'लघुकथा कलश' पुरुष लघुकथाकार विशेषांक (10वें अंक) में वरिष्ठ लघुकथाकार कर्मवीर सिंह सूरी जी की सात पंजाबी लघुकथाओं का हिंदी में अनुवाद पत्रिका के प्रधान संपादक योगराज प्रभाकर जी ने किया है। इस हिंदी अनुवाद से सुश्री कल्पना भट्ट जी ने इन लघुकथाओं का अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद किया है। इस बेहतरीन अनुवाद को पढ़िए।
Translated from 'Laghukatha Kalash' 10th edition
Anhad-naad (A State during Meditation)
That noble man , used to do ample worship. He would do chanting non-stop and for hours would go in deep meditation. He was least bothered about worldly affairs and he would often listen to eternal and strange sounds. The music so produced from these sounds was wonderful and melodious, as if many eternal music instruments were playing in an orchestra. The music so produced didn't seem to be from the materialistic world rather it seemed to be something else. Some renowned saint said that this is what Anhad-Naad is. He would often lose his consciousness while being seated in his office, he wouldn't hear to what others say. He would not understand even if phone on his table would ring. For this reason he had often got scolding from his boss. In traffic he wouldn't be able to hear any sound. He would walk in his own mood even though if any vehicle would produce horn, many a times he was saved from having met with an accident. He was compelled to take retirement on medical grounds.
That day he had reached into that state of meditation that he had knocked the seventh door of God . Luckily the door was opened for him and he was given a permission to get in. He had not yet crossed the doorpost that he was stunned looking at the scenario inside. Inside it was smoky and foggy all around, and lot of clouds to be seen. He was so frightened that he came out of it. He narrated all this to the saint as to what he had experienced. The saint called him as a fool and nescient and said,
"You are very unlucky and Unfortunate, God never opens His doors for anyone. It is a person like you who didn't enter into His room. You have made a blunder ! By going there you may have received so much of energy, you can't even imagine. You would have enriched yourself! Try once again, even the fate does not open doors again and again, my child! "
He tried again. But there was no chance of the doors to be opened . The result was that he was left with nowhere to go. He had become distracted and semi-neurotic. Every moment he would go on murmuring-"In dilemma both have I lost- a winter cherry as well as God.
-०-
Weird Character
Arvind would daily chase that character. He would feel his gestures and demeanour very strange. He was often seen alone. Arvind had got to know about the time he used to come out from his house. He too would come out of his house just after five-seven minutes and would start chasing him, because that character would normally pass-by in front of his house. He would secretly watch his activities. He saw that while enjoying his walk he reached to the Cremation Ground and sat there. There was a beautiful park therein, in which were different kinds of plants and trees and there was a benches to sit. People would have a walk in morning and evening, perform yoga and laughter club too was run in it. Arvind while chasing him wanted to see that what does he do? He was Arvind's character on which he wanted to pen down a story. After some days Arvind didn't see him. He felt restless and was eager as to why was he not able to see that character. One day Arvind observed that his character was secretly chasing him. Arvind couldn't wait and he approached him and gathered his courage to ask him,
"Brother, you have been chasing me since yesterday, may I know who are you? "
"I am a novelist, and what about you? "
"I am a story-writer. "
"Is it? So this is why you have been chasing me since last few days. "
Both of them were wandering in search of some different and special character. Both of them were staring at each other keenly, so that they could create an unique and inimitable creation. But the hunters themselves had become preys for each other.
-०-
A doll
Kamal handed over the story related to that girl to her for reading . The story had the moments which described their romantic days. He wanted to know that what would be the reaction of the girl after reading it, so as to know how much does the girl loves him! The girl read the whole story sitting alone. After reading the story written by him with deep love and having reality in it she asked,
"Mr. Writer! Is this a pure imagination or does it contain any reality also ?"
Hearing to the girl he was so shocked and perplexed, as if a lady has been asked about his child whether it is a real child or merely a doll."
-0-
Temple in a heart
It was evening. When Kamal had recently come out of his house after locking the door when he saw his friend Satendra coming towards him. Looking at him Kamal stopped.
"Where are you going brother?"
