Year 1106.

Iss yug mein sirf ek insaan ka raj nahi tha.

Nahi… shayad “raj” shabd bhi chhota padta hai.

Yeh ek aise vyakti ka kaal tha jise logon ne dheere dheere manushya se upar rakh diya tha.

Ek naam… jo prarthanaon mein liya jaata tha.

Ek chehra… jise dekhkar logon ko lagta tha ki bhavishya ab bhi sundar ho sakta hai.

Navraya.

Haan, wahi Navraya…

Symbol of Hope.

Woh vyakti jisne prakriti aur humanity ke beech koi bhed nahi dekha.

Jiske liye van aur nagar, janwar aur manushya, mitti aur lahu — sab ek hi chakra ke ans the.

Aur tumhe yaad hoga…

Eryldor ne is yug ke baare mein bahut pehle hi keh diya tha.

Usne kaha tha —

“Ek din ek vyakti aayega…

Jo sirf ek desh ki neev nahi rakhega, balki ek aise samrajya ko janm dega jo sadiyon tak girne ka arth hi bhool jayega.”

Tarakki uska dharm hogi.

Aur log…

Log uski dharti ko Swarga kehne lagenge.

Sirf ek vyakti.

…Ya shayad ek bhagwaan.

Lekin dekho, yahi toh manushya ki aadat hai.

Jab koi unhe andhkaar se bahar nikaalta hai, toh woh uske haathon mein mashaal nahi dekhte…

Woh uske sir ke peeche prakash ka chakra dekhna shuru kar dete hain.

Eryldor ne ek aur baat kahi thi.

Ek aisi baat jise usne apne antim shabdon ki tarah chhoda tha.

“Velkora se bachna.”

Bas itna hi.

Na koi explanation.

Na koi warning ka vistaar.

Aur ajeeb baat yeh hai…

Bhavishya kabhi ek saath apne raaz nahi kholta.

Woh dheere dheere parde hataata hai…

Jaise samay khud dekhna chahta ho ki satya jaanne ke baad bhi kya tum usse accept kar paoge.

Toh aaiye…

Aaj ka kathan aarambh karte hain.

Us din hawayein asamanya roop se shaant thi.

Thandi… komal… aur jeevit.

Kabhi kabhi prakriti khud bata deti hai ki duniya abhi poori tarah kathor nahi bani.

Aur shayad ussi din woh hume kuch yaad dilana chahti thi.

Hawaon ke saath chalte chalte hum pahunchte hain ek chhote se gaon mein.

Wahi gaon… jahan Navraya rehta tha.

Na uncha mahal.

Na sainikon ki deewarein.

Na swarn se sajaye hue dwar.

Ajeeb vyakti tha woh.

Jis insaan ko aadhi duniya devta maanti ho, woh phoolon ke beech rehna pasand karta tha.

Roj ki tarah Navraya bageeche mein baitha hua tha.

Phoolon ke madhya ek purani stone bench par.

Uski aankhen band thi.

Jaise woh dhyaan mein ho…

Ya shayad bas surya ki garmahat ko mehsoos kar raha ho.

Dhoop uske chehre par padkar halki si chamak utpann kar rahi thi.

Uske safed baal aadhe bandhe hue the, aur aadhe hawa ke saath dheere dheere hil rahe the.

Dono eyebrows ke beech ek laal, four-edged crystal sthit tha.

Ek aisa tej… jo pehli nazar mein kisi ratna jaisa lagta tha.

Lekin zyada der dekhne par mehsoos hota tha ki woh sirf chamak nahi raha…

Jaise woh dekh bhi raha ho.

Usne safed laabada pehna hua tha, jisme golden aur teal rangon ki sukshma kaarigari ki gayi thi.

Shant.

Saral.

Aur phir bhi… rajsi.

Phir peeche se bachchon ki awaaz aayi —

“Navraya!”

Uske hothon ki muskaan aur gehri ho gayi.

Usne dheere se aankhen kholi… aur peeche mudkar dekha.

“Aah… toh aap log aa gaye.”

Uski awaaz mein wahi komalta thi jo barsaat se pehle chalne wali hawaon mein hoti hai.

“Aap sabka swaagat hai.”

Aur haan…

Agar tum soch rahe ho ki log usse bhagwaan kyun kehne lage the…

Toh uska ek kaaran uska chehra bhi tha.

Kuch chehre sundar hote hain.

