Chapter 14: Nilaami
Ek din jaldi se guzar gaya, aur Jal Nagar mein ek badiyan suryaast ka nazara dekhne ko mila.
Aryan Rathore apne kuch guards ke saath Jal Nagar ke central hisse mein ek bade bhawan ke saamne khada tha. Yeh ek massive imarat thi, jiski sajawat shaandar thi, jisse lagta tha ki yeh Rajputana Rajya ki capital Surya Nagar ki koi imarat hai, na ke Kaalivan ke kisi shahar ki!
Ocean Bazaar ke saamne bahut chehal pehal thi. Zyadatar log main entrance ke saamne khade the. Lekin thodi door ek doosra entrance bhi tha, jahan bade khandaanon ke log, acche kapdon mein aur security ke saath, pravesh karte the. Yeh ek VIP entrance thi.
Us waqt Pratap ne serious chehre ke saath bolna shuru kiya, “Chhote sahab, mujhe pata chala hai ki is nilaamghar mein do tarike se entry ho sakti hai.”
“Peheli hai 1,000 low-grade crystals ka fee dekar common section mein jana. Woh yahan hai.” Pratap ne long line ki taraf ishara kiya jab woh Aryan se baat kar raha tha.
“Doosri entrance hai bade khandaanon ke logon aur bade business karne walon ke liye hai, VIP section. Isme poori nilaami ke dauraan logon ki pehchaan secret rakhi jati hai, aur har VIP room mein ek alag exit hota hai.”
“Isme ghusne ke liye 200 medium-grade crystals ka deposit dena padta hai, jo nilaami ke dauraan kharch karna zaroori hai. Agar koi woh amount nahi kharch karta, toh crystals wapas nahi milte hai.”
“Lekin, Rajputana Rajya ke bade khandaanon ke logon ko yeh deposit nahi dena padta tha.” Pratap ne Aryan ko bateya.
“Hm, samajh gaya. Hum yeh deposit denge, aur behtar jahi hoga ki hum zyada risk na lein. Agar grade-2 talwar bik rahi hai, toh main use pakka khareedunga,” Aryan ne faisla karte hue kaha.
Phir Pratap ne Ocean Bazaar mein deposit dekar aeya aur VIP identification le aaya. Uske baad woh VIP entrance se bhawan mein ghus gye.
“Saheb, kya main aapki identification dekh sakti hoon?” Ek young attendant ne smile ke saath poocha. Identification dikhane ke baad usne kaha, “Please, aap mere saath aaye main aapko aapke room tak le jaati hoon.”
Aryan ko ek bade room mein jagah di gayi, jahan sofe, drinks, aur snacks rakhe huye the. Saamne ek bada glass laga huya tha jahan se nilaami ki stage puri dikhayi de rahi thi, aur us room mai ek concealment array bhi tha.
Jaldi hi common area logon se bhar gaya. Nilaami shuru hone wali thi sare luminous arrays band ho gye, aur sirf stage ka hissa roshan reh gaya.
Waqt guzra, aur ek adhed umar aadmi stage pe aaya. Woh bade shandaar suit mein tha, aur uske chhote baal uske look par jach rahe the.
Aryan aur uske group ko uske baare mai nahi pata tha, lekin yeh aadmi level 49 par tha, General Spiritual stage ki limit par. Par audience mein kaafi logon ne uski taakat pehchaan li aur excitement ho gaye. Kyunki ek aise aadmi ka nilaamkar hone ka matlab tha ki yahan sach mein koi badi cheez nilam hone wali hai!
Sabko “Shubh raatri, aur Ocean Bazaar mein apka swagat hai! Lagta hai sab bahur bekarar hai ki kab shuru hogi nilaami, toh main waqt zaya nahi karunga.”
“Aaj hamare paas aapke ke liye high-level items hain, toh apne crystals tayyar rakho! Hehehe, nilaami ke items ki sankhya aaj sirf 10 hai.”
Usne haath se taali bajai aur bola, “Main declare karta hoon ki nilaami shuru hoti hai!”
