"Sunai nahi diya tumhen.....!!!" Ladaki chillate hue sabako lat marane lagi. Sab darakar pichhe hatane lage. "Kamine salo.....!! jahan himmat dikhani chahiye vahan to pitate rahate ho aur yahan....." Ladaki chilati hui "Bhago yahan se !!" Sare bhediyan, dusare insan gardan jhukaye apane raste chale gaye.
"Tum bichh ho ?" Rajkumari ne Ladaki se puchha.
"Ai....!!!" Hatheli par prakash lie Ladaki Rajkumari ke gale ki taraph karati hui "Kya bichh- 2 laga rakha hai, pata bhi hai bichh ka matalab kya hota hai ?" Rajkumari ke gale ka dam ghutane laga tha.
"Mujhe nahi pata....." Rajkumari sans lene ki koshish kar rahi thi.
"Bichh mane kutiyan." Ladaki Rajkumari ka gala chhod deti hai. "Isilie vo sab hamen ghurha rahe the ?" Apane gale ko pakade Rajkumari boli. "Aur kya bola usane ?" Ladaki ki ankhon mein gussa tha. "Tofa diya hai tumhare lie." Rajkumari ne chahare se ghayal sainik ki taraph ishara kar diya. "Chuka dungi kamini tera tophaha." Ladaki apane gal ke nishan ko chhuti hui boli. "Hamen....." Rajkumari bol hi rahi thi.
"Janati hun, devil se milana hai." Ladaki age chalati hui "Aur kisi kam se bhi ata hai yahan koi....."
Ve sab vahin khade rahe.
"Arati utar kar le chalun...?" Ladaki ne hath jode.
yuvaraj ko hosh a gaya. Sainik use sabhal Rajkumari ke pichhe chal diye. Jangal ghana aur andhera hota chala gaya. Rajkumari gahari soch mein Ladaki ke pichhe chal rahi thi.
"Hum tumhen us nam se bulane ke lie kshama chahati hai." Rajkumari ne kaha.
Ladaki bina javab die andar jangal ki taraph chalati rahi.
"Vaise tumhara nam kya hai ? Rajkumari ne puchha.
"Kya karogi mere nam ka ?" Ladaki ne Rajkumari ko ghura.
"Nahi vo....." Rajkumari usaki jalati ankhon ke dekhati "Baat karane mein asani rahegi.
"Tumhen devil se milana hai na ?" Ladaki usake age chalati hui "Main lekar chal rahi hun, baat khatm..! isase age janane ki jarurat nahi hai.
"Badi akadu hai ?" Ek sainik badabadaya.
Ladaki ne ek najar sainik par mari aur bina kisi raiachtion ke age badhati chali gayi. Kuchh dur jakar ladaki ruk gayi aur Rajkumari ne kisi tarah khud ko usase takarane se rok liya.
"Kya hua ?" Samane ek purana khandar dekh Rajkumari ne Ladaki ke gambhir chahare ko dekha.
"Main abhi ayi, tum sab yahin ruko." Ladaki age kadam rakh un sabako dekhati hui "Yaad rakhana mujhe tum se napharat hai.
"Koi samajh nahi paya akhir Ladaki kya kah rahi hai aur ja kahan rahi hai. Do palo bad Ladaki khandar mein gayab ho gayi.
"Ye bhi to hamen murkh nahi ban a rahi hai ?" Gayal sainik ne puchha.
"Is bar nahi lagata." Rajkumari ki najar us khandar par jami thi.
"Mujhe nahi pata tha insanon ki is mamuli si duniyan mein itani aphat bhari padi hai." apani choton ke dard se behal yuvaraj bola.
"Lagata hai yuvaraj ke dimag par asar ho gaya hai." Sainik ne chutaki li. gusse mein yuvaraj ne talavar khinch li. sainik muhan band kar pichhe ho gaye.
"Hye friainds....!!" Sabaka dhyan apani taraph khinchati Ladaki vapis a chuki thi.
"Shayad sach mein mere dimag mein chot lag gayi hai ?" Yuvaraj apana sar pakad hilane laga.
Samane nili nashili ankhe, kas kar chhoti se bandhe bal, suraj sa damakata chahara, moti se dant, gal par vo hi kate ka nishan, damakadar kale rang ki tait pent aur bajukat top , kale rang ki nokadar hil pahane, kase badan ko lie, ladaki muskura rahi thi.
"Tum kaun ho ? Rajkumari ne hairani mein puchha.
"Kmaal kar rahi hai ap, abhi to apako chhodakar gayi thi." Ladaki dhyan se rajkumari ko dekhate hue "Devil se milane vali."
