Carpathian pahadon ki taraf jaati hui rail gaadi dheere-dheere andhere me doob rahi thi।

Jonathan Harker khidki ke paas baitha tha, uski aankhon me utsukta aur halki si ghabrahat dono thi.

Jaise-jaise shaam gehri hoti gayi, aas-paas ke gaon ajeeb se lagne lage।

Log kam bolte the, aur jab “Count Dracula” ka naam liya jaata, to unke chehre par dar ki parchai aa jaati।

“Tum wahan mat jao,”

ek buddhi aurat ne Jonathan ko cross dete hue kaha tha,

“woh jagah shapit hai.”

Lekin Jonathan ek vakil tha।

Uske liye ye sirf ek kaam tha—

Transylvania ke ek purane mahal me rehne wale Count Dracula se milna।

Raat ke barah baj chuke the jab ek kaali gaadi use lene aayi।

Ghode bina awaaz ke daud rahe the, jaise zameen ko chhoo bhi nahi rahe ho।

Mahal door se hi dikh gaya—

uchchi deewarein, toote hue burj, aur ek aisi khamoshi jo kaan chubh ne lage।

Darwaza khula।

Saamne khada tha ek lamba, patla aadmi—

safed chehra, laal aankhen, aur honton par thandi si muskaan।

“Welcome to my house,”

Count Dracula bola,

“Enter freely… and of your own will.”

Jonathan ke dil ne zor se dhadakna shuru kar diya।

Use pata nahi tha ki usne is darwaze ke saath

apni azaadi bhi peeche chhod di hai…

Chapter 2: Mahal Jahan Samay Tham Jaata Hai

Jonathan Harker ne jaise hi mahal ke andar kadam rakha,

darwaza apne aap band ho gaya—

bhari, goonjti awaaz ke saath।

Usne mudkar dekha,

lekin wahan koi nahi tha।

Count Dracula uske saath-saath chal raha tha,

uske kadam bina awaaz ke the,

jaise zameen use mehsoos hi na karti ho।

“Mujhe maaf karna,”

Dracula ne shaant swar me kaha,

“is mahal me naukar nahi hain.

Main khud hi sab kaam karta hoon.”

Jonathan ko ye baat ajeeb lagi,

lekin usne kuch kaha nahi।

Bada sa hall—

unchi chhat, deewaron par purane yudh ke chitra,

aur moombattiyan jo hawa ke bina hi hil rahi thi।

Bhojan table par khana rakha tha—

sab kuch garam, taza…

lekin Dracula ne kuch bhi nahi khaya।

Wo bas Jonathan ko dekhta raha।

“Tum thake hue lagte ho,”

usne kaha,

“tumhara kamra tayaar hai.”

Kamra sundar tha,

lekin usme ek baat thi jo Jonathan ko bechain kar rahi thi—

wahan ek bhi sheesha (mirror) nahi tha।

Raat gehri hoti ja rahi thi।

Jonathan diary likhne baitha,

lekin achanak use mehsoos hua

jaise koi use dekh raha ho।

Usne darwaza khola—

corridor me andhera tha,

lekin door kahin se

auraton ke hansne ki halki si awaaz aa rahi thi।

Wo awaaz madhur thi…

lekin usme ek bhookh chhupi hui thi।

Jonathan aage badha—

aur tabhi ek tez awaaz ghoonji:

“Wapas jao!”

Count Dracula saamne khada tha,

aankhen gusse se chamak rahi thi।

“Wo meri mehmaan nahi hain,”

usne dheemi par sakht awaaz me kaha,

“aur tum…

abhi mere mehmaan ho.”

Us raat Jonathan ko pehli baar samajh aaya—

ye mahal sirf pattharon ka nahi,

ye ek qaidkhana hai…

aur Count Dracula

iska rakshak bhi hai, aur shikari bhi.

Raat ka sannata achanak toot gaya।

Jonathan apne kamre me tha,

jab usne phir se wahi awaaz suni—

halki hansi… dheemi saans… aur kisi ke chalne ki aahat।

Is baar darwaza band nahi tha।

Wo awaaz use bula rahi thi—

jaise sapne aur jaagti duniya ke beech kahin se।

Jonathan ne diya uthaya

aur dheere-dheere corridor me badha।

Andhera gehra hota ja raha tha,

aur phir—

usne unhe dekha।

Teen auratein.

Unki aankhen chamak rahi thi,

baal kaale badalon jaise the,

aur chehre par aisi sundarta

jo dar aur aakarshan dono paida karti thi।

Ek aurat aage badhi,

uski awaaz shahad jaisi meethi thi—

“Tum bahut thake hue ho, Jonathan…

aao, hum tumhe aaraam denge.”