Jaldi hi lights ek ‘scroll’ pe focus hui jo stage pe pehle se rakha hua tha. Yeh ek puraani kaali parchment thi.
“Shuru karte hain, yeh ek specialized technique hai movement ke liye, Black-grade aur 4 phases wali. Iska naam Hawai Chal hai, jo initial phase mein 20 seconds ke liye user ki speed teen guna kar sakti hai. Agli phases mein yeh exponentially badh sakti hai.”
“Shuruati bid 5,000 low-grade crystals hai, minimum increase 100 crystals ka hai.”
“5,500,” kisi ne nilaamkar ke bol kahtam hote hi kaha.
‘Hm, mere paas movement techniques nahi hain jo main Black Plain Sena ke soldiers ko de sakoon,’ Aryan ne socha.
Woh apni Silver ya Golden-grade techniques un logon ko nahi dena chahta tha jinpar woh bharosa nahi karta ya jinhone abhi tak uske leye kuch bada contribution nahi diya hai. Isliye usne plan kiya tha ki Black-grade techniques woh un sabki dega jo sena mein shamil honge.
Sirf apne merit se hi soldiers best techniques paa sakte the. Yeh ek measure tha taaki Aryan ke future dushman uski techniques na chura lein!
Is waqt technique ki bid 7,200 tak pahunch chuki thi jab Aryan ne bid kiya.
“8,000”
Uske baad hall mein thodi der ke liye khamoshi shaa gayi. Yeh ek achhi technique thi, par 8,000 se zyada dena is grade ke movement technique ke liye kaafi tha.
“Room 3 ke saheb ne 8,000 ki bid ki hai, koi aur nilaami lagana chahta hai?” Nilaamkar ne poocha.
Aakhir mein Hawai Chal Aryan ko bech diya gaya. Phir ek attendant stage se technique lekar VIP room mein aaya jahan Aryan ka group tha.
“Agla item ek spiritual shield-type armor hai jo level 40 ke poori taakat ke attack ko seh sakta hai. Yeh Stone Island ke ek experienced blacksmith ne banaya hai, jo grade-1, high-level hai.” Nilaamkar ne ek metallic robe jaisa armor point kiya.
“Shuruati bid 3,000 low-grade crystals hai, minimum increase 100 ka.”
“3,200”
“3,600”
Bidding thodi der tak chali aur armor 5,800 crystals mein bik gaya. Aryan ne koi move nahi kiya, kyunki uske paas Amar Jism tha jo level 39 ke attacks se usse bacha sakta tha aur uski power aage aur badai jaa sakti thi.
Waqt guzra, aur do aur items bik gye. Ek tha grade-1, high-level war hammer, jo 7,000 crystals mein gaya, aur doosra tha grade-1, medium-level spiritual meeting array, jo 11,000 low-grade crystals mein becha gaya.
“Agla ‘item’ hai ek map jo hamari studies ke mutabiq 100,000 saal puraane daur ka hai. Experts ke hisab se yeh Central Continent ke dakshin mein ek high-level region ki taraf ishara karta hai.”
“Jaise ki aap jaante hain, aaj ke waqt main Central Continent ke dakshin mein sirf ek hi empire hai. Aur woh sabse strong region hai, jahan ke kai experts level 100 tak pahunch chuke hain. Toh yeh map aapko koi qeemti jagah le ja sakta hai agar aap wahan jaane ki himmat rakhte hain!”
“Shayad aapko Antriksh Rajya mai jaane ka hi mauka mil jaye!”
Yeh sunte hi sab shaant ho gye. Itni strong jagah jana ek sunehra mauka tha, lekin bada khatre bhi tha.
“Interesting, shayad mujhe Central Continent ke dakshin main jaane ka mauka mile, jab Agni Samrajya ke sects mujhe choose karenge,” Shekhawat Khandaan ke chhote sahab Darshan ne apne private room mein kaha.
