ek zamaane kee baat hai, uttar pradesh ke chhaaya gaanv mein vaidy hareesh (jinhen sab baaba hareesh ke naam se jaanate the) poore ilaake mein ek “pratibhaashaalee” harbal dava vikreta ke roop mein mashahoor the. unaka daava tha ki unake paas jaaduee davaiyaan hain jo sardee-zukaam se lekar gambheer beemaariyon tak, har tarah kee beemaariyon ka ilaaj kar sakatee hain. gaanv vaale un par poora yakeen karate the, aur unake meethe daavon par shaayad hee kisee ko shak hota tha. baaba hareesh hamesha garv se kahate the ki sirf vahee un beemaariyon ka ilaaj kar sakate hain jinhen doosare doktar “haar maan chuke hain”.

lekin asal mein, hareesh koee jaaduee davaee nahin the. unake dvaara bechee jaane vaalee “jaaduee davaiyaan” zyaadaatar ghatiya zaree-bootee hotee theen, jinhen kabhee-kabhee kam daam aur aasaanee se bechane ke lie ganne kee cheenee aur saste aate mein bhee milaaya jaata tha. apanee chaturaee aur gaanv ke mele aur mandir mein “prachaar” ke kaamon kee badaulat, unhonne poore ilaake ko aankh moondakar apana vishvaas dila diya.

hareesh ke parivaar kee navavivaahit bahoo ananya ne pahalee baar “dava” ka mishran dekha. usane apane sasur ko paudar naapate aur chamakadaar lebal vaalee chhotee botalon mein daalate dekha, aur sihar uthee. ananya ne baaba kee upachaar kshamataon ke baare mein aphavaahen sunee theen, lekin jab usane apanee aankhon se sachchaee dekhee, to use ghrna huee.

antaraatma kee aavaaz sahan na kar paane ke kaaran, ananya unake paas gaee aur salaah dee:

“pitaajee, agar aap ye cheezen bechate rahe, to der-saver gaanv vaalon ko pata chal hee jaega. ham unhen hamesha ke lie bevakoof nahin bana sakate. agar aap nahin ruke, to main poore gaanv ko sach bata doongee.”

yah sunakar hareesh ka chehara thanda pad gaya, aur usane achaanak paudar kee pooree tokaree apanee bahoo ke chehare par phenk dee. dava har jagah gir gaee, dhool ud gaee, jisase ananya ko khaansee aur gala ghut gaya. vah ruka nahin. usakee aankhen chaakoo jaisee tez theen, aur vah gurraaya:

“agar toone apana munh khola, to main teree zindagee maut se bhee badatar bana doonga. mujhe tere parivaar ke baare mein sab kuchh pata hai. vo raaz jo too kabhee kisee ko nahin bataana chaahatee thee… tujhe isakee keemat chukaanee padegee.”

ananya ekadam sthir khadee rahee, usaka chehara peela pad gaya. khatara usake seene par kisee bhoot kee tarah bhaaree pad raha tha. usane kaanapur mein apane parivaar ke baare mein socha, hareesh kya kuchh aisa bata sakata hai jisase usakee zindagee barbaad ho jaegee. usaka ek hissa vidroh karana chaahata tha, lekin raaz bahut bada tha, bahut khataranaak.

jaise usake dar ko padhakar, hareesh zor se hansa:

“tumhen lagata hai ki main tumhen nukasaan pahunchaoonga? chinta mat karo. jab tak tum chup rahogee, main tumhaare parivaar kee “raksha” karoonga. lekin agar tum nahin maanogee, to sirf tum hee nahin, tumhaare saare rishtedaar is badale kee aag mein phans jaenge.”

ananya ek kadam peechhe hatee, lekin usaka dil ab pahale jaisa dara hua nahin tha. vah samajh gaee: chup rahane ka matalab mileebhagat hai. use safaee denee hee thee, sirf apanee antaraatma kee aavaaz ke lie nahin, balki isalie ki sachchaee saamane aanee zarooree thee.

aur phir, apratyaashit hua.

ek din, ananya ko achaanak pata chala ki hareesh na sirf nakalee davaen bech raha tha, balki ek bade paimaane par dhokhaadhadee mein bhee shaamil tha: ek “achchhe doktar” ka bhesh dhaaran kie, hareesh asal mein ek dhokhebaaz tha, jo shahar ke kaee saraganaon ke saath milakar nakalee davaen bech raha tha, “aayurvedik” lebal lagaakar nakalee davaen bech raha tha aur beemaaron ke dard se munaafa kama raha tha. ananya ne gaanv ke ek mukhiya (sarapanch) aur kuchh yuvakon ke saath milakar, thage gae kaee mareezon se gupt roop se sampark kiya aur saboot ikattha kie: khaalee dava kee botalen, saste paudar ke bil, graahak pustikaen, aur hareesh dvaara “sheyar” par saudebaazee kee odiyo rikording.

jis din panchaayat kee baithak huee, us din gaanv ke log gaanv ke mandir mein umad pade. sarapanch aur sthaaneey pulis ke saamane, ananya aur gavaahon ne sab kuchh pesh kiya. hareesh ne apanee daleelen pesh karate hue kaha ki yah “paarivaarik dava” hai. lekin jab nakalee lebal, paudar ke namoone aur bil saamane aae, to vah avaak rah gaya. aakhirakaar, zila adaalat ne dava kaanoon ke tahat bhaaree jurmaana lagaaya; is saazish ke peechhe ka netavark bhee ek-ek karake ujaagar hua.

lekin ananya ke lie isase bhee zyaada daraavanee baat yah thee ki hareesh usaka raaz bahut pahale se jaanata tha—jis raaz ka istemaal vah use niyantrit karane ke lie karata aa raha tha. ek puraana, aadha phata hua patr, kaanapur mein apane parivaar se milee ek karz kee raseed, aur kaee saal puraanee kuchh tasveeren… sab dava kee mez ke neeche ek lakadee ke bakse mein chhipe the. ananya ko chup rakhane ke lie hareesh ne unhen lagaam kee tarah thaame rakha.

ananya kaanp uthee, par giree nahin. usane lakadee ka baksa pulis ko saump diya, aur apane pati aur apane parivaar ko sab kuchh bata diya. jab sachchaee ka prakaash jala, to dar ka saaya usakee soch se bhee tezee se gaayab ho gaya.

tab se, chhaaya gaanv mein chamatkaaree davaiyaan khareedane ke lie logon kee kataaren nahin lagateen. saamudaayik svaasthy kendr ne har hafte muft chikitsa jaanch shuroo kar dee, aur baazaar mein hee nakalee davaon ke baare mein prachaar satr aayojit kie jaane lage. har baar jab vah us kamare ke paas se guzaratee jahaan hareesh paudar milaata tha, ananya ko halkaapan mahasoos hota: usane sahee paksh chuna tha—sachchaee ka paksh.

aur vah “rahasy” jo kabhee use baandhata tha? vah ab bhee ateet mein tha, lekin ab usakee koee taakat nahin thee. kyonki, jaisa ki ananya ne seekha, dar utana hee shaktishaalee hota hai jitana ki use chhipaana. jab sach saamane aata hai, to chaalaakee karane vaala apana chaabuk kho deta hai—aur samudaay jaag uthata hai.