Rohan ka expression ek second ke liye awkward sa hua, phir woh shoulders shrug karke normal ho gaya. “Nothing dramatic. Bas practical check-in tha. Uska internship schedule clear ho gaya hai. We’re fine.” Uski tone mein koi complaint nahi thi, koi expectation bhi nahi. Bas ek mutual understanding, jaise kuch connections campus ke semester ki tarah hotey hain—time-bound, manageable, aur bina extra promises ke.
“Good,” Arjun ne casually bola, jaise baat wahi khatam ho gayi ho. “Final year mein sabko apni apni files aur feelings dono sort karni padti hain.”
Kabir ne huff kiya. “Tu philosopher kab se ban gaya?”
“Jab se placement cell ne mujhe ‘communication skills’ improve karne ko bola,” Arjun ne turant reply diya.
Tabhi uska phone vibrate hua. Ek unknown number. Screen par sirf ek line thi:
**Kunal ke baare mein poochna band mat karna. Woh room 69 se zyada door nahi gaya tha.**
Arjun ki smile ek second mein gayab ho gayi. Thumb message ke neeche frozen raha. Common room ki awaazein—Kabir ka bag, Rohan ka keyboard tap, Imran ka tape tear karna—sab achanak door lagne lage.
“Arjun?” Rohan ne uski wajah dekh kar pucha. “Kya hua?”
Arjun ne phone lock kiya, par uske face par ab bhi woh halka sa tension tha jo koi notice kar leta hai. “Kuch nahi,” usne dheere se kaha. “Bas… wrong number nahi lag raha.”.
Admin block ke side passage mein raat ka light kuch zyada hi safed lag raha tha, jaise kisi ne campus ki saari warmth nikaal ke sirf surveillance chhod diya ho. Upar security lights buzz kar rahe the, aur neeche plastered notice board ke paas hawa bhi dheere chal rahi thi. Teen baje ke baad ka campus waise bhi alag lagta hai—din mein jahan sab kuch routine aur loud hota hai, raat mein wahi corridors ek chhoti si mystery ban jaate hain.
Arjun ne apni sleeves thodi si upar ki aur Kabir ke saath wall ke paas ruk gaya. “Yaar, final year ka sabse bada benefit ye hona chahiye tha ki hum free ho jayenge,” usne dheere se bola, “par lag raha hai koi aur hi free ho raha hai humare upar.”
Kabir ne ek short, dry sa laugh diya. “Freedom ka syllabus alag nikla. Hum soch rahe the attendance khatam, aur yahan someone is still tracking us.”
Arjun ne around dekha. Empty passage, ek do cycle stands, aur door canteen side se aati faint steel ki awaaz. “Kunal ka naam phir se circle mein aa raha hai. Missing banda aur campus ka mood—dono same type ke ho gaye hain. Quiet, but dangerous.”
Kabir ne chin lift karke left corridor ki taraf ishara kiya. “Aur jo threat mila tha na, woh random nahi tha. Kisi ne specifically chaaha ki hum us jagah tak pahunchें.”
Arjun ne reply karne se pehle hi footsteps sun liye. Dono ek second ko silent ho gaye.
Dr. Meera Kapoor corridor ke end se aayi, file folder ek haath mein aur phone dusre mein. Faculty badge security light mein chamak raha tha. She looked perfectly composed, but us waqt uska wahan hona hi off lag raha tha. Wrong corridor. Wrong hour.
Kabir ne low voice mein kaha, “Madam yahan kya kar rahi hain?”
Arjun ne bas shoulders shrug kiye, par uski aankhon mein alertness thi. “Campus mein raat ke time jab faculty aati hai, matlab ya toh kuch serious hai ya phir hum kuch miss kar rahe hain.”
Dr. Meera unke paas se guzri, unhe ek quick, unreadable glance diya, aur bina pause kiye side door ki taraf badh gayi. Na smile, na greeting, bas ek controlled presence, jaise corridor bhi unke aane se thoda seedha ho gaya ho.
