Shadows of the Past chapter 4

Kismat Ka Samay (Chapter 4: Bhule Hue Raaston Ka Bhoolbhulaiya)

Ek Gehra Shak Aur Naya Raasta

Mandir ke tootne ke baad milne wali thandi hawa Reyansh ke chehre par jab padi, toh uske jism mein ek teez sirharan daud gayi. Wo aur Aanya ek oonchi pahadi ke kinare khade the, jahan se niche Darjeeling ka khoobsurat aur kohre se dhaka hua kasba dikh raha tha.

Subah ki halki dhoop nikal aayi thi, par Reyansh ke dil mein gehra andhera chhaya hua tha. Shadow Sovereign ka wo maayawi drishya—jisme uske maata-pita ke accident ke waqt Kronos wahan khada tha—uske dimaag mein baar-baar ghoom raha tha.

"Reyansh... tum theek toh ho na?" Aanya ne uske kandhe par haath rakhte hue poocha. Uske chehre par chinta saaf dikh rahi thi. "Sovereign ki baaton ka bharosa mat karo. Wo Kismat ka wo kaala sach hai jo logon ke vishwaas ko tod kar unhe apna gulam banata hai."

Reyansh ne apni pocket watch ko mutthi mein kas kar pakad liya. Pehla Time Crystal ab us ghadi ke aage ek aasmaani chamak ke roop mein set ho chuka tha.

"Agar wo sach hua toh, Aanya?" Reyansh ne bina Aanya ki taraf dekhe kaha, uski aawaz mein ek ajeeb sa dard tha. "Agar mera poora wajood... meri poori zindagi kisi ke khel ka ek pyada maatra hai, toh main is khel ko kyun khel raha hoon? Kyun na main is ghadi ko yahin se niche phenk doon?"

"Kyunki agar tumne yeh khel chhoda," Aanya ne aage aakar uski aankhon mein aakhri hadd tak aatmanirbhar bankar dekha, "toh tum kabhi sach jaan hi nahi paoge! Agar Kronos ne sach mein tumhare sath galat kiya hai, toh uska jawab bhi tumhein is Kismat ke Khel ke aakhri padaav par hi milega. Run away karke tum sirf unke aage haar maan loge!"

Reyansh ne ek gehri saans li. Aanya ki baat mein dum tha. Agar sach janna tha, toh aage badhna hi hoga.

"Theek hai," Reyansh ne kaha. "Batao, agla padaav kahan hai?"

Aanya ne apna magical map nikala. Map par ab ek ajeeb sa pattern ban raha tha—jaise hazaron raaste aapas mein ulajh gaye hon. Map ke beechon-beech likha aaya: 'The Maze of Lost Timelines' (Bhule Hue Raaston Ka Bhoolbhulaiya).

Mayawi Bhoolbhulaiya Ka Dwar

Map ke diye sanketon ka peecha karte hue, dono pahadi ke peeche bani ek purani aur veerane gufa ke paas pahunche. Yeh gufa aam gufaon jaisi nahi thi. Iske darwaze par kanch ke hazaron tukde tange hue the jo hawa ke bina bhi aapas mein takra kar ek ajeeb si dhun paida kar rahe the.

Jaise hi unhone gufa ke andar kadam rakha, peeche ka darwaza ek teez aawaz ke sath band ho gaya!

Thud!

Gufa ke andar ka maahol bilkul alag tha. Yahan zameen nahi thi, balki hawa mein tairte hue patthar ke raaste the. Sabse ajeeb baat yeh thi ki yahan ek hi waqt par chaar alag-alag mausam dikh rahe the!

Ek taraf teez baraf gir rahi thi.

Doosri taraf sookha aur reghistan jaisa tapta hua raasta tha.

Teesri taraf teez barish ho rahi thi.

Aur chauthe raaste par patjhad (autumn) ke sookhe patte udd rahe the.

Har raaste ke upar ek ajeeb sa signboard laga tha, jis par samay ki tareekhein likhi thin—wo tareekhein jo abhi aayi hi nahi thin!

"Yeh hai Lost Timelines," Aanya ne savdhan hote hue kaha. "Yeh wo raaste hain jo tab bante hain jab insaan apni zindagi mein koi bada decision leta hai. Ek galat decision, aur ek nayi timeline ban jaati hai. Yahan hazaron raaste hain, par asli Second Time Crystal tak sirf wahi raasta le jayega jo tumhari Sahi Kismat se juda hai."

Pocket watch par countdown shuru hua: 03 : 59 : 59.

"Humein chaar ghante ke andar asli raasta dhoondhna hoga," Reyansh ne pocket watch ke glow ko dekhte hue kaha.

