Dhruv Tara: An End To a Long Wait

Chapter 6 - The Divine intervention

Dhruv felt himself floating. It felt like a different realm. But his head was buzzing with so many thoughts, so many memories. Tara, Shaurya. Tara walking away, Shaurya throwing his mojadi at him.
"Baba!", he heard, and something hurt in his heart hearing that shout. He saw a light, a bright light in a distance. Just looking at it, he felt a strange sense of peace. A peace he hadn't felt in years. He was drawn towards it.

He saw a silhouette, and started walking towards it.
"Chikitsak Dhruv", said the person.

Dhruv had heard the voice somewhere, he knew it. As the figure got closer, he finally saw it. The face, he was very familiar with.

"Ranchodji!"

"Kaise hai aap, Chikitsak Dhruv? Kshama kijiye, ye pucchna kadachit galat hoga. Hum jaante hai aapki paristhiti. Aisi paristhiti me theek to honge nahi aap".

"Aap kya keh rahe hai, mujhe samajh nahi aa raha. Aap achanak yaha kaise aaye? Aur ye kaunsi jagah hai? Aur, ye sab kya keh rahe hai aap? Kya jaante hai?"

"Waise aaye hum yaha nahi hai, aaye to aap hai Chikitsak Dhruv, ya yu keh lijiye, hum laaye hai", Ranchodji said, with the usual mischievous tint in his tone and a hint of it in his face.

Dhruv was lost, he found it hard to follow what he was saying. It was very visible on his face.

"Apne bhakto ki sahayta karne to hum sadaiv tatpar hote hai. Aur aap to khaas hai Chikitsak Dhruv. Isliye aap yaha hai."
As he said that, Dhruv saw Ranchodji's form transform into one very divine looking. He was risen above the ground, surrounded by a divine aura and glow, looking like... Kanhaji himself.

Dhruv was bewildered. It had to be a dream. It's all in his head. How could this be true.

"Itna mat sochiye Chikitsak Dhruv. Ye hum hi hai, aapke Ranchodji, yaa apke Kanhaji hi keh lijiye. Aur ye sab bilkul sach hai. Itna sab dekhne ke baad ab toh aapko aadat ho jaani chahiye, kyu!"

Dhruv started thinking back to all the times Ranchodji was around. How he always seemed to emerge out of nowhere. Everytime he needed any help, he used appear there. He recalled how Ranchodji somehow used to know everything. Everything about their love, his innocence, their situation. He even knew of Nayak being Dhruv before even Tara knew for sure. He remembered his conversation with Ranchodji in that jail.
"Humara to janam hi karavas me hua tha."
"Hum chahe to ye taala abhi khol sakte hai." And it all made sense.

"Kanhaji!", Dhruv said, dumbfounded, joining his hands.
Ranchodji nodded in positive, with the usual bright smile on his face.

This had to be in his head. Was he dead? What happened?
"Ye satya hai Dhruv. Aur chinta mat kijiye, aap jeevit hai. Ab tak. Parantu aage ka... Wo to aapke haath me hai."
Dhruv looked at him, confused.
"Aap jo karne jaa rahe the, uski baat kar rahe hai hum. Apni jaan dene waale the na aap. Itni kam keemat nahi hai, aapke jeevan ki Chikitsak Dhruv."

"Kya ye sach me sach hai, Ranchodji? Kya hi hoga, mere hone ya na hone se. Kabhi kabhi mushkil ho jaata hai dekhna. Tara khush reh legi yaha, Bhaiji hai, Devgarh ki Ranisa hai wo. Shaurya bhi mujhe kabhi nahi apnaega. Nafrat karta hai wo mujhse."

"Rajkumari Tarapriya aur aapke prem aur rishte ki dor ab aap dono ke hi haath me hai. Unhone galtiya ki hai, ab uske aage uska bhavishya bhi aap hi ke haath me hai. Parantu aapke putra, woh baalak hai. Unhe jis disha me kendrit karenge wo wahi jayenge. Wo aapke putra hai, apka adhikar bhi aur aapki zimmedari bhi. Shaurya koi sadharan baalak nahi, apki vastavikta unhe khaas banati hai. Samay ane par, satya ki ore unka dhyan lagane pe, wo satya samjhenge bhi aur apnaenge bhi. Apne mann me kahi na kahi, wo unki aur aapki sachai jante hai, bas samajh nahi paaye us kadi ko. Par jald, samajh jayenge, aur unki sahayta karna unke Mata Pita ka kartavya hai. Aur jo paristhiti apke aas paas bani hai, jis prakar ghatnaye ghati hai, unhe sudharkar, sabko sahi disha me laana bohot avashyak hai, khaaskar Shaurya ke hit ke liye. Aur hum jaante hai, ki yadi ye koi kar sakta hai to keval aap hai, Chikitsak Dhruv. Ahankar, nafrat, iss sab se hatkar sabko sahi raah par laana aap kar sakte hai iska hume poorna vishwas hai."

"Aur rahi baat apki apni, apne adhikar aur apne aatmasanman ke liye ladna bhi to hai. Aap jante hai, aapka prem, aapka sahas, nisswarth bhaav, ye sab hume atyant hi sarahniya lagte hai. Parantu apna aatmasamman bhi utna hi avashyak hota hai. Uske liye bhi khada hona avashyak hota. Hume vishwas hai, ki apne mann me aye is khayal ko aap, apne dil aur dimaag par haavi nahi hone denge. Aap ladenge. Aur apni ladai ko peeth dikhane wale aap nahi hai ye hum jaante hai. Baaki, humara ashirwad sadaiv aapke saath hai"

Dhruv felt lighter, as he listened to Ranchodji. He realised what he meant. He couldn't give up now. Things back there, were way too messed up. But his son needed him. He had to protect him. It was his responsibility to make sure his son was on the right path. And he couldn't let everyone in Devgarh lead them all to destruction. Not on his watch.

Dhruv was overwhelmed. With teary eyes, he joined his hands in front of Kanhaji.
"Aapka bohot dhanyawad, Kanhaji, humesha meri madat karne ke liye. Thank you so much! Aapne sahi kaha. Mujhe ab sab theek karna hai aur ye sab khatam bhi. Ab bas." Ranchodji nodded approvingly.

As Kanhaji disappeared, everything started getting fuzzy, and then, he heard Shaurya's voice in his head, crying. Dhruv woke up with a gasp.