“Chhote sahab, wahan jaana bahut khatarnak sabit ho sakata hai. Dakshin mein Spiritual Emperors bhi common hain,” Raksha Philip ne chetawai dete hue kaha.
Nilaamkar ne aage bola, “Chunki map apko kisi bade khazane ki taraf leja sakta hai, isileye Ocean Bazaar ne iski qeemat 5,000 crystals rakhi hai, minimum increase 500 low-grade crystals ka hoga.”
Jaldi hi offers aane lage.
“5,500”
“6,000”
“6,500”
“7,000”
“10,000” Darshan ne ek bada move kiya.
“10,000, room 5 ke saheb ke taraf se, koi aur bid karna chahega?” Nilaamkar ne aath special rooms ki taraf dekhte hue poocha.
“Toh theek hai! Map 10,000 mein room 5 ke saheb ko becha jaata hai.”
Nilaami thodi der tak aur chali, par koi aur ‘item’ Aryan aur Darshan ko dilchasp nahi lage. Sabse mehnga 7,000 mein aur sabse sasta 5,000 mein becha gaya.
Jab naumi ‘item’ bhi nilaam ho gayi, toh ek talwar stage pe pratstust ki gayi. Talwar kareeb 1 meter lambi thi, snitch pe spiral symbol aur handguard four leaves clover jaisa tha. Nilaamkar ne expressionless chehre ke saath announce kiya.
“Aakhri ‘item’ aape saamne hai, aur jahi woh item hai jiske baare mai bahut dino se shahar mai battien ho rahi hai, yeh ek grade-2, low-level spiritual talwar hai, jo Kingdom Of Waves ke ek bade blacksmith ne banayi hai, aur abh iski nilaami shuru hoti hai.”
Jab nilaamkar ne bolna shuru kiya, toh Ocean Bazaar ke andar khamoshi shayi huyi thi. Itna silence tha ki zameen pe sooee girne ki awaaz bhi sunayi de sakti thi. Sabki nazar talwar pe thi, aur koi bhi nilaamkar se pehle apna muh nahi kholna chahta tha.
Room number 5 mein Darshan ka chehra khushi se chamak raha tha. Woh soch raha tha ki ‘Hehehe, yeh talwar meri hi hai. Is jagah par koi bhi Shekhawat Khandaan se muqabla nahi kar sakta hai!’
Nilaamkar ne apni presentation shuru ki, “Jaise ki aap sab jaante hi hain, ki grade-2, low-grade weapon use karne ke liye minimum level chahiye. Toh is talwar ke liye kam se kam apka level 40 hona chahiye. Usse neeche ke level ka user isse use hi nahi kar sakta hau.”
“Aur chahe aap minimum level rakhte hai, lekin hamare rajya mai is garde ka weapon milna aam baat nahi hai.”
Yeh Central Continent ke uttar ke liye ek kardwa sach tha, jahan ka maximum level 59 tak tha. Yeh ek limiter tha, kyunki grade-2 weapon banane ke liye blacksmith ka level 40 se 59 ke beech hona chahiye.
Grade-2, low-level weapon banane ke liye blacksmith ka level 40 se 48 hona chahiye. Aur Medium-level ke liye 49 se 55, aur high-level ke liye, jo ki ek Spiritual King ke minimum energy ke barabar hai, 56 se 59 tak hona chahiye.
Yeh classification mai farq blacksmith ke uski energy ko handle karne ki wajah se tha. Jitna high-level weapon, utni hi zyada energy forging ke dauraan use hoti thi.
Isliye grade-2 weapons ka zyada milna jahan mushkil tha, lekin Ocean Bazaar mai. Grade-2, low-level blacksmiths ki sankhya kam nahi thi, lekin woh apne weapons ko hundreds of times zyada ke price pe bechte the!
Lekin Grade-2, medium-level blacksmiths ki sankhya kam thi. Aur Grade-2 high level ke blacksmiths ki sankhya, Central Continent ke uttar mein sirf 15 hi thi!
