PART 2
UPDATE 6
Jaise hi Dev Raj Mahal ki taraf nikal gaya, ghar ke mahaul me ek ajeeb si bechaini chha gayi. Saloni, Pari, aur Sikha ek dusre ki taraf dekhne lage jaise unhe koi ajeeb si ghabrahat mehsoos ho rahi ho.
Saloni ne Pari aur Sikha ki taraf dekha aur dheere se kaha, "Mujhe nahi pata tum dono ko kaisa lag raha hai, par ek ajeeb si ghabrahat andar baith rahi hai."
Sikha ne bhi haan me sir hilaya, "Haan, aur mujhe lagta hai hume yeh Neha se baat karni chahiye. Woh jaanti hogi ki uske andar kya chal raha hai."
Tino dheere-dheere Neha ke paas gaye. Woh ab bhi shaant bethi thi, jaise uske aas paas kuch ho hi nahi raha ho.
Pari ne uske kandhe par haath rakha, "Neha, tu theek hai na?"
Neha ne muskurakar sir haan me hila diya, "Haan, main bilkul theek hoon. Tum log kyun itne tension me lag rahe ho?"
Saloni thoda aage badhi, "Neha, tu sach bata, tujhe sach me kuch mehsoos nahi ho raha? Kyunki jabse Dev gaya hai, tabse sabko ajeeb lag raha hai… par tujhe kuch nahi?"
Neha ne thoda socha, fir dheere se kaha, "Nahi… mujhe toh kuch nahi ho raha."
Itna kehna tha ki Saloni, Pari aur Sikha ek dusre ki taraf dekhne lagi. Yeh kaise ho sakta hai?
Pari ne thoda socha aur ek ajeeb sa sawal pucha, "Neha… kahi yeh isliye toh nahi kyunki tere pet me jo bacha hai, woh bhaiya sorry humare pati ki shaktiyon se juda hai?"
Ek pal ke liye sab chup ho gaye.
Saloni fir se has padi, "Acha… ab yeh bhi hone laga? Samrat ka bacha hai, toh Dev ke jaane ke baad sab kuch control kar raha hai?"
Uske kehne ka andaaz mazakia tha, par andar hi andar yeh baat sabke dimaag me ek chhoti si chingari ki tarah lag chuki thi.
Sikha ne bhi thoda mazak me kaha, "Toh iska matlab jab yeh bacha badega, tab toh sab iska hukum maanenge?"
Sab phir se hansne lage, par andar hi andar ek ajeeb sa ehsaas chhupa tha.
Raat hone lagi thi. Dev ab tak wapas nahi aaya tha, aur ghar ka mahaul thoda shaant ho gaya tha.
Neha apne kamre me chali gayi thi, aur Pari, Saloni aur Sikha apni apni jagah par jaane lage the.
Lekin jaise hi Neha sone ke liye lete, uske mann me ek ajeeb si halchal hone lagi.
Ek sapna uske dimaag me aaya—ek andhera mahal, jisme ek sinhasan pada tha… aur us sinhasan par ek bacha baitha tha.
Us bache ki aankhein bilkul neeli thi, aur uske aas paas bijliyan chamak rahi thi.
Ek dum se Neha ki aankhein khul gayi. Uska dil tez dhadak raha tha.
Usne apna pet pakda aur dheere se kaha, "Kya yeh sab jo ho raha hai… yeh sach hai?"
Neha ke pet me se jaise usko laga uske bete ne laat maar kar haa khaa ho
Udhar ghar me jo bhi ho raha tha, usse anjaan, Dev Raj Mahal ke pravesh dwar par khada tha. Aankhon me ek alag hi roshni thi, jaise andar kuch khojne aaya ho.
Jab usne mahal ke andar kadam rakha, to ek thandi hawa uske chehre se takraayi. Ye mahal sirf ek rajmahal nahi tha, balki ek purani aur shaktiyon se bharpur jagah thi, jisme har deewaar ke andar ek kahani chhupi thi.
Jab Dev aage badha, uske saamne ek bada sabha kaksh khula—ek bhavya darbar, jisme unchaai par ek rajgaddi rakhi thi. Waha kayi maharaja jaisa roop dhare log baithe the, jinme se kuch buzurg the, to kuch jawan.
Jaise hi unki nazar Dev par padi, ek ajeeb si chuppi chha gayi. Unke chehre par hairani thi, jaise unhone kisi aise insaan ko dekh liya ho jo yahaan hone ke laik hi na ho.
"Yeh insaan hai…?" ek buzurg maharaja dheere se bola, uska chehra ekdum sookha pada tha.
Ek aur maharaja ne Dev ko upar se neeche tak dekha, fir ek kadak awaaz me bola, "Yeh sirf insaan nahi hai… yeh kuch aur hai."
