Pratapgarh Diaries

Safar ki shuruat

Dimpana's POV
The next day we decided to visit the Saadhu. "Sab yeh shawls pehnlo, agar praja ne pehchaan liya to yahi fas jaenghe" Sumedh said. We hid under our shawls and went out of the Raj Mahal.

There were so many people outside. For some minutes we were stuck in the crowd. "Sa, yaha aas paas kisi Saadhu ki kutiya h?" Kabir asked. "Haan h...waha se dae" He said. We followed his instructions and found the hut.

We entered. A sage was sitting there. "Baba ham andar aa sakte h?" Sumedh asked. "Aao Yuvraaj" He said opening his eyes. He recognized Sumedh by his voice.

We sat infront of him.

"Baba ham Raj Parivaar ko uss shraap se mukt krana chahte h" Sumedh said. "Me sab jaanta hu Yuvraaj. Par uss shraap se mukti paana itna aasaan nhi h" He said. "Baba aap yeh btaiye hame krna kya hoga" Kabir said.

"Raaj Mahal me ek Rani Mahal h, waha ek darwaaza h. Usko kholna. Woh Shehzaade aur Yuvraaj aapki angoothio se khulega. Us darwaaze k peeche aapko aage ka raasta milega" He said. We listened to him carefully. "Lekin Baba aage hoga kya?" I asked. "Woh waha jaake hi pta chalega" He replied. We thanked him and left.

We went back to the Raaj Mahal. We entered the Rani Mahal. "Kaha h darwaza?" Mahima asked. We looked everywhere. "Kahi nhi mila darwaaza!" Sumedh said. "I think woh Saadhu jhooth bol raha tha" I said. Kabir was continuosly looking at a portrait. "Kabir?" I said placing my hand on his shoulder. He came back to reality. "Yeh painting yaha pe? Kucch khatak rhi h...baaki sab paintings dusri deewar par, yeh yaha?" Kabir said. We looked at it.

He was right. That painting was looking odd. We moved it and found a door. "Ahaan!! To yaha tha" Mahima said.

They touched their rings with the knob and the door opened. We stepped forwards. "Torch jaga na" Kabir said. We had a torch and turned it on. "K...Koi h?" Sumedh asked.

Dimpana's POV
The eco was scary. "Door door takk andheera h yaar" Kabir said. "Nhi, woh dekho...waha seediya h" Mahima said. We went towards the staircase and went downstairs. Sumedh was walking infront of us with Mahima and behind them was Kabir and I. They were walking slowly. "Chal na jaldi" Kabir said and pushed him. He started goind fastly. "SUMEDH! Ruko aage kucch nhi h!!" Mahima said holding his arm but it was too late. There were no steps ahead and we fell. We started screaming.

Finally we landed somewhere. It was dark. We weren't even able to see each other. "Hayee!!! Meri kamar" Kabir said. "T...torch kaha h?" I asked. "Neeche aate waqt haath se choot gey...upar reh gey hogi" Sumedh said. Suddenly something landed. "Lagta h aa gey" Sumedh said. "Yaha waha haath kya maar raha h? Yeh le!" Kabir said.

Kabir somehow gave him the torch. Sumedh turned it on. "Tere sir pe lgi?" Sumedh asked as he saw Kabir rubbing his head. Kabir nodded. We burst in a laughter.

We started looking around. "Where the hell are we people?" I asked. "I have no idea" Kabir said.

We started walking. There was nothing in the place where we landed. We looked at the walls. "Yaha kucch likha hua h" Sumedh said. Mahima cleaned that area. "Pratapgarh?" Kabir said in confusion. As he said that, a light entered that room. We followed it.

We went through a cave.

We reached another room. An old man was sitting in the centre. He was meditating. "Aa gey tum chaaro?" He asked opening his eyes.
We looked at each other and then nodded. "Aao, mere paas aao" He said. We went to him. "Shraap ki mukti ka raaz jan-na h?" He asked. We nodded. We were actually a bit scared. We had no idea of where we were, who that man was and what were we doing!?

"Yaha se tumhara safar shuru hota h...boht aage takk jana h" He said. "Lekin Baba hame karna kya h?" Sumedh asked.

