Ab aage
**Yuvaraj ab apne kaksh se bahar nikalte hain.** Wo dekhte hain ki unke saamne koi aur nahi balki senapati Jaydeep ji khade hain.
**Yuvaraj:** "Senapati ji, aap?"
**Senapati:** "Ji, Yuvaraj. Mujhe laga ki hamari baatcheet jyada hoti nahi, to maine socha kyun na aapse milkar kuch baatein ki jaayein."
**Yuvaraj:** "Ji, andar aaiye."
Ab dono ek kursi par baith jaate hain.
Senapati us sandook ki taraf dekhte hain.
**Senapati:** "Maine hi is sandook ko aapke paas bheja tha. Agar is poore rajya mein wo kisi par vishwas karte the, to wo aap hi the."
**Yuvaraj:** "Aapka main aabhari rahunga, Senapati ji. Unki yaadein is roop mein hamesha mere saath jeevit rahengi."
**Senapati (hass kar):** "Waise lagta hai aap unki dincharya padh rahe hain, Yuvaraj. Aise unki niji zindagi ke baare mein padna to nahi chahiye."
**Yuvaraj:** "Nahi, nahi Senapati ji, main to bas dekh raha tha ki aakhir wo aisa kya likhte rehte the."
**Senapati:** "Koi baat nahi, waise main Sultan ke baare mein baat karne ke liye aaya tha."
Sultan ka naam sunte hi Vikramaditya ke andar ek krodh utpann hota hai.
**Yuvaraj:** "Sultan ke baare mein?"
**Senapati:** "Haan Yuvaraj, abhi hamare bade Yuvaraj nahi rahe. To Sultan ab hum par akraman karne ke baare mein zaroor sochega. Mujhe lagta hai ab aapko taiyyar hone ki zarurat hai."
Yuvaraj ek dum se uth khade hote hain.
**Yuvaraj:** "Aapne sahi kaha Senapati ji, mujhe ab taiyyar hona hi hoga. Lekin kya aap mujhe sikhayenge?"
**Senapati:** "Ye mere liye garv ki baat hogi Yuvaraj."
**Yuvaraj:** "Par ye baat aapne pitaji ke saamne kyun nahi ki?"
**Senapati (hatash hokar):** "Kya kahta Yuvaraj, wo aapke pita hain, aap to sab kuch jaante hi hain."
Yuvaraj ne ispar kuch nahi bola.
**Senapati:** "Waise ek aur baat hai, Yuvaraj, mujhe lagta hai aap hi ise rok sakte hain. Maine aapke andar wahi chamak aur utsaah dekha hai jo saalon pehle aapke bhai mein dekha tha."
**Yuvaraj:** "Batayiye, Senapati ji."
**Senapati:** "Ye rajya abhi bhi purani rudiwadi vichardharaon aur manyataon se juda hua hai. Rajya ke bade shahron mein ye kam hai, lekin chhote chhote gaonon mein ye abhi bhi chala aa raha hai. Jab yuddh hua tha, tab main kuch dinon ke liye apne gaon chala gaya tha. Maine dekha ki jin auraton ke pati yuddh mein shahid ho gaye, unhe ya to sati ki shiksha di jaati hai jisme unhe zinda jalaya jaata hai, ya kuch auraton ko vaishya gharo mein bech diya jaata hai. Ek senapati hone ke naate main kuch nahi kar saka kyunki andhshraddha logon ke beech basi hui hai. Mujhe ye dekhkar bahut dukh hota hai. Ye baat maine Raja ji se ek baar kahi thi, lekin unhone mere prastaav ko thukra diya. Ab ise aapko hi rokna hoga."
Yuvaraj ab bahut gambhir ho gaye.
**Yuvaraj:** "Haan, Senapati ji, main aapko vachan deta hoon ki is rajya ki kisi bhi aurat ki garima par aanch nahi aane dunga."
Ye baat sunkar Senapati ko thodi khushi hoti hai.
**Yuvaraj:** "Main aapse ek prashna poochhna chahta hoon, asha karta hoon aap sachchai se iska jawab denge."
**Senapati:** "Ji poochhiye."
**Yuvaraj:** "Aise nahi, aapko vachan dena hoga."
**Senapati:** "Agar wo rajya ke hit mein hai, to main zaroor jawab dunga."
**Yuvaraj:** "Sultan ke sandeshpatr mein aisa kya tha jise pitaji ne aapko padhne se rok liya?"
Senapati ab chup ho gaye.
