Arjun ne bas shoulder shrug kiya. “Bad jokes, strong security. Great combo.”
Tabhi door ke paas movement hui. Room mein ek second ke liye noise ka level automatically kam ho gaya. Dr. Meera Kapoor andar aayi—simple kurta, straight posture, aur aisi composure jisme koi bhi extra effort nahi tha. Unke saath faculty wali authority thi, par unka calm itna sharp tha ki room ke saare jokes thode dheele pad gaye.
Senior bhi ek step seedhe ho gaye.
Dr. Meera ne clipboard ki taraf ek nazar dali, phir freshers par. “Good evening. Welcome to campus. Orientation ka matlab entertainment nahi hota. It means you learn the rules before the rules learn you.”
Kisi ne nervously chuckle kiya, par unki aankhon mein dekh ke woh bhi dab gaya.
“Discipline yahan optional nahi hai,” Dr. Meera ne clipped tone mein kaha. “And neither is honesty. Agar kisi cheez mein confusion ho, ask. Agar koi cheez hidden ho, assume mat karo.”
Arjun ki nazar unki baat ke saath-saath clipboard par bhi gayi thi. Senior ke haath mein sheet thi, aur uske upper corner pe ek naam thick black pen se cross kiya hua tha. Ink fresh lag rahi thi. Arjun ne thoda aur focus kiya.
Kunal.
Bas ek naam. Crossed out. Koi explanation nahi, koi remark nahi, aur sheet ke baaki names neat order mein the—jaise kisi ne jaanboojhkar ek entry ko erase kar diya ho. Arjun ka smile naturally fade ho gaya.
“Next,” senior bol raha tha, “room allocation ke baad koi bhi unnecessary questions nahi.”.
Subah ka canteen full-on jagah pakad chuka tha—steel ki thaliyon ki khanak, chai ki bhini smell, aur ceiling fan ki dheemi, thaki hui ghoomti awaaz. Room 69 ke chaaron boys ne ek sticky table ko jaise forcefully apna territory declare kar diya ho. Arjun ne bench ko halka sa khinch kar aise baitha jaise campus uska wait kar raha tha. Rohan ne apna bag side mein rakha, already scanning notice board aur logon ke faces. Kabir ne chair ko ek pair se thoda tedha karke pair phaila diye, aur Imran chupchaap corner mein baith gaya, dono haath cup ke around band karke.
“First morning,” Arjun bola, grin ke saath, “aur already lag raha hai yeh campus chhota nahi, complicated hai.”
Kabir snorted. “Complicated nahi, political hai. Hostels alag, departments alag, senior zones alag. Matlab yeh bhi ek mini-city hai.”
Rohan ne spoon se cup ke rim pe halka sa tap kiya. “Aur mini-city mein rules visible kam, invisible zyada hote hain. Orientation mein jo dikhaya, uske bahar ka campus aur hai.”
Imran ne ek line mein bas itna kaha, “Kal raat ka corridor dekh ke samajh gaya tha.”
Arjun ne uski taraf dekha. “Room 69 ka pehla lesson?”
Kabir ne haath se table ki chipchipi surface ko feel kiya. “69 ka joke baad mein. Pehle survival map.”
Rohan ne hansi roki. “Logon ka pattern dekhna padega. Seniors kaunse block mein baithe hain, kis time kis canteen mein aate hain, aur kaunse naam ko sunte hi sab chup ho jaate hain.”
Arjun ne eyebrow uthayi. “Tu toh proper detective nikla.”
“Tu acting karna,” Rohan ne seedha jawab diya, “main observe kar lunga.”
Tabhi Rohan ke side se ek familiar awaaz aayi. “Tum log itni subah se conspiracy bana rahe ho?”
Pooja tray le kar aayi thi, ek regular confidence ke saath. Usne Rohan ke shoulder ko casual familiarity se touch kiya, jaise yeh scene roz ka ho. Rohan ke face pe woh easy, natural softness aa gayi jo sirf apne logon ke saamne aati hai. Pooja ne uske saamne tea aur poha rakha, phir baaki teenon ko quick glance diya.
