CHAPTER - 10

In the palace,inside princess Neelakshi’s room,Akash was still not out of his trance as he was seeing Neelakshi’s portrait and while seeing the portrait,he was feeling like Neelakshi was looking straight into Akash’s eyes and mocking him and he also felt that her eyes were burning.Some moments later,Akash could gather the courage to speak and he,without breaking his looks towards the portrait,uttered,”Ye to...ye to...vohi hai,jisey main jungle mein mila tha.”He then looked at the direction where the man was standing but he found there no one and Akash was shocked.He looked here and there and found no trace of the man.He was confused and then said to himself,”Kaha chala gaya vo aadmi??Abhi to yahi par tha.”He got up,as there was dust all along the room,he cleaned the dust and came out of the room and searched him here and there and suddenly found him standing at his back and Akash was startled to see him at his back as if he appeared out of nowhere and said,”Ye tasveer waali mujhe maare ya na maare tum mujhe heart attack zarur doge.”Akash then looked at him and asked,”Tum kaun ho?Aur kya tumhine mujhe upar yaha uthe mein madat ki hai?”The man,in an unmindful state,said,”Main???Mera naam Mohan hain aur main ek maamuli insaan tha,par meri kismat maamuli nehi thi.Par ha...”He looked at Akash and said,”Tumhe yaha aane mein madat maine hi ki hai.Vo seedi tootne waali thi agar main tumhaari madat nehi karta to tumhe chot lag jaati.”Akash was horrified with the man’s words and almost yelled,”Tha???Tha matlab kya hai??Kya tum bhi...”The man gave an helpless smile and said,”Ha main bhi...main jaana chahta hu yaha se lekin akele inhe chorkar kaise jaau?Ye pehle aisi nehi thi,inke dil mein bohot daya thi logo ke liye,sabse pyar karti thi par ab...”Mohan became sad and continued,”Ab vo pehle jaisi nehi rahi,ab unhe sirf badle ki chah hai,sirf badla lena chahti hai vo.”Akash felt like crying on getting to know the real identity of the man since he was getting mad to come here and said,”Mujhe pata tha ke yahapar ek bhoot hai,par yaha to do do bhoot hai.Sahi kehte hai maut ko bulaana nehi parta hai vo khud waqt parne par hume apne paas bula leta hai.Aaya tha ek murder mystery solve karne par yaha to kuch dino baad police aayegi meri murder mystery solve karne.”The man said,”Tum mujhse daro mat,main uske jaisa nehi hu.Mujhe to mukti chahiye is duniya se aur tum to rakshak ho na.”Akash was surprised on getting to know that Mohan knew about his mysterious saviour status but at the next moment,Akash realized Mohan’s present status but he was extremely pissed off hearing all this riddles and in an impatient tone,he said,”Oh please ye paheliyo mein baat karna bandh karo,jisse bhi puchta hu sach koi nehi bataata hai mujhe hamesha sab ya to taal jaate hai ya phir ye kehte hai ke sahi waqt aane par sab pata chal jaayega.Sahi waqt kab aayega?Mere marne ke baad??Usdin to is mohtarma ke haatho main marte marte bacha hu.”Mohan replied,”Vo tumhe maar nehi sakti hai,kyuki tumhaare haatho hume mukti milegi.Tumhaari raksha khud Shankar bhagwaan kar rahe hai aur unka aashirwaad jiske sar par ho usey bhala koi kaise maar sakta hai.”Akash taunted,”Sabko sab kuch pata hai sivaay mere.”Mohan again disappeared and Akash was again shocked but at the next moment,he cursed himself and said,”Ab kya main is bhoot ke saath lukachupi khelu?Ye din aa gaye hai mere?”He again started searching for the man and while searching him,Akash again went to Neelakshi’s room but there also he didn’t find Mohan.He was thinking about what to do next just then...just then suddenly a light emitted from the portrait of Neelakshi and seeing that Akash was stunned and horrified.He was slowly moving backward,when he suddenly heard that Mohan’s voice,”Jaao,bhaago yaha se,vo aane waali hai,jaao yaha se,jaao.Bhaago!!”Akash too didn’t have that mentality of course to stand there and welcome a ghost and that who once tried to kill him and he was saved by God’s sake and so he tried to fled away.He ran out of the door which opens in the balcony but at that moment a log of wood flew in the air by itself and hit his legs and he fall down on the floor with a bang.He turned against his back and then stood up wiping off the dust from his body and then saw that a red shadow was covering the whole palace.He immediately looked up into the sky and saw that the white moon had slowly turned into red and then in the sky,there was something written with fire –

“Hum is khaandaan ka naam – o – nishaan mitaaye bina is duniya se nehi jaayenge.”

