Kabir ne screen ke paas jhuk kar padha. “Night Kunal disappeared.”
Arjun ke face ka usual charm thoda serious ho gaya. “Seven minutes ka gap. Kisi ne camera ko intentionally blind kiya.”
Kabir ne ek low whistle diya. “Student prank nahi hai yeh.”
Monitor ke side mein ek notice pinned tha, neatly typed, faculty letterhead ke saath. Header pe Dr. Meera Kapoor ka naam tha. Arjun ne paper ko carefully unpin kiya aur padha. Uski aankhen line par ruk gayi: unauthorized access near the east staircase.
Kabir ne uske shoulder ke over dekha. “East staircase? Woh old wing ke paas wali?”
“Ha.” Arjun ne memo ko wapas pin karte hue kaha. “Aur yeh notice faculty office se aaya hai. Matlab kisi ne complaint formal way mein report ki hai.”
Kabir ne corridor ke end ki taraf dekha, jahan janitor gayab hua tha. “Toh woh aadmi ya toh witness hai, ya phir kisi ka messenger.”.
Canteen terrace par shaam ka bacha-kucha andhera utar raha tha, aur tube-lighton ke neeche chhoti chhoti tables par chai ke glass, samose ke crumbs, aur aadhe khaye plates aise pade the jaise kisi ne jaldi mein saboot chhod diye hon. Neeche ground floor se music ka faint sa shor aa raha tha, lekin terrace par baithne wale log zyada tar chup the—sun rahe the, dekh rahe the, ya bas sunne ka natak kar rahe the.
Arjun railing ke paas khada tha, ek haath mein cutting chai ka glass, doosre mein phone jo baar baar screen on karke bhi use koi naya answer nahi de raha tha. Uske chehre par usual charm ka halka sa mask tha, par aaj woh mask thoda thaka hua lag raha tha.
“Tum yahan bhi detective mode mein ho?” Naina ki awaaz uske peechhe aayi.
Arjun ne mudkar dekha. Naina apni dupatta ko shoulder par adjust karti hui aa rahi thi, bilkul normal, bilkul calm, jaise usko pata ho ki saamne wale ki pulse thodi tezz hai. Uski aankhon mein woh purani familiarity thi—na zyada close, na zyada door.
“Bas chai peene aaya tha,” Arjun ne halka sa muskurane ki koshish ki.
“Hmm.” Naina ne uski chai ki taraf dekha, phir uske face ki taraf. “Jhooth bolne ke liye bhi energy chahiye hoti hai, Arjun. Tumhare paas aaj woh bhi kam lag rahi hai.”
Woh dono ek pal ke liye chup ho gaye. Beech ka silence awkward nahi tha, bas safed kapde ki tarah saaf—jisme purani baaton ke daag dikh to rahe the, par koi unhe chhed nahi raha tha.
Naina ne apni chai ka glass table par rakha. “Tum theek ho?”
“Ho jaunga,” Arjun ne seedhe jawab diya.
Usne uski aankhon mein dekhkar dheere se kaha, “You look like trouble has found you again.”
Arjun ne ek chhota sa breath chhoda, jaise us sentence ne uske andar ka weight pehchaan liya ho. “Kuch cheezein campus mein khud chal ke aa jaati hain.”
“Woh toh hai.” Naina ne terrace ke edge par nazar ghumayi, jahan do juniors ka group kaan laga ke baithne ka natak kar raha tha. Phir woh Arjun ki taraf wapas aayi. “Aur kuch cheezein campus mein kisi ko chup karwa ke aati hain.”
Arjun ki expression thodi tight ho gayi. “Kya sunaa tumne?”
Naina ne jawab dene se pehle apni chai ka ek sip liya. “Bas whispers. Locked room ke baare mein. Koi purana senior. Aur yeh bhi ki kisi ne kisi ko bolne se pehle hi paise de diye the.” Uski awaaz low thi, casual si, par usme warning ka ek saaf edge tha. “Jab log itna paise aur itna silence ek saath mention karein na, samajh lo baat tea se zyada garam hai.”
Arjun ne gaze neeche kar li. Uske dimag mein Room 69 ka naam ek baar phir se teekha sa chamka, jaise koi locker ka rusty lock khulne se pehle hi awaaz kar raha ho.
Naina ne uski silence ko read kar liya..
Midnight ke baad campus ka har kona alag hi lagta hai—jaise din ke saare confident sounds kisi ne ekdum switch off kar diye hon. Old service corridor ke paas hawa bhi thandi nahi, bas zyada khaali thi. Peeling paint deewar se aise latak rahi thi jaise kisi ne bahut purana chehra utar diya ho. Upar dead bulbs andhere mein ghur rahe the, aur neeche corridor ke floor par unke pairon ki halki si aahat bhi ajeeb tarah se loud lag rahi thi.
Arjun sabse aage tha, phone ki torch low rakh ke. “Ledger mein jo line thi na,” usne dheere bola, “service access, sealed wing ke side se. Matlab yahin kuch hai.”
Kabir ne apna jacket thoda aur tight kiya. “Ya phir yeh campus humein bas aur dara raha hai. Honestly, is jagah ka mood hi weird hai.” Uski tone casual thi, par aankhon mein alertness clear thi.
Imran kuch nahi bola. Woh bas wall aur floor ko dekh raha tha, jaise silence mein bhi koi signal pakad sakta ho. Usne ek step ruk ke torch neeche karke dekha. “Yahan,” he said softly.
Arjun aur Kabir uske paas aa gaye. Corridor ke side wall par, Room 69 ke direction ke kareeb, ek fresh smear tha—dark, uneven, jaise kisi bhaari cheez ko ghaseet kar le jaya gaya ho. Paint ke pale surface par woh nishaan bilkul alag chamak raha tha. Naya. Recent.
Kabir ne low whistle kiya, par sound uske gale mein hi dab gayi. “Yeh kal ka toh nahi lagta.”
Imran ne fingers se wall ko touch kiye bina hi nikaal kar dekha. “Dry bhi nahi hua properly. Kuch hours old.”
Arjun ka face pehle se serious ho gaya. “Toh ledger sirf route nahi de raha tha. Kisi ne yahan movement ki hai.”
Abhi usne itna hi kaha tha ki corridor ke dusre end se ek metallic thud aaya—guhra, ekdum hollow, jaise steel ka koi heavy piece kisi locked door ya pipe se takraya ho. Teeno ek saath freeze ho gaye.
Phir, bilkul usi instant, paas ke intercom mein static phat pada.
Krrrshh—krrrshh—skkkkk.
Kabir ki aankhen widen ho gayin. “Kya—”
Arjun ne haath uthake usko chup kara diya. Static kuch second tak chalti rahi, phir ek faint click, jaise kisi ne system ko remotely wake kiya ho. Corridor mein jo silence thi, woh ab aur bhi dangerous lag rahi thi.
Imran ka jaw tight ho gaya. “Someone’s inside the system.”
Arjun ne bina awaaz kiye torch thoda neeche ki. “Aur hum yahan visible hain.”
Teeno ne ek dusre ko dekha, phir ek saath peeche hategaye—slow, careful, bina floor ko zyada press kiye. Kabir ne last moment par wall ke paas dekha aur uski nazar ek torn strip of cloth par padi jo ek rusted nail mein atki hui thi. Woh cloth blue-grey tha, campus uniform jaisa, aur uska edge frayed tha—fresh tear ka nishaan saaf.
Arjun ne usse dekha aur pal bhar ke liye uska saara charm gayab ho gaya. “Yeh…”
Imran ne softly finish kiya, “Kisi ne yahan se struggle karke nikla hai.”.