“Drama queen,” she said, but her smile was soft, not teasing enough to hide the fact that dono ko pata tha aaj ki baat normal nahi thi.
Thodi der tak dono terrace ke niche ke movement ko dekhte rahe. Boys’ hostel ke gate par ek scooter aakar ruka, koi junior bhaagta hua mess ki taraf gaya, aur far terrace ke kone se wind ek paper cup uda le gayi. Naina ne us direction mein dekha aur phir Arjun ki taraf mud gayi.
“तो, final plan?” she asked, switching into a more careful tone. “You’re really doing this after exams?”
Arjun ne haath se city skyline ki taraf ishara kiya, jaise future ko map kar raha ho. “Haan. Delhi maybe. Ya Bangalore. Jahan bhi kaam mil jaaye aur room 69 jaisa number na ho.”
“69 ka kya problem hai?” Naina ne eyebrow uthayi. “Tum log toh isko secret password ki tarah treat karte ho.”
“Room ka naam hi enough hai,” Arjun muttered, aur dono ek chhoti si hansi mein phans gaye. Us hansi mein bhi tension thi, par woh un dinon ki tarah nahi thi jab cheezein unke beech unclear hoti thi. Ab clarity thi. Bas clarity ka weight alag hota hai.
Naina ne cup se steam dekhte hue kaha, “Main bhi ja rahi hoon. No promises, no drama. Simple.”
Arjun ne uski taraf dekha. “I know.”
“Bas itna hi?”
“Tumne ‘no drama’ bola na,” he said. “Toh main drama kyun karun?”
Naina ne usko thoda sa shoulder se hit kiya. “Because you’re Arjun.”
“Fair.”
Woh dono phir chup ho gaye. Is baar silence awkward nahi tha. Zyada honest tha. Naina ne apni saans ko ek long exhale mein chhoda.
“College ke baad sab log bahut smart lagte hain,” she said. “But mostly sab bas thak jaate hain.”
Arjun ne halka sa nod kiya. “Haan. Aur phir bhi pretend karte hain ki sab sorted hai.”
Naina smile ki, par usmein woh ache dinon wali warmth ke saath ek alvida jaisa sa thakan bhi thi. “Main pretend nahi karungi. I’m leaving. That’s it.”
“Okay,” Arjun bola, aur us “okay” mein acceptance ke saath ek careful respect bhi tha. Na koi promise, na koi plea. Bas ek mutual understanding ki kuch cheezein time par khatam ho jaati hain, aur unko khatam hone dena hi sabse dignified hota hai.
Tabhi Arjun ki nazar terrace se neeche, admin wing ki taraf chali gayi..
Seminar room 204 ka darwaza halki si creak ke saath band hua, aur corridor ki peeli lights ke baad andar ka andhera aur bhi gehra lagne laga. Bahar campus almost shut down tha—canteen ke steel gate par lock, library ke windows dark, aur distant security guard ki whistle ek ajeeb si echo ban kar reh gayi thi. Room ke corner mein projector ka standby light blink kar raha tha, jaise koi aankh ho jo so nahi rahi.
Arjun ne apni sleeves roll ki hui thi, aur uske face par woh usual easy smile tha, lekin aaj smile ke neeche thakan zyada thi. Naina door ke paas khadi thi, dupatta ko ek baar shoulder par set karke. Dono ke beech kuch bolne layak baat thi hi nahi, ya shayad bahut kuch tha, isliye koi bhi shabd theek nahi lag raha tha.
“Late ho gaya,” Arjun ne finally kaha, voice low aur normal se kam confident.
Naina ne halka sa shrug kiya. “Campus ka mood bhi wahi hai. Sab kuch band, sab kuch chup.”
Arjun ne ek chhota sa huff diya. “Room 69 bhi aaj surprisingly quiet hai.”
Naina ki aankhon mein ek brief spark aaya. “Tumhara favorite room number, yaad hai na?”
