Elmyra aik aisi duniya thi jahan log subah uth kar yeh nahi poochte thay ke aaj kya hoga,
balkay yeh sochte thay ke aaj kya ghalat ho sakta hai.
Yahan rehne walay log Mireen kehlatay thay. Shakal-soorat mein woh insano jaise hi thay — do haath, do paon, aik chehra — magar un mein kuch aisa hota tha jo insani duniya mein kabhi normal nahi lag sakta. Un ki aankhein bari bari thi aur un mein halki si roshni hoti thi, jaise har waqt kisi aur cheez ko bhi dekh rahi hon.
Woh zameen se thora upar uth kar chaltay thay, jaise zameen unhein poori tarah pakar kar nahi rakhti.
Aur jab raat hoti thi, to un ki parchhaiyan aksar un se aik qadam peeche reh jati thin —
shayad is liye ke Elmyra mein sirf jism hi nahi, saaye bhi apni marzi rakhte thay.
Elmyra ke logon ko ajeeb cheezon ki adat thi.
Yahan sadkein kabhi kabhi chup chaap apni jagah badal leti thin, aur subah uth kar pata chalta ke ghar ka darwaza ab peechay nahi, saamne khul raha hai.
Barish yahan ijazat nahi leti thi — kabhi sirf aik chhat par girti, kabhi aik hi Mireen ka peecha karti hui shehar ghoomti rehti.
Aur gharon ke darwazay sirf bolte nahi thay — kabhi shikayat karte, kabhi raaz ugal dete, aur aksar bilkul ghalat waqt par sach bata dete thay.
Wahan ke darakht baatein kartay, bohot gehri aur samajhdar.
Log khush thay aur zindagi chal rahi thi.
Bas aik cheez thi jo un ke bas mein nahi thi — apna sathi chun’na.
Elmyra ka sab se purana qanoon bohot seedha tha — aur isi liye bohot khatarnaak bhi.
Har Mireen ko solah saal ki umar mein aik bandhan milta tha. Is bandhan ke zariye usay aik saathi diya jata tha — koi makhlooq, koi jaanwar, koi insaan jaisi hasti, ya kabhi kabhi koi aisi cheez jise dekh kar sirf aik hi baat zehan mein aati thi: yeh kis ne socha tha?
Is bandhan ko na chhor sakte thay,
na badal sakte thay,
aur na hi “thora waqt dekh lete hain” keh sakte thay.
Elmyra mein log hans kar kehte thay:
“Zindagi apni marzi se jee lo, bandhan apni marzi se aa jata hai.”
Is din shehar ka rang hi aur hota tha.
Galiyon mein rang badalnay wali roshni latak rahi thi. Hawa mein phalon ki mithaas, jalti hui mom-battiyon ki khushboo aur thori si ghabrahat ghuli hui thi. Dukaan-daar apni dukaanon ke bahar “Bandhan Mubarak” ke board laga rahe thay, kyun ke jo bhi saathi milay, us ke liye kuch na kuch khareedna zaroori hota tha.
Bheer mein log hans bhi rahe thay aur ghabra bhi rahe thay.
“Is dafa mujhe ghora hi mile ga,” aik larka keh raha tha.
“Tumhein pichhli dafa bolta hua joota mila tha,” us ke dost ne yaad dilaya.
“Kam az kam seedha chalta tha,” larka mutmaeen tha.
Isi bheer mein Arel khari thi.
Arel ko dekh kar koi foran nahi keh sakta tha ke woh ajeeb hai,
lekin thori dair baad yeh zaroor lagta tha ke woh thori si zyada hai.
Us ke baal hamesha thore se uljhay rehte thay, jaise hawa un par poori tawajjoh hi na deti ho. Us ki aankhon mein Elmyra ki aam roshni se zyada chamak thi, aur kabhi kabhi aisa lagta tha jaise woh saamne walay ko sirf dekh nahi rahi, balkay samajh bhi rahi ho.
Us ne lambi coat pehni hui thi jiska aik bhi button apni jagah par nahi rehta tha. Us ke jootay zameen ko poori tarah nahi chhoote thay — chalti hui aisa lagta jaise woh zara sa tair rahi ho.
Arel ne bheer par nazar daali aur gehri saans li.
“Bas koi seedha saadha saathi,” us ne khud se kaha.
“Jo kam bole, kam chale, aur aag waghera na ugalta ho.”
Us ke paas khari aik aur Mireen hans pari.
“Tum bohot zyada umeed rakhti ho.”
Jab Bandhan ki ghanti baji to awaaz tez nahi thi, magar poore shehar par chha gayi.
Log chup ho gaye.
Kisi ne aankhein band kar li.
Kisi ne haath pakar li.
Zameen ne halki si larzish di.
“Ghabraao mat,” kisi ne kaha. “Har saal hota hai.”
Zameen phir se larzi.
“Yeh har saal wala nahi lag raha,” Arel ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha.
Aur phir shehar ke beech wali sadak phat gayi.
