Vikrant Guari ji ke ghar se nikal kar ghodo ke astabal ki aur ja rha tha. Vikrant ke sath sath aur bhi sainik aur baki log apne apne kam ke liye nikal rahe the. Vikrant apni masti me gun gunata huva ja rha tha.
Vikrant ki gun gunahat sun uske aas-paas chalane wale log use dekh muskura dete, Vikrant bhi unko muskura deta aur apne raste chalta rehta. Todhi dair bad Vikrant astabal pahochta hai. Aur apne kam me lag jata hai. Ghodo khane ka chara dalna, pani dena, waha ki jagah ko saf karna.
Wo dheere dheere apna kam kar hi rha hota hai ki tabhi waha Rani Chandralekha aati hai apne ghode pe sawar hoke. Aur use waha Vikrant kam karte dikhta hai. Rani apne ghode se niche utarti hai, aur kehti hai.
Rani: Aap yaha?
Vikrant: Ha, aapne hi to kaha tha ki muje kam karna padega, bhul gayi aap?
Rani: Are wo to pehle ki bat hai, aapne hamare rajgya ki rakhsa ke liye apni jaan daav pe laga di thi. Aap ko ye kam karne dena mujhe acha nahi lagega, aap rehne dijiye.
Vikrant: Are aesi koy bat nahi hai, mare liye sab kam ek saman hai. Aap chinta mat kijiye.
Vikrant Rani ji ke hath se ghodo ki lagam leta hai, aur use apni jagah ki aur le jata hai.
Rani: Vese mujhe aap se mafi bhi mangni thi, Aapki anumati ke bina humne aap pe wo dawai ka istamal kiya.
Vikrant: Jo bat bit gayi wo bit jayi. Mene Gauri ji se iss bat me ache se kal rat bat karli hai. Aap nischint rahiye. Ab muje us bat ke liye koy gussa nahi hai.
Vikrant: Ek bat aur, ye aap mujhe Aap aap karke mat bulaye, Aap rajya ke rani hai.
Rani: Aur aap is rajya ke rakhshask ke, aap ka samman hona hi chahiye.
Vikrant: Me to ek mamuli insan hu, aap ek rani ho.
Rani: Par aapne meri aur mere iss rajya ki rakhsha ki hai.
Vikrant: To fir isse nate aap mujhe tum keh kar bula sakti hai.
Vikrant ki is bat pe rani musukura deti hai aur kehti hai.
Rani: Thik hai, Muje ab pata chala, Gauri ji tum par kyu mohit hai. Tum apni bat manwa hi lete ho.
Vikrant: Aesa nahi hai, Wo to mari yaha pe pehli dost hai, unke sath mera alg hi dosti ka rista hai.
Rani: Thik hai ab me chalti hu, aur kal se tumko yaha kam nahi karenge, aur tumko kam karna hi hai to ek kam kijiye aap mahal me Sainik ka kam kijiye.
Vikrant: Nahi nahi, mahal me nahi, waha Vasundhara ji ko mera rehna acha nhi lagega. Pata nhi unko mujse kya dikkat ho gayi hai.
Rani: Aesa kuch nahi hai, wo bahot hi achi insaan hai. Bas wo ab ShairShing jesi galti ko dobara hote huve nahi dekhna chahti, issi liye. Unko samay dijiye wo bhi tumko pasand karne lagegi.
Vikrant: Thik he, par me kam to yahi par karunga, isi bahane har subah aapse mulakat ho jayegi.
Rani: Har subah to nahi, par kabhi kabhi ho jayegi.
Ye kehate huve rani waha se jane lagti hai, aur Vikrant firse apne kam me lag jata hai.
Aese hi din bit rahe the, Vikrant ko ek mahina bit gaya tha yaha kam karte huve, Wo har roj aata aur Ghodo ko nehlata, unko chara-pani deta aur safay kar apne ghar chala jata, fir saam ko aake yahi kam doharata. Bich bich me wo kabhi Gauri ji ke sath rehta, aur unke sath sambhog karta aur puri rat dono ek dusare ko baho me bhar sote.
Aese hi ek din Vikrant ghodo ko nehla raha tha, tabhi vaha Vasundhara aur Anandita aati hai.
Vasundhara: Vikrant, kese ho?
Vasundhara ke awaz sun Vikrant ghodo ko nehlana chod unke pass aata hai.
Vikrant: Vasundhara ji, aap yaha? Me thik hu aap batao
Vasundhara: Tum abhi bhi yahi kam kar rahe ho?
Vikrant: Ha, ghodo ke sath acha lagta hai.
Anandita: Par yaha ki saf safay bhi tumhi karte ho, uske liye to alag se log hai na.
Vikrant: Me hu fir kisi aur ko yeh kam karne ki kya jarut hai, Vese bhi agar me yaha kam nahi karunga to ghar pe pada rahunga.
Vasundhara: Tumko ye kam karne ki zarurt nahi hai, aur mujhe pata chala hai ki tum meri vajah se mahal me nahi aate!
Vikrant: Nahi nahi aesi koy bat nahi hai, par aapko mera waha rehna acha nahi lagta, issi liye me nahi aata. Aap ko muj par viswas bhi to nahi hai.
Vasundhara: Aesa kuch nahi hai, bas me kuch jyada hi sochane lagi thi. Par ab jab tum yaha ache se reh rahe ho to, to mujhe meri galti samaj me aa gyi ki, har insaan ek jesa nahi hota.
