Kismat Ka Samay" Chapter 1.

Kismat Ka Samay (Chapter 1: Pehla Kadam)

Purani Ghadi Aur Baraf Ki Subah

Pahadon ke beech base ek chhote se kasbe, Darjeeling, ki us thandi subah mein kohra itna ghana tha ki do kadam aage ka rasta bhi saf nazar nahi aa raha tha.

Reyansh apne chhote se antique repair shop ki lakdi ki khidki khol raha tha. 19 saal ka Reyansh dekhne mein aam ladko jaisa hi tha, par uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa thahrav tha. Uske mata-pita bachpan mein hi ek achanak hue haadse mein guzar gaye the, aur tab se usne apne dada ji se purani ghadia re pair karna seekha tha.

Dada ji hamesha ek baat kaha karte the:

"Reyansh, ghadi sirf minute aur ghante nahi batati, yeh insaan aur uski kismat ke beech ka dhaaga hoti hai. Sahi waqt par sahi jagah hona hi Kismat ka Samay hai."

Reyansh ko yeh baatein hamesha shayari jaisi lagti thin. Par aaj ka din kuch alag hone wala tha.

Subah ke 8 baj rahe the. Usne shop ke gate par se snowfall ki baraf saaf ki aur andar aa kar garam chai ka sip liya. Tabhi dukaan ke darwaze par lagi chhoti si pital ki ghanti baji—Ting!

Andar ek buzurg aadmi dakhil hua. Usne kaale rang ka lamba overcoat pehna hua tha aur ek lambi hat lagayi hui thi. Kohre ke kaaran unka chehra saaf nahi dikh raha tha. Unke haath mein ek purana, purane zamane ka lakdi ka box tha.

"Namaste, kya main aapki koi madad kar sakta hoon?" Reyansh ne polite tone mein poocha.

Buzurg ne koi jawab nahi diya. Unhone bas wo lakdi ka box counter par rakh diya. Box par ajeeb se symbols aur zodiak (raashi) ke nishaan bane hue the. Jab unhone box khola, toh andar ek bahut hi ajeeb Pocket Watch (jeb mein rakhne wali ghadi) rakhi hui thi.

Us ghadi mein minute ya ghante ki suiyan nahi thin. Usme tiny chess pieces (shatranj ke pyade) aur kayi chhotey-chhotey geare (chakkar) bane hue the jo khud-ba-khud ghoom rahe the. Aur sabse ajeeb baat—usme se koyi aawaz nahi aa rahi thi, lekin uski chamak aisi thi jaise andar roshni ka koi srota ho.

Rahasyamay Ghadi

"Yeh ghadi band ho gayi hai," buzurg ne ek gehri aur bhari aawaz mein kaha. "Isse chalu karna har kisi ke bas ki baat nahi hai."

Reyansh ne ghadi ko dhyaan se dekha. Uske andar ke mechanism ko dekhkar wo hairan reh gaya. Usne aaj tak aisi koi ghadi nahi dekhi thi. Na isme battery thi, na winding key.

"Yeh... yeh kis tarah ki ghadi hai? Aur isme suiyan kyun nahi hain?" Reyansh ne achambhe se poocha.

"Yeh ghadi samay nahi batati, Reyansh," buzurg ne pehli baar uska naam liya.

Reyansh chaunk gaya. "Aap mera naam kaise jaante hain?"

Buzurg ne halki si muskaan ke saath kaha, "Yeh ghadi batati hai ki 'Kismat ka Samay' kab badalne wala hai. Time is the board, and Destiny is the game (Waqt maidaan hai, aur Kismat khel). Aur is khel ka pehla pyada tum ho."

Reyansh ko laga ki shayad koi pagal aadmi hai ya mazaaq kar raha hai. Usne ghadi ko haath mein uthaya. Jaise hi uske fingers ne us metallic surface ko chhua, ek jhatka sa laga—jaise current doog gaya ho!

Achanak, shop ki saari ghadia jo deewar par tangi thin, ek saath teez aawaz mein tick-tick karne lagin. Unki suiyan gol-gol ghoomne lagin.

Reyansh ne ghabra kar ghadi ko wapas counter par rakhna chaaha, lekin tab tak buzurg aadmi gaayab ho chuka tha! Darwaza khula hua tha aur bahar sirf dhund aur sannata tha.

Counter par us ghadi ke neeche ek chhotay sa kagaz ka tukda rakha tha, jis par likha tha:

"Waqt apna khel shuru kar chuka hai. Aaj raat 12 baje, jab Kismat ka Samay aayega, tab tumhein chunaav karna hoga."

Raat Ke 12 Baje Ka Khel

Pura din Reyansh us ghadi ko hi dekhta raha. Usne har tarah se use samajhne ki koshish ki, par wo samay-samay par apne aap shape badal rahi thi. Uske andar bane tiny chess pieces apne aap aage-piche shift ho rahe the.

Raat ke 11:58 hone ko aaye. Darjeeling mein teez tufani hawaein chalne lagin. Bijli ki kadak se pooray ghar ki lights gul ho gayin.

Reyansh ke kamre mein sirf us pocket watch ki ek halki neeli (blue) roshni phail rahi thi.

11:59 PM...

Ghadi ke andar ka sabse bada gear ghoomne laga. Usme se ek aawaz aayi—Klick!