“Apni kheriyat chahta hai to chala ja yaha se!!”

Akash wanted to run away and anyone would have in his place but just then he remembered that the ladder had already fallen down and if he tried to jump,he will either break his leg or he might be paralyzed for ever and the only way to run away from there was just through the main door which was closed from outside,but through there also he won’t be able to get out since Neelakshi would be there inside.Akash was feeling so helpless that at one moment he thought that he would die,but at the next moment he remembered that he was a cop and he never learnt to back off for his life and so in a desperate attempt,he yelled,”Nehi jaaunga main,kahi nehi jaaunga!!Tum chahe mujhe jitna bhi daraane ki koshish karo main yaha se nehi nikalne waala jabtak main tumhaare khauff ko Vijaygarh ke seene se hamesha hamesha ke liye bahaar na nikaal feku,usko jar se na ukhaarlu main tabtak kahi nehi jaaunga.Tumhe jo ukhaarna hai ukhaaro,mujhe tumse dar nehi lagta hai kyuki mujhe pata hai ke tum mujhe nehi maar sakti ho.”The letters written in fire in the sky omitted and Akash suddenly was being blown up in the air and was thrown away on a store of woods lying aside and Akash was badly hurt.He somehow got up screaming in pain and then he was again being blown up in the air and was thrown out of the balcony but just the moment before hitting the ground,he stopped from falling and was slowly put back on his feet on the ground.Akash saw that Mohan was standing there in front of him.Right beside him,Neelakshi too appeared in her ghastly avatar in that red attire and looked angrily at Mohan and said,”Tum isey bacha rahe ho??Hamaare dushman ko?Tum ye thik nehi kar rahe ho.”Mohan replied,”Aap pehle se hi bohot saare bekasooro ki jaan le chuki hai ab main aapko aur nehi karne dunga ye sab.Ab agar zarurat pari to main khud aapke raaste par khara ho jaaunga.Ab tak mere paas aur koi chaara nehi tha lekin ab hai.”Neelakshi was adamant for revenge and so she would not spare anyone who would stand in her way.She looked at Akash and her eyes turned red and said,”Hum isey nehi chorenge,kabhi nehi chorenge.”Neelakshi looked at the palace and said,”Is khaandaan ne hamaari jaan li hai aur vo ek maamuli vajah ke liye,hum inhe kaise cor de?Na to hum inhe chorenge...”She looked at Akash and said,”Aur naahi inhe bachaane waale ko.”Neelakshi raised her hand towards the direction of the palace and Akash saw a pair of old rusted swords rose up high in the sky from inside the palace and were coming towards him.Akash was scared and he tried to run but his feet were jammed might be Neelakshi’s trick.He closed his eyes,thinking his destiny to be unavoidable and just about to pierce Akash,but at that moment,the mosque had its prayers and with the sound of that azaan,Neelakshi screamed with pain and and the swords dropped an inch before piercing Akash’s chest,they fall on the ground and Neelakshi disappeared.Mohan also started to disappear and said,”Dargah mein azaan pari ja rahi hai,ab hamaari shaktiya kaam nehi karengi,tum jaao apne ghar aur yaha raat ko phir kabhi mat aana.Kyuki jin aatmao ko badle ki bhukh hoti hai vo bohot taaqatwar hoti hai aur hamesha main tumhe nehi bacha paaunga.Ye to aaj allah ne tumhe bacha liya.Tumhaara hifaazat se rehna bohot zaruri hai.”Akash asked,”Par mujhe in sabke jar tak pohochna hai,please meri madat karo.”Mohan replied,”Jinhone tumhe raasta dikhaaya hai vohi tumhaari madat karenge.Main chalta hu subhe hone waali hai ab main nehi ruk sakta hu.”Saying he finally disappeared and Akash got up but was not able to walk properly and then looked at the time and realized that it was already time and he had to return now.While walking back home,Akash realized one thing whatever happened in the palace was not a dream and also that today really God had saved him and he felt that whatever happened it was just the beginning and there was more to come on his way.

