PROLOGUE
"Paanch din! Sirf paanch din bache hain Maan ko poore pachchees saal hone mein!"
Anyone who says such a line would always say it cheerfully. After all it is only once a man turns 25. But when Daadima said it, she said it with worry. Her hand trembled as she observed the calendar. Her face turns pale while her knees started to wobble. In a second, Daadima seemed to turn from a strong proud matriarch into a frail and fragile lady. If anyone saw Daadima, no one would believe that this lady single handedly built up the Khurana empire after her husband's, son's and daughter-in-law's death and simultaneously raised her grandson into the strong, powerful man he was today.
As Daadima sagged into the chair in her room, her mind remembered a piece of conversation she had with the family Pandit after the death of her family members. Her husband, son, daughter-in-law and five year old grandson Maan were travelling to a party when they had a car accident. Except Maan no one survived. Doctors were shocked to see Maan with not a single scratch on his body while the car had been fully destroyed along with his family inside it. The only reason Daadima survived today to raise Maan was because she had headache and had refused to go to the party.
After the accident, Daadima had gone to the family Pandit and had shown her and Maan's Kundali to him. The whole surviving unscathed while his family had died had left Daadima unsettled and hence she wanted some guidance from the Panditji on what to do. What Panditji had said, left her in shock.
"Behen! Tumhaara Maan koi sanyog se bacha nahi! Use bachaaya gaya hai!", the Panditji had exclaimed.
Daadima was shocked, "Bachaaya gaya hai? Matlab?"
"Kundli bataati hai behen...", the Panditji told her, "Tumhare Maan ke upar koi divya shakti ka haath hai! Jo use har kathinaayi se bachaaye rakhegi! Maut toh uske paas galti se bhi na bhatke!"
Daadima had been pleased at that news. To know that she would not loose her grandson thanks to some supernatural power had left her feeling relieved and giddy. But before she could revel into those feelings, Panditji delivered the bad news.
"Lekin behen! Yeh bachaav sirf uske pacheesve janam din tak hoga!", Panditji said, "Aur phir uski zindagi ki kathinaayiyaan shuru hogi! Woh pacheesve janam din ke agle din se poore ek saal tumhara Maan maut se aankh micholi khelega! Maut uske ek dum nazdeek hogi! Woh use choo paayega itni kareeb! Tumhare Maan ki jaan ko khatra hai uss saal beti! Tum use kho bhi sakti ho! Us ek saal apne laadle ko sambhaalke rakhna!"
"Nahi nahi! Panditji! Aisa nahi ho sakta!", Daadima cried out.
Panditji smiled sadly, "Aisa hi hai behen!"
"Lekin... Lekin uska koi toh upaay hoga! Koi pooja, koi shaanti paat!", Daadima mumbled in worry.
"Nahi behen! Aisa kuch toh nahi hai!", Panditji frowned, "Lekin ek kaam ho sakta hai!"
"Kya panditji?", Daadima asked hopefully.
"Abhi woh bachcha hai! Toh vidhaata ne uska bhagya poora likha nahi! Bachche ki kundali isse jyaada nahi padh sakta! Lekin haan, agar uske pacheesve janam din par ya us din ke baad use mere paas laaogi toh main aur gaur se uske kundali ko padhke use raasta bata paaunga!"
"Theek hai Panditji! Jaise aap kahein! Hum Maan ke pachees hote hi use yahaan laayenge!"
Daadima sighed as she came out of her thoughts. The day to meet Panditji was near. Maan will turn 25 in five days. And then his life will be in mortal danger for a year. And if she did not do something, she might loose him too. Daadima turned and looked at the picture of Babaji. She stood up and walked to the photo. Folding her hands, she spoke up pleadingly, "Hey Babaji! Humein nahi pata aapne humaare Maan bete ke naseeb mein kya likha hai! Bas ek vinti hai! Humaare bachche ko humse mat cheeno! Bete, bahu, pati ko le chuke ho! Ab humaare bhudaape ke sahaare ko mat lo!"
Daadima's pleas turned into anger at the thought of loosing her grandson. She looked at Babaji with righteous anger, "Bas Babaji! Bahut cheen liye aapne humse! Ab Maan nahi cheenenge aap! Maan pe koi aanch na aaye uski zimmedaari aapki. Maan ki zindagi aapki hai suraksha karne ke liye, Ab Ke Baras! Ab aap humaare Maan ko bacha ke rakhenge, Ab Ke Baras!"
So how was that?
Next three chapters are ready so I will update them in next three days!
Then the updating will slow down to once or twice a week!
Thank you, take care and have fun,
Kalpana
Edited by Kalpana_KaCy - 9 years ago
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
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