Kabir ne ek baar phir gate ke lock ko dekha. “Haan. Aur jisko bhi apni jaldi thi, usne ya toh reason chupaya hai, ya phir bhool gaya ki campus mein sab kuch notice hota hai.”
Arjun ne smile ki, par usmein mazaak kam tha. “Bas ab Room 69 waali gang ko bhi is tarah ki mystery mil jaaye, toh Rohan do pages ka report aur Imran do minute mein silence se verdict de dega.”.
“Bas, ek minute,” Arjun whispered, one hand on the rusted stair rail, dusre se apne phone ki torch low rakhte hue. “Aaj roof se pura campus dikhega. Hostel se nikalte hi life ka full panoramic shot.”
“Tu har cheez ko cinematic kyun bana deta hai?” Rohan muttered, his backpack strap tight in one hand, glasses thoda sa slide karte hue. “Aur ye jo door hai na, it’s not even properly latched.”
Kabir ne shoulder se halka sa push diya, aur roof access ka heavy metal door ek creak ke saath aur khul gaya. “Wahi toh problem hai. Hostel me itna silence? Full session hours me? Kuchh gadbad hai.”
Imran, jo sabse peeche tha, bina bole bas ek nazar upar daali. Dusk ka light grey-blue stairwell unke upar chadh raha tha, aur har landing pe shadow aise jam rahi thi jaise kisi ne jaanbujhkar light ko dhakka de diya ho. Neeche se canteen ki faint clatter aur distant laughter aa rahi thi, par yahan, roof ke bilkul kareeb, hawa bhi ruk-ruk ke chal rahi thi.
“Maybe guard round pe gaya hoga,” Rohan ne kaha. “Ya koi student late ho aur door khol ke bhool gaya ho.”
Kabir snorted. “Tu hamesha rational explanation dhoondhta hai. Campus me rational cheez sirf mess ka overcooked rice hota hai.”
Arjun ne grin kiya, par uski aankh ek second ke liye narrow ho gayi. “Shh.”
Sab ruk gaye.
Neeche quadrangle ki side, staircase ke narrow slit se, ek flash sa movement hua—white ya grey kuchh, aise jaisa koi figure jaldi se cross kar raha ho. It was there and then gone, too fast to hold in the eye.
“Dekha?” Arjun whispered. “Someone just moved.”
“Student hoga,” Rohan said immediately, though his voice had lost some confidence. “Dinner line ya library se.”
Kabir ne head tilt kiya. “Student itni speed se? Ya toh exam se bhaag raha tha, ya guard se.”
“Guard?” Imran finally spoke, voice low and flat. “Uniform nahi dikha.”
Arjun ne ek step aur forward liya, railing ke paas jaake neeche jhankne ki koshish ki. “Could be anyone. But campus ke is time pe itna fast move karna weird hai.”
“Tu bas thrill chah raha hai,” Kabir said. “Kal bolna roof pe ghost tha.”
“69 block me rehkar bhi tu haunted jokes karta hai,” Rohan ne dry tone me kaha. “Irony ka level impressive hai.”
Arjun hansa hi tha ki uske phone ne achanak vibrate kiya. Ek unknown number. Screen par bas ek line blink hui: Don’t ask about Kunal.
Uske face se smile gayab ho gayi. “Guys—”
Kabir turant paas aa gaya. “Kya hua?”
Arjun ne phone screen sabko dikhaya. Rohan ka throat dry ho gaya. Imran ne sirf message ko dekha, phir stairwell ke dark corner ko.
“Screenshot le,” Rohan said quickly.
Arjun thumb swipe karne hi wala tha ki screen se message vanish ho gaya. Deleted. As if it had never been there.
“Wait—what?” Arjun hissed. “Maine kuchh touch bhi nahi kiya.”
Kabir ka jaw set ho gaya. “Kisne bheja?”
“Unknown number,” Rohan said, already opening his own phone like a reflex. “Call back mat karna.”.
Terrace ki iron railing thandi thi, aur neeche campus ka andhera ek aise samundar jaisa lag raha tha jo lights ko bhi chup-chaap nigal jaata ho. Hostel ke upar wali hawa mein rain-soaked cement, cigarette smoke, aur distant generator ka metallic sa taste tha. Arjun ne apna bag kandhe se adjust kiya hi tha ki side se kisi ne softly bola, “Tumhara confidence itna bhi fake nahi hota, Arjun.”
Woh palat ke dekha.
Naina.
White kurti ke upar dark jacket, hair loosely tied, aur aankhon mein woh same sharpness jo har baar usse thoda zyada bolne par majboor kar deti thi. Senior thi, aur phir bhi uske saamne Arjun ko aise feel hota jaise koi secret leak ho gaya ho. Uska smile half-mocking, half-familiar tha.
“Tum terrace pe bhi patrol karne aa gayi?” Arjun ne apni usual charm pe switch on karte hue kaha.
“Main?” Naina ne railing ka ek corner pakad liya. “Main toh dekh rahi thi kaun Room 69 ka naya hero banne ki koshish kar raha hai.”
Arjun hansa, par uske laugh ke neeche ek tension si thi. “69 ka naam sunte hi sabko drama yaad aa jaata hai. Hostel administration ne bhi socha hoga, ‘perfect room, impossible residents.’”
Naina ke lips mein ek chhoti si smile aayi. “Tum abhi aaye ho, aur already overconfident ho. Dangerous combination.”
“Tumhe problem hai?”
“Problem hoti toh main yahan khadi na hoti.”
Woh dono ek pal ke liye chup ho gaye. Neeche courtyard mein koi door band hua, kahin se late-night kettle ki seeti aayi, aur terrace ke kone mein ek bulb baar-baar flicker kar raha tha. Arjun ne notice kiya ki Naina usse dekh rahi thi, jaise woh uske bolne se pehle hi uska next line padh leti ho.
“Tum change nahi hue,” Naina ne dheere se kaha. “Bas thoda zyada polished lag rahe ho.”
Arjun ne shoulder lift ki. “Aur tum? Same detective mode.”
“Yeah.” Uski awaaz soft ho gayi. “Aur tum abhi bhi wahi kar rahe ho—cheezon ko light banake unse bhaagna.”
Arjun ka jawab ready tha, lekin Naina ne ek step close aake uske shirt collar ko do ungliyon se seedha kar diya. Itna casual gesture tha ki aur bhi dangerous lagne laga. Arjun ka breath ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
“Seedha khade raho,” Naina ne kaha, almost amused. “Campus tumhe break nahi karega, but tum khud apni story ko messy bana doge.”
“Tum hamesha aise bolti ho jaise sab kuch already pata ho.”
“Sab kuch nahi.” Naina ne uski aankhon mein dekha. “Par kuch cheezein samajh aati hain.”
Woh aur paas aayi, aur terrace ki hawa bhi jaise ek pal ke liye ruk gayi. Arjun ne kuch bolne ki koshish ki, par Naina ne bas uske collar ko ek baar aur set kiya, phir apne hosh mein aise aayi jaise woh khud bhi samajh gayi ho ki line cross ho rahi hai..