“Freshers ka bhi apna system hota hai,” she said. “Bas tum log pehle din hi overthink mat karna.”
Kabir ne cup uthaya. “Hum? Overthink? Kabhi nahi.”
Pooja ne uski taraf dekh ke ek knowing smile di. “Haan, bilkul.”
Woh do minute ke liye unke saath khadi rahi, Rohan se kuch practical baatein karte hue—books, timetable, aur kaunse lecturer se first week mein extra careful rehna hai. Phir bhi uski presence loud nahi thi; bas itni ki Rohan ki table pe ek stable, familiar anchor aa gaya ho.
Tab canteen ke counter se ek worker, steel ke jug ko wipe karte hue, kisi aur se nahi, jaise khud se hi bol pada, “Raat ko phir awaaz aayi thi. Old admin block ke paas. Lights bhi flicker kar rahi thi.”
Kabir ka chehra turant serious ho gaya. Arjun ne apni chai ka cup half-raised hi rok liya..
Library ki purani deewar se lagi hui steps par dhoop aaj bhi waise hi pad rahi thi jaise college ko abhi bhi kisi ne serious lena seekha hi na ho. Courtyard mein fresh posters chipke hue the—debate club, music night, volunteer drive—aur unke beech ek half-broken CCTV pole akela khada tha, jaise usne bhi dekhne ka mann chhod diya ho.
Arjun ne apni collar thodi si seedhi ki aur aas-paas nazar daudayi. “Yeh campus kabhi normal lagta hai, aur kabhi lagta hai bas naam ke liye campus hai,” usne halka sa muskurate hue kaha.
Kabir ne steps ke kinare se ek crumpled flyer uthaya, phir usko do ungliyon se khol kar dekha. “Student committee meeting,” usne padhte hue kaha. “Same old bakwaas. Attendance ke naam pe drama.”
Arjun hansa. “Tu aise bol raha hai jaise kabhi attend kiya ho.”
“Main bas dekhne aaya tha ki kaun kaun serious chehra bana ke time waste karta hai.” Kabir ne flyer ko palat kar dekha aur phir usse apni jeans ki pocket mein ghusa diya. “Waise bhi, committee wale log itne hero hote hain na, unko lagta hai poora campus unki sunta hai.”
Library ke gate ke paas do juniors club stall laga rahe the. Ek taraf photography society ka board tha, doosri taraf placement prep ka banner, aur beech mein chai ki smell hawa mein ghul rahi thi. Normal din jaisa scene tha, par Arjun ki nazar steps ke neeche ruk gayi.
“Woh dekh,” usne dheere se bola.
Kabir ne follow kiya. Side gate ke paas, jo usually locked rehta tha, steps par ek fresh smear tha—mud ya paint nahi, kuch geela sa, abhi-abhi laga hua. Uske saath hi ek pair ke nishaan, halki si ghisai, jaise koi jaldi mein wahan se nikla ho aur apni presence mitaane ki koshish ki ho.
Kabir ki expression ek pal ko tight hui, phir normal. “Someone was here.”
Arjun ne bhi neeche dekha. “Aur side gate locked hai.”
“Iska matlab ya toh koi andar se aaya,” Kabir bola, “ya bahar se nikalte waqt stupidly confident tha.”
Arjun ne half-broken CCTV pole ki taraf dekha. “Woh camera ka kya?”
Kabir ne kandhe uchka diye. “Woh? Woh bas campus ka decoration hai.”
Dono kuch seconds chup rahe. Courtyard mein ek group laughing students guzra, unke haathon mein coffee cups the, aur unka noise library ki silence se takra ke phir bikhar gaya. Normal life chal rahi thi, lekin steps ke paas woh smear aur gate ka lock kuch aur hi story suna rahe the.
Arjun ne flyer ko Kabir ke haath se kheench liya. “Committee meeting ka issue nahi hai. Kisi ne yahan se quietly move kiya hai.”