Years 0008

Ye woh daur tha jab history ka koi proper shape nahi tha.

Jab kingdoms apni kahaniyaan likhna shuru bhi nahi kiye the.

Aur jab humanity ne waqt ko naapna bhi nahi seekha tha.

Aur jis aadmi ne ye sab badla—

uska naam tha Eryldor.

Wahi aadmi jisne duniya ko saal count karna sikhaya.

Jisne calendar banaya.

Jisne humans ko din, raat aur mausam ko measure karna sikhaya.

Log usse alag alag naam se bulate the.

Genius.

Prophet.

Pagal.

Kyuki Eryldor ek impossible baat ka dawa karta tha.

Woh kehta tha ki har raat—

ek devi uske sapno me aati hai.

Aur apne sapno ke through—

woh usse future dikhati hai.

Sirf symbols nahi.

Sirf vague visions nahi.

Pure future.

Civilizations ka rise.

Empires ka downfall.

Aur woh horrors… jo abhi aane baaki the.

Kuch log maante the ki woh kisi divine entity ka chosen hai.

Aur kuch log kehte the ki woh bas pagal ho chuka hai.

Aur dheere dheere—

duniya do hisso me batne lagi.

8 saal pehle jab Eryldor ne calendar system introduce kiya tha, tab sardi ka mausam chal raha tha.

Isiliye ab har saal ki shuruaat aur ant winter se hota tha.

Ek chhoti si baat.

Lekin usne civilization ko hamesha ke liye badal diya.

Humanity pehle se zyada tezi se develop karne lagi.

Trade badhne laga.

Records maintain hone lage.

Karz ka hisaab rakha jaane laga.

Harvests ko measure kiya jaane laga.

Waqt—

ab ek tool ban chuka tha.

Lekin itna sab hone ke baad bhi—

Eryldor kabhi khush nahi dikhta tha.

Jaise woh humanity ko aage badhte dekh kar khush nahi… darr raha ho.

Jaise progress ke andar hi koi chhupa hua disaster ho.

Ek thandi subah, Eryldor temple district ki taraf ja raha tha.

Uske sharir par safed labada tha aur kandhe par gehra laal kapda pada hua tha.

Bazaar awaazon se bhara hua tha.

Vaipari prices chilla rahe the.

Bacche bheed me bhaag rahe the.

Hawa me paka hua gosh aur anaaj ki smell faili hui thi.

Ek butcher ne bada sa laal meat utha kar bola—

“Is cut ke chaar sphere lagenge!”

Grahak turant bola—

“Chaar? Bahut zyada hai. Teen sphere aur chhe coins dunga.”

Butcher ne naak se saans chhodi.

“Gosh mehenga hota ja raha hai.”

Eryldor chupchaap unhe dekh raha tha.

Mahangai shuru ho chuki hai…

Uski nazar dheere dheere pure bazaar par ghoomi.

Humanity badal chuki thi.

Ek waqt tha jab log sirf shikaar karke zinda rehte the.

Lekin upjao zameen ne sab kuch badal diya.

Ab log kheti karte the.

Ek jagah settle hone lage the.

Gaon society me badalne lage the.

Aur societies ko—

control ki zarurat hoti hai.

Isi liye temples bane.

Na ki gods ke liye.

Na worship ke liye.

Balki order ke liye.

Rules ke liye.

Punishment ke liye.

Jaise hi Eryldor bazaar se guzra, kai log respect me halka sa sir jhukane lage.

Lekin usne zyada reaction nahi diya.

Uski aankhen kahin aur hi khoi hui thi.

Ab logon ke paas abundance tha.

Pehne ke liye cotton aur silk.

Khane ke liye anaaj, fruits, vegetables aur hunted meat.

Pehli baar—

humanity ke paas stability thi.

Lekin stability ek nayi problem lekar aayi.

Value.

Kitna anaaj kitne kapde ke barabar?

Kitni mehnat kitne khane ke barabar?

