Kapali: The return of Mahavir

Chapter 8: Saurya is brought to Kapali's place

Durgavati was walking to and fro along the corridor beside her room. Swaraswati happened to pass by.
"Durgavati ji aap itne chintit keu hai?"
"Aur chintit keu na hu boliye aap... humko biswas koni hota ki humare Pratap banna ne aisa kiya... Antara vindini ke sath... parantu... woh to unki patni hai na... Pratap banna bhi keu karenge aisa.. aur vindini bhi keu.... woh log to pati patni hai na... aap samach rahe ho....."
Soon Swaraswati saw Pukhraj comming towards them with a saree on a golden plate.
"R a Pukhraj ji aap... idhar se kaha??" Asked Swaraswati
"Pranam Rajmataji.... hum Chikitsak ji ki kaksh ki taraf ja rahe the....."
Bhabosa frowned. Minakshi looked hesitated.
"Accha... aur yeh saree??"
"Yeh saree Chikitsak ji ne banwane di hai... Rajkumari ji ke liye... unka kuch apas mai matved hua hai..." smiled Pukhraj, "To Chikitsak unhe manane ke liye yeh saree banwane di, ki halke gulabi muslin ke upar garhe gulabi ful wala saree banwa dijiye... acche lag rahe na Rajmataji?, aur sath yeh safed shaal ke upar gulabi ful ka karukaj..."
"Bohat sundar hai Pukhraj ji... Taru ko bohat pasand ayega... unhe pasand hai aise chote chote fulo ka karukaj..."
"Haa Rajmataji... Chikitsak ji ke siba aur kaun itna nipun bhab se Rajkumari ji ke priye karukaj ka nirdeshan denge...  bohat bhagyashali hai humari Rajkumari ji jo Chikitsak ji jaisa jivansathi mila unhe..."
Bhabosa moved back in shock and got hold of the table.
"Pata hai Rajmataji 5 saal baad bhatakte bhatakte pauche woh Vallabhgarh... hum rehte the waha... humne jab Rajkumari ji ki dehanth ki suchna di... woh bighar geye... Rajkumari ji ka naam leke jo roye... unki chik aur pukar aj bhi ghujti hai humare kano mai... parantu unhone biswas nehi kiya... woh dhunne nikal geye Rajkumari ji ko.... hum Surajgarh jate the bepar karne... kahi mahino baad khabar ayi waha ki Devgarh ki Rani Antara hi Rajkumari Tarapriya hai... Devgarh ke mahal mai Vallabhgarh ke bohat sainik nijukt the parantu Ranisa ko dekhni ki anumati nehi thi... unlogo ne Chikitsak ji ko mahal mai dekha tha... yeh khabar pehle hi ay geyi thi Surajgarh mai... Rani Antara ki Rajkumari hone ka suchna ate hi sab chakit ho geye... uske baad hi Devgarh se Chikitsak ji ki tasvir ki mang ayi.... chitrakar ji ne apna buddhi lagake Chikitsak ji ke Nayak avatar ka chitra banaya... jis chaddyavesh mai woh Rajkumari ji ke swayambar mai aye the... sab ke man mai sendehe hua ki itne saal Rajkumari ji ke sath Surya Pratap ne keya kiya hoga?! Rajkumari ji to aise har manne walo mai se nehi... aur Surya Pratap ka putra?! Kaise?! Devgarh to srapit hai... to fer Surya Pratap keya..... aise afsagun ka andesha karte karte pata chala, Vallabhgarh ki aurato se ki ghayal hote samai Rajkumari ji Chikitsak ji ki santan ke sath garvvati thi.... sayed Devgarh ke Rajkumar Chikitsak ji ki hi santan hai... unhi ko palne poshne ka vachan deke Devgarh ke Raja ne fasaya hai Rajkumari ji ko...."
"Itni sari batain..... pehle keu nehi suchna hui fer?!" Exclaimed Minakshi
"Kaun??" Wondered Pukhraj
"Humari sakhi hai Pukhraj ji..." said Swaraswati
"Ohh.... suchna hogi kaise.... yeh khabar Vallabhgarh mai alachya bishay bante hi dikh geya Surya Pratap ka asli rup, kitne kruh Raja hai woh... sabka mu bandh karne mai der nehi lagayi unhone... Vallabhgarh ke sainik ko bhi dhamki di... apko malum nehi keya babhichar chala tab... sabke samne sab kuch saaf ho geya ki sabka sandehe hi sathick hai... Devgarh ki na koi Rani hai na koi Rajkumar... Surya Pratap ne Chikitsak ji ko marne tak ki kosis ki... jaise sab apne hath mai rahe.... jab Maharaj Mahavir wapas aye tab sabne unko sabkuch bola... aur unke sath diye..... unhone Kapila gao ke naam, jis gaowalo ne unhe bachaya tha... us gao ke naam apna guptnaam Kapali rakha....."
"Parantu Kapila gao to Vallabhgarh se dur hai na.. ban er uspar?!" Exclaimed Swaraswati
"Waha bhi Surya Pratap ki leela hai Rajmataji.... Maharaj ko uddhar Surya Pratap ne hi kiya tha... Navrangban se... jaha koi nehi jata... woh buri tarah se jakhmi the... unhone banvasi ek jhund ko asrafiya de ke nijukt kiya unke jakhmi sarir ko ban mai fek ane ko... unlogo ne woh kiya parantu Maharaj ke bohat upkar the unke upar... isliye unlogo ne Kapila vasiyo ko gupt suchna di....."
Swaraswati was shocked. She didn't knew this fact. Bhabosa had already gone numb by the bombardment of information.
"Yeh.... yeh to kabhi Mahavir ne humai bataya hi nehi?!" Exclaimed Swaraswati
"Kitni batain hai Rajmataji... sariyantra ka pahar hai.... Rajkumari ji ne Devgarh jaise satru rajya ke Raja ko biswas karke hi sabse bari bhul ki... Chikitsak ji to dev manus hai jo unhone kabhi sath nehi choda... shama kare Rajmataji parantu satya to yahi hai ki koi bhi mard itna sath nehi deta... jitna Chikitsak ji ne Rajkumari ji ka sath diya hai... Rajkumari ji Devgarh ke Rajkumar ki Ma hai... yeh sunke hi bhadak jate koi aur hote to..... khayer... aj Chikitsak ji unke sath matved hone ke baad manane ko saree de rahe.... yeh dekhke hi itni prassanata hoti hai... keya hi bole... accha Rajmataji hum chalte hai... unhe dikhana bhi to hai... aj to unke putra ko bhi laya ja raha yaha Devgarh ke mahal se... vast ho jayenge uske baad...." saying such a long paragraph Pukhraj ji left towards Dhruv's room. Bhabosa got sitted on the sofa unable to comprehend anything.
"Chikitsak ji...... Antara vindini ke pati?! Aur Devgarh ka na koi Rani hai na koi Rajkumar?! Arthat?! Matlab keya hai insab ka Swaraswati ji?!" Asked Bhabosa
"Satya to yeh hai Durgavati ji... ki 5 saal mera kheyal Chikitsak ji... arthat humare damad.. ne hi rakha tha... ek adarsh putra ki tarah... jab unhone Taru ko dhun nikala... tab Taru aplogo ke parivar ke barain mai sochke unko ber ber thukra diya... unko biswas dilane ki kosis ki ki Saurya Pratap ji ki santan hai... parantu unko biswas nehi hua.. santan janam dena to koi aam baat nehi na.... humko bhi na pata tha unke beech keya hua... Chikitsak ji ko kaise pata chala aur Pratap ji ko kaise khabar lagi... humne un dono ko hi doshi theraya Taru ke hatse ke liye... humain malum nehi tha ki bhitar hi bhitar itna kuch hai.... Chikitsak ji aur seh nehi pa rahe the... kaal woh krodhit ho geye Taru pe aur tabhi humain janne ko mila.... ki Taru aur Saurya Devgarh ke bandhi the... sage nehi...."