Sumedh's POV
"Btata hu" He said and took a deep breath. "Raaj Parivaar ko bachane k lie tumhe ek bohot bada kaam krna hoga" He said. We listened carefully.

"Pratapgarh me Bhagwaan Shiv ki bohot badi murti h, jante ho na?" He asked. Kabir and I nodded. "Tumne kabhi dhyaan se dekha nhi hoga, lekin us murti me Shiv ne ek damru pakda hua h. Us damru k manke gayab h" He said. "To?" Kabir asked. "Us damru me saat manke lgane honghe, fir Raaj Parivaar shraap mukt hi jaega" He said. "Kya? Bas itna sa kaam? To dijiye woh saat manke" I said. He chuckled.

"Itna aasaan nhi h Yuvraaj. Woh manke tumhe khud haseel krne honghe" He said. "Lekin kaha se? Kon dega woh manke hame?" Dimpana asked. "Woh tumhe jald hi pta chalega. Bas itna samajh lo k yaha se tum chaaro ki zindagi ka sabse bada safar shuru hota h" He said.

We kept quiet and looked at each other.

"To...Baba aage kya?" I asked. He smiled. "Aage ka raasta me tumhe dikhata hu...lekin usse aage tum chaaro ko khud badhna hoga" He said. We simply nodded. "Ek dusre k haath pakdo" He said. We followed his order and held each other's hand.

"Saaf mann se apne purkho ko yaad kro" He said. We closed our eyes. "Shehzaade!! Mene purkho ko yaad krne k lie kaha h. Aap yeh soch rhe h k pehli baar Dimpana ne aapka haath apni marzi se pakda h!!" He yelled. We burst in a laughter. "Shaant!! Mene jesa kaha h wesa kro" He said. We concentrated on what he said.

"Hmm...ab teen gino, aur uske baad apni aankhe kholna" He said. We nodded. "Ek...do...teen" We said. We slowly opened our eyes. "Oye teri!!" Kabir said with a jerk. We stood up. "Yeh ham kaha aa gey?" Mahima asked.

Kabir's POV
"Uss Baba ne hame yaha kese bhej diya?" Dimpana asked. We found ourselves infront of a lake. "Yeh jagah kucch jaani pehnchaani nhi lag rhi?" Sumedh asked confusingly. "Haan yaar" I said. We turned. We were shocked to see what was there. A whole village was infront of us. Normal people were working there. Kids playing, farmers busy in markets, women working in fields and so on.

Sumedh gave me a nudge. "Woh dekh" He said. I looked at the direction where he was pointing. "Oh, to is lie yeh jagah jaani pehchaani lag rhi thi" I said. Mahima and Dimpana also looked there and they were surprised, just like us. "Pratapgarh?" They said in unision. A signboard was there and it had 'Pratapgarh' written on it. "So we are in Pratapgarh" Dimpana said. "Chalo, kucch confusion to clear hua!" Mahima said. We nodded. "Lekin yeh hamare wala Pratapgarh nhi h" I said.

"Wahi to!! Waha esa kucch tha hi nhi, sivae is lake k" Sumedh said.

"In gao walo se pooche?" Mahima asked. "Naah, kahi ye ulta hame hi na baandh le yaha" Sumedh said. "Ek kaam krte h, chipke dekhte h yeh kya krte h aur aur akheer yaha hota kya h" I suggested. They nodded. We hid behind a big tree.

Everyone was doing normal work. There was nothing odd in that. "Picture ek dam perfect beth rhi h boss!" I said to Sumedh. "To ab kya kre? Pooche inse jaake?" He asked.

I thought for sometime. "Consequences kisi bhi tarah k ho sakte h...tu ready h?" I asked him. He slighlty nodded. "Cool...chal fir" I said. We turned.

"Kon h aap?" A kid asked. He was standing behind us and we didn't realize. We looked at each other. I was literally sweating.

Mahima hid behind Sumedh, and Sumedh hid behind me. I looked at Dimpana. I gave her a 'please-bachalo' look. She passed me a smile. We decided to handle that kid together. We smiled.

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And this was the last part for this week. So? Enjoyed the twist? What do you think? Where are they? How will people react? All in all, what will happen next?