# Chapter 6 — Quiet Hours
Imran ne room ka darwaza dhire se band kiya, jaise corridor ki hawa bhi andar aate hi kuch zyada hi shor karne lagegi. Mehak window ke paas khadi thi, bahar campus ki yellow lights ko dekhte hue, lekin uska poora focus us pal par tha jo un dono ke beech ka faasla khatm karne wala tha. Table par padi chai thandi ho chuki thi, aur room ke andar ek alag hi garmahat thi—na heater ki, na weather ki, bas unki.
“Ab kya?” Mehak ne bina mudhe poocha, hansi aur ghabrahat ke beech ka woh tone liye jo sirf usi ki hoti thi.
Imran ne dheere se apna jacket utara aur bed ke edge par daal diya. “Ab kuch bhi nahi bolna,” usne kaha, aawaz low aur steady. “Bas aao.”
Mehak ne uski taraf dekha, phir ek chhoti si smirk ke saath seedha uske paas chal kar aayi. Uski bangles ki halki si jhanjhanahat room mein fail gayi, aur Imran ko laga jaise har sound uske andar utar rahi ho. Usne Mehak ki wrist nahi pakdi—bas uske fingers ko apni ungliyon se halka sa touch kiya, poocha hua sa, permission jaisa. Mehak ne jawab mein apna haath uske haath mein de diya.
Bas itna sa hi tha, aur phir dono ke beech sab kuch change ho gaya.
Imran ne uske face ko dekha, uski aankhon mein woh teasing brightness, aur uske lips par woh aadhi si smile jo hamesha usse disarm kar deti thi. Mehak ne dheere se kaha, “Tum itne serious kyun lag rahe ho?”
“Kyuki tum mere saamne ho,” Imran ne jawab diya, aur is baar uski smile mein bhi koi bachav nahi tha.
Mehak ne uske collar ko pakad ke use thoda aur apni taraf khinch liya. Unke beech ki saans ek ho gayi. Imran ne uske baal ka ek strand side mein kiya, fingertips se uske jawline ko halka sa trace kiya, jaise yaad kar raha ho ki woh kaise feel hoti hai. Mehak ne aankhen band kar li, aur uske chehre par aayi woh softness dekh kar Imran ka control aur bhi kamzor ho gaya.
“Mehak,” usne bas naam liya, jaise koi warning ho, jaise koi prayer.
“Hmm?”
“Ab baad mein mat bolna ki main tumhe serious le raha tha.”
Mehak ki hansi uske gaal par aakar ruk gayi. “Main toh pehle se hi tumhe seriously hi dekh rahi thi.”
Phir jo hua, woh kisi aur language mein tha—kisi aisi language mein jo words se kam, touch se zyada likhi jaati hai. Imran ne use apne paas aur khinch liya, aur Mehak ne bina hesitation ke uske against apna weight settle kar diya..
Library annex mein late afternoon ki light dheemi ho chuki thi, jaise campus ne bhi exam week ko samajh ke apni awaaz neeche kar di ho. Purane wooden tables par files aur notebooks ka chhota sa jungle phaila hua tha. Bahar corridor mein kabhi-kabhi kisi slipper ki ghisi hui aahat ya distant fan ki humming sunai deti thi, warna sab kuchh unnerving tarah se shaant tha.
Arjun ne apni pen ka cap ungliyon mein ghumaaya aur bola, “Theek hai, boys. Aaj serious mode. No bakwaas. We split the notes, finish the outline, aur kal project ke liye clean draft ready.”
Rohan ne apni spectacles ko push kiya aur ek highlighter uthate hue seedhi si awaaz mein bola, “Main methodology aur references dekh leta hoon. Tum log introductions aur conclusion pe fight kar lo.”
Kabir ne chair ke back pe pair tikane ki koshish ki, phir librarian ki ek nazar padte hi seedha baith gaya. “Fight nahi, bhai. But tumhara conclusion itna dry hota hai ki usko bhi attendance chahiye hoti hai.”
Imran, jo ab tak chupchaap ek stapled bundle sort kar raha tha, bas halki si muskurahat ke saath bola, “Dry conclusion bhi stable hota hai. Kabhi-kabhi wahi kaam ka hota hai.”
Arjun ne hans ke head shake kiya, lekin uski nazar baar-baar circulation desk ke paas ja rahi thi. Wahan ek fresh notice pin hua tha—clean print, official stamp, bland wording. Kunal ke missing hone ka update. “Student reported absent,” “further inquiries ongoing,” “administration in contact with family.” Sab kuchh itna polished tha ki aur zyada suspicious lag raha tha.
Kabir notice ke paas gaya, bas ek second ke liye. “Yeh language dekho. Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.”
Rohan uske paas aakar khada ho gaya. “Official notices kabhi direct nahi hote. But yes, this is… odd.”
Imran ne bina uthkar dekhe kaha, “Odd se zyada planned lag raha hai.”
Arjun ne note pad band kiya. “Kunal missing hai, aur campus bol raha hai ‘ongoing.’ Ongoing kya? Lunch break?”
Kabir ne dheere se hansi dabaayi, phir notice ki taraf dobara dekha. Uske face par woh rebel wali teasing kam, aur tension zyada thi. “Room 69 ka number bhi ab weird lagne laga hai. Pehle joke tha, ab lagta hai cursed file number hai.”
Rohan ne almost mechanically reply diya, “That is not how curses work.”
“Campus mein bahut kuchh rules ke hisaab se nahi chalta,” Imran ne kaha. Uski voice low thi, but room mein uske bolte hi ek aur layer of silence aa gayi.
Tabhi door ke paas heels ki controlled click sunai di. Dr. Meera Kapoor andar aayi, crisp dupatta, calm face, aur woh kind of gaze jo bina uncha bole bhi sabko seedha kar de. Library annex mein ek instant mein discipline ka illusion aur strong ho gaya.
“Good,” unhone table par scattered files ko ek nazar se dekha. “At least ab tum log kaam kar rahe ho. I need an update. Project ka draft kis stage par hai?”
Arjun turant composed ho gaya. “Ma’am, outline done hai. Rohan references final kar raha hai, Kabir data points arrange kar raha hai, aur Imran cross-checking.”
Dr..
Hostel corridor mein shaam ka light kuch zyada hi tired lag raha tha—jaise building bhi lecture se nikal kar ab bas thoda sa saans le rahi ho. Tube lights kabhi jalti, kabhi ek pal ke liye dim ho jaati, aur Room 69 ke bahar wali corridor pe woh familiar hostel noise tha: kisi ka kettle se cup tak ka clink, door ke peeche se muffled laughter, aur far end par kisi junior ka hurried footsteps.
Rohan ne apna bag shoulder se adjust kiya aur room ke saamne rukte hi floor ki taraf dekha. “Arre,” usne dheere bola, “yeh idhar kahan se aaya?”
Door ke neeche, bilkul galat room ke saamne, ek half-torn envelope phansa hua tha. Itna careless ki kisi bhi normal notice se alag lag raha tha. Rohan ne jhuk kar use nikala. Paper ka ek kinara bheegna sa tha, jaise kisi ne jaldi mein dabaya ho. Usne envelope ko palat kar dekha, phir seedha Arjun ko bulaya.
“Koi prank lag raha hai?” Arjun ne casual tone mein kaha, lekin uski aankh envelope pe jam gayi thi.
Kabir ne haath aage badhaya. “Pehle khol ke dekhte hain. Hostel mein koi cheez itni neatly accidentally nahi milti.”