“Kaise bhool sakta hoon?” Arjun ne corner ki ek desk ko touch kiya. “Yahin se toh humne poora semester overthink kiya hai.”
Woh dono halki si hansi mein phans gaye, par hansi turant shaant ho gayi. Seminar room ka silence unke beech aake baith gaya, heavy nahi, bas honestly present. Naina ne apna bag strap aur tightly pakad liya, jaise departure ko physical shape de rahi ho.
Arjun ne uski taraf dekha. “So… this is it?”
Naina ne jawab dene se pehle ek second liya. “Haan. I think hum dono ko pata tha.”
Uski tone mein koi complaint nahi thi, na koi drama. Bas ek clean, tired honesty. Arjun ne nazar neeche ki. Usne kabhi bhi cheezein complicate karne ki koshish nahi ki thi, lekin yeh ek aisi closure thi jo kisi lecture note mein nahi milti. Na full explanation, na apology. Sirf acceptance.
Naina aage badhi aur usne Arjun ke cuff ko ek second ke liye seedha kiya—small, almost absent gesture, but it landed like a final underline. “Tum hamesha sab kuch light bana dete ho,” she said softly. “Kabhi kabhi achha lagta tha. Kabhi kabhi thoda dangerous.”
Arjun ke lips par ek faint smile aaya. “Aur tum hamesha seedha point pe aati ho.”
“Isliye aaj bhi aayi hoon,” Naina ne kaha. “No confusion. No extra story.”
Ye sunte hi Arjun ne uski taraf dekha, aur uski aankhon mein woh ek cheez thi jo shayad shayad hi kabhi kisi aur ne notice ki ho—relief. Jaise dono ne milkar kuch aisa decide kar liya ho jo bolne se pehle hi samajh aa gaya tha.
Bahar corridor mein footsteps guzar gaye. Dono ne ek saath door ki taraf dekha, phir ek dusre ki taraf. Seminar room ki khamoshi mein unka shared silence oddly complete tha.
Naina ne chhoti si, knowing smile di—na bitter, na sad. “Take care, Arjun.”
He nodded once. “You too.”.
Hostel common room mein fluorescent tube ki safed roshni kuch zyada hi thakaa dene wali lag rahi thi. Corner mein do half-packed bags khule pade the, ek par “final year” ka sticker tedha sa chipka hua tha, aur sofa ke paas purane magazines, chai ke cups aur ek broken charger ka jungle faila hua tha. Campus ka last-week noise yahin aakar aur bhi loud ho gaya tha—placement ke results, farewell ke plans, seniors ke fake emotional speeches, aur nikalne wali list mein kaun kaun bach gaya, uski speculation.
Arjun sofa ke armrest par baitha tha, one hand mein phone, dusre mein pen, jaise dono cheezein ek saath sambhalna uski personality ka hissa ho. “Bhai, ye moving out ka scene itna complicated kyun bana diya hai?” usne hansa ke kaha. “Room 69 ka inventory form lag raha hai ya war report?”
Kabir, jo floor par apna duffel bag zip kar raha tha, bina dekhe bola, “War report hi hai. Bas casualties kam hain.”
Rohan table ke paas khada tha, laptop aur files ka stack set karta hua. “Casualties nahi, logistics,” usne correct kiya. “Aur please, koi apna extension cord mere bag mein mat daal dena. Kal subah placement mock hai.”
Imran, jo chair par chupchaap baitha tha, ek cardboard box ke corners tape kar raha tha. Usne bas itna kaha, “Cord Kabir ne last week hi chhupa diya tha.”
Kabir ne seedha Arjun ki taraf dekha. “Dekha? Ye banda silent rehta hai, par sab yaad rakhta hai.”
Arjun ne grin kiya, phir apni bag ke paas se ek crumpled farewell card uthaya. “Waise Pooja ka kya hua, Rohan? Kal se tumhara half-attention mode on hai.”