Subah ki pehli kiran se pehle hi poore Shauryagarh mein yuddh ki taiyaari shuru ho chuki thi. Rajmahal ke aangan mein ek gambheer aur utsaahi maahol tha. Vishal prangan mein sainikon ki aavajaahi, ghodon ki taapon ki goonj, aur astr-shastron ki jhankaar goonj rahi thi. Har or vyastata ka aalam tha—jaise maano poora raajya apne astitva ki raksha ke liye kamar kas chuka ho.
Suryoday ke kuch samay baad-
Maharani Kumodini swayam rani Kadambari ke saath yuddh ki taiyariyon par drishti rakh rahi thi. Mahal ke bheetar deewaron par tange dhwaj shaurya aur sahas ki gaatha suna rahe the. Anaaj, aushadhiyan aur hathiyaaron ke bhandar taiyar kiye ja rahe the. Mahal ke dwaar se lekar durg ke burj tak, har kona yuddh ki gambhirta ko darshaa raha tha.
Mahal ke ek vishesh bhaag mein Rani Kadambari ne shubh muhurat mein yuddh prasthaan ke liye vishesh anushthaan ki vyavastha ki thi. Vishal yagya vedi ke paas pavitra agni prajwalit thi. Uski laptain maano shatru ke vinaash ki bhavishyavaani kar rahi thi. Mantroncharan ki gambhir dhwani poore vaataavaran mein goonj rahi thi.
Durg ke baahar, sainik apne-apne shastron ki jaanch kar rahe the. Talwaron ki dhaar tez ki ja rahi thi, dhanush ki pratyamcha kaskar baandhi ja rahi thi, aur bhalon ko chamkaya ja raha tha. Anubhavi yoddha navyuvakon ko antim seekh de rahe the. Senapati swayam apni sena ka nirikshan kar rahe the—har sainik ki aankhon mein vijay ki jwala jal rahi thi.
Ghudsawaron ki tukdiyan apni panktiyan saja rahi thi. Barchhe aur teeron ke dher ekatr kiye ja rahe the. Sainik apne ghodon ko sahla rahe the, maano apne sabse priya saathi ko yuddh ke liye taiyar kar rahe hon. Kuch sainik apne parivaar ko antim vidai dene ke liye unke paas khade the. Maataen apne beton ki kalai par vijay tilak baandh rahi thi, patniyan ashrupurn netron se apne pati ki salamat ki prarthna kar rahi thi.
Mahal ke mukhya prangan mein Yuvraj Mangatpratap , Yuvraj vikramaditya aur shaurypratap apni sena ke saath taiyar khade the. Unhone ne yuddh ke paridhaan dhaaran kar liye the—majboot kavach se susajjit, sir par chamakta hua mukut, aur kati mein bandhi talwar unki dridhata aur sahas ka pratik thi.
Maharani Kumodini dono Yuvaraj aur shaurypratap ke saamne khadi thi. Unhone apne haathon se sab ke mastak par vijay tilak lagaya. Unki aankhon mein vatsalya bhi tha aur kathorta bhi.
Maharani (gambhir swar mein) – "Yaad rakho, yah yuddh keval bhoomi ke liye nahi, hamare sammaan aur hamare logon ki swatantrata ke liye hai. Chahe jo bhi ho, peeche hatna mat!"
Yuvraj Mangatpratap ne maharani kumodini ke charan chhue – "Maharani ji , hum apni matrabhumi ki raksha ke liye praan tak nyochhavar kar denge."
Shauryapratap bhi maharani kadambari ke pair ko chute hue- chahe kuch bhi ye yuddh hum jit kar hi rahenge.
Rani Kadambari ne Mangatpratap ki or dekha aur unki kalai par raksha sutra baandha – "Yah sutra tumhari raksha karega, putra. Lekin yaad rakhna, tum keval ek yoddha nahi, is raajya ki asha ho."
Wo ab Yuvaraj ki taraf badhne lagti hai. Yuvaraj ko dekhte hi unka man bhar jaata hai. Wo ab Yuvaraj ke paas aati hai.
Yuvaraj dhimi awaaz me- aap ne bilkul waisa hi sringar kiya hai jaisa humne kaha tha. Hume accha laga.
Maa kadambari- yuddh aapke agle kadamb par khada hai, lekin aap tab bhi sirf hamari hi baate kar rahe hai Yuvaraj.
Yuvaraj- to kya kare maa. Aapke bina har pal, har samay adhura lagta hai.
Maa kadambari bhaavuk hote hue Yuvaraj ke maathe par vijay tilak laga deti hai.
Maa kadambari- ye to hume kahana chahiye yuvaraj, lekin koi baat nahi aap ne jaise kaha tha har samay waisa hi sringar kar aapka intezaar karenge.
Yuvaraj apne haath se ek talwaar unki taraf dete hai.
Yuvaraj- ye lijiye, jab aapko hamari yaad aaye. Is talwaar ko dekh lena. Ye talwaar hamare sahas aur veerta ka praman aapko hamesha deti rahegi aur aapko ye batayegi ki hum jald hi lautkar aane wale hai.
Maa kadambari us talwar ko leti hai .
Yuvaraj- chaliye ab samay ho chuka hai. Hume ashirvad dijiye.
Maa kadambari muskurate hue- aapko hamare ashirwad ki jaroorat nahi hai maharaj, yuddh me kuch bhi galat hua bas hume yaad kar lena. Hum jaante hai hamare yuvaraj hamare vachan ko nahi todenge. Wo wapas lautkar aayenge aur hamari chahre par wo khushi ko dekhenge.
Yuvaraj- aapka yahi vishwas hamari taakad hai maa. Chalte hai.
Maa kadambari- chalte hai nahi, milte hai kahiye.
Yuvaraj - muskurate hue- haa, hum jald milte hai.
Udhar tulasi apne bhaai ke paas khadi thi.
Tulasi- bhaiyya, ye aapka pahla yuddh hai. Hume dar to lag raha hai lekin aap par garv bhi ho raha hai.
Mangalpratap - daro mat tulasi, dekhna ye yuddh hum hi jitenge. Ab hum chalte hai.
Shankh ki aavaaz poore prangan mein goonj uthi. Sainik apne-apne rath aur ghodon par sawar ho gaye. Dhwajvahak sena ke aage-aage chal rahe the—unke haathon mein Shauryagarh ka kesari dhwaj lahra raha tha.
Yuvraj vikramaditya aur Yuvraj mangalpratap apne-apne ashwon par sawar hue. Shauryapratap apni ek sena mangalpratap ke piche le jaate hai. Peeche se mantronchar ki aavaaz aur dhol-nagaadon ki goonj se vaataavaran goonj utha.
Mahal ki pracheer se khadi Maharani aur maa kadambari ne apni sena ko vidai di. Unka hriday garv aur chinta se bhara hua tha. Surya dheere-dheere aakash mein chadh raha tha—aur usi ke saath Shauryagarh ki sena bhi apne mahaan yuddh ki or badh rahi thi.
Maa kadambari yuvaraj ko yuddh ki taraf jaate hue dekh rahi thi. Unka man bhar gaya tha. Thodi si ghabarahat unke man me zaroor thi. Wo yuvaraj ke diye talwar ko apne sine se lagati hai.
Maa kadambari apne man me- jald lautakar aaiye yuvaraj.
Agla bhaag jald hi
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