                                                                                                After reaching Vinay’s house,Akash gave a light knock on the door and the boy was very punctual and obedient and he did keep his promise.So when Akash knocked at the door lightly,the boy,who was waiting for him,quickly and carefully,without making much sound opened the door for him.Akash entered inside and the boy again locked the door and when he saw Akash’s condition,he whispered and asked,”Ke huo bhaiyaji,kisi se maar pitaai karke aaye ho ke?Aise langra kaye rahe ho?”Akash muttered,”Ha bhootni aur uske jodidaar se milkar aaya hu.”The boy asked,”Ke kaha aapne?”Akash lied to him,”Na na kuch na hua hai,bas aise hi andhere mein patthar se per takra gaya aur muh ke bal geer gaya.Vaise ghar mein koi jag to nehi gaya mere jaane ke baad?”The boy replied,”Na bhaiyaji na kuch na huo,koi na jaaga vaise bhi athe ghar mein babuji jab ek baar sote hai to seedha subhe uthte hai, aur bakiyo mein se bhi koi na jaaga hai.Aap araam se jaao aur jaakar so jaao.”Akash thanked him and then left for his room.In his bedroom,he was not having sleep,as everytime,he tried to close his eyes,all that happened in the palace roam in front of his eyes for which everytime,he opened his eyes.One thing from Neelakshi’s words,Akash understood that Neelakshi was killed at the hands of the royal family for some kind of mistake and Mohan too was a victim of them and that was why Neelakshi was so much vengeful.But still,at the dead of the night,he fall asleep and when he opened his eyes,it was a bright day and when he checked the time,he found that to be 9am which was the time for breakfast.He jumped up from the bed and and within a few minutes got ready to leave for breakfast.When he arrived at the dining room,he was welcomed with a glee by Ananya’s taunts and she looked at Vinay and said,”Uncle aapke naye jo guest hai lagta hai inhe breakfast aur lunch ek saath karne ki aadat hai.Kyu Mr Saluja?”Akash lowered his neck and apologized and replied,”Iam sorry actually vo kal raat ko vo thik tarah se neend nehi aayi hai aur subhe aakh lagne ke vajah se thori der ho gayi uthne mein.”Vinay pointed a chair and replied,”Koi baat nehi alag jagah par kabhi kabhi aisa ho jaata hai.Isme koi khaas problem waali baat nehi hai.Chalo betho!!”Akash took his seat and Parvati served him food and Akash said,”Yaha aane ke baad ma ke haath ke bane khaane ko bara miss kar raha tha,lagta hai bhagwaan ne aapko mere liye hi bheja hai.”Parvati was embarrassed but smiled and replied,”Arey beta isme konsi bari baat hai,jaise mare liye bitiya hai vaise tum bhi ho.Achche se khaana khaao,aur chahiye to bolna.”Ananya could never share Parvati’s love with anyone except Vijay and so she looked angrily at Parvati and said,”Ma zyaada sar par charaane aur pyar jataane ki zarurat nehi hai and you...”She looked at Akash and said,”Jis kaam ke liye aaye ho usey khatam karo aur yaha se chalte bano.Zyaada sabse ghulne milne ki zarurat nehi hai.”Akash gave a bite on his food and then said,”Aapke khaandaan ki kya mujhse koi dushmani hai?Jo dekho sab mujhe yaha se nikaalne par tula hua hai,ek hai ke jeene nehi deti aur ek khaane nehi