Mayawi Raaste Aur Pehla Jaal

Dono ne pehle raaste—baraf wale raaste—par chalna shuru kiya. Abhi wo kuch hi kadam aage badhe the ki achanak hawa mein ek aakar banne laga.

Roshni ke beech se ek shaks bahar nikala. Uske baal safed the, usne purane kapde pehne the... wo Reyansh ke Dada ji the!

"Dada ji?" Reyansh ki aankhein phataye reh gayin. Uska pair wahi dook gaya. "Aap... aap toh teen saal pehle..."

"Reyansh, mere bacche!" Dada ji ne apni baahein kholte hue kaha, unki aawaz mein wahi purani mamta aur mithas thi. "Tum kahan phans gaye ho? Yeh sab waqt aur kismat ka jaal hai. Aao mere paas, main tumhein is sabse door le chalta hoon. Hum wapas apni dukaan par chalenge, wahi purani zindagi mein!"

Reyansh ke kadam khud-ba-khud dada ji ki taraf badhne lage. Uska dil keh raha tha ki wo unhe jaakar gale laga le.

"Reyansh! Ruk jao!" Aanya ne uska haath pakadne ki koshish ki, par ek aashcharyajanak energy wall ne Aanya ko piche dhakel diya. "Wo tumhare asli Dada ji nahi hain! Yeh Timeline ka bhram hai—wo tumhare ateet ke moh (attachment) ko istemal kar raha hai!"

Lekin Reyansh sunne ki sthiti mein nahi tha. Uske liye unka chehra, unki aawaz itni asli thi ki wo apne aapse control kho baitha. Usne Dada ji ka haath pakadne ke liye apna haath aage badhaya...

Jaise hi uski ungliyan unke haath se chhui, Dada ji ka chehra badal gaya! Unki aankhein kaali ho gayin, aur unki ragon mein kaala dhooa daudne laga.

"Bewakoof ladke!" Fake Dada ji ne ek bhayanak aawaz mein kaha aur Reyansh ka gala pakad kar use hawa mein utha liya. "Ateet ke moh mein phansne wale Player kabhi Kismat ke khel ko nahi jeet sakte!"

Chronos-Blade Ka Asli Roop

Reyansh ka dm ghutne laga. Uski aankhon ke samne andhera chhane laga.

Tick... Tack... Tick... Tack...

Uske dimag mein uski pocket watch ki aawaz goonjne lagi. Use yaad aaya ki chapter 3 mein usne kaise pehle crystal ki taakat se Chronos-Blade ko unlock kiya tha.

"Main... main ateet ka gulam nahi hoon!" Reyansh ne apni poori taakat lagakar chillaya.

Usne apni daahini kalai ke symbol par apna baaya haath rakha aur pocket watch ko daba diya.

Zzzzzt-BOOM!

Uski pocket watch ek teez neele rang ki lightning sword (Chronos-Blade) mein badal gayi. Reyansh ne ek jhatke mein us fake aakriti ki baah ko kaat diya!

Fake Dada ji ka bhram toot gaya aur wo kaale dhooein mein badal kar hawa mein gaayab ho gaya. Reyansh zameen par gira, saans leke hue.

Aanya bhag kar uske paas aayi. "Tum theek ho?"

"Haan..." Reyansh ne apni talwar ko dekha jo ab aur zyada teez chamak rahi thi. "Mujhe samajh aa gaya hai. Is bhoolbhulaiya mein har raasta meri kisi na kisi kamzori ko mere samne laayega. Lekin ab main kisi bhram mein nahi phansunga."

Time Trap Aur Dark Shadows

Jaise-jaise wo bhoolbhulaiya ke andar aur gehre jaate gaye, raaste aur zyada dangerous hote gaye. Achanak, hawa ka tapman itna gir gaya ki unke saans lene par bhi baraf jamne lagi.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Aasman se kaali chhayaon ki ek poori sena (Shadow Soldiers) unpar toot padi. Yeh Vortex ke bheje hue gulam the. Unke haath mein kaali talwarein thin aur unki speed itni teez thi ki aam insaan ki aankhein unhe dekh bhi na paaye.

"Aanya, mere piche raho!" Reyansh ne Chronos-Blade ko aage kiya.

Lekin Aanya ne muskurakar apne jacket ke andar se do chhotey metallic discs nikale. "Main sirf rasta dikhane nahi aayi hoon, Player!"

Aanya ne un discs ko zameen par phenka. Un discs se ek Time-Freeze Field bana, jisse us ilake ke 10 shadow soldiers hawa mein hi atak gaye!

"Wah! Yeh badhiya tha!" Reyansh ne kaha.