Kisiko properly samajh nahi aata tha.

Isiliye humans ne tokens banaye.

Temples ne currency banana shuru ki.

Cone shape ke bade stones ko Sphere kaha gaya.

Aur circular chhote stones ko Coin.

Aur dheere dheere—

trade economy me badal gaya.

Aur economy—

power me.

Eryldor ne dheere se aankhen band ki.

“Shuruaat me temples sirf wealth store karte hain…” usne dheere se kaha.

“Phir woh debt control karte hain.”

“Debt ke baad… law aata hai.”

“Aur law ke baad…”

Usne aankhen kholi.

“Politics.”

Thandi hawa bazaar se guzri.

“Aaj temple anaaj gin raha hai…”

“Kal paap ginega.”

“Aur ek din…”

“…insaano ko.”

Log bhook se darte the.

Aur darr control ko aasaan bana deta hai.

Temple farmers ko loan dete the.

Calendar ke through repayment track karte the.

Time ke through interest calculate karte the.

Aur jis din humanity ne kisi aur ko waqt control karne diya—

ussi din usne apni freedom khona shuru kar diya.

Eryldor ka expression aur heavy ho gaya.

“Currency aur faith me zyada farq nahi hota,” usne dheere se kaha.

“Dono tab tak kaam karte hain… jab tak log believe karte hain.”

Aakhirkaar woh temple pahunch gaya.

Bade bade stone pillars winter sky ke niche khade the.

Temple ke sevak turant respect me jhuk gaye.

“Master Eryldor,” ek sevak ne kaha,

“Kripya andar aaiye.”

Lekin Eryldor entrance par hi ruk gaya.

Woh andar nahi gaya.

Usne bas shaant awaaz me poocha—

“Main andar kyun aau?”

Sevak thoda confuse ho gaya.

Eryldor ne temple ki taraf dekha.

“Main humanity ke sabse bade paap ka hissa nahi banna chahta.”

Sevak ka chehra stiff ho gaya.

“Main… samjha nahi.”

Eryldor halka sa muskuraya.

Ek thaki hui muskaan.

“Duniya pehle hi apne ant ki taraf badh rahi hai.”

Sevak chup raha.

Eryldor phir bola—

“Har insaan marega.”

“Tum.”

“Main.”

“Sab.”

“Kitni bhi puja kar lo…”

“Maut se nahi bach sakte.”

“Toh batao…”

“Main un devtaon ke saamne kyun jhukoon jo eternity tak nahi de sakte?”

Sevak ne dheere se sir jhuka diya.

Isliye nahi kyuki usse samajh aa gaya tha.

Balki isliye kyuki usne un shabdon ka weight feel kiya.

Eryldor temple ke peeche wale baagiche me chala gaya.

Wahan bacche pedon se fal tod rahe the aur hans rahe the.

Kaafi der baad—

pehli baar uske chehre par halka sa softness aaya.

Ek chhota bacha uske paas bhaag kar aaya.

“Aapko ye fal bahut pasand hai na?” usne poocha.

Eryldor muskuraya aur fal le liya.

“Haan.”

“Ye mere favorite hain.”

Dono ek bade ped ke neeche baith gaye.

Kuch der baad bache ne poocha—

“Sir… aapne hume time ke baare me bataya.”

“Lekin ek baat samajh nahi aayi.”

Eryldor ne shaanti se poocha—

“Kya?”

Bacha bola—

“Hum din aur mausam ko count kyun karte hain?”

“Kya sirf apni age jaanne ke liye?”

Eryldor halka sa hasa.

“Tumhari age kitni hai?”

“8 saal.”

“Toh congratulations,” Eryldor ne halka sa smile karte hue kaha.

“Tum humanity ke greatest inventions me se ek ke saath paida hue ho.”

Bacha khush ho gaya.

Lekin Eryldor ki aankhon me phir wahi udaasi laut aayi.

“Apna waqt sambhal kar use karna,” usne dheere se kaha.