deti.”Ananya squeezed her brows and asked,”Aur kisne kaha aisa?”Akash stopped with a jerk and realized that he had a slip of tongue and so he immediately made up and said,”Ji nehi...vo kya hai na ke uh...jab bhi main jaata hu sab na kehte hai key aha mat jaao waha mat jaao,vo bhootni ka ilaaka hai and all that isiliye bol raha tha,kahi shaanti se ghum bhi nehi pa raha hu.”Akash asked her,very politely,”Madam kya main aapko kaatne aata hu?Cockroach ke tarah ur kar aapke upar beth jaata hu?Kya maine kabhi aapke kisi kaam mein taang araaya hai?To aap hamesha mujhpar itna bharakti kyu hai?”Ananya replied,”Kyuki hume tumhaari shakal pasand nehi hai.”Akash looked at her with wide eyes and said,”Meri shakal pasand nehi hai??Larkiya marti hai mujhpar aur jab main kaam ke liye bahaar jaata hu na mere purey colony mein ‘Unmarried ladies mourning day’ chalta hai.Itna popular hu main.Main thehra seedha saadha aadmi aur aap mere saath...”Ananya showed him tongue and said,”Ha unki aakhe tedhi hogi na isiliye.”Akash made a fake angry face and replied,”Aap to aise bol rahi hai jaise ke ye aapka mahal hai.”Ananya replied,”Mahal nehi hai to kya hua?Ye bhi hamaara ghar hai.Uncle ye hamaara ghar hai na?”She looked at Vinay like a kid and he replied,”Ha pari ye tera hi ghar hai,main soch raha tha ke mere baad ye ghar main tere naam par kar dunga.”Ananya smiled at Vinay and then gave Akash a ‘See!!” kind of look.Akash picked one more paraatha from the basket and was a bit of surprised seeing its shape and he chuckled out and said,”Vaah aise anokhe design ka paraatha maine pehli baar dekha hai.”Ananya was so annoyed on seeing that since it was made by herself and she shouted at Parvati,”Ma aapne ye paraatha yaha kyu rakkha?Ye humne apne liye banaya tha.Aapne ye thik nehi kiya.”Parvati closed her eyes and covered her ears and said,”Chilla kaay rahi hai chori,ek paraatha hi to hai kal phir se bana lena.”She stamped her feet and said,”Nehi hume yehi paraatha chahiye.Laao do hume!!Hum apni cheez kisike saath share nehi karte hai.”Akash again gave a teasing smile and then looked at the paraatha and said,”Tabhi main kahu ke ye paraathe ki shakal Kashmir ke map ke jaisi kaise ho gayi?Aakhir dekhna parega na ke kisne banaya hai.Vaise main bhi apni cheez kisike saath nehi share karta hu.”Ananya grabbed the paraatha and said,”Ye humne banaya hai isiliye isey pehle hum hi khaayenge.”Akash,who was already holding the paraatha said,”Daane daane pe likha hota hai khaane waale ka naam,maine pehle pakra hai to main hi khaaunga.”Ananya made a very angry face and Vinay and Natasha were enjoying their cat fight.Seeing her face,Akash said,”Chaliye aadha aadha kar lete hai,vaise bhi aapki shakal dekh kar lagta hai ke aap abhi rone waali hai aur main bachcho ko rulaata nehi hu.”He divided the paraatha and gave one to her and she asked,”Hum bachche hai?”Akash replied,”Aap mere bhatije Neilu se bhi zyaada bachchi hai.Vo aapse zyaada matured hai.”Saying he gave a bite to the paraatha and in a praising tone said,”Waah!!Kaafi achcha khaana banaati hai aap yuvraaniji.”He had his paraatha and then Ananya gave a bite to her paraatha and found that it was extremely bad in taste and she wondered