Imran, jo usually kam bolta tha, cabinet ke lock ke bilkul paas jhuk gaya. Uski nazar sharp thi. “Try karo,” usne bas itna kaha.
Kabir ne key insert ki. Thoda resistance, phir ek soft click. Arjun ne door ki taraf ek aur glance maara, satisfied. “Okay. Ab lag raha hai hum sach mein padh rahe hain,” usne faint grin ke saath bola.
Cabinet ka darwaza khulte hi stale paper ki smell aur tez ho gayi. Imran ne andar se ek maintenance ledger nikala, jiske corners murjha chuke the. Kabir uske shoulder ke over jhuka. Pages pe dates, signatures, aur repairs ki lists thi—lekin beech mein ek jagah blank space tha, jaise kisi ne gusse mein ya darr mein ek page hi nikaal diya ho.
Imran ne ledger ko light ki taraf tilt kiya. “Yahan,” usne dheere se kaha.
Arjun bhi door se ek step andar aaya, phir ruk gaya. “Kya mila?”
“Time gap,” Kabir replied, voice low. “Kunal ke vanish hone ke aas-paas ka. Page ripped hai.”
Imran ne unglion se torn edge trace ki. Paper ke neeche faint carbon impression bacha hua tha, almost ghost writing. Kabir ne apni pocket torch on ki aur beam ko angle kiya. Dheere-dheere words ubharne lage—Room 69… service corridor… aur uske neeche ek arrow jaisa nishaan, jo basement ke far side ki taraf ja raha tha.
Arjun ka expression ek second ke liye light ho gaya, phir serious. “Room 69 phir se,” usne mutter kiya. “Campus ka favourite number ban gaya hai.”
Kabir snorted softly. “Mazak baad mein. Ab ye batao—service corridor ka connection kisne hide kiya?”
Imran ledger ko aur carefully close kar raha tha jab achanak corridor se jooton ki halki aahat aayi. Teenon freeze ho gaye. Arjun ne bina bole door ke paas position le li. Kabir ne file ko quickly cabinet ke andar push kiya, aur Imran ne darwaza aadha band kar diya.
Footsteps paas aakar ruk gaye. Ek librarian ki halki si khanssi suni gayi, phir keys ka jhanjhanana. “Koi hai andar?” ek tired female voice corridor mein goonji.
Arjun ne apni saans roki..
Rooftop par hawa tez ho chuki thi, aur neeche campus ke grounds ke baad city ki lights ek-ek karke jalne lagi thi, jaise kisi ne andhere par chhote-chhote pins laga diye hon. Rohan railing ke paas khada tha, dono haath pockets mein, aur apni chai ka last sip bhi thanda ho chuka tha. Din bhar ka noise—canteen, notices, whispers, wardens—sab yahan aake thoda dull pad jaata tha. Ya shayad uske dimaag mein jo baat chal rahi thi, uske saamne baaki sab hi dull lag raha tha.
Pooja side se aayi, student café ki shift ke baad thodi thaki hui, hair bun se kuch strands nikal kar face pe aa gaye the. Usne ek nazar usse dekha aur halke se bola, “Tum yahan bhi apne nerd mode mein ho?”
Rohan ne faint sa smile diya. “Rooftop pe bhi? Tum log mujhe relief bhi nahi doge kya?”
“Relief?” Pooja ne bag shoulder se utaara. “Pehle tum mujhe batao, yahan akele kyun khade ho. Aur mat bolna fresh air.”
“Fresh air,” Rohan ne automatically reply kiya, phir uski aankhon mein dekhkar thoda sa surrender kar diya. “Bas... head clear kar raha tha.”
Pooja ne uski taraf ek folded T-shirt badhayi. “Then help karo. Cafeteria ke baad main wet top mein campus cross nahi karna chahti.”
Rohan pehle ek second ke liye bas uski taraf dekhta reh gaya, phir jaldi se nazar hata li. “Oh. Haan. Of course.”