Kuch manmohak.

Lekin Navraya ka chehra un dono se alag tha.

Usse dekhkar ajeeb roop se mann shaant ho jaata tha.

Jaise kayi dinon se chal raha antar ka shor achanak dheema pad gaya ho.

Bachche uske paas baith gaye.

Kuch ghaas par.

Kuch bench ke aas paas.

Unmein se ek bachche ne sankoch se poocha —

“Kal maine gaon ke bahar kuch logon ko shikaar karte dekha tha…

Kya aap bata sakte hain ki woh aisa kyun karte hain?”

Prashn chhota tha.

Lekin har chhota prashn saral ho… yeh zaroori nahi.

Navraya kuch pal chup raha.

Usne bachchon ko dekha.

Phir aas paas ke bageeche ko.

Jaise woh shabdon ko chun nahi raha tha…

Balki unke bhaar ko tol raha ho.

“Inhone abhi tak hinsa ko samjha nahi hai…”

Shayad usne mann hi mann yahi socha tha.

Ab sawal yeh tha ki woh inhe kya bataye?

Apna drishtikon…

Ya sansaar ka kathor satya?

Uske chehre par ek halki, chintajanak muskaan ubhri.

“Darasal…” usne dheere se kaha,

“Prakriti ne kabhi hume poorn roop se dayalu jeev banaya hi nahi tha.”

“Bahut samay pehle… jeevit rehne ke liye hume apne hi jaise jeevon ko maarna padta tha.”

Bachche shaant hokar sunte rahe.

“Lekin insaniyat ka niyam sirf jeena nahi hai.”

“Uska niyam hai… aage badhna.”

“Jab hum sirf shikaar par nirbhar the, tab hum majboor the.”

“Akele the.”

“Humare paas ek doosre ko maarne ke alawa bahut kam raaste the.”

Usne paas ke phool ko ungliyon se halka sa chhua.

“Lekin dheere dheere manushya ne naye raaste banaye.”

“Kheti… unhi raaston mein se ek thi.”

“Kyuki bhook sirf maans nahi maangti.”

“Woh jeevan maangti hai.”

“Isiliye humne mitti ko chuna.”

“Beejon ko chuna.”

“Aur shayad…”

“Ek behtar raasta bhi.”

Usne bachchon ki taraf dekha.

“Hume prakriti ne jaanwar banaya tha.”

“Lekin ek doosre ko samajhne ki ichchha…”

“Shayad wahi cheez thi jisne hume insaan banaya.”

Aisa Navraya maanta tha.

Aur dekha jaaye…

Toh woh poori tarah galat bhi nahi tha.

Lekin tumhe ek baat samajhni hogi —

Manushya kabhi ek hi uttar ko satya nahi maanta.

Har vyakti ka apna drishtikon hota hai.

Aur adhiktar log apne drishtikon ko hi satya samajhte hain.

Shayad isi ka naam civilization hai.

Ek hi prashn ke liye anant uttar dhoondhte rehna.

Jaise drishtikon ki baat karein…

Jab manushya ko doosra raasta mila, tab usne shikaar ko hinsa kehna shuru kar diya.

Aur shayad woh galat bhi nahi tha.

Lekin phir ek prashn janm leta hai.

Agar ek jaanwar jeevit rehne ke liye maarna chhod de…

Aur phir khud kisi aur ka bhojan ban jaaye…

Toh prakriti usse dayalu kahegi?

Nahi.

Prakriti dayalu nahi hoti.

Woh kewal santulit hoti hai.

Insaan aksar kehte hain ki woh jaanwaron se upar uth gaye.

Lekin kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai…

Hum upar kam uthe…

Aur survival ko paap zyada bana diya.

Kyuki ab humare paas bhook se zyada cheezein thi.

Naitikta.

Karuna.

Dharma.

Aur apne aap ko “accha” mehsoos karne ki ichchha.

Woh manushyata mein sambhavnayein dekhta tha.

Aur main… uske andar chhupe viruddhabhaas.

Lekin ajeeb baat yeh hai —

Kabhi kabhi vipreet drishtikon bhi ek hi satya tak pahunch jaate hain.

Bas unke raaste alag hote hain.

Aur shayad…

Ek din hum dono bhi wahi karne wale the.

Khair…

Ussi shaant gaon mein, ussi komal dhoop ke neeche…

Bhavishya chupchaap apni pehli saans le raha tha.