Ek aur maharaja jo pehle chup tha, ab uska shankh bajakar ghoshna karne ka man tha, "Aaj tak kisi insaan ne yahaan pravesh nahi kiya… fir yeh kaise?!"
Lekin Dev waha khada un sabko sirf dekh raha tha, bina kisi bhay ke. Uski aankhein shaant thi, lekin andar ek aag chhupi thi.
Dev dheere se aage badha, uska har kadam goonj raha tha.
Maharaja log ab bhi use dekh rahe the, jaise uske andar koi gupt shakti khoj rahe ho. Lekin tabhi, ek bada dwar apne aap khul gaya, aur ek ajeeb si roshni andar se nikli.
Ek buzurg maharaja ne dheere se kaha, "Agar yeh yahaan tak aaya hai, to iska koi matlab zaroor hai. Yeh sirf ek insaan nahi, ek nirdharit yodha ho sakta hai."
Dev ne unki baat suni, lekin jawab nahi diya. Uska mann wapas Neha aur apne ghar ki taraf jaa raha tha. Lekin use ye bhi mehsoos ho raha tha ki yahaan aana koi aam baat nahi thi.
Jab Dev aage badhne laga, tabhi ek sainik ne uske samne haath badhakar use rok diya. Uska chehra sakht tha, jaise kisi bade nyayadhish ka ho. Uske kapdon par Raj Mahal ka chinh tha, jo uski shakti ka pratik tha.
Sainik ne ek gahri awaaz me kaha, "Samrat!"
Ye shabd sunte hi, mahal ke andar baithe sabhi maharaja, sainik aur vidvaan ekdum hosh me aa gaye. Sabki nazar ek pal me Dev ki taraf mur gayi. Ek aisi chhupi bhavna thi jaise unhone kisi aise vyakti ko dekh liya ho jo sirf ek kahani ban chuka tha.
Kayi maharaja apni jagah se uth gaye, kuch apni divya drishti se uska aakalan karne lage, lekin jaise hi unhone aisa karna chaha, ek chamak se unke drishti dhundhli ho gayi.
Tabhi wahi sainik ek kadam aage badha aur ek kathor shabd bola, "Samrat, aapke paas raksha kavach hai jo is jagah anumat nahi hai. Kripya ise hata dein."
Raj Mahal ka niyam tha ki jo bhi andar aaye, uske roop aur shaktiyon ko sabhi samajh sakein. Lekin Dev ka kavach ek aisa parda tha jo kisi ko bhi uski asal shaktiyon dekhne nahi de raha tha.
Dev ne bina kisi virodh ke apni aankhein bandh ki aur ek gehra mantra ucharan kiya. Ek pal ke liye poora mahal kamp utha. Jaise hi mantra pura hua, uske sharir se ek gehri neeli roshni nikalne lagi. Dheere-dheere uska raksha kavach pighalne laga aur hawa me ghul gaya.
Jaise hi kavach hata, mahal ke andar ek tufan sa mach gaya!
Sabhi maharaja, sainik aur vidvaan ek pal ke liye apni jagah jam gaye. Kayi log haste-haste ruk gaye, kayi ke haath se unke astra chhut gaye.
Ek buzurg maharaja ne kampte hathon se apni aankhein band karke kaha, "Yeh… yeh kaise ho sakta hai?"
Dusra maharaja dheere se bola, "Pichle hazaron saalon me ek bhi aisa samrat nahi aaya jo Dev jaisa ho. Yeh jo hum dekh rahe hain, yeh ek itihaas hai jo dobara jeevit ho gaya hai!"
Lekin ab tak sabse bade maharaja ne ek bhi shabd nahi kaha tha. Uski aankhein Dev par tikki thi, jaise woh kisi purani paheli ka jawab dekh raha ho. Fir usne ek gehri saans li aur bola, "Aakhirkar… woh din aa hi gaya."
Dev ne sabko dekha, lekin ek shabd bhi nahi kaha. Uska roop ab samne tha, uski shaktiyan ab chhupi nahi thi.l
Jaise hi Dev ne pravesh patrika singhasan ke samaksh rakhi, mahal me ek gehri shanti chha gayi. Sabhi rajvidvaan, maharathi, aur yodha apni jagah se uth kar Dev ki taraf dekhne lage.
Singhasan par virajmaan Maharaj, jo apni gyaan aur shakti ke liye prasiddh the, dheere se apni jagah se uthe. Unhone apne dono haath jod kar Dev ke samaksh namaskar kiya.
"Samrat! Aapke bina yeh pratyogita shuru hi nahi ho sakti," unki awaaz me shraddha aur samarpan ka anubhav ho raha tha.
