kismat ka samay chapter 2

Kismat Ka Samay (Chapter 2: Kaala Chehra aur Naya Rasta)

Kalai Par Chamakta Nishaan

Subah ke 6 baj rahe the. Pahadon ke peeche se suraj ki halki kiranen Darjeeling ki dukanon par pad rahi thin.

Reyansh ki jab aankh khuli, toh wo apni dukaan ke counter par hi leta hua tha. Uska saar bhari tha, jaise kisi ne bhatke hue sapne se achanak utha diya ho. Usne tezi se apne aas-paas dekha—wohi purani dukaan, wohi deewar par tangi ghadia, aur bahar ka shant maahol.

"Kya wo sab bas ek sapna tha?" Reyansh ne khud se kaha.

Lekin jaise hi usne apni daahini kalai (right wrist) ki taraf dekha, uska dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya. Uski kalai par ek neele rang ka glowing symbol chhap chuka tha—ek aisi ghadi jispe chess ke do pyade bane hue the. Aur uski coat ki andar wali jeb mein wahi bhaari aur rahasyamay pocket watch rakhi hui thi!

Wo koi sapna nahi tha. Kronos, wo infinite chessboard, aur wo aag ka pyada—sab sach tha.

Reyansh ne ghadi ko bahar nikala. Ab us ghadi ke andar ka drishya badal chuka tha. Usme do suiyan aa chuki thin, lekin wo seedhi nahi chal rahi thin. Wo suiyan ultai disha (counter-clockwise) mein ghoom rahi thin, aur har kuch second baad ek ticking ki jagah halki si vibration paida karti thin.

Anjaan Chhaya Ka Aagman

Dukaan ke bahar achanak maahol ajeeb hone laga. Jo log raste par subah ki sair kar rahe the, unki aawazen achanak dhimmi hone lagin. Hawa mein ek aisi thandak phail gayi jo baraf se bhi zyada zeharili lag rahi thi.

Reyansh ne khidki se bahar dekha. Kohra fir se ghana hone laga tha, lekin is baar us kohre ka rang safed nahi, balki gehra kaala (dark shadow) tha.

Ting-ling!

Dukaan ki ghanti dubara baji. Is baar darwaza dheere se khula, aur andar ek aisi aakriti dakhil hui jise dekhkar kisi ka bhi khoon jam jaye.

Wo ek lamba aadmi tha, lekin uske jism par maans nahi tha—wo jaise kaali dhooein (black smoke) se bana hua ho. uski aakhein laal aag ki tarah sulag rahi thin. Uske haath mein ek purani aur tooti hui ghadi thi jisme se kaala taral (black liquid) tapak raha tha.

"Waqt ka Pehla Player..." Us kaali chhaya ne ek aisi aawaz mein kaha jaise do patthar aapas mein ghis rahe hon. "Tumne Kronos ka vishwaas toh jeet liya, lekin 'Shadows of Fate' (Kismat ki Parichhayiyan) tumhein aage nahi badhne dengi."

"Tum kaun ho?" Reyansh ne piche hatt te hue poocha. Usne counter ke niche rakha hua ek bhari iron wrench utha liya.

"Main hoon Vortex—Kismat ke tute hue waqt ka rakshak. Jo waqt beet jata hai aur jo kismat aadhuri reh jati hai, main uski aag hoon. Wo pocket watch mujhe de do, ladke, warna tumhari zindagi ka waqt yahin khatam kar doonga!"

Time Shield Ka Magic

Vortex ne apna haath aage badhaya. Uske haath se kaala dhooa nikal kar Reyansh ki taraf tezi se badha. Jisse hi wo dhooa dukaan ki lakdi ki mez se takraya, mez pal bhar mein gal kar raakh ban gayi!

Reyansh ke paas bachne ka koi rasta nahi tha. Dhooa uski taraf aa raha tha. Darr ke maare usne apni aankhein band kar lin aur dono haathon ko aage karke pocket watch ko kas ke pakad liya.

BOOM!

