Lohengrin aur Sundar Elsa

Brabant ki yuva Duchess, Sundar Elsa, shikar ke liye jangal mein gayi thi. Wah apne sevakon se alag ho gayi thi aur ek chaudi shakha wale linden ped ke neeche aaram karne baith gayi.

Wah bahut chintit thi, kyunki kai raja aur rajkumar usse shaadi ka prastav kar rahe the. Sabse adhik aagrah karta tha aparjit veer, Count Telramund, jo uske poorv sanrakshak tha aur apne pita ki mrityu ke baad se rajya par kadi nazar rakhta tha. Apni mrityu shayya par, duke ne Telramund se wada kiya tha ki agar Elsa raazi ho to wah use apni patni bana sakta hai. Telramund use is wade ki yaad dilata rehta tha. Lekin Elsa aise rishte ke soch se hi sharm se laal ho jaati thi, kyunki Telramund ek kathor yoddha tha, jo apni kriurta ke liye nafrat aur apni taakat ke liye bhaya jata tha. Aur buri baat yeh thi ki wah ab King Henry of Saxony ke darbar mein tha, use yudh aur isse bhi buri aafaton ki dhamki de raha tha.

Linden ped ki chhaya mein, Elsa ne yeh sab socha aur apni akelepan par taras khaya, kyunki uske paas koi bhai ya dost nahi tha jo uske saath khada ho. Tab pakshiyon ka madhur geet use santwana deta hua laga, aur wah halki neend mein kho gayi. Jaise wah sapna dekh rahi thi, use laga ki ek yuva knight van ke gehrai se nikal kar aaya. Ek chhoti si chandi ki ghanti uthate hue, usne mitrata se kaha:

"Agar kabhi meri madad ki zaroorat ho, to bas ise bajana."

Elsa ne woh trinket lene ki koshish ki, lekin wah na uth sakti thi aur na hi uske badhaye hue hath tak pahunch sakti thi. Tab wah jaag gayi.

Is drishya par vichar karte hue, Elsa ne dekha ki ek falcon uske sir ke upar chakkar laga raha hai. Wah paas aaya aur aakhir mein uske kandhe par baith gaya. Uske gale mein ek ghanti latki thi bilkul waisi hi jaise usne sapne mein dekhi thi. Usne use dheela kiya, aur jaise hi usne aisa kiya, woh pakshi upar utha aur ud gaya. Lekin uske hath mein woh chhoti ghanti abhi bhi thi, aur uski aatma mein nayi aasha aur shanti thi.

Jab wah mahal mein lautee, to usne ek sandesh paya jisme use Rhine kinare Cologne mein king ke samne pesh hone ka aadesh diya gaya tha. Uchch shaktiyon ke sanrakshan mein poora bharosa rakhkar, usne bina kisi hichkichahat ke aagya ka palan kiya. Shandaar paridhan mein, kai anuyayiyon ke saath, wah rawana hui.

King Henry insaaf pasand aadmi tha aur wah insaaf karta tha, lekin uske rajya ko bearbar Huns ke hamlon se nirantar khatra tha. Is karan se, wah woh karna chahta tha jo shaktishali Count Telramund ki kripa jite. Lekin jab usne Elsa ko uski poori sundarta aur masoomiyat mein dekha, to wah jhijhak gaya.

Abhiyogta ne teen aadmi pesh kiye jinhone gavahi di ki duchess ne apne ek jageerdar ke saath ek gupt rishta banaya tha. In teenon mein se sirf do log jhuthi gavahi dene wale sabit hue; teesre ki gavahi vaidh lagti thi, haalanki wah use doshi thehrane ke liye kaafi nahi thi.

Tab Telramund ne apni talwar pakdi, chillakar kaha ki khud bhagwan hi nyaykarta hon aur ek duels is mamle ka faisla kare. Isliye ek duels teen din baad hone ka aayojan kiya gaya.

Elsa ne rajkumaron ke mandal par nazar daali, lekin usne kisi ko bhi apni masoomiyat ke bachav mein talwar nahi pakadte dekha. Shaktishali yoddha ka bhay sabke mann mein tha.

Chhoti ghanti ko yaad karte hue, usne use apni jeb se nikala aur bajaya. Uski spasht dhwani ne sannata toda aur door pahadon tak pahunchti hui aur bhi tez hoti gayi.

"Mera champion muqable mein aayega," usne kaha. Count ne ek uphaasya bhara hansi nikali jisne sabke dilon mein gahra bhay bhar diya.

Mukabale ka din aa gaya. King apne uchch sinhasan par baitha tha aur us shaanadar nadi ko dekh raha tha jo apni prachand dhara ke saath ghaati se behti thi. Rajkumar aur veer yoddha ekatrit the. Unke samne Telramund kavach mein dhala khada tha, aur uske bagal mein abhiyukta Elsa, prakriti ke har shringar se sajji hui thi.

Teen baar shaktishali veer ne kisi ko abhiyukta ladki ka champion ban kar samne aane ki challenge di, lekin koi nahi hila. Tab Rhine se madhur sangeet ki dhwani uthi. Door kuch chandimay chamak raha tha, aur jaise jaise wah paas aaya, saaf ho gaya ki wah ek chandi ke pankhon wala hans hai. Wah ek chandi ki zanjeer ke saath ek chhoti nauka kheen rha tha jisme ek kavach mein lapta hua soya hua knight pada tha.

