Update 10 ----------- Ant ki shuruaat...
(Recap : Arjun…” ek halki, kampakti hui awaz aayi, jaise koi uske kaan ke bilkul kareeb ho.
Arjun ne saans andar kheench li aur ek kadam peeche hata. Lekin jaise hi usne aankhein jhapkayi, wo parchayi wahin se gayab ho gayi )
Raat ke sannate mein Arjun ka mann ab bhi uss ladki ki baaton mein atka tha. “Jald hi pata chal jaayega…” yeh shabd baar-baar dimaag mein goonj rahe the. Kaun thi woh ladki? Usko mere aur mere parivaar ke baare mein itna sab kuch kaise pata?
Arjun raat ko jab ghar wapas aaya,
Jaise hi Arjun haveli ke andar aaya, uski nazar ma ke kamre ki taraf gayi. Darwaza thoda sa khula tha aur andar se mombatti ki halke noor ki roshni aa rahi thi.
tab tak dinner table par sab log jama ho chuke the. Chirag ki halke prakash mein purani deewarein ek ajeeb si kahani suna rahi thi.
Dadi ne Arjun ko dekhte hi muskurane ki koshish ki, "Beta, aaj bahut der laga di?"
Arjun ne thoda hichkichahat ke saath kaha, "Haan dadi, bas yunhi thoda ghoom raha tha… kuch purani jagahon ko dekhne ka mann kiya."
Shanti Devi, jo table ke ek kone par shaant baithi thi, Arjun ko dekh rahi thi. Unki nazron mein ek ajeeb si gehraayi thi, jaise woh kuch kehna chahti ho par rok rahi ho.
Chachi ne ek pyala Arjun ke samne rakhte hue muskurakar kaha, "Bahut der tak ghoomoge toh bhook toh lagegi hi. Lo, yeh garam daal chawal kha lo."
Arjun ne ek pal ke liye chachi ki taraf dekha. Unke chehre par ek naram muskurahat thi, jo ek ajeeb si apnapan ka ehsaas kara rahi thi.
Parivaar ke beech ek halka sa bhari hua mahaul tha, jaise sabko pata ho ki kuch chal raha hai, par koi keh nahi raha.
Jaise hi Arjun ne pehla niwala liya, uske mann mein woh raat ki aawaz ghoonj gayi—
"Chhupa sakte ho sachai ko?"
Uske haath ek pal ke liye thame, par fir usne apne chehre par ek samanya muskurahat laa di, jaise sab kuch thik ho.
Woh seedha apne kamre mein gaya. Palang par girte hi aaj ka pura din dimaag mein flashback ki tarah chalne laga. Gaon ki hawa, logon ki anokhi baatein, chachi ki muskurahat… Aur sabse zyada, woh rahasyaatmak ladki.
Uska khayal aate hi Arjun ne ankhein band kar li.
Subah ki Pehli Kiran
Suraj ki pehli kiran jab kamre ki khidki se andar aayi, tabhi Arjun ki neend tooti. Uthte hi usne dekha ki ma uske paas baithi hain, uska maathe par haath rakha hua hai.
“Maa, aap kab aayi?” Arjun ne dheere se poocha.
“Raat ko jab tum aaye toh… Thake hue lag rahe the.” Maa ke shabd pyaar bhare the, par unki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chinta thi.
“Bas… thoda zyada sochne laga tha,” Arjun ne chupane ki koshish ki.
Shanti Devi ne uske sir par haath firaaya. “Beta, kabhi-kabhi har sawaal ka jawab dhundhne ki zaroorat nahi hoti. Jo cheezein likhi hoti hain, woh apni jagah samay par khud saamne aa jaati hain.”
Arjun unke shabdon ka matlab samajhne ki koshish kar hi raha tha ki tabhi unki dadi ka awaaz aaya.
“Arjun beta, nashta tayaar hai! Aaja!”
Woh turant uth gaya.
Haveli ke aangan mein aaj bhi pura parivaar ek saath tha. Dadi, maa, chacha, chachi aur kuch naukar-chakar bhi. Arjun baith gaya aur chachi ne uske aage garam garam puri aur aloo ki sabzi rakhi.
“Beta, raat ko theek se neend aayi?” dadi ne poocha.
“Ji dadi, bas thoda thakan thi,” Arjun ne muskurakar kaha.
Chachi ne dheere se muskuraya, “Thakan ya kisi ke baare mein zyada sochna?”
Arjun thoda jhijhak gaya, par chachi ki nazar jaise sab kuch dekh rahi thi. Woh ab uske samne baithi thi, apni chudi se khelti hui.
“Pata nahi chachi… bas kuch ajeeb lag raha hai yahaan aane ke baad,” Arjun ne kaha.
Chachi ne ek pal ke liye use dekha, phir dheere se boli, “Sab kuch samay ke saath samajh aa jayega… bas apni aankhein aur dil khula rakhna.”
Maa ne chachi ki taraf ek gehri nazar daali, jaise kuch kehna chahti ho par rokh rahi ho. Arjun ne yeh dekha par kuch kaha nahi.
Nashta khatam hote hi Arjun haveli ke aangan mein akela khada tha. Tabhi ek naukar bhaagte hue aaya.
“Babuji! Mandir ke paas kuch ajeeb ho raha hai… Log dar gaye hain!”
Arjun ne ek pal ke liye socha… Mandir ke paas? Kya ab koi naya raaz khulne wala tha?
Mandir ke Paas ka Ajeeb Manzar
Arjun jaise hi mandir ke paas pahucha, usne dekha ki kuch gaon wale ek jagah ikatthe ho gaye hain. Sab ki aankhon mein daraavt thi.
Ek budhiya kaanp rahi thi, “Kal raat… maine usse dekha! Wahi bhootni wapas aa gayi hai!”
Arjun ne usse pakda, “Kaun bhootni?”
Budhiya ne kampte haathon se ek taraf ishara kiya. Arjun ne dekha… ek ped ke neeche maati par gehri lakeer bani thi, jaise koi apni ungliyon se kheench raha ho.
Tabhi ek hawa ka jhonka chala, aur Arjun ko ek awaaz sunayi di—“Arjun… tujhe jaana hoga…”
Woh pal bhar ke liye sun ho gaya. Yeh awaaz usi ladki ki thi jo kal mili thi!
Lekin… woh yahaan kaise?
(…To be continued…)