Episode 6
Jab Rudra vahan khada tha, uske vicharon mein us bhayanak drishya ki gahraiyon mein dooba hua, tab ek shakhs ki upasthiti ne maidan mein pravesh kiya, jisse vatavaran ka turant mahaul badal gaya. Gaon ke hushed whispers aur bhi chup ho gaye jab unka dhyaan us aane wale vyakti ki or gaya.
Ek shaktishaali raajneetik prabhav wala aage badha, uske vyaktigat pravritti ne turant dhyan khinch liya. Yeh vyakti, Virendra Pratap Solanki, gaon ke sarpanch, 5.7 feet ki height, Unka sharirik prastuti hi unke adhikar aur prabhav ko vyakt kar rahi thi. Unke bade kandhon aur thoda bahar nikla hua pet ne yeh ishara diya ki unhone jeevan ko bhari anubhav se jiya hai. Unka vastra, paramparik safed dhoti kurta, samayik anupamta aur aadhunik sthiti ke beech ek mishran ka pratik tha, jo unke vyaktitva aur prashasanik udyam ko darshata tha.
Lekin, sirf unke sharirik gunaon ne hi unhe alag nahi kiya tha. Unke chehre par bhi khaas baatein thi. Ek tajurba kar, pragnya se bhara hua nazar, samundar ki leharon ki tarah drishti jiska mishran vyavsayik aur ganitik sthitiyon ke gahre taal mel ko darshata tha, unke manobal aur prabhav ka ek pratik tha. Unki bhayankar mooch aur dadhi ne unke chehre ko unke adhikar ki pratiksha se sajaya tha, jisse unke charon taraf gambhirata ki mahaul ghira hua tha.
Jab yeh vyakti aage badhe, to unhone apna haath badhaya, ek purane samay ki car ki chabi unke ungliyon mein latk rahi thi. Gaon ke log unke saamne raaste khole, is rajneetik bal ka avtar ko rasta dene ke liye. Unke kadmon ki dhaapne mein ek ahsaas tha jo saaf aur nishchit vishwaas dikhata tha, jo kisi ko neta banana aur unka anukaran karne ka aadi ho.
Rudra ne us shakhs ka chehra pehchaana, yeh vyakti gaon ke sarpanch the, jinse unka parichay unki naukri ke kaaran ho gaya tha. Jab Rudra ne is gaon mein posting li, tab se unhone sarpanch se mulakat ki thi. Unke manobal aur vyaktigatta se bhari vyaktitva ke saath, unka prashasanik prabhav tha jo Rudra ko prabhavit karta tha. Sarpanch ne apne adhikar aur shakti ko samjhaane mein kabhi kasar nahi chodi thi. Unki samvedansheel drishti aur karyashil niti ne unhe gaon ke prati samarpit banaya tha.
Gaon ke log bhayanak drishya ki charcha se alag hokar ab is aadmi ke bare mein gupt taur par baatein karne lage. Vaayu pratishthit hone ki shakti aur adar se bhari thi, yeh us shakti ki khamoshi thi jo unhone chalani thi. Vah sirf sarpanch nahi the; vah gaon ki raajneetik gatividhiyon ke peeche ke taar tatha unhe apne sthiti ki aur khelne wale sutradhar the.
Rudra ke ankhon ne us shakhs ka peecha kiya jab vah ghatna sthal par aagaya, uski upasthiti bina kisi prayas ke hi dhyaan khinchti thi. Gaon ke logon ke bechain aur ashanti se bhare vatavaran ke beech, yah manushya aaya tha, ek alag prakar ki shakti ka pratik, jo prakritik duniya se pare aur rajneetik duniya mein takat ki duniya mein jaata tha. Rudra ko abhi tak yeh pata nahi tha ki yeh milan use us yatra ka aarambh karne ka nishchay karne wala tha, jisse use raaz, andhkar aur manav aur adbhut jagat ke milan ki kathinayiyon mein le jayega.
Rudra: Namaste, Sarpanch ji.
Sarpanch: Namaste, Rathore. Kya hua hai?
Rudra: Sarpanch ji, yeh ghatna kaafi bhayankar hai. Shav ke chehre par anek gehre nishaan hain, jaise kisi ne use kisi bade cheez se maara ho. Shav ka dil bhi gayab hai, iska matlab hai ki koi use nikal kar le gaya.
