Agli subah Rohan ne apni cycle uthayi aur seedha Daadu Karim ke ghar ki taraf nikal gaya.
Ghar bahut purana tha—lakdi ki deewar, purane curtains, aur darwaza jo hamesha aadha khula hota tha.
Gaon me sab kehte the:
"Daadu ne orchard ka asli chehra dekha hai."
Rohan thoda ghabraya hua andar gaya.
"Daadu?"
Koi awaaz nahi.
Phir ek dheemi si khansi sunai di.
Daadu Karim ek kursi par baitay the, unki aankhen half-open, jaise hamesha kuch soch me doobe rehte ho.
"Rohan?" Daadu ne dheere se poocha.
"Tum yaha kaise?"
Rohan ne saans lekar seedha bol diya:
"Daadu… mujhe orchard ke baare me sach chahiye."
Room me ekdum silence phail gaya.
Daadu ne ek second tak Rohan ka chehra dekha, phir unke haath ka compas slightly tremble hua.
"Orchard…"
Unka shabd zakham jaise lag raha tha.
"Kaise yaad aaya tumhe orchard ka?"
Rohan ne sab kuch nahi bataya.
Bas thoda sa:
"Kal raat mujhe orchard ke paas… ek aurat dikhi. Laal kapdo me. Aur—"
Daadu ne turant beech me hi rok diya.
"Laal kapde?
Pakka laal??"
Rohan ne sir hila diya.
Daadu ne zameen ki taraf dekha, unki aankhen ek dum bujh si gayi.
"Woh phir wapas aa gayi…" unhone fufkarke kaha.
Rohan ka dil jump ho gaya.
"Kaun? Shruti?"
Daadu ka chehra ek second ke liye freeze ho gaya.
Phir unhone dheere se bola:
"Shruti orchard ka sabse purana zakham hai."
Rohan chup raha.
Daadu ne aage bataya:
"Bahut saal pehle, orchard ek normal jaga hua karta tha. Bacche khelte the, log fal todte the.
Lekin phir ek raat…"
Daadu ki awaaz halka sa darr se bhar gayi.
"Shruti gaayab ho gayi."
Rohan ki saans atak gayi.
"Kya hua uske saath?"
Daadu hile.
"Nahi pata.
Koi nahi jaanta.
Use orchard me khoj kar mile—par zinda nahi."
Rohan ka heart drop ho gaya.
"Us din ke baad orchard me ek cheez badal gayi.
Hawa ruk gayi.
Awaazein dab gayi.
Aur logon ne orchard ka naam rakh diya…"
Daadu ki awaaz almost whisper me badal gayi:
"…Silent Orchard."
Rohan ka dimag daudne laga.
"Lekin Shruti… uska laal kapda…?"
Daadu ne aasan sa jawab diya:
"Woh orchard me phasi hui hai, beta.
Uski rooh chalti nahi… bas khadi rehti hai.
Woh kisi ko bulaati nahi.
Woh kisi se bolti nahi."
Rohan ka dil tambu jaisa kas gaya.
Par Rohan ne jise dekha tha—
woh usse seedha dekh rahi thi.
Aur phusphusa bhi rahi thi.
Rohan ne dheere se bola:
"Daadu… usne mujhe dekha.
Aur woh kuch bol rahi thi.
Warning de rahi thi."
Daadu ka chehra safed padh gaya.
"YE IMPOSSIBLE HAI!"
Unki awaaz thodi upar chadh gayi.
"Shruti ki rooh kisi se baat nahi karti!
Agar woh tumse baat kar rahi hai…
Toh iska matlab—"
Woh ruk gaye.
Unki aankhen darr se phat gayi.
"Tum… orchard ke nishaan ban gaye ho."
Rohan ki ridhm toot gayi.
"K-kya matlab?"
Daadu ne seedhe Rohan ki aankhon me dekha:
**"Orchard kisi ko bina wajah nahi bulata.
Jisko bhi bulata hai… usse apna hissa bana leta hai."**
Rohan ne sochne ki koshish ki, par saans ruk rahi thi.
Daadu ne ek aur baat kahi —
jo Rohan ka khoon jama gayi.
"Shruti ke baad orchard ne kabhi kisi ko nahi chuna…
Tum pehle ho."
Rohan ki body thandi pad gayi.
Uski ungliyaan shake karne lagi.
"Daadu… main kya karu?"
Daadu ne kuch seconds tak Rohan ko ghoora.
Phir unhone bahut dheere se kaha:
**"Beta, agar orchard ne tumhe chuna hai…
Toh woh tumhe chodke nahi jaayega."**
Rohan ke hont sookh gaye.
Aur tabhi Daadu ke ghar ke bahar…
Hawa ruk gayi.
Dhund badh gayi.
Aur ek laal sa jhalak…
khidki ke bahar dikhne lagi.