"I am going to temple, will you join me?"
"Temple? My temple is inside your house. And look at yourself you have locked the door and going to some other temple."
The rented house in which Kamal was residing, the house-owner's daughter was Satendra's beloved. He would find excuses and would often try to meet her. Kamal was a mode in between them, he was his support, so Satendra had a great respect for him. Kamal was fancy about his temple and so was Satendra. Kamal walked towards the temple and Satendra followed him.
Kamal entered into the temple to worship while poor Satendra waited for him so that he could accompany him back homewards. Because he knew that if it was late then he won't be able to meet his beloved . When Kamal came out of the temple Satendra sadly told him, "Well brother, I shall go now. I failed to meet her today but , I could see her in you." He went away like a lost gambler.
After coming from temple Kamal didn't feel peaceful today rather he was in guilt and repentance, as if something was cracking within him. It seemed to be as if he had broken some pious thing -by separating two love-birds.
-०-
Branches
Rajesh introduced his friend to his father ,
"Papa, he is my class-fellow, his grandfather was Shri. Prakash Singh Mastana, a well renowned classical singer. You must have heard about him."
"Oh, well so he is his grandson." Rajesh's father looked at him excitedly, happily and respectfully, as if he had witnessed somebody so special and extraordinary.
"Son, does anybody else in your family sing?" Father asked him eagerly.
"Oh yes, my father and I do singing. We sing Sufi and folk-songs." He proudly said.
"But no one can beat your grandfather the way he had earned name and fame. Why haven't your names come up ?"
Rajesh's class fellow felt a bit hesitant. The remaining part was completed by Rajesh,
"Papa, his grandfather was like a Banyan tree, these people are merely his shadow. He was Rajpath while these are only sidewalks, in other words they are on path reaching nowhere."
-०-
Writers are dangerous
As such very rarely did Dalbir speak any lie, but in New-Year he took an oath that he would never lie throughout his lifetime. Killing of innocents, hidden activities of religious leaders, their hunger for getting a chair, bribes at each and every corners, women molestation and unemployment had made the entire atmosphere venomous throughout the country. For Dalbir there was sorrow all around , there was grief everywhere. Sometimes he would feel to cry openly because he was a man of emotion and was gentle hearted . But neither time nor circumstances supported him. He was killing himself and was trying to postpone this work-just like files of some office clerk.
So irritatingly he applied for two weeks leave from his government office. In the leave form he wrote in the column of 'Reason' - 'I wish to cry openly.' Looking at his Leave Form, one of his colleague said, "Crazy fellow, mention some serious reason, let it be a lie . What is this reason that you have mentioned that you wish to cry openly. Does a man cry ever?"
"No, yaar, I shall not write a lie, I shall mention only a real reason."
"Write 'wander' instead of 'crying', rest all is O.K. your leave will be sanctioned soon."
But he didn't change the reason. According to the procedure his officer forwarded his leave application to the higher authorities. The higher authority summoned the officer and asked, "Do you know that this man is a writer?"
"Yes, I do!"
"Once he will cry out, his heart would get lighter like a flower. Then he would target us all and will bother us .He would make us all cry and watch us like a spectacular, and would write against the management. May be you are not aware that these writers are very dangerous creatures."
"But some remarks will have to be mentioned on his leave application."
"Don't you worry, I shall write that because of excessive work load the leave can't be sanctioned."
-०-
Rare
"You always stay aghast, dear , have you lost something?"
"No dear, it is not so."
"Whenever I see you in a party or some function, you always seemed to be lost. You are my childhood friend. For God's sake take pity on me, share your secret open heartedly so that you will feel bit better."
"It is very difficult to change one's habit my dear friend, this is not in our hands."
"But, formally you were not as now, do I know you from recent time? Your face discloses whether you are sad, happy or either you are hiding something from me."
"You are acting Stubbornly like a child, yaar. Actually I am in search of a person having such a face who is similar outside and within. But this type of people have become rare these days. "
Now that both of them were keenly staring at each other, as if they were searching something and it seemed that they wanted to start their story with them.
-0-
English translation by
- Kalpana Bhatt, Bhopal
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