🌙 Ek ghaneri raat thi. Jungle mein sirf patton ki sarsarahat aur kabhi-kabhi koi door se aati ullu ki cheekh sunayi deti thi. Raja Vikram ne Betaal ko kandhe par uthaya aur bina kuch kahe chal padey.
Tabhi Betaal muskaraaya, aur bola:
“Raja Vikram! Tujhe ek kahaani sunata hoon. Dhyan se sunna. Lekin yaad rakh—beech mein bola, toh main wapas latak jaaunga usi peepal ke ped par!”
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“Khushboo Ka Jhooth”
Ek sheher tha, jo khushbudar tha—lekin asli nahi, banawati.
Us sheher mein rehta tha ek aadmi—Anvay. Na koi raja, na fakir. Bas ek aam insaan.
Par uske paas thi ek ajeeb daulat—woh feelings ki khushboo ko mehsoos kar sakta tha.
Kisi ko gussa aaye toh lohe jaisi jalti smell.
Kisi ko darr lage toh khatta, paseene jaisa dar.
Pyaar ki khushboo? Garam masalon jaise, ya jaise chai mein elaichi.
Aur hawas? Mitti pe barish ki tarah—kuchh asli, kuchh geela, kuchh kachcha.
Lekin logon ne kaha, “Pagal hai! Ye sab tu sochta hai.”
Anvay chup ho gaya.
Phir ek din uski zindagi mein aayi Raina.
Raina hamesha mehekti thi—lavender, jasmine, rose.
Par Anvay ko mehsoos hota… uske andar chhupi hai udaasi.
Ek dard jo sandalwood ke neeche daba hua tha.
Woh poochhta, “Raina… tu khush hai?”
Woh kehti, “Haan, bilkul.”
Par uski khushboo uski baat jhoothlaati thi.
Sheher ke har kone mein logon ne asli mehsoos chhupa ke, perfume chhidak liya tha.
Gham ke upar “Happiness Mist”,
Anxiety ke upar “Confidence Spray”,
Aur mohabbat ke naam pe sirf designer scent.
Anvay thak gaya sach ke smell se.
Aakhir, usne bhi chhipna seekh liya.
Woh bhi mehekne laga—lekin woh mehek thi jhuthi.
Andar to andhera tha.
Ek din ek chhoti ladki boli,
“Uncle, aap ki smell… achhi hai, par thodi ajeeb hai.”
Aur Anvay samajh gaya—
Bachpan ko bhi lag raha hai ki hum sab jhooth bol rahe hain… sirf alag tareeke se.
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👻 Betaal hansi rok nahi paaya.
“Ab batao Raja Vikram—kis par sach ka bojh tha? Anvay par, jise asli khushboo dikhti thi?
Ya duniya par, jo har waqt jhoothi khushboo mein doobi rehti thi?”
“Jawab do! Agar jaante hue bhi chup rahe, toh tumhara sir phat jaayega!”
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“Chandni raat thi… Jungle mein sannata tha… Aur Raja Vikram ne woh kaha, jo kisi ne socha bhi nahi tha. Kya tha uske shabdon mein aisa jaadu?
Soch rahe ho na… ‘Raja Vikram ne aakhir kaha kya?’
Jaanne ke liye, yeh link zaroor check karo!”