Jab nauka kinare lagi, knight jaag utha, utha, aur sone ke seemh ko teen baar phoonka. Yeh signal tha ki wah challenge swikar kar raha hai. Tezi se wah yuddh kshetr mein aaya.

"Tumhara naam aur vansh?" herald ne chillakar poocha.

"Mera naam Lohengrin hai," ajanabi ne jawab diya, "mera vansh rajshahi hai; isse adhik batana aavashyak nahi hai."

"Bahut hai," king ne beech mein bolkar kaha, "bhadrata tumhare maathe par likhi hai."

Turahi ne yuddh shuru karne ka sanket diya. Telramund ke war aise barse jaise ole, lekin achanak ajanabi knight utha aur ek bhayankar war se count ka helmet phaad diya aur uska sir kaat diya.

"Bhagwan ne faisla kar diya," king ne kaha. "Uska nyay sahi hai. Lekin aap, mahaan knight, humari barbar jhund ke khilaf campaign mein madad karenge aur us detachment ke neta honge jo sundar duchess Brabant se bhejegi."

Lohengrin ne khushi se swikar kar liya, aur ekatrit logon ke harsha ke naaron ke beech, wah Elsa ke paas gaya, jisne use apna uddharta ke roop mein swagat kiya.

Lohengrin ne Elsa ko wapas Brabant pahunchaya, aur raste mein unke dilon mein prem jaag utha, aur wah jaangaye ki wah ek dusre ke liye hi the. Antwerp ke mahal mein, unki sagai hui, aur kuch hafton baad shaadi ho gayi. Jaise hi dulhan-dulha cathedral se nikal rahe the, Lohengrin ne Elsa se kaha:

"Ek baat main tujhse kehna chahta hoon, aur woh yeh hai ki tu kabhi mere vansh ke baare mein poochhna nahi, kyunki jis ghadi tu yeh prashn karegi, mujhe nishchit roop se tujhse alag hona hoga."

Samaroh ke turant baad hi King Henry ki sevani ki pukar aayi. Elsa apne pati aur uske sainyon ke saath Cologne gayi, jahan rajya ke sabhi count ekatrit the. Lohengrin ke baare mein kai jaanch padi, aur jab kisi ko bhi uska vansh nahi maloom tha, to kuch jalte hue dave karte hain ki wah ek murtipujak jaadugar ka beta hai aur woh apni jeet kali vidyaon ki shakti se haasil karta hai.

Elsa, jo in aaropon ki afwabein sun chuki thi, ko gahra dukh hua, kyunki wah apne pati ke mahaan dil ko jaanti thi. Usne to uski suraksha ki chinta bhi is ashwasan se door kar di thi ki wah insani shakti se badhkar shaktiyon ke sanrakshan mein hai.

Lekin wah apne mann se buri afwabein nahi nikaal payi, aur apne pati ne shaadi ke din jo chetavani di thi use bhool kar, wah uske pairon par giri aur usse uska janm poochha.

"Priya patni," wah bade dukh se charraya, "ab main tujhe aur king ko aur sabhi ekatrit rajkumaron ko woh bataunga jo main abhi tak gupt rakhta tha. Lekin jaanti reh ki humare alag hone ka samay a gaya hai."

Tab veer ne apni kaanpti patni ko king aur uske rajkumaron ke samne le gaya jo Rhine ke kinare ekatrit the.

"Main Parsifal ka beta hoon," usne kaha, "Parsifal ka beta, jo Grail ke rakshak hain. Main khushi se aapki madad karta, O King, barbar jhund ke khilaf aapke yuddh mein, lekin ek anivarya bhaagya mujhe bulata hai. Aap phir bhi vijayi honge, aur aapki santaane ke adheen Germany ek shaktishali rashtra banega."

Jab usne bolna samapt kiya, to gahra sannata chha gaya, aur tab, jaise uske aane par, sangeet ki dhwani uthi—is baar harsha se bhara nahi, balki gambhir, jaise mritakon ki kabar par koi ghaat. Wah paas aayi, aur phir wohi hans aur nauka dikhayi diye.

"Alvida, priye," Lohengrin ne chillakar kaha, apni patni ko gale lagate hue. "Maine tujhe aur tere sundar dharti ke desh ko bahut pyar kiya; ab ek uchch kartavya mujhe bula raha hai."

Roti hui, Elsa usse lipti rahi. Lekin hans ka geet aur tez hua, jaise ek chetavani. Wah khud ko chhudakar nauka mein kadam rakh diya. Kya woh mrityu aur vinasah ki nauka thi, ya sirf woh nauka jo dhanon ko Grail ke pavitra sthan par le jaati thi? Kisi ko nahi pata tha.

Elsa, akele aur udaas, alag hone ke baad adhik samay tak jeevit nahi rahi. Uski ekmatra aasha yeh thi ki wah apne priye pati se phir mil payegi, aur usne apni jaan khushi se de di, jaise dharti ke anya bacche karte hain jab woh apni sabse priy cheez kho dete hain.