"Aao, Baitho...hmm ab batao idhar, tumahara mere kakchh mein aana kaise hua?" Maata kunti ne Chahat se poocha...

"Mai...darashal... kya aap bata sakti hai ki mai yaha kaise aayi?"

"Pata nahi, lekin tum nadi kinaare jungle ke dusre chhor par be-sudh leti thi, Nakul ne tumhe sabse pehle dekha aur tumhe utha kar saina-sivir mein le aaya...phir Sahdev ne jadi-buti laake vaidh ji ko di aur tumhare upchaar mein sahayta ki...phir Bheem tumhare liye taaje phal leke aaya, uska ras nikala aur tumhari aushidhi mein mila diya...Yudhisthir ne tumhare baare mein rajya mein ek khabari daura diya aur kaha ki 'Koi bhi iss kanya ke grih ka pata janta ho vah darbar mein upsh-thit ho jaye' Idhar Arjun ne tumhare rehne ki vyavashtha ki aur Dushyala ko bhi yaha bula liya..." Maata Kunti ki baate sunn Chahat ke hridya mein Pandavo ke liye aur bhi samman umar-para aur vah aur bhi unke baade mein sochane lagi...

"Dushyala? Yuvraj Duryodhan ki behan...?"

"Ha, wahi...ab tum batao tum yaha kaise aayi?...Aur tum kaha se ho?"

"Mai...21' sadi se hoon...mai wahi se aa gayi hoon...mujhe bhi pata ki mai yaha kaise aayi lekin ab aa chuki hoon yaha..."

"Jooth! kyu aayi ho yaha jaldi se satya batao! Nahi toh sainik ko bula liya jayega!" Maata Kunti ne kuchh gusse se bhari vaani mein Chahat ko kaha.

"Mai... jooth nahi bol rahi Raajmaata...mai juth bol kar kya karungi?" Chahat unhe samjhate hue batati hai ki vah juth nahi bol rahi.

"Nahi! Satya batao nahi toh-" Chahat bich mein bol padti hai ki-

"Aapka ek aur putra haina...? Kyu Raajmaata ab aap chup kyun hai...bataiye, Kya aapke 6 putra nahi hai...Kya vah ek, Surya dev se prapta nahi hua aapko?"

"... Tu-um tum yah kya kah rahi ho...ai-aisa ku-kuchh nahi hai...samjhi?" Maata Kunti kuchh hakki-bakki se bolti hai...lekin Chahat bas mushkura deti hai aur kehti hai ki Vah vachan deti hai, vah yah baat kisi ko bhi nahi batayigi...apni mrityu tak voh iss raaj ko raaj hii rehne degi...

"Dhayanwaad, Chahat aur ha- mujhe chhamaa kar do maine tum par sandeh kiya..." Maata Kunti sar jhuka kar boli

"Koi baat nahi Raajmaata, ab mai chalti hoon, Subh-raatri" Aur voh vaha se chali gayi...

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Agli subhah:

Aaj subha se hii Chahat ka mann kuchh duvidha mein tha...Vah naa-jaane kyu hii pareshaan thi...tabhi ek dasi aati aur kehti hai ki uske snaan ka samay ho gaya hai...Nahane ke baad Chahat ko phir se raaj-si vastra diye jaate hai... halki gualbi rang aur nile rang ki vah resham ki saree jise dasi mitali ne baandhi thi...vah fabb rahi thi iske upar...

Iske baad vah apne kakchh se bahar nikal jaati hai aur dekhti hai ki aaj sabhi log badi jaldi mein hote hai...Raaj-mahal ko baaki aam dino se bhi uttam tarike se sajaya jaa raha tha... Tabhi vah Duryodhan se milti hai aur kehti hai-

"Pranipaat yuvraaj Duryodhan...Aaj yaha itni taiyaari? Koi vyakti vishesh aa rahe hai kya?" Chahat utshukta se puchhati hai

"Pranipaat, Ji haa aaj meri chhoti behan; Dushyala aa rahi hai Gaandhar se...Mama shri ke sath" Duryodhan khush ho kar prashan ka uttar dete hai aur chale jate hai aur taiyaari karne...Aapko bata de ki Duryodhan ko Chahat ke bade mein pata hai aur unhone uska samman purvak swagat bhi kiya tha...ek bhai ki tarah...bade bhai...

"Lo aa gaya! Shistachaar ka devta! Arjun the GrEaT...huh!" Chahat muh bichka kar khud se hii dheeme swar mein bolti hai aur chehre par ek sarcastic smile bole toh...vyangyaatmak muskaan ke sath Arjun se baat karti hai...

"Subh-Prabhat, yuv-raaj Arjuna; kaise hai aap?"

