bachpan se hi mujhe ped-paudhe aur hariyali bahot pasand thi. main yuvaskula naam ke ek shahar mein pala-badha. uske aas-paas kai jangal aur taalab the. main aur mera parivar vahaan aksar jaaya karta tha. mujhe bachpan se hi jaanvaron se bahot lagav tha. mera man karta tha ki main har kutte billi ko gale lagaun. jab main bada hua aur mainne dekha ki log jaanvaron ke saath kitni berahmi se pesh aate hain, to mujhe bahot dukh hota tha. main ek aise sanghathan se jud gaya jo jaanvaron ki raksha karta tha. vahaan meri mulakat aise logon se hui jo meri tarah hi sochte the.

hamne jaanvaron ki raksha ke liye bahot kuch kiya. hum logon ko jaankari dete the, morche lagate the aur aisi dukanon ke khilaf aavaz uthate the, jahaan jaanvaron ke baal se bani cheezen bechi jaati thi. mainne kuch logon ke saath milkar ek nayi sanstha bhi shuroo ki. lekin kai baar hum kaanoon ko apne haath mein le lete the. is vajah se mujhe kai baar jail ki hava khaani padi aur court-kachahri ke chakkar bhi kaatne pade.

iske alava jab mainne dekha ki duniya mein kitni samasyayen hain, to main pareshan ho gaya, isliye main kai sangathanon se jud gaya, jaise amnesty international aur greenpeace. main in sangathanon se sirf juda hi nahin, balki inke liye tan-man se mehnat ki. jo log gareeb the aur jinke paas khaane-peene ke liye nahin tha, main unke hak ke liye ladta tha.

haalaanki in sangathanon ne chhoti-chhoti samasyayen theek kar li thi, lekin jo badi-badi samasyayen thi woh badhti hi jaa rahi thi. kisi ko kisi ki parvah nahin thi. aisa lag raha tha ki kisi buri shakti ka is duniya par kabza hai. main samajh gaya ki main is duniya ko badal nahin sakta. main bahot bebas mahsoos karne laga.

main itna nirash ho gaya ki mainne socha, ‘kyon na main fir se bible padhoon.’ pehle main yahova ke sakshiyon ke saath bible seekhta tha. mujhe yaad hai, woh log bahot achhe the aur mujhse pyar se pesh aate the, par us vakt main badalna nahin chahta tha. lekin ab haalat badal gaye the.

mainne bible nikali aur use padhne laga. usmein bataya gaya hai ki hamein jaanvaron ke saath berahmi nahin karni chahiye. jaise bible mein ek jagah likha hai, “nek jan apne paaltoo jaanvaron ka khayal rakhta hai.” (neetivachan 12:10) yah padhkar mere dil ko bahot thandak mili. main yah bhi samajh gaya ki parmeshvar hum par dukh-takleef nahin laata. hum par dukh-takleefein isliye aati hain, kyonki hum parmeshvar ki baat nahin maante. mainne yah bhi seekha ki parmeshvar hamse bahot pyar karta hai aur bahot sabra rakhta hai.​—bhajan 103:8-14.

kareeb usi vakt mainne yahova ke sakshiyon ke shaakha-daftar ko ek khat likha aur bible asal mein kya sikhati hai?  kitab mangvayi. uske kuch samay baad yahova ke sakshi mere ghar aaye aur unhonne mujhse poochha ki kya main bible seekhna chahta hoon. mainne fauran haan kar di aur kuch samay baad main unki sabhaon mein bhi jaane laga. dheere-dheere bible ki sachchaiyaan mere dil ko chhoone lagin.

main khud mein bahot se badlav karne laga. mainne cigarette peeni aur bahot zyada daaroo peeni bhi chhod di. mainne apna huliya sudhara aur gaali bakna bhi chhod diya. pehle main adhikariyon ka aadar nahin karta tha, lekin bible padhkar mainne seekha ki mujhe adhikariyon ka aadar karna chahiye. (romiyon 13:1) main bahot kharab zindagi jeeta tha, lekin ab mainne anaitik kaam karne chhod diye.

main jin sangathanon se juda tha, unse naata todna mujhe mushkil lag raha tha. mujhe lag raha tha ki aisa karke main unhein dhokha de raha hoon. lekin jab mainne seekha ki parmeshvar ka raaj hi duniya ki saari samasyayen theek kar sakta hai, to mainne socha ki ab se main parmeshvar ke raaj ka poora saath doonga aur doosron ko bhi iske baare mein bataunga.​—matti 6:33.

pehle main sochta tha ki duniya mein do kism ke log hain, achhe aur bure. mere hisab se jo log bure the, main unke khilaf aavaz uthata tha. lekin bible se mainne seekha ki hamein kisi se nafrat nahin karni chahiye. ab main sab logon se pyar karta hoon aur unhein parmeshvar ke raaj ke baare mein batata hoon. (matti 5:44) jab woh is raaj ke baare mein seekhte hain, to unhein khushi milti hai, man ki shaanti milti hai aur ek achhe bhavishya ki aasha bhi.

ab mainne sab kuch parmeshvar yahova ke haath mein chhod diya hai aur is baat se mujhe sukoon milta hai. mujhe yakeen hai ki hamara bananevala insanon aur jaanvaron ko takleef mein nahin rehne dega aur is sundar-si dharti ko nasht nahin hone dega. jaisa bible mein likha hai, woh apne raaj ke zariye dharti par huye sabhi nuksanon ki bharpai kar dega. (yashayah 11:1-9) mujhe khushi hai ki mainne bible se yah sachchaiyaan seekhin aur doosron ko bhi is baare mein batakar mujhe bahot khushi hoti hai. ab mujhe aisa nahin lagta ki mujhe hi yah duniya badalni hai.