Chor Aur Jadui Chirag

Shehar ke sabse mashoor chor ka naam tha Billu. Billu itna expert tha ki police bhi pakad nahi paati thi. Chhota kaam — bada kaam — sab karta tha.

Lekin Billu khush nahi tha. "Kitna bhi chura lun, pet toh bharta hai lekin mann nahi bharta."

Ek raat Billu ek purani haveli mein ghusa chori karne. Andhera tha, dhool thi, makkdi ke jaale the. Billu ne ek purana sandook khola — aur usmein sirf ek cheez mili.

Ek purana sa chirag.

"Yeh kya bekar cheez hai!" Billu ne chirag ragda khaali saaf karne ke liye. Aur —

WHOOOOSH!

Dhuein mein se ek bada sa Jinn prakat hua!

"Main hun Chirag ka Jinn! Tere paas teen wishes hain. Bol, kya chahiye!"

Pehli Wish: Paisa

Billu ki aankhein chamkin. "Mujhe duniya ka saara paisa chahiye!"

Jinn ne ungliyan chadkayi — aur Billu ke charon taraf sona, heere, note — sab aa gaye! Itna paisa ki ghar mein jagah nahi thi.

Lekin ek problem aayi. Jab sabko pata chala ki Billu ke paas itna paisa hai — saare chor uske peeche pad gaye! Police bhi aayi. Padosi bhi maangne lage. Rishtedar bhi aa gaye jo kabhi baat nahi karte the.

Billu din-raat apna paisa guard karta rehta. So nahi paata tha. Kha nahi paata tha. "Yeh paisa mera nahi, main paise ka ho gaya!"

Doosri Wish: Taaqat

"Jinn! Mujhe itni taaqat do ki koi mera kuch na ukhaad sake!"

Jinn ne ungliyan chadkayi — Billu duniya ka sabse taaqatwar insaan ban gaya.

Lekin ab sab usse darne lage. Dost door bhaage. Bachche rone lagte jab Billu aata. Koi usse pyaar nahi karta tha — sirf darte the.

"Paisa hai, taaqat hai — lekin koi apna nahi hai!" Billu ro pada.

Teesri Wish

Billu ne bahut socha. Do wishes barbaad ho chuki thin. Ek aakhri bachi thi.

Usne Jinn se kaha, "Jinn bhai, meri aakhri wish hai — sab kuch pehle jaisa kar do. Paisa bhi le jaao, taaqat bhi le jaao. Mujhe bas wohi Billu bana do jo main pehle tha."

Jinn hairaan tha. "Sach mein? Sab waapas?"

"Haan. Lekin ek cheez aur — mujhe chori karna bhulwa do. Main apni mehnat se jeena chahta hun."

Jinn muskuraya. "Billu, yeh teri sabse samajhdaari wali wish hai."

Sab kuch pehle jaisa ho gaya. Billu phir se ek aam insaan tha. Lekin ab woh chor nahi tha — woh ek kaarighar ban gaya. Apne haathon se cheezein banata aur bechta.

Paisa kam tha — lekin neend acchi aati thi. Taaqat aam thi — lekin log pyaar karte the. Aur mann? Mann ab bhara hua tha.