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UPDATE 37
The Demon Prince & Princess
The Broken Seal & The Other Half
The Demon Prince & Princess
The Broken Seal & The Other Half
Kamre mein khamoshi aisi thi ki sui girne ki awaaz bhi sunayi de. Sabki nigahein Saloni par tiki thi, jo ab apne haathon ko aise dekh rahi thi jaise wo unhein pehli baar dekh rahi ho.
Saloni ke honth tharthara rahe the. Wo dheere se apni jagah se uthi aur mere paas aayi. Uski aankhon mein ab sawaal nahi the, bas ek gahri samajh thi.
Saloni (Bhari awaaz mein): “Toh... yeh sach hai? Main koi insaan nahi hu? Main... main uss 'Maha-Diamond' ka ek tukda hu? 'Creation' ki shakti?”
Maine apni nazrein jhuka li aur fir uski aankhon mein dekha.
Mai: “Tum sirf shakti nahi ho Saloni. Tum uss shakti ka sabse khoobsurat roop ho. Tum Srijan (Creation) ho, jeevan ho. Jise Gods aur Demons dono paana chahte the, wo taakat tum ho.”
Saloni ne ek haath mere gaal par rakha. Uski hatheli abhi bhi waisi hi garm aur sukoon dene wali thi jaise uss bachpan ki memory mein thi.
Saloni: “Tabhi... tabhi mujhe tumse pehli mulaqat se hi wo ajeeb sa connection feel hota tha. Tabhi main tumhe khone se itna darti thi. Kyunki main... main tumhara hi hissa hu, hai na?”
Maine haan mein sar hilaya.
Mai: “Hum alag hokar bhi ek hain. Us din uss gufa mein, tumne mujhe chuna tha. Aur maine tumhe.”
Tabhi Neha, jo ab tak chup thi aur kuch gehra soch rahi thi, beech mein boli.
Neha: “Dev... ek minute. Agar Saloni uss Diamond ka ek hissa hai—'Creation'—toh dusra hissa kahan hai? Wo 'Mina' naam liya tha flashback mein. Wo kahan hai?”
Neha ke sawaal ne kamre ka mahaul fir se gambhir (serious) kar diya.
Mai: “Mina... Wo Diamond ka dusra pehlu hai. Agar Saloni 'Creation' hai, toh Mina 'Destruction' (Vinaash) hai. Agar Saloni shanti hai, toh Mina toofan hai.”
Meri awaaz thodi dheemi pad gayi. Maine Saloni ke haath ko apne haathon mein kas ke pakad liya, jaise main use abhi bhi uss toofan se bacha raha hoon.
Mai: “Lekin uss waqt... humein Mina ki fikar nahi thi. Humein laga ki hum jeet gaye hain. Wo bachpan, wo Hell (Demon Realm) mein bitaye saal... wo meri zindagi ka sabse khoobsurat aur sabse khatarnaak daur tha.”
Maine apni aankhein band ki. “Dekho Saloni... yaad karne ki koshish karo. Hum kaise bade hue the. Andhere mein bhi humne roshni kaise dhund li thi.”
Mere chuute hi Saloni ke dimaag mein yaadon ka sailab aa gaya. Hum sab fir se uss visual memory mein kheench liye gaye.
[Flashback Continues: The Timeline of Shadows & Light]
[Time Skip: 3 Years Later - Dev & Saloni Age: 8]
Nazara Demon Realm ke "Training Grounds" ka tha. Zameen kaali aur pathrili thi, jahan maut ka saya har pal rehta tha. Aasman mein laal badal chaye rehte the, jaise khoon ubal raha ho.
Wahan Dada ji (King Detrios) ek badi si chattan par baithe the, haath mein ek bada sa mug liye, jisme shayad Demon Wine thi.
Maidan mein, main (Chhota Dev) paseene mein lathpath tha. Mere haath mein ek lakdi ki talwar thi jo mere kad se bhi badi thi. Main buri tarah haanf raha tha.
Detrios (Chilla kar): “Oye Gadhe! Talwar pakad raha hai ya jhadu? Demon Prince hai tu! Tere vaar (attack) mein gussa hona chahiye, rehham nahi! Dushman tujhse pyaar nahi karega!”
Main ghutno par gir gaya.
Chhota Dev: “Dada ji... thak gaya main. Paani...”
Detrios: “Demon Realm mein pyas paani se nahi, dushman ke khoon se bujhti hai! Uth aur lad!”
Tabhi wahan ek meethi si awaaz aayi, jo uss kathor vatavaran mein kisi sangeet jaisi thi.
“Dada ji! Bas kijiye na, dekhiye Dev kitna thak gaya hai!”
Wo Saloni thi. Usne ek black frock pehni thi, lekin uske baalon mein ek safed phool laga tha—ek aisa phool jo Demon Realm ki zehreeli mitti mein ugna namumkin tha.
Detrios ka gussa turant gayab ho gaya. Unhone smile kiya.
Detrios: “Arre meri bachi... main toh bas ise mazboot bana raha tha. Taki yeh tumhari raksha kar sake.”
Saloni daud kar mere paas aayi. Uske haath mein paani ka ek vessel tha. Usne mujhe paani pilaya aur apne dupatte se mera paseena poncha.
Saloni: “Ise ladne ki zarurat nahi hai Dada ji. Main hu na? Main sab thik kar dungi.”