Mahal me baithe saare maharaja aur rajnayak yeh drishya dekh kar chakit reh gaye. Hazaron saalon me pehli baar koi aisa aya tha jise ek shreshth maharaj swatah namaskar kar rahe the.
Maharaj ki aankhon me ek gehra sammaan tha.
"Yugon se hum is ghadi ka intezar kar rahe the, Samrat Dev," unhone kaha, "Aapka swagat hai. Yeh sinhasan aapke bina adhoora hai."
Mahal ke sabhi sainik aur maharathi ne bhi Dev ke samaksh apne shasthra jhuka diye.
Ek maha-mantri aage badha aur bola, "Yeh rajsabha sirf ek samrat ke chayan ke liye ikattha hoti hai. Magar aaj, yeh samaapan hone ja raha hai, kyunki asli samrat swatah yahan upasthit hai!"
Yeh sunkar Dev ne apne haath uthakar unhe rok diya.
Dev - "Mujhe kisi bhi shabd ya samman ki avashyakta nahi," Dev ki awaaz gaj ki tarah mahal me goonj uthi, "Agar yeh pratyogita itihaasik hai, toh main bhi uska ek hissa banna chahta hoon. Mujhe bhi apni pareeksha deni hogi , aur me abb insaan roop me toh mera yeh pratiyogita dena aur jaruri hai par me ek aapse vinati karna cahata hu ."
Ek pal ke liye pura mahal nishabd ho gaya.
Maharaj uatsuk hokar - ji boliye
Dev has kar - bus ek kaam pratiyogita me koi Rani rajkumari naa aaye .
Jaise hi Dev ne pratyogita me kisi bhi rani ya rajkumari ke na hone ki shart rakhi, sabhi raja-maharaja ek pal ke liye sunned ho gaye. Par agle hi pal, maharaj zor se has pade.
"Samrat, aapki shastra kala dekhne ke liye kahaan-kahaan se kaun-kaun aayega, ispar rok lagana kathin hai. Main toh apni rani ko nahi rok paunga!"
Yeh sunkar sabhi darbaar me hasne lage, magar kuch logon ke chehre jalne lage the. Dev ne unhe sirf ek halka muskurahat ke saath dekha.
"Thik hai, jaisa aap chahen," Dev ne shaant swar me kaha, "Par mujhe ab thodi der ke liye vishram karna hai. Mujhe apne kaksh me jaana hoga."
Mahal ke ek prachin dwar ki taraf ishaara karte hi, ek puraane samay se band pada darwaza dheere-dheere apne aap khul gaya.
Darbaar me sabhi log chakit reh gaye. Hazaar saal se yeh dwar kisi ne nahi khola tha, magar Dev ke ek shabd me hi yeh khud prakat ho gaya.
"Aapka hi toh hai yeh sab, Samrat," maharaj muskurakar bole, "Agar aap yeh pratyogita jeet lete hai, toh yeh samay phir se aapke kaal se jud jayega."
Dev bas ek muskurahat ke saath andar chale gaye. Jaise hi Dev andar gaye, dwar khud se bandh ho gaya.
Jaise hi Dev andar gaye, ek anokhi roshni jagmagane lagi. Mahal ke andar sone se bana har ek samagri apne asli malik ka swagat kar rahi thi.
Dev ne aankhein band ki aur apne jinn Ajay ko yaad kiya.
"Ajay!"
Ek pal me Ajay ki awaaz sunai di.
"Ji, kahe samrat?"
Dev ki awaaz me ek adesh tha, "Komal ko le aao… par dhyan rahe, kavach me."
Ajay bina ek pal gavaaye antardhyan ho gaya.
Kuch der baad Ajay Komal ko lekar aaya. Jaise hi Komal ne uss sone se chamak rahe mahal ka drishya dekha, uske pair ek pal ke liye rukh gaye.
"Yeh… yeh jagah kaunsi hai, Dev?" Uske aankhon me vishwas nahi ho raha tha.
Dev ne shaant swar me jawab diya, "Yeh mera apna kaksh hai… jab main samrat tha, tab yahi rehta tha."
Komal ka muh khula ka khula reh gaya. "I am sooo lucky! Main ek samrat ki patni ban gayi! Yeh sab yakeen nahi ho raha!"
Dev bas uski taraf dekh kar muskuraya, par kuch bola nahi.
Tabhi Dev ne haath uthaya… aur Ajay antardhyan ho gaya.
Komal ne Dev ki taraf dekha, fir dheere se uske kareeb aayi. Usne Dev ka chehra apne haathon me liya aur dheere se uske hothon ko chumna shuru kar diya.
Jaise jaise Komal uske kareeb aayi, mahal ki roshni aur tej hone lagi. Sone ki diwaron par bani murtiyan chamakne lagi, jaise unhe bhi Dev ki wapas aane ki khushi ho.