"Subh-prabhat, hum toh swasth hii hai...parantu aapki mushkaan toh kisi aur hii taraf ishara kar rahi hai...aakhir baat kya hai?...Kahi aapke swasth mein koi gad-badi toh nahi?...hmmm?" Yuv-raaj Arjun bhi ab Chahat jaisi mukhkaan liye usi se prashan puchh baithe

"Dhyanwaad aapka..." Arjun use kuchh sandeh bhari Nazaro se dekhte hai Chahat aage kehti hai

"...aapko mere swasth ka kitna dhyan hai...haina?" Abhi bhi Chahat wahi mushkaan ke sath bolti hai "Aur bataiye, voh kaise hai?"

"Voh...? Voh kaun? Kiski baat kar rahi hai aap?" Arjun kuchh ull-jhe hue se puchhane lage

"Vahi, Aapke do putra..." Chahat ke kehane bhar ki deri thi ki Arjun ek dam se bol pade

"Chhama karein parantu hum abhi Bhramachaari hai... aur humara vivah bhi nahi hua hai"

"Hain?! Ismein bhramachaari kaha se aaya? Khair chhodiye, hum baat kar the aapke Shistaachaar aur Bhrashtachaar ki...Aap hii ne toh humein bataya tha ki 'aapne abhi humara bhrashtachaar nahi dekha toh shistaachaar ke baade mein kaise gyaan hai' yaad karein Yuv-raaj....yaad karein"

"Kya khoob takkar ki baate chal rahi hai yaha...waah! Aaj pehli baar kisine Arjun ko chup karwa diya hai" Peechhe se aate hue bhrata Bheem hass kar bole

"Kya jesth aap bhi naa! Isika sath de rahe hai naki apne bhai ka!" Itna kah-kar Arjun waha se muh phulaye chale gaye aur yaha Bheem aur Chahat dono uski avastha dekh hasne lage...

Thik usi samay, Dhol nagade aur shehnai bajane lagi...aur mangal dhwani se pure mahal ko jeevit kar diya gaya...Sabhi samjh gaye ki Raaj-kumari Dushyala Raaj-mahal mein padhaar rahi hai...

Usi ke sath mantro ka ucharan bhi shuru ho jata hai aur sangeet ke samraat bhi Ganesh ji ki vandana ke liye geet suru kar dete hai:

Gananayakaya Ganadaivataya Ganadhyakshaya Dhimahi

Guna Shariraya Guna Manditaya Guneshanaya DhimahiGunatitaya Gunadhishaya Guna Pravishthaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya DhimahiGanacaturaya Ganapranaya GanantaratmaneGanotsukhaya Ganamattaya Ganotsuka-ManaseGuru-Pujitaya Guru-Daivataya Guru-KulastayineGuru Vikramaya Guyyha Pravaraya Gurave Guna-GuraveGurudaitya Kalakcchetre Guru-Dharma SadaradhyayaGuru-Putra Paritratre Guru-Pakhanda KhandakayaGita-Saraya Gita-Tattvaya Gita-Gotraya DhimahiGudha-Gulfaya Gandha-Mattaya Gojaya-Pradaya DhimahiGunatitaya Gunadhishaya Guna Pravishthaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya DhimahiSarva-Rajaya Gandhaya Sarva-Gana-Shravana PranayimeGadhaya Ragaya Granthaya Gitaya Granthartha TanmayiyeGurile... Gunavate... Ganapataye...Grantha-Gitaya Grantha-Geyaya Granthantar-AtamaneGita Linaya Gitashrayaya Gita-Vadya PataveDheya Charitaya Gaya-Gavaraya Gandharvapri-KrupeGayakadhina Vigrahaya Gangajala PranayavateGauri-Stanamdhanaya Gauri-Hridaya NandanayaGaura-Bhanu Sutaya Gauri GaneshvarayaGauri-Pranayaya Gauri-Pravanaya Gaura-Bhavaya DhimahiGhosa-Hastraya Govardhanaya Gopa-Gopaya DhimahiGunatitaya Gunadhishaya Guna Pravishthaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya DhimahiEkadantaya Vakratundaya Gauri Tanayaya DhimahiGajeshanaya Balachandraya Shri Ganeshaya Dhimahi||

Inhi sabhi ke bich Chahat uss bhaadi bheed mein se Raaj-kumari Dushyala ko dekhne mein safal ho jati hai...aur samjh pati hai ki kyu inke khoobsurati ke toote pure rajya mein hai...unhe dekh kar aisa prateet hota hai jaise koi swarg ke uchch shreni ki apsara ho jo swam dharti par Khoobsurati ka jeeta-jagta pramaan ho...

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Prem se bolo

Radhe-Radhe...🌷

Kaisa laga aapko Chahat-Arjun ka interaction?