Jonathan ka dil zor se dhadak raha tha,

lekin uska sharir jaise uska saath nahi de raha tha।

Wo aurat aur paas aayi—

uski thandi saans Jonathan ki gardan ko chhoo gayi।

Usne aankhen band kar li—

TABHI!

Ek bhayanak garaj ke saath

Dracula wahan aa khada hua।

“Peechhe hat jao!”

uski awaaz me bijli thi।

Teenon auratein gusse se sisein,

lekin peeche hat gayin।

“Ye aadmi mera hai,”

Dracula ne kaha,

“jab tak main na chahoon,

isko koi haath nahi lagayega.”

Jonathan ne Dracula ki taraf dekha—

uski aankhon me gussa tha…

lekin saath hi kuch aur bhi—

jaise jalan.

Dracula ne Jonathan ko pakad kar

wapas kamre me dhakel diya।

“Tum yahan mehmaan nahi ho,”

usne dheere par bhari awaaz me kaha,

“tum meri zarurat ho.”

Darwaza band ho gaya।

Jonathan ka dil baith gaya।

Us raat usne apni diary me likha:

“Main yahan zinda hoon,

lekin azaad nahi.

Aur jo mujhe yahan kaid kiye hue hai…

wo insaan nahi hai.”

Mahal ki deewaron ke paar

bhookhi hawayein chal rahi thi—

aur Count Dracula

andhere me muskuraya।

Shikaar tayaar ho raha tha…

Subah hui—

ya shayad hui hi nahi।

Mahal me roshni ka koi niyam nahi tha।

Jonathan jab jaga, to ghadi ki suiyan jaise jam chuki thi।

Usne khidki kholni chahi—

lekin bahar sirf seedhi girti chattan aur gahra andhera tha।

Neeche dekhte hi use chakkar aa gaya।

Tabhi usne mehsoos kiya—

kamre ka darwaza band nahi tha।

Dil zor se dhadakne laga।

Jonathan dheere-dheere corridor me nikla।

Is baar dar ne use roka nahi—

dar ke upar kuch aur jeet raha tha: jeene ki zid।

Use yaad aaya—

Dracula din me kamzor hota hai।

Mahal ke beech wale hisse me

ek purani seedhi thi jo neeche ja rahi thi—

pathar ghise hue the,

jaise sadiyon se kisi ne bhaagne ki koshish ki ho।

Neeche pahunchkar

Jonathan ko ek kamra mila—

bhari mitti ki gandh se bhara hua।

Wahan usne dekha—

lakdi ke kai sandook (coffins)

jinme mitti bhari thi।

Aur unme se ek me—

Count Dracula so raha tha।

Chehra shaant tha,

jaise koi nirdosh insaan ho।

Agar Jonathan use aise hi dekhta,

to kabhi vishwas na karta

ki ye wahi shaitaan hai jo raat ko jeevan choos leta hai।

Uske haath kaanp rahe the।

Paas hi ek purana lohe ka danda pada tha।

Ek pal ke liye usne socha—

sab khatam kar doon.

Lekin tabhi uske dimag me awaaz ghoonji—

“Khoon se azaadi nahi milti.”

Us pal ki der ne sab badal diya।

Achaanak hawa tez chalne lagi—

jaise mahal saans le raha ho।

Dracula ki aankhen khul gayin।

“Bahut der kar di, Jonathan,”

usne dheemi par bhayanak awaaz me kaha।

Jonathan peeche hataa,

lekin tabhi deewaron se awaaz aayi—

jaise mahal khud use pakad raha ho।

Dracula khada hua—

uski parchai Jonathan se bhi badi lag rahi thi।

“Tumne bhaagne ki koshish ki,”

wo muskuraya,

“ab tum sirf mehmaan nahi rahe…”

Usne Jonathan ki gardan pakdi—

lekin maara nahi।

“Tum ab bhi kaam aoge,”

usne kaha,

“London mujhe bula raha hai…”

Jonathan samajh gaya—

ye kahani sirf Transylvania tak simit nahi rahegi।

Andhera safar par nikalne wala tha…

Mahino baad.

England ke ek shaant shehar, Whitby, me hawa samundar se thand aur namkeen thi।

Mina Murray chattan ke kinare baithi,

apni diary me likh rahi thi।

“Jonathan ka khat nahi aaya.

Dil bechain rehta hai…

jaise koi anjaana saaya paas hi mandra raha ho.”

Uski saheli Lucy Westenra hamesha ki tarah hansmukh thi,

lekin aajkal uski hansi me thakaan thi।

“Raat ko ajeeb sapne aate hain,”

Lucy ne kaha,

“jaise koi mujhe bula raha ho…

samundar ki taraf.”

Usi raat,

samundar me toofan utha।

Logon ne dekha—

ek bina chaalak ke jahaz ko bandargha par aa takrate hue।

Uska naam likha tha:

Demeter.