12:00 AM (Midnight)...

Achanak, pooray kamre ka maahol badal gaya. Hawa mein teez sar-sarahat hone lagi. Reyansh ne dekha ki uske kamre ki deewarein jaise dhundli ho rahi hain. Uska bed, uski desk—sab gayab hone laga.

Aur dekhte hi dekhte, Reyansh ek aisi jagah khada tha jo zameen nahi, balki ek Ananta Shatranj ka Maidaan (Infinite Chessboard) tha! Upar aasman mein koyi taare nahi the, balki ek vishaal Hourglass (Reth-ghadi) hawa mein tair rahi thi, jisme se sunheri reth neeche gir rahi thi.

"Yeh... yeh main kahan hoon? Main sapna dekh raha hoon?" Reyansh chillaya.

Tabhi hawa mein se wahi gehri aawaz goonji:

"Sapna nahi, Reyansh. Yeh hai 'The Realm of Time and Destiny' (Samay aur Kismat ka Sansar). Yahan har insaan ki kismat ki chal chali jaati hai."

Pehla Niyama (The First Rule)

Aasman se wahi buzurg aadmi prakat hue, lekin is baar unka roop badal chuka tha. Unhone ek shahi poshak pehni hui thi aur unke haath mein ek chhadhi (staff) thi jis par wahi pocket watch bani hui thi.

"Mera naam Kronos hai," unhone kaha. "Main is Sansar ka Rakhwala hoon. Har sau saal mein, 'Play of Time' aur 'Game of Destiny' ke milap par ek aam insaan ko 'The Player' chuna jata hai. Aur is baar, Kismat ne tumhein chuna hai."

"Mujhe kyun? Main toh bas ek aam ghadi sudharne wala hoon!" Reyansh ne ghabrate hue kaha.

"Kyunki tumhare paas waqt ko mehsus karne ki wo kala hai jo baaki logon mein nahi hai. Tumhari kismat mein ek bahut bada lakshya likha hai, lekin use paane ke liye tumhein Kismat ke Khel ko jeetna hoga," Kronos ne kaha.

"Aur agar main yeh khel nahi khelna chahta toh?"

Kronos ne aasmaan ki taraf ishara kiya. Aasman mein ek visual window khuli. Usme Reyansh ko apna kasba—Darjeeling dikhi. Lekin wahan waqt ruka hua tha! Log jahan the, wahan freeze ho chuke the. Ek girta hua paani ka boond bhi hawa mein atka hua tha.

"Agar tumne khelne se inkaar kiya, toh tumhari duniya ka waqt hamesha ke liye yahin ruk jayega. Tumhare apno ka waqt, tumhare kasbe ka waqt—sab khatam. Kismat ka samay aage tabhi badhega jab tum pehla kadam uthaoge."

Reyansh ke paas koi chara nahi tha. Uske dil ki dhadkan teez ho gayi. Usne apne darr ko dabaaya aur aage badha.

"Batao, kya karna hoga?" Reyansh ne mazboot aawaz mein poocha.

Pehla Pyada (The First Move)

Kronos ne apni chhadhi zameen par maari. Shatranj ke maidaan par ek bada sa, kaala ghora (Knight) aur ek vishaal aag ka pyada (Pawn) prakat hua.

"Kismat ka pehla niyam: Waqt har insaan ko do raaste deta hai—Ek wo jo aasan dikhta hai, aur ek wo jo sahi hota hai. Tumhare samne do chhaaya hain. Ek tumhein tumhare ateet (past) mein le jayegi jahan tumhare mata-pita zinda hain. Doosri tumhein ek aisi jung mein le jayegi jahan tumhein apni kismat khud likhni hogi."

Reyansh ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. Apne maata-pita ko wapas paana uska sabse bada sapna tha. Aasan raasta use pukar raha tha.

Usne us raaste ki taraf kadam badhaya... lekin tabhi uske dada ji ki baat uske dimaag mein goonji:

"Jo waqt beet gaya, wo ateet hai. Jo aage hai, wahi tumhari asal kismat hai."

Reyansh ruka. Usne apne maata-pita ki yaadon ko dhyan mein rakha aur doosre raaste—aag waale pyade ki taraf dekha.

"Main ateet ke chakravyuh mein nahi phansna chahta," Reyansh ne kaha. "Main apna bhavishya khud banaunga!"

Usne apna haath aag ke pyade par rakh diya.

Ek teez dhmaka hua! Safed roshni ne pooray maidaan ko gher liya. Pocket watch Reyansh ke haath mein aakar set ho gayi, aur uski kalai (wrist) par ek ajeeb sa glowing symbol ban gaya.

Kronos ne muskurakar kaha, "Tumne pehla imtihan paas kar liya hai, Reyansh. Tumne ateet ko chhodkar apna 'Kismat Ka Samay' chuna hai. Ab tumhara asli safar shuru hota hai..."

Roshni aur teez hui aur Reyansh ki aankhein band ho gayin.

(Agli subah jab Reyansh ki aankh khuli, wo apni dukaan mein tha. Lekin uski kalai par wo symbol abhi bhi chamak raha tha, aur uski jeb mein wo rahasyamay ghadi thi. Ab waqt aage badh chuka tha, lekin uski zindagi hamesha ke liye badal chuki thi...)

[Chapter 1 Samapt]

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