Achanak, Reyansh ki kalai par bana symbol aur pocket watch ek saath teez neeli roshni se chamak uthe. Reyansh ke chaaron taraf ek Blue Energy Shield ban gayi. Vortex ka kaala dhooa us shield se takraya aur chhan-chhan karke gaayab hone laga!

Pocket watch se ek sharp aawaz aayi—Tick-Tack!

Reyansh ne dekha ki jab jab ghadi tick karti, tab tab Vortex ke movement slow ho jate.

"Ruk jao! Yeh waqt ka khel hai!" Reyansh ne dimaag lagaya. Use samajh aaya ki wo is ghadi ki madad se apne aas-paas ke waqt ko thoda slow (dheema) kar sakta hai.

Reyansh ne ghadi ke side button ko daba diya.

Zzzzt!

Achanak, Vortex ki speed itni slow ho gayi ki wo hawa mein hi ataka hua lagne laga. Reyansh ne bina waqt gawaye counter ke upar se chhalaang lagayi aur dukaan ka pichhla darwaza kholkar bahar bhag nikala!

Chhupa Hua Rasta Aur Naya Sathi

Reyansh pahadon ke beech bane pathrile raste par tezi se bhag raha tha. Thand bohot zyada thi aur uski saans phool rahi thi. Lekin wo jaanta tha ki agar wo ruka, toh Vortex use dhoond lega.

Bhagte-bhagte wo Darjeeling ke sabse purane clock tower (Ghantaghar) ke paas pahuncha, jo pichle 50 saalan se band pada tha.

Us clock tower ke samne ek ladki khadi thi. Usne leather ki jacket pehni hui thi aur uske haath mein ek ajeeb sa map (naksha) tha jo continuously apna raasta badal raha tha.

Ladki ne Reyansh ko dekha aur uski kalai par chamakte symbol par uski nazar gayi.

"Toh tum ho naye 'Player'?" Ladki ne aage badhkar uska haath pakda aur use clock tower ke chhote se darwaze ke andar kheench liya.

"Tum kaun ho? Aur tumhein mere baare mein kaise pata?" Reyansh ne saans phulate hue poocha.

"Mera naam Aanya hai," ladki ne kaha. "Main 'The Time Keepers' ki aakhri sadasya hoon. Hamara kaam tum jaise Players ki madad karna hai jo 'Kismat Ka Samay' ke khel mein chune jaate hain. Aur wo jo tumhare piche pada hai, wo Kismat ka kaala sach hai—Vortex."

Aanya ne clock tower ke ek purane lever ko kheencha. Tower ke andar ki badi-badi ghadia ghoomne lagin, aur zameen ke niche ek gupt rasta (secret passage) khul gaya.

Khel Ka Agla Mod

"Humein niche jaana hoga," Aanya ne kaha. "Vortex akela nahi hai. Kismat ke is khel mein 7 bade imtihan hain, aur pehla imtihan 'The Temple of Forgotten Hours' (Bhule Hue Ghanton Ka Mandir) mein hone wala hai."

Reyansh ne apni pocket watch ko dekha. Usme ab ek countdown shuru ho chuka tha:

05 : 59 : 59 (5 ghante 59 minute).

"Yeh countdown kya hai?" Reyansh ne poocha.

"Yeh tumhari agli chal ka waqt hai," Aanya ne seriously uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha. "Agar is countdown ke khatam hone se pehle tumne pehla 'Time Crystal' nahi dhoondha, toh tumhari kismat ka pahiya hamesha ke liye ulta ghoomne lagega, aur tumhara wajood mit jayega."

Reyansh ne ek gehri saans li. Darr ab bhi tha, lekin ab uske andar ek naya jazba bhi jaag chuka tha. Use samajh aa gaya tha ki wo ab sirf ek aam ghadi sudharne wala ladka nahi tha, wo is brahmand ke sabse bade khel ka hissedar tha.

"Chalo," Reyansh ne kaha. "Dekhte hain kismat ne mere liye agla konsa mod likha hai."

Dono gupt raste se niche andhere mein utar gaye, aur piche se clock tower ka bhari darwaza band ho gaya.

[Chapter 2 Samapt]

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