"Par vo to.....?" Sainik vapis khandar ko dekhate hue bol hi raha tha.
"Vo to kya ?" Ladaki khandar ko dekhate hue "Main hi to gayi thi vahan......" Ladaki ki ankhe bata rahi thi vo un sab ko pagal samajh rahi thi.
"Mainne kahan tha ye bhi hamen murkh bana rahi hai !!" Ghayal sainik ne kaha.
Sabaki talavar nikalane lagi.
"Ek bat bataun, mujhe ap sab bade achchhe lagate hai." Achanak muskan ko hairani mein badalate hue Ladaki Rajkumari se "Par apake vyavahar to pagalo jaisa hai."
Rajkumari ko jati Ladaki ki bat yad a gayi, usane isaka ulta kahan tha. "Hamen asha hai tum hamare sath dhokha nahi kar rahi ho ?" Rajkumari Ladaki par bharosa nahi kar pa rahi thi.
"Agar yahi khade rahakar time kharab karana hai to thik hai." Ladaki upar rat ke andhare ko dekh "Varana devil se milana hai to suraj ki pahali kiran se pahale hi mil sakate hai, usake bad....."
"Is bat ka kya praman hai tum hamare sath dhokha nahi kar rahi ho ?" Rajkumari ne puchha.
"Mera timai kharab mat karo, tumhen chalana hai to chalo varana mein ja rahi hun." Ladaki age jakar rukati hui "Mujhe tumase kuchh nahi milane vala, tumane hamari madad ki is lie main tumhari madad kar rahi hun."
"Hamane tumhari madad ki kab ?" Yuvaraj ne puchha.
"Chalo...." Rajkumari yuvaraj ki us insan ki gardan katane ko yad karate hue usake pichhe chal di.
"Baki sabako bhi usake pichhe chalana pada." Ladaki unako lie adha jangal par kar chuki thi.
Sab chup chap usake pichhe chal rahe the.
"Mera nam Dodo hai." Ladaki muskurati hui Rajkumari se "Main isi jangal ke dusari taraph base shahar mein rahati hun."
Sab khandar mein jane se pahale Ladaki ki kahi bate yad kar Rajkumari ko dekh rahe the.
"Phir is tarah jangal mein bhediyo ke sath milakar ladana.....?" Rajkumari ne apane sathiyon ko dekhane ke bad puchha .
“Actually..., main apane boss ke kahane par par yahan ai thi." Dodo ne muskurate hue kaha.
“Kya....?" Rajkumari kuchh word samajh nahi payi thi.
"Main apane malik ke kahane par bhediyon ki madad karane ayi thi." Dodo boli.
"Tumhara malik, tum kisi ki gulam ho ?" Sainik ne hairani jatai.
Dodo sainik ko ghurane lagi. Sainik ki sanse ruk gayi.
"Shant raho sainik." Rajkumari boli.
"Apake sathi majak bada achchha karate hai." Dodo hansane lagi.
Rajkumari ko to Dodo hi samajh nahi a rahi thin vo devil ko kaise samajhegi ? Kuchh samay pahale jo ankhon se jalane ke lie taiyar thi vo barph jaisi thandi kaise ho gayi ?
"Par vo sab lad kyon rahe the aur tumhare malik ne tumhen ladane kyon bheja...?" Rajkumari ne puchha. "Ye ladai har mahine hoti hai amavasya ke hi din." Dodo ekadam gammbhir hoti hui "Apana ilaka badhane ke lie....."
Rajkumari ke sath baki sab ki bhi sanse ruk gayi.
"Hai na pagalapan ?" Dodo ne hansate hue puchha.
"Par insan bhediyon ki madad kyon kar rahe the ?" Yuvaraj bhi puchh baitha.
"Shayad mere malik mujhase bahetar janate hogen ?" Dodo age badhati hui "Unhonne kahan aur main a gayi."
"Tumhare malik kaun hai ?" Rajkumari ne puchha.
"Devil...." Dodo bol padi.
Sabako ek sath jhataka laga.
"Tumhara para se kya jhagada hai ?" Rajkumari Dodo ke sath - 2 chalane lagi.
Jhatake se dodo ne Rajkumari ka gala pakad liya. Sainiko ki talavare khinch gayi par Rajkumari ne hath ke ishare se unhen rok diya. Dodo ka vyavahar pahale jaisa hone laga tha.
"Ham pahunch gaye." Rajkumari ke gale ko dabati apani taraph khinch Dodo ne kaha.