why Akash praised her for that.She was confused but still she didn’t ask that in front of everyone and finished her breakfast.After finishing the breakfast,when Ananya was leaving,Natasha reminded her of taking the medicines.Hearing about medicines,Vinay was surprised and when Ananya left,he asked Natasha,”Natasha beta ye medicines pari kyu leti hai?Uski tabiyat kharaab hai kya?”Natasha was short of words as to what she should say to Vinay and so she looked at everyone and then said to Vinay,”Vo...actually uncle...vo...”She told him everything about Ananya’s illness and hearing that Vinay remained shocked and he left his chair and stood up and exclaimed,”Kya??Meri pari...nehi aisa nehi ho sakta hai.Vo to pehle kabhi bimaar nehi thi matlab aisa kuch to maine kabhi nehi dekha uske bachpan mein.Aisa London jaane ke baad hua hai kya?”Natasha nodded her head and then Vinay was very worried on hearing that and he said,”Maine kabhi nehi socha tha ke meri pari ko ye bimaari...”Vinay was very upset with this news and so he returned to his room sadly.When Akash returned to his room,he found Annaya at his doorstep and she asked,”Tumne jhut kyu bola ke humne paraathe achche banaaye hai?”He smiled and replied,”Vo kya hai na ke jab koi pehli baar kuch banaaye to uski buraai nehi karte aur khaaskar agar kisi khubsurat larki ne pehli baar kuch banaya ho to tab to bilkul bhi buraai nehi karni chahiye.”Ananya lowered her eyes and asked,”Tum hamesha hume chiraate kyu ho?”He replied,”Kyuki aapke andar ek chota sa bachcha hai aur hum to usey chiraate hai.”He smiled and went inside his room.

                                                                                              In the evening,Akash went to the dargah to meet peer baba.When he reached there,he was informed that peer baba was reading the evening namaaz and he will be informed of Akash’s arrival as soon as he completed his namaaz.Akash was waiting for about 15 minutes when the peer baba came out of his prayer room and the moment he saw Akash waiting for him,he gave a very meaningful smile and then asked,”Aa gaya apne sawaalo ka pitaara lekar?”Akash was in a desperate mood to settle everything that time with peer baba and so Akash said to him,”Bas ab bohot ho gaya yaar,bohot ho gaya aapki paheliyon mein baate karna,bohot ho gaya aapke sahi waqt ka intezaar,aapki is bhootni ke chakkar mein main dusri baar marte marte bacha hu.Mazaak nehi chal raha hai ye,meri zindagi ka swaal hai aur aapne ye bataya waha ek bhootni hai par ye kyu nehi bataya ke waha ek bhoot bhi hai aur uska naam Mohan hai?Bataaiye?”The peer baba turned his beads and replied,”Kyuki khatra is Vijaygarh ko Mohan se nehi shehzaadi Neelakshi se hai.”Akash gave a fed up look and said,”To aap mujhe puri baat bataayenge kab??Jab Neelakshiji mujhe parlok pohcha dengi aur jab unka aur mera present status same ho jaayega tab bataayenge aap?Marne ke baad main kya karunga vo maharani gaana gaayegi aur main uske peeche background music daalunga?Aise ghatiya maut se to kisi terrorist ki goli kha kar marna zyaada better aur prestigious hai mere liye.Log kya kahenge ek policewaala bhootni ke haatho mar gaya.Chee!!”The peer baba laughed out loud and