# Chapter 1 — Orientation Week, Room 69
Room 69 ke corridor mein light thodi peeli si thi, jaise hostel ki purani yaadein aur nayi shararatein ek hi bulb mein band ho. Darwaze ke bahar se boys’ laughter, kisi room se speaker par low beat, aur kahin kitchen side se tea ka faint sa smell—sab kuch milkar ek aisa mahaul bana rahe the jahan normal sa kuch bhi normal nahi lag raha tha.
Naina apne dupatte ko ek baar aur adjust karke khadi thi, par uski aankhon mein woh usual campus wali sharpness nahi thi. Arjun, jo hamesha thoda overconfident lagta tha, aaj unusually quiet tha. Jaise usne bhi pehli baar notice kiya ho ki Naina jab seedha dekhkar baat karti hai, toh hawa ka temperature thoda badal sa jaata hai.
“Tum sach mein yahin rukogi?” Arjun ne half-smile ke saath pucha, bas itna paas aakar ki uski voice sirf uske liye rahe.
Naina ne shoulder lift kiya. “Room 69 mein? Haan. Problem hai?”
“Problem toh nahi.” Uski nazar uske face par ruk gayi. “Bas… risky lag raha hai.”
“Tumhe risky cheezein pasand hain,” Naina ne dheere se bola, aur uski tone mein mazaak kam, challenge zyada tha.
Arjun ka hansi wala expression ek second ke liye fail ho gaya. Usne hoth bhi khole, shayad koi smart reply dene ke liye, par Naina ne usse bolne ka mauka hi nahi diya. Woh bas ek step aur aage aayi, itni close ki unke beech ki space me hostel ki saari noise dum todne lagi.
“Ab?” usne poocha.
Arjun ne ek saans li, jaise koi decision lene se pehle last warning de raha ho. “Ab tum jaanti ho main kya chahta hoon.”
Naina ka jawab turant nahi aaya. Uske chehre par ek halki si smile thi, par aankhon mein woh spark tha jo seedha jalata tha. “Phir dekhte hain tum kar kya sakte ho.”
Bas itna kehna tha ki Arjun ne apna control kaafi had tak kho diya. Usne pehle hesitate kiya, phir uska haath Naina ki kalai se upar slide karke uski elbow ke paas ruka, jaise poori permission uski aankhon mein padh raha ho. Naina ne back off nahi kiya. Yeh chhota sa signal kaafi tha.
Arjun ne dheere se uska naam liya, “Naina.”
Aur phir, jaise room ki saari hawa un dono ke beech kheench li gayi ho, woh aage badha. Pehla touch soft tha, almost testing, phir kiss me confidence aa gaya—warm, slow, aur itna charged ki Naina ki saans uske gale mein atak si gayi..
Arjun ka suitcase hostel corridor ke uneven floor par thak-thak karta hua chal raha tha, jaise har step pe protest kar raha ho. Late evening ki light tube-bulb ke saath lad rahi thi—kahin peela, kahin safed, aur kahin bilkul gayab. Deewar par chipke notice boards aadhe phat chuke the; “Freshers Welcome” ke neeche kisi ne pen se likh diya tha, “Welcome to Survival.” Neeche wale kone mein ek purana poster hawa se hil raha tha, aur uski tape se ek corner uth kar phad-phad kar raha tha.
“First year?” ek senior ne doorway se bina poochhe hi bhi poochh liya, aur Arjun ke suitcase ko dekh kar hasa. “Bhai, yeh bag hai ya family transfer?”
Doosre ne turant line pakdi. “Idhar room milta hai, respect nahi. Room number kya hai?”
Arjun ne seedha jawab diya, “Sixty-nine.”
Corridor mein ek second ke liye silence aaya, phir ek saath teen alag-alag hansi phooti.
“Arre waah,” ek patla sa senior bola, eyebrows hila kar. “Room 69. Pehle din hi legend banne aa gaya.”
“Legend ya target?” dusre ne tease kiya, aur kisi ne door ke paas se seat-whistle maara.