Swaraswati leaves the place after rendering the information. Bhabosa breaks down completely.
"Minakshi....."
"Ji Bhabosa.."
"Iska matlab wohh Dhruv......"
"Ji ha Bhabosa....."
"Woh Dhruv Chikitsak ji ke sahayak hai?!"
Minakshi was shocked. This woman still didn't get the point?! Minakshi didn't tell her the truth either and caressed her mother's head to console her. What's the need to know Dhruv's truth where her own people's truth is so evil?!

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The soldiers brought Saurya to Kapali's place. They placed him in a stretcher in the vedshala. Bhabosa ran to the kid, what has happened to him?! Dhruv checked his equipments and ordered the soldiers to put them in the Vedshala one by one. As the equipments were put in the Vedshala Bhabosa looked at them with awe.
"Minakshi?!"
"Ji Bhabosa..."
"Yeh Hakim Wasiki ke upkaran hai na?! Iska matlab Chikitsak ji bhes badalke aye the apne bacche ko bachane?! Parantu humare putra ko kabhi hani koni pauchaya apne patni aur bacche ko churane?!" Exclaimed Bhabosa
"Chikitsak ji aise admi hai hi nehi Durgavati ji..." Swaraswati entered from behind, "Woh aishanmand hai Pratap ji ke prati keuki woh sochte the unhone hi Taru aur Saurya ki raksha ki... unhe to abhi pata chala ki Pratap ji ne kitna bara sariyantra racha tha... fer bhi aap dekh lena... unhe hani nehi pauchne denge woh... itna hi mahan vektitya hai unka...."
Bhabosa was blown by the description Swaraswati gave about her son in law. Bhabosa made an imagery of a Godly figure in her mind.