Is sab ki wajah se grade-2 weapon lena General Spiritual stage ke cultivators ke liye ek sapne jaisa tha. Spiritual Kings ko bhi aksar grade-2, low-grade weapons se kaam chalana padta tha, kyunki market mein isse behtar weapons milte hi nahi the.
Bade khandaanon ke paas bhi sirf ek-do high-level weapons hote the, par zyadatar ke paas low-level ke weapons hi hote the.
Aryan ko apne baap se grade-2 weapon na milne ki wajah yeh thi ki Arjun Rathore Rajputana Rajya ke royal khandaan ka baas ek subordinate tha. Aur jab Arjun ki mritiyu huyi, toh Rajputana khandaan ne unki spiritual weapon Rathore paarivar se vapis le li thi.
“Theek hai, mai zyada time waste nahi karoonga. Is talwar ke pehle malik ne apni wajah se isse bechne ka faisla kiya hai. Aur humne is talwar ki narikshan bhi kiya hai ki yeh achhi haalat mein hai.”
“Bid ke liye pehle malik ne medium-grade crystals ki maang ki hai. Toh initial price 200 crystals hai, aur minimum increase 20 crystals ka hai,” Nilaamkar ne haath peeche rakhte hue expressionless chehre ke saath kaha.
Jaldi hi kisi ne bid ki shuruat ki, “220.”
“240.”
“300.” Darshan zor se chillaya.
“320.” Aryan ne apni pehli bid ki.
“340.” Darshan ne nervous chehre ke saath kaha. Woh yakeen nahi kar pa raha tha ki kise ke paas uske jitne medium garde crystals ho skate hain.
Uske paas sirf 400 hi medium garde crystals the! Ke tabhi Aryan calm tone mein bola, “360.”
Darshan ke ab biding bardasht ke bahar jaa rahi thi toh woh zor se chillaya, “380! Dost, main Shekhawat Khandaan ka chhota sahab hoon, toh aage ki bid soch samaj kar karna!”
Darshan ke yeh bolte hi common area ke logon ke beech baatein shuru ho gayi.
“Wow, aise status khandaan ka ladka ajj jaha?” Kisi ne hairani se kaha.
“Hmph, kitni ghatia baat hai, yeh apne khandaan ke status ka use kar raha hai talwar pane ke liye,” kisi ne nafrat se bhare lehje mai kaha.
“Woh sirf wahi kar raha hai jo woh kar sakta hai. Agar main uski jagah hota, toh main bhi yahi karta,” ek jaawan ladke ne kisi ki baat ki katte hue kaha.
Jab ke baki sab Darshan ke jahan hone par barta laap kar rahe the, toh wahin Aryan pehle jaisa hi calm betha tha aur soch raha tha, ‘Oh! Shekhawat Khandaan ka chhota sahab, mujhe koi fark nahi padta ki tum chhote sahab ho ja bade.’
Jab sabko lag raha tha ki nilaam aise hi khatam ho jayegi, ki tabhi Aryan cool tone ke saath bola.
“400!”
Hall mein shaanti chaa gayi.
“Kya yeh sach mein Shekhawat Khandaan se muqabla kar raha hai?” Kisi ko is baat par yakeen nahi ho raha tha toh usne apne saath wale se poocha.
“Shayad yeh bhi kisi bade power ke khandaan ko belong karta hai Shekhawat khandaan ke jaise…”
Darshan ne Aryan ki bid suni toh uska khoon khol gaya. ‘Yeh kutta kaun hai?’ Usne socha. “Lagta hai is bidder ko mere khandaan se koi fark nahi padta.
Kam se kam yeh toh batao ki tum kis khandaan se ho?” Darshan ne poocha.
‘Hmph, agar tu koi nobody hai, toh main tujhe mar doonga aur tujse talwar zabt kar lunga,’ usne bure khiyalo ke saath socha.
Sab room 3 ke bade aadmi ke jawab ka intezaar kar rahe the, lekin us room se koi awaaz nahi aayi. Aryan ne Shekhawat Khandaan ke is member ko pura ignore kar diya.
