Meera:
Ek chhota sa gaon tha, jahan ek chanchal ladki, Meera, rehti thi. Meera gaon ke paas ek gufa mein ek ajeeb si ped ke paas khelne ka shauk rakhti thi. Ped ka rang gehra hara tha aur uski pattiyan chamak rahi thi, jaise woh kuch kehna chahta ho.
Ek din, Meera us ped ke paas jaati hai aur
muskurati hui bolti hai, "Kya tumhein bura lagta hai jab log tumhe kaat
kar apne ghar ki sajawat ke liye istemal karte hain?"
Ped ki pattiyan harkat karti hain aur uski awaaz
se Meera ko surprise hota hai. Ped kehte hain, "Haan, mujhe bahut bura
lagta hai. Main bhi zindagi jeena chahta hoon jaise tum log karte ho."
Meera hairan ho jaati hai lekin phir kehti hai,
"Lekin tum to ek ped ho, tumhein to yahi rehna hota hai na?"
Ped kehte hain, "Dekh, yeh sahi hai ki main
ek ped hoon, lekin mujhe bhi jeene ka ehsaas hota hai. Main bhi khush rehna
chahta hoon aur apne nazariye se duniya ko dekhna chahta hoon."
Meera ped ko samajhne ki koshish karti hai aur
kehti hai, "Main tumhari madad kar sakti hoon. Chalo, ek tarika hai jisse
hum tumhe ek insaan bana sakte hain."
Meera apne bag se apni sketchbook aur crayons
nikalti hai. Usne ped ki tasveer banayi jisse woh ek sahaj insaan ki tasveer
lagne lage.
Jaise hi Meera tasveer ko ped ke paas rakh deti hai, kuch jadui harkatein shuru ho jaati hain. Ped ki pattiyan ek-dusre ke upar jhoomne lagti hain, aur woh tasveer se bahar nikal kar ek chanchal ladka ban jaata hai.
Ladka muskurata hua Meera ko dekhta hai aur kehta
hai, "Dhanyavaad, Meera! Ab main bhi ek insaan hoon aur apni khushiyan jee
sakta hoon."
Meera aur ladka ek-dusre se dosti kar lete hain. Ladka bataata hai ki woh ek aatma tha jo ped mein band tha, lekin Meera ki madad se usne ek naya jeevan paaya.
Meera ke saath bitaye dinon mein, ladka pyaare sa
gaanv ko dekh kar khush hota hai. Uski dosti se, uske andar ek nayi khushi ka
ehsaas hota hai, kyun ki ab woh ek asli insaan ban gaya hai.
