Aik dafa ka zikr hai ke aik badshah salamat shadeed 'depression' ka shikar ho gaye. Wajah yeh nahi thi ke shahi khazana khali tha, balkeh dukh is baat ka tha ke ra'aya itni sabir-o-shakir aur dheeth waqay hui thi ke darbar mein koi shikayat le kar aata hi nahi tha. Badshah ko apna iqtedar boring lagne laga ke bhai, agar awam roye peete gi nahi toh hum tasalliyan de kar apna siyasi qad kaise barhayen ge? Us ne foran apne mushiron ki hangami meeting bulai aur hukum diya, "Koi aisa jugaar lagao ke awam ki cheekhen niklen aur woh rote peet te darbar ka rukh karen!"

Waziron ne apna riwayati 'bureaucratic' dimagh laraya aur mashwara diya, "Huzoor! Sheher ke iklote pul par, jahan se sab ka rozmara ka guzar hota hai, wahan 100 rupay fi banda 'guzargah tax' laga den." Badshah ne khushi khushi manzoori de di. Kai din guzar gaye, awam chup chap 100 rupay nikal kar pul paar karti rahi, darbar mein badastoor sannata chaya raha.

Badshah ko ghussa aaya, bola, "Tax seedha 200 rupay kar do!" Phir bhi awam ke mathe par shikan tak na aayi.

Ab badshah ki ana ko chot lagi, us ne naya shahi farman jari kiya: "Ab 200 rupay wasooli ke saath, har guzarne wale ko aik adad 'litter' (joota) bhi bator raseed mara jaye!"

Lekin kamal ki baat yeh hai ke awam ne is 'relief package' ko bhi bakhushi qubool kar liya. Na koi hartal, na koi dharna.

Aakhirkar badshah ka para high ho gaya. Us ne ghazabnak ho kar hatmi ordinance jari kiya, "Ab 200 rupay bhi poore lo, aur pul se guzarne wale har shakhs ki 'tashreef' par do, do joote poori quwat se mare jayen, phir usse aage jane diya jaye!"

Yeh nuskha aakhir kar kaam kar gaya. Kuch din baad shehriyon ka aik hujoom rota dhota darbar mein pesh hua. Badshah ki bachhen khil gayin, seena chaura kar ke wazir se kaha, "Poocho is mazloom shehri se, kya zulm hua hai is par?"

Aik moazziz shehri ne nihayat adab se hath jor kar arz kiya, "Badshah salamat! Baqi sab toh first class hai, aap ka tax bhi sar aankhon par aur yeh jo do joote marne wali policy hai, yeh bhi sehat ke liye lajawab hai. Shikayat bas itni hai ke aap ne joote marne ke liye pul par sirf aik hi sarkari mulazim rakha hua hai, jis ki wajah se rush bohot lag jata hai. Meherbani farma kar joote marne wale amle ki tadad barha den taake teezi se chhatrol ho sake aur hamara qeemti waqt zaya na ho!"

Sabaq aur mojooda halaat:

Yeh lateefa nahi, darasal hamari pyari Pakistani awam ki woh shandar nafsiati tasweer hai jis mein ab sirf 'chhatron' ki kami reh gayi hai. Humein mehengai, taxoon aur zillat se koi khas masla nahi, bas humein is zillat ki qatar mein zyada der khara na kiya jaye. Hamari bas yahi ilteja hai ke humein jaldi se chhatar maren taake hum apne kaam par ja saken! Aur sachi baat toh yeh hai ke ab toh shayad chhatron ki barsaat bhi is qaum ke soye hue wajood ko jhanjhorne ke liye na kafi hai.

Manqool