Āstar 5
aastar baadshaah aur haamaan ko daavat detee hai
1teesray din aastar malika apna shaahee libaas pahenay huay mahel kay androonee sahen men daakhil huee. yah sahen us haal kay saamnay tha jis men takht laga tha. us vaqt baadshaah darvaazay kay muqaabil apnay takht par baitha tha. 2aastar ko sahen men khadee dekh kar vah khush hua aur sonay kay shaahee asa ko us kee taraf badha diya. tab aastar qareeb aaee aur asa kay siray ko chhoo diya. 3baadshaah nay us say poochha, “aastar malika, kya baat hai? aap kya chaahatee hain? main usay denay kay liyay tayyaar hoon, khwaah saltanat ka aadha hissa kyoon na ho!”
4aastar nay javaab diya, “main nay aaj kay liyay ziyaafat kee tayyaariyaan kee hain. agar baadshaah ko manzoor ho to vah haamaan ko apnay saath lay kar us men shirkat karen.”
5baadshaah nay apnay mulaazimon ko hukm diya, “jaldee karo! haamaan ko bulaao taaki ham aastar kee khwaahish pooree kar saken.” chunaanchay baadshaah aur haamaan aastar kee tayyaarshuda ziyaafat men shareek huay. 6mai pee pee kar baadshaah nay aastar say poochha, “ab mujhay bataaen, aap kya chaahatee hain? vah aap ko diya jaaega. apnee darakhwaast pesh karen, kyoonki main saltanat kay aadhay hissay tak aap ko denay kay liyay tayyaar hoon.”
7aastar nay javaab diya, “meree darakhwaast aur aarzoo yah hai, 8agar baadshaah mujh say khush hon aur unhen meree guzaarish aur darakhwaast pooree karna manzoor ho to vah kal ek baar phir haamaan kay saath ek ziyaafat men shirkat karen jo main aap kay liyay tayyaar karoon. phir main baadshaah ko javaab doongee.”
mardkee ko qatl karnay kay liyay haamaan kee tayyaariyaan
9us din jab haamaan mahel say nikla to vah bada khush aur zindaadil tha. lekin phir us kee nazar mardkee par pad gaee jo shaahee sahen kay darvaazay kay paas baitha tha. na vah khada hua, na haamaan ko dekh kar kaamp gaya. haamaan laal-peela ho gaya, 10lekin apnay aap par qaaboo rakh kar vah chala gaya.
ghar pahunch kar vah apnay doston aur apnee beevee zarish ko apnay paas bula kar 11un kay saamnay apnee zabardast daulat aur mut’addid beton par shekhee maarnay laga. us nay unhen un saaray mauqon kee faherist sunaaee jin par baadshaah nay us kee izzat kee thee aur fakhar kiya ki baadshaah nay mujhay tamaam baaqee shurfa aur afsaron say ziyaada ooncha uhda diya hai. 12haamaan nay kaha, “na sirf yah, balki aaj aastar malika nay aisee ziyaafat kee jis men baadshaah kay ilaava sirf main hee shareek tha. aur mujhay malika say kal kay liyay bhee daavat milee hai ki baadshaah kay saath ziyaafat men shirkat karoon. 13lekin jab tak mardkee yahoodee shaahee mahel kay sahen kay darvaazay par baitha nazar aata hai main chain ka saans naheen loonga.”
14us kee beevee zarish aur baaqee azeezon nay mashvra diya, “soolee banvaaen jis kee oonchaaee 75 fut ho. phir kal subah-saveray baadshaah kay paas ja kar guzaarish karen ki mardkee ko us say latkaaya jaaay. is kay baad aap tasallee say baadshaah kay saath ja kar ziyaafat kay mazay lay saktay hain.” yah mansooba haamaan ko achchha laga, aur us nay soolee tayyaar karvaaee.