Arjun ne bas smile ki, kaise react karna hai woh seekh chuka tha. Campus ka pehla rule lag raha tha—ya toh joke ka hissa bano, ya joke tum par hoga. Usne suitcase ka handle aur tight pakad liya aur aage badh gaya.
Corridor ke end pe teen ladke ek chhote se cluster mein khade the, jaise already yahin ka hissa hon. Ek ne thick glasses ke peeche se usko dekha aur turant bola, “Tum hi Arjun ho na? Main Rohan.”
Rohan ki awaaz mein nervous intelligence thi—har baat ko pehle sochne ki aadat, aur phir bhi thoda jaldi bol dene ki aadat. Uske haath mein ek register tha, aur pocket se ek pen aadha bahar nikla hua.
“Main Kabir,” doosre ne kaha. Uska tone relaxed tha, par aankhon mein corridor se bhi zyada sharpness. “Aur agar seniors pareshaan karein, toh seedha mat bhaagna. Unko lagta hai bhagna hi weakness hai.”
“Helpful advice ya warning?” Arjun ne poocha.
“Dono,” Kabir ne shrug kiya.
Teesra ladka thoda side mein khada tha. Quiet, almost invisible, lekin uski nazar room numbers aur faces dono ko ek saath note kar rahi thi. “Imran,” usne bas itna kaha.
Arjun ne hand extend kiya. Imran ne handshake normal liya, zyada force nahi, zyada warmth bhi nahi—par ankhon mein ek steady calm tha jo corridor ke noise mein alag dikh raha tha.
Rohan ne Arjun ke suitcase ko dekhte hue bola, “Tumhara bag dekh ke lag raha hai tumne poora semester laa diya.”
“Optimism,” Arjun ne kaha. “First day pe hi planning.”
Kabir ne corridor ke dusre end ki taraf ek chhota sa nod kiya. “Planning yahan kaam nahi aati. Hostel khud decide karta hai.”
“Kaise?” Arjun ne poocha.
Imran ne is baar thoda dheere bola, “Aaj tak jo room mila, uske baare mein sab kuch pehle se kisi ko pata hota hai..
Common room ki lights thodi zyada safed thi, jaise kisi ne hostel ko nahi, interrogation room ko ready kiya ho. Freshers ka shor phir bhi kam nahi tha—chairs ghis rahi thi, koi attendance sheet pe apna naam galat spell kar raha tha, aur seniors ke beech se ek do aise hans rahe the jaise unko sab pata ho aur baaki sab bas scene ka part hon.
Arjun apni shirt ki sleeve thodi si seedhi karte hue room scan kar raha tha. Uska charm hamesha ki tarah ready mode mein tha, par aaj uske smile ke neeche ek halki si alertness bhi thi. Rohan uske side mein khada, dono haath pockets mein daale, notice board aur register ko aise dekh raha tha jaise exam paper ho. Kabir ek kone wali chair ko one-leg support pe balance karne ki koshish kar raha tha, aur Imran sabse peeche chupchaap khada, sab kuch sun bhi raha tha aur kuch keh bhi nahi raha tha.
“Names loud bolo,” ek senior ne clipboard patakte hue kaha. “Yahan whisper mode mein kaam nahi chalta.”
“Attendance ya confession?” Kabir ne low voice mein murmur kiya.
Rohan ne bina dekhe jawab diya, “Dono ka data entry same lag raha hai.”
Arjun ne hansi roki. “Bas first night hai, yaar. Itna tension kyu?”
Seniors ne ek round of hostel rules sunaye—lights out, late entry, visitors, roof access, common room timing, aur woh sab jo freshers ko already jail ka brochure lag raha tha. Phir “welcome” ka part aaya, jo actually ek thinly veiled warning nikla. Ek senior ne smiling face ke saath bola, “Room 69 wale bachke rehna. Number funny lagta hai, par rules utne hi strict hain.”
Kabir ne eyebrow utha ke Arjun ko dekha. “Nice.”