray men hua tha vah bhee us kay zahen men ghoomta raha. 2phir us kay mulaazimon nay khayaal pesh kiya, “kyoon na pooree saltanat men shahenshaah kay liyay khoobsoorat kunvaariyaan talaash kee jaaen? 3baadshaah apnee saltanat kay har soobay men afsar muqarrar karen jo yah khoobsoorat kunvaariyaan chun kar sosan kay qilaay kay zanaankhaanay men laaen. unhen zanaankhaanay kay inchaarj haija khwaajaasara kee nigraanee men day diya jaaay aur un kee khoobsoortee badhaanay kay liyay rang nikhaarnay ka har zarooree tareeqa istemaal kiya jaaay. 4phir jo ladkee baadshaah ko sab say ziyaada pasand aaay vah vashtee kee jagah malika ban jaaay.”
yah mansooba baadshaah ko achchha laga, aur us nay aisa hee kiya.
5us vaqt sosan kay qilaay men binyameen kay qabeelay ka ek yahoodee raheta tha jis ka naam mardkee bin yaaeer bin simaee bin qees tha. 6mardkee ka khaandaan un israaeeliyon men shaamil tha jin ko baabal ka baadshaah nabookadnazzar yahoodaah kay baadshaah yahooyaakeen [a] ibraanee men yahooyaakeen ka mutraadif yakooniyaah mustaamal hai. kay saath jilaavatan karkay apnay saath lay gaya tha. 7mardkee kay chacha kee ek nihaayat khoobsoorat betee banaam hadassaah thee jo aastar bhee kahelaatee thee. us kay vaalidain kay marnay par mardkee nay usay lay kar apnee betee kee haisiyat say paal liya tha.
8jab baadshaah ka hukm saadir hua to bahut see ladkiyon ko sosan kay qilaay men la kar zanaankhaanay kay inchaarj haija kay sapurd kar diya gaya. aastar bhee un ladkiyon men shaamil thee. 9vah haija ko pasand aaee balki usay us kee khaas meharbaanee haasil huee. khwaajaasara nay jaldee jaldee banaao-singaar ka silsila shuroo kiya, khaanay-peenay ka munaasib intizaam karvaaya aur shaahee mahel kee saat chuneeda naukraaniyaan aastar kay havaalay kar deen. rihaaish kay liyay aastar aur us kee ladkiyon ko zanaankhaanay kay sab say achchhay kamray diay gaay.
10aastar nay kisee ko naheen bataaya tha ki main yahoodee aurat hoon, kyoonki mardkee nay usay hukm diya tha ki is kay baaray men khaamosh rahay. 11har din mardkee zanaankhaanay kay sahen say guzarta taaki aastar kay haal ka pata karay aur yah ki us kay saath kya kya ho raha hai.
12-13 akhasverus baadshaah say milnay say pahelay har kunvaaree ko baarah maheenon ka muqarrara banaao-singaar karvaana tha, chhah maah mur kay tel say aur chhah maah balsaan kay tel aur rang nikhaarnay kay deegar tareeqon say. jab usay baadshaah kay mahel men jaana tha to zanaankhaanay kee jo bhee cheez vah apnay saath lena chaahatee usay dee jaatee.
14shaam kay vaqt vah mahel men jaatee aur aglay din usay subah kay vaqt doosray zanaankhaanay men laaya jaata jahaan baadshaah kee daashtaaen shaashjaz khwaajaasara kee nigraanee men rahetee theen. is kay baad vah phir kabhee baadshaah kay paas na aatee. usay sirf isee soorat men vaapas laaya jaata ki vah baadshaah ko khaas pasand aatee aur vah us ka naam lay kar usay bulaata.
aastar malika ban jaatee hai
15hotay hotay aastar bint abeekhail kee baaree aaee (abeekhail mardkee ka chacha tha, aur mardkee nay us kee betee ko lepaalak bana liya tha). jab aastar say poochha gaya ki aap zanaankhaanay kee kya cheezen apnay saath lay jaana chaahatee hain to us nay sirf vah kuchh lay liya jo haija khwaajaasara nay us kay liyay chuna. aur jis nay bhee usay dekha us nay usay saraaha. 16chunaanchay usay baadshaah kee hukoomat kay saatven saal kay dasven maheenay banaam tebat men akhasverus kay paas mahel men laaya gaya.
17baadshaah ko aastar doosree ladkiyon kee nisbat kaheen ziyaada piyaaree lagee. deegar tamaam kunvaariyon kee nisbat usay us kee khaas qabooliyat aur meharbaanee haasil huee. chunaanchay baadshaah nay us kay sar par taaj rakh kar usay vashtee kee jagah malika bana diya. 18mauqay kee khushee men us nay aastar kay ezaaz men badee ziyaafat kee. tamaam shurfa aur afsaron ko daavat dee gaee. saath saath soobon men kuchh taikson kee muaafee ka elaan kiya gaya aur fayyaazee say tuhfay taqseem kiay gaay.
mardkee baadshaah ko bachaata hai
19jab kunvaariyon ko ek baar phir jama kiya gaya to mardkee shaahee sahen kay darvaazay men baitha thaa [b] shaahee sahen kay darvaazay men shaahee intizaamiya thee, is liyay ain mumkin hai ki mardkee shaahee mulaazim ho. . 20aastar nay ab tak kisee ko naheen bataaya tha ki main yahoodee hoon, kyoonki mardkee nay yah bataanay say mana kiya tha. pahelay kee tarah jab vah us kay ghar men rahetee thee ab bhee aastar us kee har baat maantee thee.
21ek din jab mardkee shaahee sahen kay darvaazay men baitha tha to do khwaajaasara banaam bigtaan aur tarash ghussay men a kar akhasverus ko qatl karnay kee saazishen karnay lagay. donon shaahee kamron kay paheredaar thay. 22mardkee ko pata chala to us nay aastar ko khabar pahunchaaee jis nay mardkee ka naam lay kar baadshaah ko ittila dee. 23muaamalay kee tafteesh kee gaee to durust saabit hua, aur donon mulaazimon ko phaansee day dee gaee. yah vaaqia baadshaah kee maujoodgee men us kitaab men darj kiya gaya jis men rozaana us kee hukoomat kay ahem vaaqiaat likhay jaatay thay.