Kabir ne uske jaane ke baad saans chhodi. “Yeh school principal wali energy nahi, yeh ‘I know more than you’ wali energy hai.”
Arjun ne half-smirk kiya, phir floor pe nazar gayi. Notice board ke neeche ek chhota sa metallic object pada tha—paperclip nahi, keychain ka broken ring, aur uske saath ek folded chhota sa paper. Kabir ne turant usko cover kiya, jaise koi dekh raha ho.
Paper khola toh andar sirf ek line thi, printed nahi, handwritten: “Room 69 mein jo pehle gaya tha, woh wapas nahi aaya.”
Dono ke beech silence gir gaya. Passage ka buzzing aur loud ho gaya, jaise light bhi message samajh gayi ho.
Arjun ne paper ko do baar padhaa, phir Kabir ko dekha. “Yeh warning hai.”
Kabir ki jawline tight ho gayi. “Ya invitation.”.
Mess courtyard mein subah abhi poori tarah hui nahi thi. Grey light benches ke edges par dheere-dheere phail rahi thi, aur chai-wale counter se nikalti bhuni hui coffee aur poha ki smell hawa mein atki hui thi. Campus itna quiet tha ki door corridor mein kisi ke chappal ghisne ki aawaz bhi clear sunai de. Jaise poora college saans roke khada ho.
Arjun ne apni bottle ka dhakkan band kiya aur table ke beech rakhe torn page ko ek baar phir dekha. “Okay,” usne halka sa smile pehenkar bola, “last practical check. Drama se pehle attendance.”
Kabir bench ke kone par pair chadhaye baitha tha, hoodie ki zip half-open. “Attendance toh Room 69 mein bhi kabhi proper nahi hoti thi,” usne mutter kiya.
Rohan ne turant correction kiya, “Aur isi reason se hum logon ne almost do baar lockout face kiya tha. Also, technically room number ka joke abhi bhi statistically valid hai.”
Imran ne bas ek nazar uthayi. “Focus.”
Arjun ne hansi dabai. “Wahi toh. Serious logon ki meeting hai.”
Mess ke far shor mein se Naina ki awaaz aayi, Arjun ke naam ka short, practical call. Woh bas ek second ke liye rukkar mili, phir apni tray leke aage nikal gayi. Arjun ne uski taraf dekha, phir wapas group ki taraf. Uska tone casual hi raha, par aankhon mein woh lightness nahi thi jo usually hoti thi.
“Kal subah jo log nikal rahe hain,” Arjun ne kaha, “unke bags ready?”
Rohan ne apna phone unlock karke list dikhayi. “Pooja ka train noon mein hai. She’s already packed. Tara ne apna half luggage kabka bhej diya. Riya ka cousin pickup karega. Aur… Mehak ka message aaya tha. She said she’ll call later.”
Imran ke fingers ek second ke liye cup handle par tight huye, phir normal ho gaye. Kabir ne uski taraf dekhkar kuch nahi bola. Bas itna kaha, “Mera bhi shift hai. Late evening. Campus gate se seedha.”
“Same,” Rohan bola. “Mera hostel vacate form submit ho gaya. Pooja ne bola hai, ‘mat bhoolna, warna next semester mein bhi yahin atak jaoge.’”
“Wise girl,” Arjun said, and for a moment the group laughed. Small, tired, real.
Phir Rohan ne torn page ko tap kiya. “Ye jo last clue hai na, it’s weird. Kunal ka naam sirf missing report mein nahi tha. Library logbook, old maintenance entry, aur ab ye mess slip—same handwriting pattern, same date gaps. Matlab story khatam nahi hui. Bas phase change hua hai.”
Kabir ki aankhen narrow hui. “Alive found hua tha, right? Toh missing ka angle ab kyu phir bhi active lag raha hai?”
“Because someone wanted it active,” Imran said, voice low and flat.