5

Vikram ek private detective tha jo hamesha apne strong *instinct* (prakritik prerana / natural impulse) par bharosa karta tha. Is baar use ek aisi bimaari ke baare mein pata lagane bheja gaya tha jo poore town mein fail rahi thi. Doctors ka maanna tha ki yeh koi asli bimaari nahi hai, balki ek *psychosomatic* (manasik kaaran se shareerik / illness caused by mental stress) bimari hai, jo darr ke maare logon ke shareer par asar kar rahi thi. Par Vikram ko shakk tha ki iske peeche koi *psychopath* (monovikriti wala insaan / mentally disturbed person) hai, jo logon ko dravakar pagal yaani *psychotic* (manovikari / mentally ill or delusional) bana raha tha.

Vikram ne jab gaon ke purane records ko *reckon* (ganana karna, sochna / calculate or consider) kiya, toh use pata chala ki saalon pehle ek doctor ko gaon se nikal diya gaya tha. Us doctor ka *banishment* (desh-nikala / expulsion) isliye hua kyunki usne gaon ke sabse bade mandir ko *desecrate* (apavitra karna / spoil a sacred place) kiya tha, jo logon ke liye ek bada *sacrilege* (pavitra cheezon ka apamaan / violation of something sacred) tha. Tab us doctor ne gusse mein aakar logon par *sneer* (bura sa muh banana / smile in a mocking way) kiya tha, aur sabke samne *gibe* (taana marna / taunt) aur *jeer* (mazaak udana / rude mock) karte hue kanoon ko *flout* (niyam todna / openly disobey a rule) kiya tha. Log use ek *expatriate* (desh-se nikala hua insaan / a person living outside their native country) samajhkar bhool chuke the.

Vikram ne apni *probing* (gehri jaanch / deep investigation) shuru ki aur us jagah ko dhoond nikala jahan woh doctor chupkar rehta tha. Woh jagah bohot hi gandi thi, bilkul *squalour* (gandagi / dirt and unpleasantness—*corrected spelling from 'sqalour'*). Wahan ek table par kuch ajeeb se kagaz the, jahan doctor ne bohot saare medical formulas ko *scribble* (jaldi mein ghasit kar likhna / write carelessly) kiya tha aur kuch ajeeb lines ya *squiggle* (tedhi-medhi lakeerein / wavy lines) banayi thi. Wahan ek *scrivener* (dastavez likhne wala / a clerk or scribe) bhi tha jo doctor ke purane jhoote daavon ko sach batane ke liye nayi files likh raha tha.

Doctor ne gaon ke paani mein ek aisi dawai mila di thi jo logon ke dimaag ko *sedate* (shant ya neend mein karna / calm or sleep-inducing) kar deti thi, jisse log poora din *dazed* (bhauchakka / stunned) aur *groggy* (kamzori se ladkhadata hua / dazed and unsteady) ghoomte the, bilkul *anesthetized* (behoshi ki dawa diya hua / deprived of feeling or awareness) logon ki tarah. Woh chahta tha ki gaon ke log ek *sedentary* (ek hi jagah baithe rehna / sitting a lot and inactive) life jeene lagein aur unka health level ekdum se *plummet* (tezi se neeche girna / fall or drop straight down) ho jaye.

Vikram ne jab us doctor ko dhoonda, toh doctor ne bohot hi *sanctimonious* (jhoota dikhava karne wala / making a show of being morally superior) tarike se baat ki, jaise woh koi bhala insaan ho. Par Vikram ne uspar aarop lagaye aur uski har baat ko *impugn* (aarop lagana, jhuthlana / challenge or dispute) kiya. Vikram ne kaha, "Tumhari is *inquisition* (kadi pooch-taach / intensive questioning) se tum bach nahi sakte. Tumne gaon ke logon par jo jhoote ilzaam ya *slur* (daag lagana ya apamaan / an insulting remark) lagaye hain, unhe tum unpar *impute* (kisi par dosh madhna / attribute to someone) nahi kar sakte."

Doctor ke chehre par koi *compunction* (pachtawa ya jhijhak / guilt or hesitation) nahi thi, aur na hi koi *penitence* (pachtawa / repentance). Uske is *remorselessness* (nirdayta / lack of regret or guilt) ko dekh kar Vikram hairan tha. Doctor ne bohot hi *disparaging* (apamanjank / derogatory or critical) bhasha ka use kiya. Usne kaha ki woh apne gusse ko control karne ka yaani *temperance* (aatma-sanyam / abstinence or self-restraint) ka niyam tod chuka hai.

Vikram ne ek jhatke mein sab kuch thik karne ka socha. Usne socha kaash woh waqt ko *rewind* (peeche le jana / go back in time) kar pata. Yeh poori situation ek *retrograde* (piche ki taraf jana / directed or moving backward) step thi town ke liye. Vikram ne ek *retrospective* (bhootkaal ka avalokan / looking back on past events) aur *retroactive* (pichli tareekh se laagu / taking effect from a date in the past) report banayi, jisse kanoon ke mutabik us doctor ki saari jhooti *prestige* (khyati / reputation or honor) mitti mein mil gayi.

Vikram ki is *prescience* (bhavishya ka gyaan / foreknowledge of events) aur unki jaagti hui *conscience* (antaratma / inner moral sense) ki wajah se, usne kanoon mein yeh *stipulate* (shart rakhna / demand or specify a requirement) karwaya ki ab se har ek lab *aseptic* (kitanu-mukt / free from contamination) honi chahiye aur wahan har ek medicine ko sahi se *prescribe* (dawai likhna / advise and authorize the use of a medicine—*corrected spelling from 'prescrible'*) kiya jana chahiye. Is tarah Vikram ne us *staid* (gambhir aur shaant / sedate, respectable, and unadventurous) gaon ko phir se pehle jaisa surakshit aur khushhaal b

ana diya.