Pratapgarh Diaries

Daanav

Sumedh's POV
I was sleeping when someone kicked me hard. I immediately woke up. It was Kabir. "Kitna soega?" He asked. I rubbed my eyes. Everyone was sleeping except of Kabir. Mirza was nowhere to be seen. "Mirza kaha h?" I asked. "Pta nhi" Kabir replied.

After a couple of minutes Mirza came with some fruits. "Arey waah! Khana! Shukriya dost!!" I said. He smiled. Everyone woke up and we ate those fruits.

"Mirza aage ka koi raasta?" Mahima asked. "Tha. Ab kucch pta nhi" He replied. "Matlab?" Razia asked. "Mohtarma agar tufaan na aata to ham jaldi pohonch jaate...lekin ab ham bhatak chuke h. Dugna waqt lgega" He said. "Aaram to kar hi liya h, chalte h ab. Jitna waqt lagna h lagne do" Kabir said. We nodded and left that place.

"Chaaro or ped hi ped. Ese me kya samajh aega?" I asked. "Miya fikar mat kro. Mirza k saath ho" Mirza said. "Isi baat ka to fikar h" Razia whispered. Mirza stopped. "To jao jaha jaana h, me nhi aunga saath me" He said. "Arey esa mat kro. Chalo na...ab koi kucch nhi bolega!!" Dimpana said. Razia rolled her eyes. We continued.

"Agar ham sahi jaa rhe h, to aage ek pul hona chahiye" Mirza said. We walked for some miles.

"Woh raha pul!" Razia said. There was a bridge but it was looking quiet dangerous, as a river was flowing some feets under it.

"Ise paar krna h" Mirza said firmly. We looked at him shockingly. "Haan haan, ham to roz chalte h ese pul par!" I said sarcastically. "Miya aapko aana h to ao, me jaa raha hu" He said. I rolled my eyes and we followed him.

Somehow we crossed the bridge. We walked for sometime. It was night. "Thoda aaram krle?" Razia asked. "Jab dekho aaram! Kahinki Shehzaadi ho kya?" Mirza asked. She rolled her eyes. "Mirza woh sahi keh rhi h. Dupeher se chal rhe h, raat ho geyi h. Thoda rehem kro, tum to ladake ho, ham sadharan insaan h" I said. He finally agreed and decided to take some rest.

Everyone slept where they found space.

*******

The next morning we woke up as we felt sun rays kissing our faces. We found ourselves in a village and we were shocked to see that.

"Esa kese ho sakta h?" Kabir asked. The village was divided in two parts. There was day, on the part where we were standing, and night, on the other side.

"Din aur raat saathme kese ho sakte h?" Dimpana asked. "Esa kucch jagao pe hota h" Mahima said. "Hame bhi pta h lekin yeh India h, yaha kaha hota ha!?" I said.

"Gao walo se poochte h" Mirza said. We went to villagers and asked them about the mystery behind that scene.

"Yaha hamesha din aur raat saathme rehte h" A villager said. "Lekin esa kese ho sakta h?" I asked. "Hota h. Yaha ek Danaav ka vaas h. Usne hi kiya h yeh" He said. "Kese?" Razia asked. "Suraj ko dhak diya h usne. Adhe gao me din hota h aur adhe me raat, kyunk Suraj ki aadhi roshni aati h" He said. "Suraj ko kese dhaka jaa sakta h!?" Kabir whispered.

"Thik h, lekin iske peeche kya wajah h? Us Daanav ne kyu dhaka hua h Suraj ko?" Mirza asked. "Uska Surya Dev se boht bada yuddh hua tha. Yuddh me jo harne wala tha usko apne pratidhuandhi ki har shart man-ni thi. Yuddh me chhal krke Daanav jeet gaya. Uss Daanav ko vardaan h k agar uspar Suraj ki roshni na pade to woh amar rahega, isi lie yuddh k baad usne Suraj ko dhak diya. Isme koi kucch na kar saka, kyunk uski shart hi yeh thi. Ab Daanav gao k us paar rehta h, jaha raat hoti h" He narrated.