Reyansh ne apni Chronos-Blade ko ghoomaya. Pehle Time Crystal ki shakti se usne blade se neeli energy waves nikali, jo ek-ek karke shadow soldiers ko raakh mein badalti chali gayi.

Donon ne milkar poori sena ko dher kar diya. Lekin tabhi, bhoolbhulaiya ke beechon-beech se ek vishaal aawaz aayi—gufa ki deewarein tootne lagin, aur unke samne ek naya dwaar khula.

Dusra Crystal Aur Sachi Kismat

Dwaar ke andar ek shant aur pavitra kamra tha. Kamre ke beechon-beech ek vishaal Chess Clock (Shatranj ki ghadi) rakhi hui thi. Us clock ke ek taraf sunhera (golden) Time Crystal chamak raha tha—yeh tha 'The Crystal of Destiny's Flow'.

Lekin crystal ke aage ek vishaal jaal tha. Clock ki suiyan tezi se ghoom rahi thin, aur har ticking ke sath kamre ki zameen niche dhas rahi thi.

Countdown: 00 : 05 : 00 (Sirf 5 minute bache the).

"Is crystal ko nikalne ke liye humein clock ke dono buttons ko ek saath sahi millisecond par dabana hoga," Aanya ne jaanch karte hue kaha. "Agar ek millisecond ka bhi farak hua, toh yeh crystal hamesha ke liye is timeline mein lock ho jayega!"

Reyansh ne Aanya ki taraf dekha. "Tum par vishwaas kar sakta hoon na?"

Aanya ne uske haath par apna haath rakha. "Hamesha."

Donon clock ke do alag sides par khade ho gaye. Clock ke andar ki suiyan tezi se ghoom rahi thin. Reyansh ne apne andar ki 'Time Perception' ko activate kiya. Uske liye duniya slow hone lagi.

3... 2... 1... NOW!

Reyansh aur Aanya ne ek hi pal mein, ek hi millisecond par dono buttons ko daba diya!

CLICK!

Clock ruki. Badi si gold roshni nikal kar poore kamre mein phail gayi. Sunhera Second Time Crystal hawa mein tairta hua Reyansh ki pocket watch ki taraf badha aur uske doosre khane mein set ho gaya!

Pocket watch ki shakti ab double ho chuki thi. Ab Reyansh na sirf time ko slow kar sakta tha, balki 3 second ke liye waqt ko Reverse (Ulta) bhi kar sakta tha!

Unspoken Truth (Ek Naya Twist)

Crystal haasil hote hi bhoolbhulaiya shant hone laga. Deewarein gaayab hone lagin, aur dono wapas normal pahadi par khade the.

Lekin tabhi, pocket watch se ek halka sa hologram projection nikala. Yeh projection kisi aur ka nahi, swayam Kronos ka tha!

Reyansh ka dil ek baar fir teez dhadakne laga. "Kronos..."

Hologram mein Kronos ne gambhir chehre se kaha:

"Reyansh, agar tum yeh message dekh rahe ho, toh iska matlab tumne doosra crystal haasil kar liya hai. Main jaanta hoon Shadow Sovereign ne tumhein mere baare mein kya dikhaya hai. Usne tumhein aadhura sach dikhaya..."

Reyansh ne gusse mein kaha, "Aadhura sach? Tumne mere mata-pita ko maara tha!"

Kronos ke projection ne aah bhar kar kaha:

"Us raat tumhare mata-pita ki gaadi ka accident Shadow Sovereign ke ek attack ki wajah se hua tha. Main wahan unhe bachane aaya tha, maarne nahi. Main unki jaan nahi bacha saka, par main tumhein bachaane mein kamyaab raha. Tumhari ragon mein Kismat ke Pehle Player ka khoon daud raha hai, Reyansh. Shadow Sovereign tumhari shaktiyon se darta hai, isiliye wo tumhare dil mein mere khilaaf nafrat paida kar raha hai."

Hologram dhundla hone laga.

"Agla aur sabse khatarnak crystal 'The Valley of Frozen Shadows' mein hai. Sambhal kar rehna... kyunki wahan tumhara samna kisi gulam se nahi, balki khud Shadow Sovereign ke sabse shaktishali Senapati se hoga!"

Projection gaayab ho gaya.

Reyansh ne apni pocket watch ko dekha. Uska dimag ab shant tha. Uska shak ab poori tarah khatam toh nahi hua tha, par use ek nayi disha mil chuki thi.

"Aanya," Reyansh ne pocket watch ko jeb mein rakhte hue kaha, uske chehre par ek nayi chamak aur confidence tha. "Chalo, Valley of Frozen Shadows ki taraf badhte hain. Kismat ka yeh khel ab aur bhi majedar hone wala hai!"

[Chapter 4 Samapt]

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