Saloni ne zameen par apna nanha haath rakha. Jadoo sa hua... wahan ki banjar, kaali mitti mein se achanak hari ghaas aur chote-chote safed phool ugne lage.
Detrios (Man mein): “Yeh ladki... yeh sach mein Creation hai. Jahan maut basti hai, wahan yeh jeevan paida kar rahi hai.”
Humare aas-paas ke demons, jo darawne dikhte the, wo bhi Saloni ko dekh kar jhuk gaye. Demon Realm mein Saloni "Light Princess" ke naam se mashhoor ho gayi thi. Wo jahan jati, andhera kam ho jata.
Main use dekh raha tha. Us waqt pyaar ka matlab nahi pata tha, par itna pata tha ki mujhe iski smile sabse achi lagti hai.
[Time Skip: 5 Years Later - Dev & Saloni Age: 13]
Waqt guzra aur hum teenagers ban chuke the.
Scene "Silent Lake" ka tha. Yeh Demon Realm ki ekmatra jagah thi jahan shanti thi.
Saloni pani ke kinare baithi thi, pani mein apne pair daal kar. Pani, jo aamtaur par zehreela aur kaala hota tha, Saloni ke chhoote hi saaf aur neela ho gaya tha.
Main uske bagal mein baitha tha, apne ghutno par sar rakh kar.
Mai: “Saloni, tumhe Gods ki yaad nahi aati? Dada ji kehte hain tum wahan se aayi thi.”
Saloni ne meri taraf dekha. Uski aankhein ab aur bhi gehri aur chamakdaar ho gayi thi.
Saloni: “Mera ghar wahan nahi hai Dev. Mera ghar wahan hai jahan tum ho. Jahan Dada ji hain. Gods... wo log mujhe sirf ek 'Power Source' samajhte the. Par tum... tum mujhe Saloni samajhte ho.”
Usne achanak pani se thoda paani uthaya aur mere chehre par chidak diya.
Mai: “Hey!”
Saloni (Haste hue): “Pakad kar dikhao!”
Wo bhaagi. Main uske piche bhaaga. Demon Realm ke uss rukhe vatavaran mein, humari hansi gunj rahi thi. Humare liye wo Hell nahi, Jannat thi.
Bhaagte hue wo thokar kha kar girne wali thi, maine tezi se aage badh kar use kamar se pakad liya.
Hum dono wahin ruk gaye. Mere haath uski kamar par the, wo meri bahon mein thi.
Uss din... pehli baar... humare beech dosti se badhkar kuch mehsoos hua. Ek current sa dauda.
Detrios door khade yeh dekh rahe the. Unke chehre par chinta thi.
Detrios (Khud se): “Inka bond gehra hota ja raha hai. Agar Creation aur Demon Prince mil gaye... toh jo taakat paida hogi, wo sayad srishti sambhal na paye. Aur wo dusra tukda... Mina... wo abhi bhi gayab hai. Santulan (Balance) bigad raha hai.”
[Time Skip: 4 Years Later - Dev & Saloni Age: 17]
Main ab puri tarah se ek Yoddha (Warrior) ban chuka tha. Mera sharir muscular tha, aankhon mein Demon Royal family ki laal chamak kabhi-kabhi dikhti thi.
Hum "Dark Tower" ki chat par baithe the.
Saloni ab behad khubsurat ho gayi thi. Uski sundarta aisi thi ki bade-bade Demon Lords bhi usse aankh milane ki himmat nahi karte the.
Lekin uss din wo udaas thi.
Saloni: “Dev, mujhe kabhi-kabhi darr lagta hai.”
Mai: “Kis baat ka?”
Saloni: “Mere andar ek ajeeb si bechaini hai. Jaise... main adhuri hu. Jaise meri koi behen hai jo ro rahi hai, chilla rahi hai, par main use dhund nahi pa rahi.” (Yeh Mina ka ehsaas tha).
Maine uska haath thama aur apni taraf khincha.
Mai: “Jab tak main zinda hu, tumhe darrne ki zarurat nahi hai. Main Demon hu Saloni. Main duniya jala dunga agar kisi ne tumhe chhua toh.”
Saloni ne apna sar mere kandhe par rakh diya.
Saloni: “Tum 'Destruction' ki baatein karte ho, aur main 'Creation' ki. Hum kitne alag hain na?”
Mai: “Shayad isliye hum saath hain. Taki hum ek dusre ko pura kar sakein.”
Uss raat, chaandni mein, maine Saloni ke maathe ko chuma tha. Wo ehsaas... wo sukoon... mujhe laga tha ki yeh pal kabhi khatam nahi hoga.
Agle hi din Dada ji ne humare baalik (adult) hone par humari sagai (engagement) ki ghoshna kar di thi.
Pura Demon Realm khush tha. Jashn manaya ja raha tha. Sabko laga humara raaj aane wala hai. Humare sapne pure hone wale the.
Lekin humein nahi pata tha... ki humari khushiyon ki umr bas kuch hi pal ki bachi thi.
[Flashback Pause]
Kamre mein wapas aate hi Saloni ki aankhon se aansu beh nikle. Wo khubsurat yaadein ab kaanch ki tarah chub rahi thi.
Mai: “Wo aakhiri khushi ka din tha. Uske baad... Tabaahi aayi.”