‘Tujhe bata doon ke mai kahan se aaya hoon? Kya mujhe pagal samajhta hai?’ Aryan ne smirk ke saath socha.
Thodi der ki khamoshi ke baad, nilaamkar ne Darshan ko ignore karke bola, “Koi aur room 3 ke saheb se jayda bid karna chahta hai?”
Is waqt Darshan gusse se lal huya jaa raha tha, usne Raksha Philip se kaha, “Jaldi se pata kar yeh aadmi kaun hai!”
“Theek hai, chunki koi aur bid nahi kar raha hai toh yeh item, 400 medium-grade crystals ke saath room 3 ke saheb ko bech diya jaata hai,” Nilaamkar ne kaha.
Uske baad ek young receptionist ne talwar ko metal box mein rakhkar Aryan ke room mein bhej diya.
“Theek hai, is baar ki nilaami jahi khatam hoti hai. Ocean Bazaar ummeed karta hai ki guests agle mahine ki nilaami mai fir se wapis ayenge.”
Usne ek lambi saans li aur bola, “Nilaami officially khatam hoti hai!”
Room number 3 mein.
“Chhote sahab, Shekhawat Khandaan ke ladke ko ignore karna humare liye ek badi problem ho sakti hai,” Pratap ne chinta bhare chehre ke saath kaha.
“Is baare mein itni tension mat lo. Jab usse pata chale ga ki mai kon ho toh, woh soche gaa ki maine apne baap ka saara paisa is talwar pe kharch kar diya hai.”
“Isliye mujhe lagta hai ki woh Shekhawat Khandaan ke top logon ko is kaam ke leye nahi bulayega. Woh khud mujhe marne aur talwar cheen ne ki koshish karega.”
“Lekin Ocean Bazaar ki protection mai woh abh kuch nahi kare ga, aur vaise bhi hum subah Stone Island ja rahe hain, chahe woh pata kar bhi le, lekin tab tak hum usse bahut door honge,” Aryan ne smile ke saath kaha.
“Aur chahe woh Stone Island tak hamare peeche aa jaye, woh humse nahi jeet sakta hai, mujhe pura yakeen hai ki hum hi jeetein ge.”
Yeh sunte hi Aryan ke saath wale soldiers ne rahat ki saans li. Woh apne chhote sahab jaisa nahi the—ladai unhe pasand nahi thi.
Uske baad grade-2 talwar ko ek special space se, jo har VIP room ke darwaze pe tha, deliver kiya gaya. Yeh ek mechanism tha taaki low-ranking employees special customers se contact na kar sakein.
Yeh isliye tha kyunki yeh log aksar andar ki jaankari leak karne ke liye vulnerable hote the. Aise measures se Ocean Bazaar kam se kam criminal actions ko rok sakta tha jo qeemti ‘items’ bechne ke baad ho sakte the.
Talwar ko thodi der check karne ke baad, Aryan ne use apni spatial ring mein rakha aur group ko lekar bade bhawan se bahar nikal gaya.
Exclusive exit se bahar aane ke baad, Aryan aur uska group thodi der chalte rahe jab tak woh hotel nahi pahunch gye jahan woh rukne wale the. Kuch ghante aur rukne ke baad woh Stone Island ka samudri safar shuru karne wale the!
…
Jab Aryan aur uske log rest kar rahe tha, toh shahar ke doosri taraf ek hotel mein teen log—do rakshak aur Shekhawat Khandaan ka chhota sahab bethe kuch plan kar rahe the.
‘Saala, Bhen ka lorda!’ Darshan gusse se pagal ho raha tha nilaami main usne weapon ko hasil karne ka ek sunhera mauka gawa diya tha.
“Chhote sahab, ab zyada tension mat lo. Philip jaldi hi us aadmi ke baare mai pata laga lega. Jab hume uske baare pata chal jaaye ga, hum jaldi hi action lenge,” ek strong aur lamba aadmi ne, jisne chandi ka armor pehna tha ne kaha.
To be continued………
