Chapter 1: The Shadows of Seven Years

Saat saal ho gaye iss duniya mein utare hue. Arjun Singh—thanda, sookha second lead—ko Yuvraj ki kursi tak pohcha diya maine, apni zindagi ka har din daav pe laga kar.

Ab bhi woh struggle aankhon ke saamne aa jaata hai—rajmahal ke dhool bhare aangan, purani deewaron par hamaare bhagte hue kadam, sandal ki sugandh mein uljhe sapne aur ummeedein. Saat saal mein insaan badal jaata hai, par kuch cheezein kabhi nahi chhutti: Arjun ko uncha dekhne ka garv, aur dil ke kone mein chhupa woh dard jo kabhi bol nahi paaye.

Sab hans padte: "Arrey Amit, tujhe toh Yuvrani ki kursi milni hi chahiye. Aur kaun hai tere jaisa?"

Darbar ke darwazon par woh chip-chipa muskurahat wale courtier, aankh maar ke kehte: "Shaadi pakki, Amit? Ab toh laddoo bant gaye honge!" Rasoi ki auntiyan ek doosre ko kona pakad ke chubhati: "Dekho, usne kitna kiya hai. Aur kisne kiya?" Baghiche ka maali bhi, jab champa ko paani deta, muskurata rehta—jaise ant ki kahani pehle hi jaan chuka ho.

Par main kuch keh paata, usse pehle hi Arjun ka rang badal gaya—ekdum thanda, ekdum anjaana.

Hall mein sarsarahat rukh gayi. Baat-cheet ka shor ek pal mein chup ho gaya. Kuch log sharm se nazar jhuka lete. Jaali ki khidki ke bahar bhi, pankh pakad ke baithe parindey ek pal ko chup ho gaye.

Arjun ki nazar heroine Priya par ja padi—gulmohar ke neeche khadi thi woh. "Yuvrani ka faisla raj gharane ki izzat se juda hai. Yeh mazaak ka mudda nahi hai."

Laal phoolon ke saaye mein Priya ka dupatta hilta raha. Patton ki parchhai uske chehre par naach rahi thi, aankhein jhuki par har lafz par kaan the. Arjun ki awaaz talwar ki dhaar jaisi thi—baaton, armaanon, sab par ek hi vaar.

Shaadi ki raat se pehle, chup-chaap ek inaam diya mujhe—jaise kisi wafadaar sipahi ko raja kuch chhutta pakda de.

Koi hungama nahi—ek chandi ka kada, sona se bhari potli, aur ek dastakhat ki hui farmaan: "Jo maango, milega." Uska chehra pathar jaisa tha, par haath mein raja ki shaan. Kuch log kehte reham hai, mujhe laga—yeh vidayi ka tohfa hai.

Sab soch rahe the, ab toh Amit yahin rahega, Arjun ke saath.

Gali-gali afwaah ud gayi. Behno ke dost aake poochte: "Side consort ban jaayega na? Kam se kam mahal ke andar toh rahega!" Mahal ke naukar dekhte, kisi din jalan, kisi din daya ki nazar se.

Arjun ne socha main kuch maang lunga—par maine ek pyari si seeti bajayi.

Marble ki deewar tak goonj gayi. Baahar mor bhi chauk pade. Mahilayein haath munh pe rakh ke sarr gayi. Kisi ki chai girte girte bachi. Arjun ka haath armrest par aur kas gaya.

"Kuch bhi maang sakta hoon? Toh teen hazaar purush consort de do—dekhte hain, itna dum hai kya?"

Sone ke lepe hue hall mein aisi bijli kambi—jaise sukhe mausam mein bijli gir gayi ho. Rajguru ka chashma girte girte bacha. Darbari ek dusre ko dekhe—na hans paaye, na ro paaye. Arjun—pehli baar—bilkul chup.