he put his hand on Akash’s shoulder and said,”Tu bohot mazaakiya hai beta,logo ko hasa sakta hai.Apni ye aadat kabhi mat chorna kyuki kisiko iski bohot zarurat hai.”He squeezed his brows and asked,”Aap kiski baat kar rahe hai??”The peer baba gave a meaningful look to him and said,”Tu khud samajhdaar hai samajh jaayega.Par ha...”He made a serious expression and looked at the dawn and said,”Tujhe ab pura sach bataane ka waqt aa gaya hai.”Akash,in his mind gave a deep breath of relief and looked curiously at the peer baba just like a small kid looks at his/her grandparent while listening to a story.The peer baba started his story and he said,”Ye Vijaygarh ka rajgharaana jo aaj tum dekh rahe ho vo bohot saal puraana hai.Is mahal mein sab kuch tha,daulat,shohrat,apne insaaf ke liye naam,sab kuch par vo kehte hai na ke allah har kisiko sab kuch nehi deta hai,bohot zyaada shohrat aur daulatmand logo ko bhi kisi na kisi cheez ki hamesha kami hoti hai,rajparivaar ko bhi thi.7 pushto tak unke khaandaan mein ek bhi beti nehi hui,jabke vo log Durga ma ke bohot bhakt the,har saal bari puja hoti thi aur isi vajah se 7 pushto baat unke ghar mein beti paida hui...Rajkumari Neelakshi,sahi mein ekdam neeli aakhe thi uski.Dikhne mein hoor ke jaisi aur tehzeeb...uske to kya kehne,vo tum log kehte ho na roop mein lakshmi aur guno mein saraswati,bilkul vaisi.Sabke liye uske dil mein dher saara pyar hota tha,purey khaandaan ke aakho ka noor thi vo,sar ka taaj banaakar rakkha tha usko.Uski har choti se choti farmaayish sabke liye hukm hoti thi.Jitni azaadi us khaandaan ke beto ko nehi mili thi,usse bhi kayi zyada azaadi Neelakshi ko mili thi.Apni ma baap ka guroor aur unke aakho ka noor thi vo,khaaskar apni ma ki.Par ek din...par ek din us bachchi se ek gunaah ho gaya...gunaah allah ke nazar mein nehi,uske khaandaan ke nazar mein.Neelakshi ko Mohan naam ke ek maamuli se insaan,jo peshe se gaao ke bachcho ko paraata tha,usse pyar ho gaya.”Akash was surprised about knowing their full identity and the peer baba looked at Akash and said,”Tujhe yaad hai pehli baar tune Neelakshi ke rooh ko jungle mein behti hui us nadi mein chalte huye dekha tha.Wahi dono sabse chupkar milte the aur naao mein safar karte the.Par ek din...ek din vo dono pakre gaye aur uske baad mahal mein bohot hungama hua,sabne Neelakshi ko samjhaane ki bohot koshish ki lekin vo mohabbat mein giraftaar thi aur mohabbat karne waalo ko kisi aur cheez ka hosh hi nehi rehta.Par rajgharaana chup nehi beth sakta tha,kyuki ye unke khaandaan ki izzat ka sawaal tha.Pehli baar Neelakshi par haath utha aur usey rokne ke liye usey mahal mein qaid kar liya gaya.Uska mahal jaha vo paida hui,vo uske liye jail ban gayi.Mohan ko gaao se nikaal diya gaya.Dheere dheere din beetne lagey aur sabne socha kea b halaat kaabu mein aa gaye hai aur Neelakshi bhi Mohan ko bhul chuki hogi par...allah ko to kuch aur hi manzur tha,kyuki Vijaygarh ke kismat badalne waali thi,uski kismat hamesha ke liye andhere mein gum hone waali thi.Phir...ek din...vo kaali raat aayi jisne Vijaygarh ke sooraj ko hamesha ke liye nigal liya...”The peer baba started the story of that inauspicious night.

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