**Yuvaraj:** "Batayiye, Senapati ji. Aap ruk kyun gaye?"
**Senapati:** "Yuvaraj, shaayad rajya ki is kutneeti ke liye aap ab tak taiyaar nahi hue hain. Iska jawab main kabhi aur dunga."
**Yuvaraj (thodi badi aawaaz mein):** "Senapati ji, ye mera aadesh hai!"
Senapati ab shaant ho gaye.
**Senapati:** "Sultan ne kaha tha ki hamare Yuvaraj andar hi andar mar rahe the. Main iska arth tab samajh nahi paaya tha, lekin bahut sochne ke baad mujhe yaad aaya ki jab yuddh ho raha tha, tab main Yuvaraj se kuch hi door par lad raha tha. Maine ek hi baar Yuvaraj ki taraf dekha, tab mujhe laga Yuvaraj yuddh mein kamzor pad rahe hain. Mujhe laga shaayad unke shareer par chhota mota ghaav hua ho. Yuddh mein ye aam baat hai. Main unke paas ja nahi saka. Jab unpar Sultan ka vaar hua aur main ant mein unke paas gaya, tab maine dekha ki sirf Sultan ke kiye hue talwar ka ek hi vaar tha, jo unki peeth mein ghusa tha."
"Main kuch dinon se wahi sochta raha aur ek hi nishkarsh par pahunch gaya. Shaayad unhe kisi ne kuch aisa khilaya ya pilaya ho, ya koi vish diya ho. Kyunki main jaanta hoon, Yuvaraj Harshwardhan talwar ke ek ghaav se marne wale aam insaan nahi the. Wo ek yoddha the."
Yuvaraj ko ye sunkar vishwas hi nahi hua.
**Yuvaraj:** "Ye aap kya keh rahe hain? Mere bhai ke saath koi aisa karega bhi kyun? Mere bhai sabke priya the. Sivay mere pita..."
Yuvaraj ki aankhen ab chamak uthi.
**Yuvaraj:** "Kya iske peeche mere pitaji ka haath hai?"
**Senapati (jaldi se):** "Nahi, nahi Yuvaraj, maine aisa nahi kaha. Aapke pita bhale hi unhe sneha na dete ho, lekin iska matlab ye nahi ki wo unki hatya kar denge. Lekin main bas itna jaanta hoon ki koi na koi isi rajya ka hai jisne ye kiya hai."
"Yuvaraj Harshwardhan mere bete jaise the. Unke saath rahkar mujhe kabhi nahi laga ki main ek rajgharane ke sabse jyeshth putra ke saath hoon. Main us insaan ko dhoondhna chahta hoon jisne ye kiya hai. Isme mujhe aapki avashyakta hogi Yuvaraj. Aapke bhai ke hatyare ko dhoondhne mein meri madad kijiye. Yadi main ye karoon, to rajgharane ki jasoosi ke kaaran mujhe rajdrohi mana jayega. Isliye main aapke paas aaya hoon."
**Yuvaraj:** "Main aapki baat samajh sakta hoon, Senapati ji, hum jald hi apne bhai ke asli gunehgaar ko dhoond lenge. Aap chinta mat kijiye."
**Senapati:** "Mujhe ab jaana chahiye, aagya dijiye."
**Yuvaraj:** "Aapse milkar achha laga, Senapati ji."
**Senapati:** "Ek baat kahoon, Yuvaraj?"
**Yuvaraj:** "Ji boliye."
**Senapati:** "Mujhe lagta hai aane wale samay mein aap apne bhai se bade yoddha ban jaayenge."
**Yuvaraj:** "Agar aisa hua, Senapati ji, to wo hamare liye garv ki baat hogi."
Senapati ab wahan se nikal gaye. Yuvaraj ab soch mein pad gaye. Kya in sabke peeche kahin unke pitaji ka haath to nahi? Agar hai bhi, to wo aakhir aisa kyun karenge? Yuvaraj ko unki satta ki lalasa ke baare mein pata tha, lekin apne hi pita par bina kuch jaane aisa sangin aarop lagana bhi galat tha.
Senapati ke jaane ke baad wo phir se apne bhai ki dincharya padhne baith jaate hai. Har panne ke baad unhe apne roj ke dincharya ke bare me pata chalta lekin wo antim likhai hamesha us sundari ke baare me rahti . Har panne pe us sundari ka alag tarike se varnan rahta.
Yuvaraj janana chahte the ki aakhir ye sundari kaun hogi.
Aur yahi se shuru hoti hai wo kahani jisne pure raj itihaas ko badla.
Agla bhaag jald hi