Raigad ka kila aaj kisi swarg se kam nahi lag raha tha.

Deewaron par jalte diye, rang-birangi pankhiyon se saja aangan, aur mahal ke pravesh dwar par khade sainikon ki saaj-sajja—har cheez iss baat ka sanket de rahi thi ki aaj ka din samanya nahi hai. Shehnaiyon ki madhur dhun hawa mein ghul rahi thi, aur poora rajya ek hi utsav mein dooba hua tha.

Aaj Rajkumari Meera Rajvanshi ke chhatthe janmadin ka mahotsav tha.

Subah se hi raj purohiton dwaara bhavya yagya aarambh ho chuka tha. Havan kund se uthti sugandhit dhoop aur mantron ki goonj ne vatavaran ko pavitra bana diya tha. Maharaj Suryabhan swayam yagya ke paas baith kar apni putri ke sukh-shaanti aur samriddhi ki kaamna kar rahe the. Praja ke liye rajmahal ke baahar vishaal bhoj ka aayojan kiya gaya tha har vyakti ke chehre par khushi thi, jaise Meera sirf rajkumari nahi, balki poore Raigad ki laadli ho.

Is vishesh avsar par anek rajyaon ke raja apne parivaar sahit upasthit the. Unmein se ek the Rajasthan ke Maharaj Pratap, jo Maharaj Suryabhan ke atyant nikat mitr the. Unke saath aaye the unke putr, das varsh ke Yuvraj Rudra Pratap Rajput.

Rudra ka swabhav apne naam ke anuroop tha—teekha, veer aur garv se bhara hua. Par aaj uski aankhon mein ek alag hi utsukta thi. Usne Meera ke baare mein bahut suna tha, par kabhi dekha nahi tha.

Mahotsav ke beech, mahal ke ek shaant kone mein, chhoti si Meera apne aap mein magan baithi thi. Rajsi poshaak pehne, gehno se saji hui, par uske vyavhaar mein zara bhi ahankaar nahi tha. Woh apne chhote haathon se phoolon ko saja rahi thi, kabhi unhe tod kar fir se jodti—jaise apni hi ek chhoti si duniya bana rahi ho.

Uski shaant aur komal muskaan mein ek alag hi sukoon tha.

Tabhi Rudra ki nazar pehli baar us par padi.

Woh pal jaise thahar sa gaya. Rudra ne Meera ko dekha—aur bas dekhta hi reh gaya. Usne aaj tak aisi saralta aur komalta ek saath nahi dekhi thi. Uske man mein ek ajeeb si shanti utar aayi… par saath hi ek ajnabi sa ehsaas bhi, jise woh samajh nahi pa raha tha.

Par agla hi pal kuch aur hi kahaani likhne wala tha.

Aangan ke doosre hisse mein ek chhota sa vivaad ho raha tha. Ek sevak, galti se, ek gareeb bachche ko zor se daant raha tha shayad usne bhoj ke liye rakhe phalon ko chhoo liya tha.

Meera ki nazar jaise hi us drishya par padi, uski shaant aankhon mein turant kathorta aa gayi.

Woh bina soche-samjhe uth kar wahan pahunchi.

“Use daantne ka adhikaar kisne diya aapko?” usne apni chhoti si awaaz mein kaha, par usmein ek aisa aadesh tha jo bade-badon ko bhi chup kara de.

Sevak ek pal ke liye sann reh gaya.“Rajkumari, yeh… yeh niyam ke viruddh tha ”

“Anyay bhi niyam hota hai kya?” Meera ne turant prashn kiya.“Yeh bhoj praja ke liye hai. Agar yeh unka hai, to use lene par daant kyon?”

Uski aankhon mein gussa nahi, par sachchai ki ek tez chamak thi.

Poora drishya dekh kar sab chup ho gaye.

Aur door khada Rudra… bas use dekh raha tha.

Uske hothon par dheere se ek muskaan aa gayi garv bhari, prashansha se bhari.

“Shaant bhi hai… aur veer bhi,” mann hi mann bole.

Us pal, usne mehsoos kiya yeh sirf ek rajkumari nahi hai.Yeh woh hai, jo ek din kisi rajya ki taqdeer badal sakti hai.

Aur shayad… uski bhi.

Darbaar mein wapas shehnaiyon ki awaaz goonj uthi. Mahotsav apne charam par tha.

Par us bheed aur utsav ke beech, do nazrein ek doosre se anjaan hote hue bhi, ek anjaane bandhan mein bandhne lagi thi.

Aaj ka din sirf ek janmadin ka utsav nahi tha yeh ek kahaani ki shuruaat thi…jismein shaanti bhi hogi, sangharsh bhi…aur shayad, ek din prem  bhi.

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