Sarpanch: (Surprised) Kya? Dil bhi gayab hai?
Sarpanch ke chehre par dhire se ek asar dikhaya gaya, jab Rudra ne shav ke dil ki gayab hone ki ghatna ke baare mein bataya. Uske aankhon mein chaunk aur ashaanti ka mishran tha, lekin usne jaldi se apni bhavnaon ko ek shant svarup mein chhipa liya. Uske haathon mein ek halka sa kampan mehsus hua, jo uske safed dhoti kurte ke parde ke neeche chhupa tha. Uske gehre aakar wale aankhon ne, jo aam taur par adhikari aur atma-samarpit the, ek chhalak ne waali kimti pal ko dikha diya. Uske munh par, jo ki sundar dadhi se sajaya gaya tha, halka sa tanaav tha, jab usne is shocking khulasa ko apne andar sama liya.
Ek lamha ruk gaya, jab usne yeh jaankar asar kiya. Is sthiti ke bhaari bojh ne uske vyaapaari bhoj ko bhi girne wale lagne diya, jisse uske 5.7 feet lamba badan bhi bojhita pratit hua. Lekin use jaldi se apne aap ko ek sanyamit aur shaant roop mein sthapit karne mein safalta mili, usne Rudra ko ek sthir nod diya.
"Sarpanch ji, aisa lagta hai jaise shav ka khoon-sa jazba ho, jo kisi andhvishwas se bharpoor ho," Rudra ne aage badhate hue kaha, Sarpanch ke chehre par hone wale chanchal bhavon ke baare mein anjaan.
Sarpanch ne ek niyantrit muskaan ka abhipray prastut kiya, apne antarik saamoohik uljhan ko chupate hue. "Rathore, aapne jo sunaya, woh toh kaafi khatarnak aur bhayankar lagta hai. Yeh gaon mein aesi ghatna kabhi nahi hui hai." Uska awaaz, jo aam taur par adhikari ki tarah pratishthit hoti hai, mein thoda tension tha.
Jab Rudra aur vistar se vyakhya kar rahe the, Sarpanch ke vichar tej chale gaye. Use ye samajh mein aaya ki yeh ghatna gaon ke andar gehre raaz ko ujaagar kar sakti hai. Lekin usne apni shaant shaili ko banaye rakhne ka nishchay kiya, Rudra se apne antarik bhay ko chhupane ka dridh sankalp liya.
"Hamara prachin itihas, hamari parampara ka bhi yahi kehta hai," Sarpanch ne jawaab diya, uske shabd dhyan se tulit the.
Rudra, vistar mein lipta hokar, Sarpanch ke andar chal rahe andarooni toofan se anjaan tha. Sarpanch ka bahari moorkhata ek seemit niyamit ka pratik tha, lekin uske antarik sthirata ke neeche, ek anandit bhaari saay hai jo lambe samay tak chhaya hua tha.
Rudra ke vistar ke baad, Sarpanch wahaan se ruk kar chale gaye, uske chehre par ek andar chhupi hui bhayankar chinta ka izhaar tha, jaise ek andekhi duniya ke raaz ko uske mann mein daba kar rakha ho. Rudra ne dhyan se unka vyavhaar dekha, lekin usne unke chehre par chhupi asli bhavnao ko samajhne mein safal ho gaya.
Rudra ne Suraj se is shav ko gaon ke aspatal mein postmortem ke liye bhejne ka aadesh diya. Shav ke maut ke peeche ki kuchh aur jankari mil sakti hai. Phir, chup chaap ghatna sthal se hatkar, woh apne station ke liye nikal gya. Aur gaon ke log bhi apne apne kam ki or jane lage. Reh gayi bas us ghatna sthal pe yeh bhayanak maut ki nishani. Khoon ke chite, yeh nishani hai ek bhayanak sangharsh ki, jahan jeevan aur maut ne ek mukabla kiya. Yeh chite samundar ki lahron ke saath saans lene lagi thi, aur har lahar usmein vishesh ek naye raaz ka izhaar kar rahi thi. Gaon mein rehne wale log, jo shanti se jeene wale the, ab is shab ki nishani se dar se kaanp rahe hain. Unke mann mein ek ajeeb sa darr basa deti hai.