Tara came and started arranging the equipments in a haste. Dhruv entered the Vedshala while rolling up his sleeves in full attitude, with stethoscope around his neck. Bhabosa and Minakshi never saw him in such an authoritative attitude, their mouths got wide open, is this really the Dhruv they knew?! Suddenly Bhabosa noticed the stethoscope and signed Minakshi, it's Hakim Wasiki's instrument.
Dhruv halted as he saw Saurya unconscious.
"Tara, pakri kholo fasttt..." ordered Dhruv.
Bhabosa raised up her eyebrows, how dare he give orders to her...... well.... ok. She looked at Swaraswati and Mahavir and both looked ok with it. Tara started to open Saurya's pakri. Bhabosa was looking at the doorway waiting for "Chikitsak ji" to enter. Dhruv helped Tara to open Saurya's dress and in that haste his bracelet, which he made by wrapping Tara's half mangalsutra got mingled with the other half of the mangalsutra Tara was wearing. The two stood straight looking at each other, with their mangalsutra attached to each other. The scene blew up Bhabosa's mind. Dhruv is the Chikitsak?! He was hiding his identity so well all this while?! Is this the reason Pratap wanted first to defame him and then to kill him?! Pratap has no grudge on him for Minakshi's missed marriage but he played with Dhruv to snatch his wife and son?! And Dhruv handled all these so calmly?!
Tara's heart was beating fast wondering what will Dhruv do next. Dhruv forwarded his hand and detached his bracelet from her mangalsutra. The move brought a tsunami within her heart. Will he really go away?!
"Sukanya?! Aap kaise laye the Saurya ko jo woh behosh ho geye??" Asked Dhruv
"Woh to pehle se hi behosh the Chikitsak Dhruv.." replied Sukanya
"Keya?! Kab se?!"
"Ek saptaha...." Tara replied in a frightened tone because she very well understood there's a blunder and Dhruv never stands medical blunders, so now he's gonna lash out.
"EK SAPTAHA SE BEHOSH HAI?! and you didn't.... aur tumne jarurat bhi nehi samjha mujhe batane ko?!"
"Tumara swasth thick nehi tha to....."
"Aap sab bahar jayiye... kamra khali rakhe... Vedji aur Sukanya aap dono rahiye...." ordered Dhruv
Tara looked at Dhruv with puppy eyes, why he didn't ask her to stay?! She's also a doctor, and he has trained her as well in his way of treatment, she does things better than any Ved. Then why not her?!
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Tara too came out of the room along with other family members. Mahavir went to his courtroom to plan next proceedings. Swaraswati stayed witb Durgavati to help her calm down. Tara went to the temple and sat on Kanha ji's feet with teary eyes.

"Keya baat hai Taru... aap aise ro keu rahi hai??" Asked Anusiya
"Anusiya... Dhruv abhi bhi krodhit hai humse... dekha kaise nikal diya humain... hum bhi ved hai na... aur hum unke upchar se niyamo se parichit bhi hai... fer bhi... Anusiya... woh mujhe chod ke chale to nehi jayenge na??"
"Taru... Taru...." Anusiya wiped her tears, "Shant ho jayiye.... aap Rajkumari ho..."
"Rajkumari hu to keya.. Dhruv ko koi farak na parta isse.."
"R a Tara... dekho... aise kaam na hota... mard ke dil ko jitna ho to...."
"To??"
"Aap unhe rijhayiye... akber aap safal ho geye woh unka dil pighal jayega...."
"Saurya ka yeh haal hai... ismai rijhane jau to aur krodhit ho jayenge..."
"Ahaa... abhi nehi... jab Saurya thick jo jayenhe uske baad....."
Tara looked at Anusiya. Anusiya smiled.
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"Apka dhannyabad Pukhraj ji... jo apne humari yojna mai humari sehyata ki..." said Mahavir
"Yeh humara kartavya tha Maharaj..." said Pukhraj
"Parantu Pukhraj ji apne humare upar hue Surya Pratap ke anyay ka dastaan Ma ko bolke accha nehi kiya...."
"Humain shama kare Maharaj... humain gyat nehu tha... Rajmataji utsukta se pooche to hum bol diye.."
"Hmm.. hum samach sakte hai.... aap ja sakte hai aab..."
"Pranam Maharaj..."
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