Nirmal Verma

Noted Hindi Writer, Nirmal Verma, passed away on late tuesday night. I have read some of his short stories at my school-time from my Nana's library because I got to know of something called Nayi Kahani from my Hindi Teacher. I don't even remember how I felt then but today when I read about him, his writings and some passages from his short stories and novels, I understood why his works broke new grounds in Hindi Literature.

Here are some excepts from his famous works for those who are as ignorant as I was.

Antim Aranye

.....Jab kuch log kehte hain ki woh ek din ke baad doosre din mein rehte hain, us samay unka matlab ye hi hota hai, ki woh ek hi din mein rehte hain, jo chalta rehta hai. Jab main chota tha, tab ek baar maine apni garmi ki chuttiyaan ek chote se kasbaati station mein gujaari thi. Vahah mere chacha station master the. Main dekha karta tha ki rail ke dibbe jo puraane ho jaate the, unhe ek choti line par kada kar diya jata tha. Rail gadiyaan aati aur unhe chodd kar dhardarati hui aage badh jaati. Un khaali dibboon mein hum luka-chippi ka khel khelte the. Kabhi kabhi vahah hume anokhi cheeje mil jaati. Kissi aadmi ka muffler, seat ke neeche dubka kissi ladki ka sandal, ek baar to mujhe ek musafir ki phati puraani notebook bhi mili thi, jis mein paanch rupiye ka cheekat note daba tha, par sabse vismayekaari smrite syam us rail ke dibbe ki thi jo rail ki patri par khada hua bhi kahin nahin jata tha.

Raat ka reporter

.....Us raat woh theek se nahin so saka. Darwaaze par thoda sa bhi khatka hota to woh chonk jata. Jeene ka darwaja kholkar woh bahar jhankta, to saari gali sunsaan dikhaayi deti. Sirf kahi door andhere mein chowkidaar ki lathi ki
thak-thak sunayi deti, woh laut aata, apne kamre main aane se pehle ek baar maa ke kamre mein jhaank leta. Gulmul si chadar oodh kar farsh par leti thi, sirhaane ke paas surahi aur peeche sandook jo unki kissi puraani peeli saari mein dhake the. Maa ne un sandookoon ko chippa kar ek ooche shinghasan mein badal diya tha. Shinghasan par unke thakurji viraajmaan hote the, jo nirantar us pariwaar ki oonc-neech dekhte aa rahe the. Kintu ab unki chutti door nahin thi. Ab thakurji kafi aashwasth dekhayi dete the, kyunki unhe maaloom tha ki yeh antim peedhi hai, iske aake kuch nahin dekhna padega. Rishi apne kamre mein laut aata aur bina batti jalaye apne bistar pe baith jaata. Lait jaane ki himmat nahin hoti, makaan ke khaali kounoon se aati har aawaaj ek andesha jaan padti thi. Use puraane note, reports, lekh aur patr itne khatarnaak nahin jaan padte the, jitne woh bedh jo har puraane makaan mein ekkathha ho jaate hain, hum deeri deeri unke saath rehna seekh lete hain, lekin har bhed ka ek suraag hota hai, jaise taale ki taabi, jisse koi bhi bahar ka aadmi khol sakta hai, khol bhi le to kya dekhenge, teen-chaar gujri huyi zindagiyoon ka ateet, jo ek makaan ki char-deewari ke beech daba tha.

Read more on him here.