Naagin

Pyaar ki Dastaan

Khoobsurat pahadon aur nadiyon se ghire Naaglok ka raj-darbar, maniyon ki roshni se chamak raha tha. Vaha chamkte patharo se bani ek bhavya-uche sihaasan par bethi thi naago ki Maharani Kashyapi. Aj vo thodi bechan si dikh rahi thi aur baar-baar unki nighaahein raj-darbar ke mukhya dhwaar par theher jaati thi. Pure raj-darbar mein aj ajeeb si shanti chhayi huyi thi. Sab ke chehre par dar aur pareshani saaf jhalak rahi thi. Tabhi ek sainik ne raj-darbar mein pravesh kiya.

Vo abhi kuch bolta usse pehle hi Maharani bol padi, "kahi se kuch khabar aayi?" Sainik ne sar jhukaate huye kaaha, "Kshma kare Maharani, abhi tak kuch nhi." Maharani mayuoos hokar khud ko dilaasa dete huyi boli, "hamara dil keh raha hain, dono taraf se achhi khabar hi aayegi. Senapati Yagya ki dakshta par hame koi sandeh nhi. Lekin ham apni beti ko bhi jaante hain, Kauravi ka ye pehla yudh hain lekin vo jarur vijay hogi. Muje un par pura vishvas hain." Raj-darbar mein bethe sabha-sad ke ek sadasya ne apne bagal mein baithe dusre sadsya se kaha, "agar uttar aur dakshin ki sima par achanak se ye yudh na hote to ab tak uttaradhikari ka faisla ho chuka hota. Mujhe to abhi se yudh se zyaada ye jaanne ki uttsukta hain ki Maharani ke baad naaglok ke sihaasan kaa uttaradhikari kon banega? Rajkumari Kauravi yaa Senapati Yagya?" Dusra sadasya bola, "yakinan Senapati Yagya apne kaarya mein kushal hain, lekin me to Rajkumari Kauravi ke paksh mein hun. Vo baazo ke saath yudh bhi jeetegi aur naaglok ki uttaradhikari bhi banegi." Pehla sadasya bola, "Me Senapati Yagya ke paksh mein hun. Unhe hi uttaradhikari banna chahiye." Dusre sadasya ne kaha, " Ab to unke aane ke baad hi faisla hoga ki un dono mein se uttaradhikari kon banega." Baki sadasya bhi apas mein phusphusa kar baatein karte huye apna alag-alag math rakh rahe the lekin Karkotak shaanti se chup-chap betha maharani ki taraf dekh raha tha. Karkotak ke bagal mein baitha uska daya hath Vakrabaahu, jo ek mayavi jaadugar tha, usne kaha, "mantri ji aapne chal to achhi chali hai, Naaglok par dono taraf se hamla karakar. Apko kya lagta hain, Rajkumari Kauravi baazo se jeet paayegi?" Karkotak ek rahasya purn aur kutil muskuraahat ke saath bola, "heh, unka yudh kaushal nirnay karega ki vo yudh jeet payegi yaa nhi." Jadugar ne kaha, "aur senapati Yagya ke baare mein aapka kya khayaal hain?" Karkotak ne kaha, "khayaal to achha hai, lekin usse zyaada zaroori hain abhi maharani ke saamne santvana ke do shabd bolna taki unki becheni thodi kam ho sake."
Vo apne sthaan par khada huya aur bola, "kshma kare Maharani, me apki becheni samaj sakta hun. Mujhe pura vishvas hain ki Rajkumari Kauravi zaroor yudh jeetegi aur naaglok ki uttaradhikari bhi vahi banengi." Maharani ne chintit swar mein kaha, "Rajkumari ki chinta nhi hai mujhe, me naaglok ki suraksha ko lekar pareshan hun."

Aur tabhi achanak ae Raj-darbar mein ek sainik ne bhaagte huye pravesh kiya aur maharani ke paas jaakar unke saamne sir jukakar dheemi aavaz mein kuch kehne laga. Maharani ke chehre par koi bhaav na dekhkar Raj-darbar ke logo ke man mein tarah-tarah ke vichaar aane lage ki kahi koi buri khabar to nhi. Aur tabhi maharani ne apne chehre par raahat ki muskaan lete huye kaha, "Senapati Yagya ne nevlo ki sena ko hara diya hai. Unki tark sangath bato se hi nevlo ki sena ne maidan chhod diya, vo abhi padhar rahe hain." Raj-darbar mein Yagya ke kadam padte hi unpar phoolon ki varsha shuru ho gayi. Sab ke chehre khushi se jhoom uthe the. Vo beech darbar mein maharani ke saamne jaakar khada ho gaya. Uska badan faulad saa tha, aur baajuen lohe ki tarah majboot. Usne apni kalai aur baajuon par sone ke kade pehen rakhe the. Uski chhati garv se fooli huyi thi aur moothhiya josh mein bandhi huyi. Uski aankhein Maharani ke samman mein juki huyi thi. Maharani unse boli, "Senapati Yagya yudh ka javab hamesha yudh nhi hota aur aapne aisa kar dikhaya hain. Apne jis tarah bina yudh kiye hi dakshini sima par nevlo ke aakraman kaa javab diya vo sarhaaniya hain. Hame aap par bohot garv hain." Senapati Yagya ne ek haath apni chhati par rakha aur sir jukaakar bola, "dhanyavad Maharani, ye naaglok ke prati mera kartavya hain ." Maharani uski prashansa karte huye boli, "aapne ek baar phir bata diya ki kisiki jaan daav par lagaaye bina bhi yudh mein vijay huva jaa sakta hain. Apke svargiya pita ko bhi aaj aap par bohot garv ho raha hoga." Apne pita ke baare mein soch kar Yagya thoda bhaavuk ho gaya, jinki ek haatse mein maut ho gayi thi. Par apni bhaavnao par niyantran karte huye usne kaha, "dhanyavad Maharani."