Jab jahaz khola gaya,

andar sirf mitti se bhare sandook mile—

aur ek hi laash,

jo darr se jam chuki thi।

Shehar me khauf phail gaya।

Us raat ke baad se

Lucy badalne lagi।

Uski twacha peelepan liye hue thi,

aankhon ke neeche kaale ghere,

aur gardan par do chhote se nishaan।

Doctor pareshan the,

lekin samajh nahi pa rahe the।

Aur door,

London ke andhere kone me—

ek parchai pehli baar hansi।

Count Dracula England aa chuka tha।

Mahal se nikal kar,

wo ab sheharon me ghulega—

insaano ke beech,

insaani chehre ke saath।

Aur kahin door,

ek aspataal ke kamre me,

Jonathan Harker ne aankhen kholi—

zinda tha…

lekin uske dimaag me

Transylvania ka andhera ab bhi zinda tha।

Yudh shuru hone wala tha…

Lucy ki haalat har din bigadti ja rahi thi।

Khoon ki kami, thakaan,

aur raat ko bina yaad ke chalna—

doctoron ke liye ye sab bemaani tha।

Mina raat bhar uske paas baithi rehti,

har saans ginte hue।

Tab Dr. Seward ne

apne purane guru ko bulaaya—

Professor Abraham Van Helsing।

Wo buzurg the,

lekin unki aankhon me aisi chamak thi

jo andhere ko bhi cheerta mehsoos hoti thi।

Lucy ko dekhte hi

unke chehre ka rang badal gaya।

“Ye bimari nahi hai,”

Van Helsing ne dheere se kaha,

“ye shikar hai।”

Us raat

Lucy ke kamre ke darwaze par

lahsun ke phool latkaye gaye।

Khidkiyon par cross rakhe gaye,

aur Mina ko hidayat di gayi

ki Lucy ko akela na chhode।

Lekin andhera hamesha raasta dhoond leta hai।

Ek raat

Lucy ne khidki khol di।

Samundar ki hawa ke saath

ek safed dhund kamre me ghus aayi।

Subah

Lucy zinda thi…

lekin kuchh kho chuki thi।

Van Helsing chupchaap khada raha।

“Der ho chuki hai,”

usne kaha,

“ab use bachana nahi…

use rokna padega.”

Usi waqt

Mina ko ek khat mila।

Jonathan ka.

Kuchh shabd tedhe-medhe the,

lekin ek baat saaf thi—

“Wo aa raha hai.

Aur main jaanta hoon use kaise roka jaata hai.”

Mina ke haath kaanp gaye।

Ab ye sirf dosti ya pyaar ki baat nahi thi—

ye insani duniya ki raksha ka sawaal tha।

Aur raat ke andhere me,

Count Dracula ne

apna agla shikar chuna—

Mina.

Lucy ab pehle jaisi nahi rahi thi।

Din me wo shaant lagti,

lekin raat ko—

uski aankhen laal chamakne lagti,

aur chehra ajeebi muskaan se bhar jaata।

Ek raat

Mina ne use dekha—

chupchaap khidki ke paas khadi,

neeche sadak ki taraf jhukti hui।

“Lucy!”

Mina ne use jhakjhor kar roka।

Lucy ne mudkar dekha—

uski aankhon me pyaar nahi tha,

sirf bhookh thi।

Agle din

Van Helsing ne sabko bulaaya।

“Jo hum soch rahe the,

ab usse inkaar nahi,”

unhone gambhir awaaz me kaha।

“Lucy ab zinda nahi rahi…

wo badal chuki hai।”

Arthur,

jo Lucy se pyaar karta tha,

toot sa gaya।

“Usse bachaya ja sakta hai,”

usne bheegi aankhon se kaha।

Van Helsing ne sir jhuka liya।

“Sirf ek tareeka hai,”

unhone dheere se kaha,

“uski aatma ko azaadi dena.”

Us raat

kabristaan me hawa bhi chup thi।

Lucy safed kapdon me

apni kabar se nikli—

sundar,

lekin darawni।

Arthur ke haath kaanp rahe the

jab usne lakdi ka stake uthaya।

“Ye tumhare pyaar ka antim saboot hoga,”

Van Helsing ne kaha।

Ek pal ki hichkichahat…

phir ek cheek—

aur sab khatam.

Subah

Lucy ki laash shaant thi,

chehre par pehli baar sukoon tha।

Mina ro rahi thi—

sirf Lucy ke liye nahi,

apne liye bhi।

Kyuki us raat

usne apni gardan par

do naye nishaan mehsoos kiye the।

Door kahin,

Count Dracula ne apna glass uthaya

aur muskuraya।

“Yudh ab sach-me shuru hua hai,”

usne khud se kaha।