Ek chhota sa gaon tha jiska naam Chandanpur tha. Gaon charo taraf se hari bhari kheton aur ped-paudhon se ghira hua tha. Kachche ghar the aur mitti ki sadke thi. Subah-shaam bachchon ki hansi gaon ko zinda rakhti thi.
Gaon ke beech me ek talab tha. Wo talab gaon ki jaan tha. Auratein subah pani bharne aati thi, bachche usme khelte the aur buddhe log shaam ko wahin baith kar baatein karte the. Log kehte the, jis din talab sookh gaya us din gaon bhi sookh jayega.
Isi gaon me Raghu naam ka ek ladka rehta tha. Wo sirf 12 saal ka tha. Uske pita kisan the aur maa silai ka kaam karti thi. Raghu ko padhai bahut pasand thi. School door tha, fir bhi wo roz paidal jata tha.
Ek saal barish bilkul nahi hui. Khet sookhne lage aur talab ka pani kam hone laga. Gaon me chinta phail gayi. Log kehne lage,
"Ab fasal nahi hui to guzara kaise hoga?"
Raghu ye sab dekh raha tha. Ek din usne apne dada se kaha,
"Dada, agar hum talab ko aur gehra kar dein to barish ka pani zyada jama ho sakta hai na?"
Dada muskuraye aur bole,
"Soch achchi hai beta, par ye kaam poore gaon ka hai."
Raghu ne apni baat master ji ko batayi. Master ji ne sarpanch tak baat pahucha di. Dheere-dheere poora gaon ikattha ho gaya. Koi phavda laya, koi tokri, aur koi sirf apni mehnat.
Dhoop tez thi, haath dukh rahe the, par sabke dil me umeed thi. Kai dino tak mehnat chali.
Fir ek din aasman me kaale badal chhaye aur zor ki barish hui. Talab bhar gaya aur khet phir se hare ho gaye.
Gaon me khushi ka mahaul tha. Mithai banti gayi. Sarpanch ne sabke saamne kaha,
"Aaj Chandanpur ko bachane wala ye chhota sa Raghu hai, jisne badi soch rakhi."
Raghu chupchaap muskura raha tha. Use samajh aa gaya tha—
agar niyat sahi ho, to gaon bhi badal sakta hai aur zindagi bhi.