“Kyuki mera…”

“…ab zyada nahi bacha.”

Bacha uski baat properly samajh nahi paaya.

Eryldor ne dheere se saans li.

“Chalo ek kahani sunata hu.”

“Ek budha machhuaara tha.”

“Gareeb. Thaka hua. Bhula diya gaya.”

“Ek subah sunrise se pehle woh machhli pakadne nadi ki taraf ja raha tha.”

“Har jagah andhera tha.”

“Itna andhera… ki usse apne haath tak nahi dikh rahe the.”

“Lekin woh phir bhi chal raha tha.”

“Kyuki woh saalon se ussi raaste par chal raha tha.”

“Raaste me usse ek bori mili.”

“Usne khola toh andar pathar the.”

“Usse laga kisi bache ne jama kiye honge.”

“Toh woh bori ko saath le gaya.”

“Nadi ke paas pahunch kar woh baith gaya aur ek ek karke pathar paani me fekne laga.”

“Splash.”

“Splash.”

“Splash.”

Thandi hawa pedon ke patton ko hila rahi thi.

Eryldor ki awaaz dheemi ho gayi.

“Pathar fekhte hue woh apni zindagi ke baare me sochne laga.”

“Kitne mauke usne gawa diye.”

“Kitne sapne chhod diye.”

“Agar usne jawani me waqt sahi use kiya hota…”

“…toh shayad uski zindagi alag hoti.”

“Machhuaara udaas ho gaya.”

“Har pathar jo woh fek raha tha… usse lag raha tha jaise woh apni zindagi ka ek hissa kho raha ho.”

“Aakhir me…”

“…sirf ek pathar bacha.”

Eryldor ne seedha bache ki aankhon me dekha.

“Aur tab suraj nikla.”

“Suraj ki pehli roshni uss aakhiri pathar par padi.”

“Aur woh chamak utha.”

Bache ki aankhen badi ho gayi.

“Woh pathar nahi the,” Eryldor ne dheere se kaha.

“Woh black diamonds the.”

“Machhuaare ne anmol khazana paani me fek diya…”

“…sirf isliye kyuki woh uski value samajh nahi paaya.”

Garden bilkul shaant ho gaya.

“Woh ghabra gaya.”

“Woh diamonds wapas paane ke liye nadi me kud gaya.”

“Lekin uska sharir budha tha.”

“Weak.”

“Aur woh doob kar mar gaya.”

Eryldor ne dheere se kaha—

“Waqt bhi kuch alag nahi hota.”

“Log use waste karte rehte hain…”

“…ye soch kar ki unke paas endless tomorrows hain.”

“Lekin ek din…”

“…unhe bahut der se samajh aata hai…”

“…ki unki puri zindagi diamonds se bani thi.”

Bacha dheere se sir hilaane laga.

Is baar—

shayad usse thoda samajh aaya.

Ya kam se kam…

usse aisa laga.

Woh respectfully Eryldor ko thank you bol kar bhaag gaya.

Eryldor usse jaate hue dekhta raha.

Phir dheere se khud se bola—

“Nahi…”

“Tumne kuch nahi samjha.”

Ek heavy silence chha gaya.

“Ye kahani kabhi lesson thi hi nahi.”

“Ye tumhara future tha.”

Usne aankhen neeche kar li.

“Shayad future badla nahi ja sakta…”

“Chahe main kitni bhi koshish kar lu.”

“Main ek bache tak ko nahi bacha sakta.”

Thandi hawa aur tez ho gayi.

Aur door—

temple ki ghantiyaan bajne lagi.

62 saal baad.

Ek budha machhuaara freezing paani me doob raha tha.

Uska sharir kamzor pad chuka tha.

Saans toot rahi thi.

Aur andhera usse nigalne se pehle—

uske honton se aakhiri shabd nikle—

“Mujhe maaf kar dijiye… Eryldor…”

“Main aapki baatein samajh nahi paaya…”