"Lekin Daanav ne poora Suraj kyu nhi dhaka?" Dimpana asked. "Usme itni shakti nhi thi" He replied. "Uss Daanav ne ham sabki zindagi barbaad kar di h!" He said. "Kese?" Mirza asked. "Woh har hafte gao ke kisi bacche ko kha leta h. Aur agar ham use koi baccha pesh nhi krte to woh tabahi macha deta h!!" He said. "Aap sab milkar use kisi tarah khatam kyu nhi kar dete? Suraj ki roshni waha wapis nhi aa sakti kya?" Kabir asked.

"Aa sakti h, agar Divya Manke par Suraj ki roshni pade" He said. "Divya Manka? Konsa Divya Manka?" Razia asked. "Daanav k paas ek manka h, usme uski jaan basti h. Agar us Divya Manke par Surah ki roshni padeghi to woh Daanav khatam ho jaega" He replied. "Lagta h yeh wahi manka h jismi hame talaash h" Mirza said.

"Woh Divya Manka h kaha?" I asked. "Uski anguthi me" He replied. "Umm, thik h. Shukriya, aap jaa sakte h" Mirza said.

"Chalo, Daanav se Divya Manka lekar aate h" Dimpana said. "Haan woh to meri Maa ka bhatija h. Ham usse Manka mangenghe aur woh dedega!" Kabir said sarcastically. We chuckled.

"Woh Manka hame khud haseel krna hoga" Mirza said. "Par woh ek Daanav h. Hamse kahi zada bada aur shaktishaali hoga" Razia said. "Kucch to krna hoga" Mirza said.

We saw a group of people going in a hut. We asked them were were they off to. "Aaj ek bacche ki bali h, woh Daanav k paas jaa raha h. Ham usse aakhri baar milne jaa rhe h" One of them replied.

"Yehi mauka h. Hame aaj hi jana hoga" Mirza said. "Lekin kese? Hamne koi tayaari to ki nhi?" Dimpana said. "Seedhe si baat h, Daanav hosh me rehte to hame woh anguthi dega nhi...to..." Mirza said with a smirk. "Ham sab uss bacche k saath Daanav ki gufa me jaenghe. Mahima, Dimpana aur Mohtarma, aap teeno uss Daanav ko madhira pilaeghi. Jese hi woh apne hosh khoega, ham anguthi chura lenghe!" Mirza explained.

We nodded.

Everyone was ready. It was evening. We decided to tell villagers about our plan. "Yeh bohot khatarnaak h. Agar aap kamyaab na hue to ham sabko uss galati ki saza mileghi!" A villager said. "Lekin agar ham kamyaab ho gey to aap sab uss Daanav se mukt ho jaenghe!" Mahima explained. Nobody was ready.

"Thik h, ham nhi jaenghe" Razia said. We looked at her. She signed to keep quiet.

Everyone left and the kid went towards the cave.

"Gao wale kabhi nhi maante. Ham chupke jaenghe" Razia said. We nodded.

We followed the kid. He entered in the cave. Daanav was sitting inside. He was having his dinner. He saw the kid and started laughing. Then Mirza sent Mahima, Dimpana and Razia.

"Kon ho tum teeno?" Daanav asked. "Ham...hame gao walo ne bheja h. A-aapka manoranjan krne k lie" Razia said. He laughed. "Accha h...kro manoranjan" He said. They looked at each other and said something.

Then Razia and Mahima started dancing, while Dimpana was singing. We controlled our laughter.

Daanav was looking happy. After a 'kind of' dance, they served him alcohol.

Soon, he looked drunk. He was completely drunk, we decided to go infront of him.

*******

Ok, I know Suraj ko dhakna impossible h! I'm also an Astronomy student.

Anyways, how was this twist?