Garam hawa ka aik jhonka guzra. Jalti hui mitti aur dhuaan ki boo hawa mein phail gayi. Log cheekhte hue peeche hatay.
Zameen ke andar se aik bohot bara jism nikla.
Dragon.
Woh itna bara tha ke us ka saaya poori sadak par phail gaya. Us ke jism par sunahray rang ke scales thay, lekin aik jaisay nahi — har aik thora sa mukhtalif, jaise kisi ne shauq se lagaye hon. Us ki aankhein gehri aur purani thin, magar un mein gussa kam aur tajassus zyada tha.
Dragon ne shehar ko dekha, bheer ko dekha,
aur phir seedha Arel ko.
“Aakhir,” us ne bhaari awaaz mein kaha, “tum mil hi gayi.”
Arel ne hichkichate hue ungli uthayi.
“Sunen—”
“Main Zarkun hoon,” dragon ne baat kaat di.
“Aur tum meri bandhi hui ho.”
Shehar mein aik lamhay ke liye bilkul khamoshi chha gayi.
Arel ne aik pal socha, phir poocha:
“Yeh bandhan thori dair ka to nahi?”
Zarkun ne aankh jhapki.
“Tumhara matlab?”
“Matlab… agar main aadat na daal paoon?” Arel ne umeed se kaha.
Zarkun ne apna bara sa sar jhukaya.
“Main dragon hoon,” us ne sanjeedgi se kaha.
“Main sirf hamesha wali cheezon par yaqeen rakhta hoon.”
Arel behosh ho gayi.
Log Arel ko uthane ki koshish kar rahe thay.
“Kisi ke paas pani hai?”
“Is ke liye thora zyada pani chahiye hoga.”
“Dragon pani peeta hai?”
Bheer ke kone mein Kair khara tha.
Woh bhi Mireen hi tha, magar us mein Elmyra ki aam be-qaidgi kam thi. Us ke baal seedhay thay, kapray saada, aur aankhon ki roshni halki — jaise woh is duniya ke shor ko kam kar ke dekhta ho.
Us ne pehle Arel ko dekha, phir dragon ko.
Aur bilkul seedhi awaaz mein bola:
“Yeh bandhan ghalat hai.”
Us ke paas kharay shakhs ne kaha,
“Tum kaun hotay ho kehne walay?”
Kair ne nazar Zarkun par jamaye rakhi.
“Woh jo baad mein kahe ga — main ne pehle hi kaha tha.”
Zarkun ne gardan ghoomai.
“Tumhein masla kya hai?”
“Mujhe dragons pasand nahi,” Kair ne jawab diya.
“Mujhe tum bilkul pasand nahi,” Zarkun ne foran kaha.
“Barabar ho gaya,” Kair ne kaha.
Arel ko jab hosh aaya to usay sab se pehle jalti hui hawa mehsoos hui.
“Ya to main mar chuki hoon,” us ne kamzor si awaaz mein kaha,
“ya phir mere sar ke bilkul upar koi bohot bari museebat khari hai.”
“Koi museebat nahi,” bhaari awaaz aayi.
“Main hoon.”
Arel ne aankh kholi.
Zarkun bilkul paas baitha tha, itna qareeb ke us ke scales ki garmi Arel ke chehray tak aa rahi thi.
“Achha,” Arel ne kaha. “Toh yeh sab waqai ho raha hai.”
“Bilkul,” Zarkun ne kaha.
“Tumhein yaqeen hai ke main hi theek hoon?” Arel ne poocha.
“Koi aur ghalti se reh to nahi gaya?”
“Main ne poori duniya dekhi hai,” Zarkun ne kaha.
“Tum dragon ho,” Arel ne kaha. “Tumhari duniya bohot bari hoti hai.”
Isi waqt Kair aagay aaya.
“Woh theek keh rahi hai,” us ne kaha.
“Tum kaun ho?” Zarkun ne poocha.
“Masla,” Kair ne jawab diya.
Arel ne dono ki taraf dekha aur sar pakar li.
“Main sirf aik normal zindagi chahti thi,” us ne kaha.
“Lagta hai Elmyra mujhe dekh kar hans raha hai.”
Door kahin se awaaz aayi,
“Haan, thora sa.”
Zarkun ne apna panja aagay rakha.
“Tum meri zimmedari ho.”
“Yeh zimmedari nahi, qabza hai,” Kair ne kaha.
Arel ne gehri saans li.
“Theek hai,” us ne kaha.
“Pehla qanoon — mujhe saans lene do.
Doosra qanoon — mere bilkul paas aag mat jalana.”
Zarkun ne sir hilaaya.
“Koshish karoon ga.”
Kair ne bhi sir hilaaya.
“Main bhi.”
Shehar door khara yeh sab dekh raha tha.
Aur Elmyra, hamesha ki tarah, apni agli shararat tay kar chuka tha.
Kyunkay yeh sirf bandhan nahi tha.
Yeh teen ziddon ki shuruat thi.