Chapter 5: Shikari Aur Shikaar

Subah ki roshni halki thi,

jaise raat ka bojh abhi bhi aasman par tika ho।

Mina kursi par baithi thi—

aankhen khuli,

lekin chehra thaka hua।

Uske dimaag me awaazein thi—

kuchh uski apni,

aur kuchh… uski nahi।

Van Helsing ne table par ek nakshe ko phaila diya।

London, Whitby, aur aas-paas ke ilaake

laal nishanon se bhare hue the।

“Dracula ab chhup nahi raha,”

unhone kaha।

“Wo fail raha hai—

apni mitti,

apni taqat,

aur apna prabhav.”

Jonathan, Dr. Seward, Arthur aur Quincy Morris

table ke ird-gird khade the।

“Uske sandook,”

Jonathan bola,

“unme bhari mitti—

Transylvania ki mitti।

Wahi use zinda rakhti hai.”

Van Helsing ne sir hilaaya।

“Jab tak ek bhi sandook surakshit hai,”

wo bole,

“Dracula ko poori tarah nahi maara ja sakta।”

Sabki nazar Mina par gayi।

Wo chup thi,

lekin uske haath kaanp rahe the।

“Uske saath jo bandhan bana hai,”

Van Helsing ne dheere se kaha,

“wo shraap bhi hai…

aur hathiyaar bhi.”

Mina ne gehri saans li।

“Main usse mehsoos kar sakti hoon,”

usne kaha।

“Uski thakaan…

uska gussa…

aur uska dar.”

Kamre me sannata chha gaya।

“Dar?”

Quincy ne hairani se poochha।

Mina ne aankhen band ki।

“Wo jaanta hai,”

usne kaha,

“ki hum uske kareeb aa rahe hain।”

Us raat se

har shaam Mina ko hypnotize kiya jaane laga—

Van Helsing ki awaaz me,

deep aur shaant।

“Mina,”

wo bolte,

“tum kahan ho?”

Aur Mina jawab deti—

kabhi nadi ke paas,

kabhi kisi sunsaan sadak par,

kabhi kisi purane ghar ke neeche।

Dracula har raat jagah badalta tha।

Wo shikari tha,

lekin ab

khud shikaar ban raha tha।

Ek shaam

Mina achanak cheekh uthi।

“Wo bhaag raha hai,”

usne kaha।

“Samundar ki taraf…

sandook ke saath!”

Plan turant bana।

Arthur aur Seward

shehar ke warehouses ki taraf gaye।

Quincy ne ghode aur hathiyaar sambhale।

Jonathan aur Van Helsing

Mina ke saath rahe—

kyunki agar Dracula ka dard badhta,

to Mina bhi mehsoos karti।

Aur waise hi hua।

Jaise-jaise ek-ek sandook todha gaya,

Mina ka chehra safed padta gaya।

“Ruko,”

Jonathan ne kaha,

“agar ye zyada ho gaya—”

“Nahi,”

Mina ne beech me kaha।

“Ye mera bojh hai।

Aur main ise uthaungi।”

Us raat

jab aakhri sandook mila,

hawa achanak garam ho gayi।

Warehouse ke kone me

ek parchai hilne lagi।

Dracula khud wahan tha।

“Tum log bohot door aa gaye ho,”

usne kaha,

uski awaaz me gussa nahi—

thakaan thi।

“Ye sab khatam ho sakta hai,”

Van Helsing bola।

“Bas surrender karo।”

Dracula hans pada।

“Surrender?”

“Main sadiyon se zinda hoon—

tum mujhe ek raat me mita doge?”

Uski aankhen Mina par tik gayin।

“Tum,”

usne kaha,

“sabse zyada nuksaan me ho.”

Mina ne ek kadam aage badhaya।

“Main tumse darti hoon,”

usne kaha,

“lekin main tumhari nahi hoon।”

Wo pal bhaari tha।

Dracula peeche hata—

jaise us shabd ne use chot pahunchayi ho।

Aur phir—

usne hamla kiya।

Sab kuchh tezi se hua—

Quincy ka goli chalana,

Arthur ka cross uthana,

Van Helsing ka mantra padhna।

Dracula ghaayal hua—

lekin gira nahi।

“Ab nahi,”

wo garja,

“abhi nahi!”

Ek tez hawa—

aur wo gaayab ho gaya।

Warehouse shaant ho gaya।

Khoon zameen par tha—

Dracula ka।

Van Helsing ne use dekha

aur kaha—

“Wo bhaag raha hai…

lekin pehli baar

zakhmi hua hai।”

Mina behosh ho gayi।

Jonathan ne use thaam liya।

“Ye jung khatam nahi hui,”

Van Helsing ne kaha।

“Lekin ab hum jaante hain—

wo mara ja sakta hai।”

Door kahin,

raat ke andhere me,

Count Dracula apni chhaya ke saath khada tha।

Uske haath kaanp rahe the।

Sadiyon me pehli baar

usne apni maut ko

mehsoos kiya।

Aur usi ke saath—

usne kasam khai—

“Agar main girunga,”

usne phusphusaya,

“to duniya ko saath le jaunga।”

Yudh antim mod par pahunch chuka tha।

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