लेखककी जिन्दगी
लंदनमें एक निर्धन बालक रहता था। उसे पेट भरनेके लिये कई तरहके काम करने पड़ते थे। इसलिये वह नियमित स्कूल नहीं जा पाता था। उसकी स्कूली शिक्षा टुकड़ोंमें होती रही। लेकिन समय मिलनेपर वह किताबें लेकर बैठ जाता और उन्हें पढ़नेकी कोशिश करता। कुछ न समझ आनेपर भी वह पढ़ता रहता । वह अपने-जैसे दो लड़कोंके साथ एक दड़बेनुमा कमरेमें रहता था, जहाँ वे दोनों बालक कामसे फुर्सत पाकर मनोरंजनमें लग जाते, वहीं वह किताबोंमें लगा रहता । कई बार वे उसे छेड़ते हुए कहते- ‘अरे कामसे थक हारकर व्यक्तिका मन करता है कि वह घूमे-फिरे, अच्छा खाना खाये, लेकिन तुम तो किताब उठाकर बैठ जाते हो।’ एक दिन उनमेंसे एक लड़का व्यंग्य करते हुए बोला- ‘लगता है यह इन किताबों के माध्यमसे ही इतिहास रचेगा।’ दोनोंकी बातें सुनकर वह बालक मुसकराकर चुप हो जाता और फिर पढ़ने लग जाता। धीरे-धीरे उसने लिखना भी शुरू कर दिया। उसे अपने लिखनेपर बिलकुल भरोसा न था । वह इन्हीं दोनों लड़कोंको अपनी रचनाएँ दिखाता। लड़के कभी उसकी रचनाकी तारीफ करते तो कभी मजाक उड़ाते । उसने अपनी कहानियोंको छपनेके लिये भेजना शुरू किया। उसकी कहानियाँ अस्वीकृत होती रहीं, लेकिन उसने हिम्मत न हारी। तभी उसकी एक कहानी अखबार में छप गयी। इससे उसका आत्मविश्वास मजबूत हुआ। फिर उसकी कहानियाँ रहीं तथा उसे सम्पादकों और पाठकोंसे प्रशंसा एवं सम्मान मिलता रहा। आज उसी बालकको दुनिया चार्ल्स डिकेंसके नामसे जानती है, जिनकी गणना अंग्रेजी साहित्यके सर्वश्रेष्ठ उपन्यासकारोंमें होती है।
writer’s life
A poor boy lived in London. He had to do many types of work to fill his stomach. That’s why he could not go to regular school. His schooling continued in bits and pieces. But when he got time, he would sit down with the books and try to read them. He kept reading even when he did not understand anything. He lived in a dreary room with two boys like him, where both of them would take a break from work and indulge in entertainment, whereas he would be busy with books. Many times they used to tease him saying- ‘Hey, after getting tired of work, a person feels like roaming around, eating good food, but you pick up a book and sit down.’ One day one of the boys sarcastically said- ‘It seems that he will create history only through these books.’ After listening to both of them, the child smiled and became silent and then started studying. Gradually he also started writing. He had absolutely no confidence in his writing. He would show his creations to these two boys. The boys would sometimes praise his creation and sometimes make fun of him. He started sending his stories for publication. His stories kept getting rejected, but he did not lose heart. Only then one of his stories was published in the newspaper. This strengthened his confidence. Then his stories continued and he continued to receive praise and respect from editors and readers. Today the world knows the same child by the name of Charles Dickens, who is counted among the best novelists of English literature.