Pooja ne corner ke piche, jahan rooftop ka water tank shadow deta tha, apna damp top change kiya. Koi drama nahi, bas practical, fast, campus ke aadat-shuda secret jaise. Usne Rohan ki T-shirt uthaayi aur pehen li. Oversized shirt us par kaafi loose thi, sleeves haath se thoda aage tak aa rahi thi, aur collar se ek casual sa softness dikh rahi thi. Pooja ne apne baal ek baar piche jhatke aur mirrorless confidence ke saath poocha, “Kya dekh rahe ho?”
Rohan ne ek chhoti si, helpless si hansi chhodi. “Tum... mere kapde mein bhi bilkul normal nahi lag rahi.”
Pooja ki aankhon mein teasing aa gayi. “Normal? Ye tumhari best compliment thi?”
“Main engineer hoon, poet nahi,” Rohan bola, aur is baar sach mein uske lips par smile aa gayi. “But... accha lag raha hai.”
Pooja ne uske shoulder ko halka sa nudge kiya. “Bas, ab staring band karo. Warna main tumhara notebook bhi le jaungi.”
“Tum already mera T-shirt le chuki ho,” Rohan ne kaha.
“Exactly. Balance bana rahega.”
Dono ke beech ek chhota sa silence aaya, jisme wind zyada loud ho gayi. Neeche hostel ke lights aur road ke headlights milkar ek restless pattern bana rahe the. Rohan ka chehra, jo abhi tak light tha, thoda sa utar gaya. Pooja ne ye turant notice kar liya.
“Bol,” usne soft tone mein kaha. “Ab kya soch rahe ho?”
Rohan ne railing par ungliyan kas li. “Kunal.”
Naam ke saath hi rooftop ki hawa aur thandi lagne lagi..
Administrative block ki corridor raat mein aur bhi lambi lag rahi thi, jaise campus ne apni saans rok rakhi ho. Fluorescent tube lights kabhi bright hoti, kabhi halki si jhilmilaati, aur har dusre second koi na koi hums aisa lagta tha jaise deewar ke andar se aa raha ho. Locked offices ke bahar nameplates chamak rahe the, aur half-dead CCTV monitor ek kone mein aise pada tha jaise usne bhi resign kar diya ho.
Arjun ne apni pace slow rakhi. “Woh dekho,” usne bahut halki awaaz mein kaha.
Kabir ne chin uthayi. “Janitor?”
Aage, grey uniform mein ek budha sa safai-karmi, jiska mop bucket almost empty tha, corridor ke end tak ja raha tha. Uska chalna normal tha, lekin uski ek aadat ajeeb thi—har do kadam ke baad woh pichhe mudke dekh leta, jaise kisi invisible line ko cross nahi karna chahta ho.
Arjun aur Kabir ne bina shor ke uska follow karna shuru kiya.
“Tu notice kar raha hai?” Arjun ne murmur kiya.
“Ha.” Kabir ki aankhon mein usual rebel wala confidence tha, par is baar uske tone mein caution tha. “Woh janitor kam, campus ka guard zyada lag raha hai.”
Woh aadmi side corridor ke paas aaya, jahan notice board aur fire extinguisher ke beech ek narrow service door tha. Kabir ne tezi se apni step badhai, Arjun bhi saath. Bas itna hi faasla tha ki Arjun uski sleeve pakad sakta, lekin tabhi janitor ne bina mudhe hi door ka handle press kiya, aur andar ghus gaya.
Kabir ne door tak pahunch kar push kiya. Locked.
“Seriously?” Arjun ne breath chhoda. “Itna clean vanish?”
Kabir ne ek baar handle ko jhatka diya, phir around dekha. “Koi hidden route hoga. Ya usko pehle se pata tha hum aa rahe hain.”
Arjun ne monitor ki taraf nazar ghumaayi, jo opposite wall par mounted tha. Screen ka half portion black tha, half mein grainy blue interface. Usne closer jaakar dekha aur eyebrows uthi. “Kabir. Idhar.”
Monitor par security log open tha. Rows of camera feeds, timestamps, aur ek highlighted entry. Old wing ke paas waala camera, night mode pe, aur uske saamne ek note blinking kar raha tha: manual loop, seven minutes.