Anandita: Aur hum hmari issi galti ke liye, tumse mafi bhi mangte hai.
Vikrant: Are aap mafi mat mangiye, aap to apna kam kar rahi thi. Aur aap hi hai, jinhone meri jaan bachayi thi, jab me yaha aaya tha.
Vasundhara: Thik hai, par abse tum mahal me kam karoge.
Vikrant: Vasundhara ji, mene raani ji se bhi kaha tha, aur aap se bhi kehta hu mujhe yaha kam karna acha lagta hai, par me kabhi kabhi aap sab se milne aur mahal me chakkar lagane aa jaya karunga thik hai.
Vasundhara: Thik hai, jesi tumhari marzi.
Thodi der Vikrant se bat kar dono chali jati hai. Vikrant bhi apna kam karne lagta hai. Aese hi din bit rathe the aur Vikrant apna kam karta rehta hai. Dheere wo mahal me bhi jane lagta hai. Waha bhi uski dosti Vasundhara aur Anandita se banane lagti hi. Aur kabhi kabhi Rani se bhi bat karta unse bhi uski dosti banane lagi thi.
Aese hi ek raat Rani aur Vikrant mahal me rani ke kamare me bethe huve bat kar rhe rhe.
Vikrant: Aap ko apni ma ki yad nahi aati? Mujhe to bahot aati hai.
Rani: Meri mata pita to bachapan me hi chal base the, me to pehle se Rajya dwara bane bacho ke ghar me badi ho rahi thi, aur issi bich mera chunav Raj kanya ke liye huva.
Rani: Tabhi se mere liya meri ma Rani Padmini hi thi. Par wo bhi mujhe chod kar chali gayi.
Yeh keh kar rani uth kar, kamre me bani badi khidaki ke pass jati hai aur akash me tim timate taro ki aur dekhne lagi. Wo unhi taro me kahi chupi apni ma Rani Padmini ko dhundhne ki nakam koshish karne lagi.
Vikrant raani ko dekh, unke pass jata hai aur unke piche kada ho jata hai. Vikrant kuch sochata hai, aur apne haath aage badhata hai, aur rani ko apni baho me bhar leta hai. Vikrant ke is kadam se raani zep jati hai aur usse dhaka deke piche hata deti hai, aur bina kuch soche samje wo Vikrant ke galo par thappad laga deti hai.
Vikrant rani ke iss thappad se zep jata hai, aur bolta hai
Vikrant: Me to bss wo...
Rani: Ek sabd bhi nahi, nikal jao yaha se.
Vikrant: Par...
Rani: Mene kaha nikal jao yaha se..
Ye kehte huve rani ka pura sarir kanp raha tha, uske chehare dar ka bhav tha, aur unke aankhon se aansu beh rahe the.
Vikrant rani ke gusse ko dekh, vaha se chala jata hai. Aur sidha aapne ghar aa jata hai. Gauri ji apne ghar ke bahar kisi se bat kar rhi thi. Wo Vikrant ko dekh use bulati hai, par Vikrant apne vicharo me khoya huva tha. Wo sidha apne ghar ki aur chala jata hai.
Gauri ji apni bat khatam kar thodi dair bad Vikrant ke ghar aati hai.
Gauri ji: Aaj kya huva, naraz ho?
Vikrant: Nahi, aesa nahi hai, bs mera din nahi hai acha aaj.
Gauri ji: Kyu kya huva?
Vikrant: Kuch nahi!
Gauri ji: Ab apni dost se bat bhi chipao ge?
Vikrant: Aesa kuch nahi hai.
Gauri ji: Kuch to huva hai, chalo puri bat batao.
Vikrant darte huve, rani ji ke sath huvi sari bat batata hai. Use aesa lag raha tha ki sayad Gauri ji Vikrant ki iss harkat se naraz ho jayegi. Vikrant ke bat khatam karne se Gauri ji kuch sochati hai aur fir bolti hai.
Gauri ji: Wese isme tumhari koy galti nahi hai, jiss aurat ne itne saalo tak apne par julm sahan kiya ho, usko to ab kisi bhi aadmi ke chune bhar se gussa aayegana.
Vikrant: Me kaha anjan tha, hum to ab dost ban gaye hai na?
Gauri ji: Ha, par sayad unhe itna bharosa na ho ki tum unhe chu sako. Ye jayaz bhi he. Kyo ki tum se ache bat kar lene ae tumhe pura adhikar to nahi mil jata na.
Vikrant: Par aapko to dar nahi laga tha.
Gauri ji: kya me unke jese taklifo se guzaree hu, nahi na.
Gauri ji Vikrant ko ache se samjane lagti hai.
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Idhar Agni dwip par andhere me sumsan jagah par ek gol ghere ke bicho bich angi kund jal raha tha. Ghere ki bahar ek mara huva bakara pada tha. Kund ke pass ek aadmi leta huva tha, uski jatao ko pakde ek aurat uski chati par bethi huvi thi. Pure nagn avatar me. Uske sarir par kayi jagah khun se kisi tarah ke chinh banaye huve the, aur uske stano ko puri tarah khun se lep diya gaya tha. Aag ki lapto ke sath uska badan chamak raha tha, uski aankhe me ghadha kajal laga huva tha, aur uske muh ke paas bhi khun ke dhabbe dikh rahe the, aesa lag raha tha ki jese usne abhi abhi khun piya ho. Aesa lag raha tha ki kuch tantrik kriya chal rahi ho, Kisi sakti ko paane ki.