Aankhon ke saamne andhera chhaya tha, jaise koi gehri neend se jagi ho.

Dhire-dhire uska hosh laut raha tha. Sard zameen ka ehsaas uske haath ke neeche tha, aur uske dil ki dhadkanein ab bhi tej thi, jaise usne abhi-abhi koi bura sapna dekha ho. Usne apne aas-paas dekha, aur jo kuch dekha, uspar yakeen karna mushkil tha.

Chhat purane lakdi ke shaandar kaam se bani thi.

Diwaron par rangin kalakaritayein thi jo kisi shahi mahal ki yaad dilati thi. Ek ajeeb si sugandh hawa mein thi — mitti, sandalwood aur phoolon ki meethi khushboo. Yeh sab kuch uske liye bilkul ajnabi tha. Na jaane yeh kahan ki jagah thi.

Usne apna gala kharaab mehsoos kiya aur dheere se kaha, “Main… kahan hoon?”

Uski awaaz alag lag rahi thi, jaise woh awaaz uski apni na ho. Dheere-dheere usne apna haath gala tak le gaya, par jo mehsoos hua, usne usse aur chaukaya. Woh awaaz uske dimaag mein gunj rahi thi, lekin woh apni nahi lag rahi thi.

Uska dimaag bhaari lag raha tha, aur andar se ek ajeeb si bechaini ho rahi thi, jaise woh kisi ajnabi jagah par qaid ho gayi ho. Tabhi uske dimaag mein woh pal wapas aaya jab woh apne kamre mein ek kitab padh rahi thi.

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"Tujhe se raabta ."

Yeh naam uske dimaag mein bijli ki tarah chamka. Yeh ek novel tha jo usne shuru kiya tha aur ek raat mein khatam karne ka irada tha. Novel ki kahani uska dil baandh leti thi, lekin saath hi usse dukh se bhar deti thi.

Ek shahi kahani jisme rishte, dhokha aur khoon ka khel tha. Ek rajya jo apni shakti aur dushmani ke liye mashhoor tha, aur ek khandan jo apne andar se hi bikhar raha tha. Is kahani ka villain prince — ek aise vyakti ki kahani thi jo shuru se ek hero banne ke laayak tha, lekin uski kismat ne usse ek villain bana diya.

Villain prince Yash ki zindagi dukh aur haar se bhari thi. Us prince ka har sapna uske bade bhai raghav , ke haath chhin gaya. Raghav ko har woh cheez milti thi jo villain prince chahta tha — chahe woh shakti ho, pyaar ho, ya izzat.

Us din woh epilog padh rahi thi — ek aakhri chittha jo yash kuvar ki maut aur uske dukhbhari zindagi ka end tha. Us kuvar ki maut ek chhal kapat ke baad hui thi, ek aise raaste par jo usne khud nahi chuna tha. Woh akela mar gaya, bina kisi pyaar ke, bina kisi parivaar ke, sirf dard aur peeda ke saath.

Usne apne aakhri shabdon mein kaha tha:

"Main woh Issa kuvar hoon jiske naseeb mein taaj nahi, sirf khanjar tha."

Yeh shabd uske dil ko tod gaye the. Woh samajh nahi paayi thi ki kyon, lekin woh prince, jo villain tha, usse itna apna kyon lagta tha. Uski kahani itni gehri thi ki uska dukh uske apne dukh jaisa lagne laga tha.

Usne ek aansu pochha aur kaha tha, “Yeh toh sirf ek kahani hai, lekin kyun lagta hai jaise yeh asli ho?”

Tabhi ek tez bijli chamki thi. Ek zor ka jhatka laga, aur woh apni kursi se neeche gir gayi thi. Usne sirf ek gehri cheekh suni thi, aur uske baad sab kuch andhera ho gaya tha.

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Ab woh yahan thi, iss anjaani jagah mein. Usse lagta tha ki yeh sapna nahi tha. Yeh sab asli lag raha tha — woh mitti ki sugandh, woh hawaa ka sparsh, woh purani shahi mahal ka ehsaas.

Tabhi darwaza dheere se khula. Ek aurat andar aayi, jo uske saamne ruk gayi. Uska poshaak bilkul naukrani jaisa tha, lekin uske chehre par ek garmahat thi, jaise woh uski chinta kar rahi ho.