Rohan, jo notice board ke neeche se apni glasses adjust kar raha tha, bas ek thandi si smile de paya. Uske haath mein ek folded paper tha, aur uske mind mein obviously koi aur calculation chal rahi thi. “Suspense toh already campus mein kaafi hai,” usne dheere se kaha. “Extra protein ki zaroorat nahi.”
Kabir side se aa gaya, hoodie ke sleeves push karke. Uski nazar board par thi, par kaan baaki logon ki baaton mein. “Protein chhodo, pehle dekh lo board par koi naye punishment notice toh nahi chipka diya,” usne kaha. “Last time ‘Room 69’ ka naam dekhke lag raha tha hostel warden ko bhi comedy timing aa gayi hai.”
Arjun ne hansi dabayi. “Hamare room ka number hi aisa hai, bhai. Normal cheezein uske saath suit nahi karti.”
Imran, jo ab tak thoda side mein khada sab dekh raha tha, ne bina emotion ke ek line boli, “Normal cheezein campus mein waise bhi rare hain.” Uski awaaz low thi, par uske words mein weight tha. Mehak door se uski taraf ek second ke liye dekhti rahi, phir jaldi se nazar hata li. Woh casual hoke bhi, uske andhar ka tension kahin na kahin dikh jaata tha.
Tabhi ek second-year student, geela bag kandhe par latkaye, Rohan ke paas aakar ruk gaya. “Tum Rohan ho na? Tumne Kunal ke baare mein suna?” usne dheere se poocha.
Common room ki noise ek pal ke liye aur faint ho gayi.
Rohan ka face tight hua. “Kya suna?”
“Bas,” student ne idhar-udhar dekhte hue kaha, “kal shaam ko old admin block ke paas dekha gaya tha. Kisi ne bola woh akela tha. Phir… pata nahi.”
Kabir ki aankhon mein turant alertness aa gayi. Arjun ne bhi mazaak ka tone thoda side mein rakh diya. “Old admin block?” usne repeat kiya. “Wahan kaun jaata hai waise bhi?”
Student ne kandhe uchka diye. “Koi nahi jaata. Isi liye toh yaad raha.”
Rohan ne usse aur kuch poochna chaha, par student crowd mein ghul gaya..
Canteen ke side lane mein baarish abhi bhi halki si chhanti hui thi, jaise aasman ne poora mood kharab karne ke bajay sirf warning de di ho. Sodium lights ka peela sa glow wet tiles par phisal raha tha, aur girls’ hostel ki deewar ke paas rakhe do umbrellas hawa mein thoda-thoda kaanp rahe the. Arjun jaldi-जल्दी chal raha tha, collar upar kiye, jaise usse khud bhi pata ho ki raat uske saath mazaak nahi kar rahi.
Tabhi ek familiar awaaz aayi.
“Hero banne ka shauk hai ya bas aaj bhi late ho?”
Arjun ruk gaya. Naina side se nikal kar aayi, ek haath mein black umbrella, doosre mein ek paper cup jisme chai ka last sip bacha tha. Uska expression bilkul relaxed tha, par aankhen seedha Arjun ke face par tik gayi, jaise woh uske tension ka exact map padh rahi ho.
“Tum?” Arjun ne brows uthaye. “Is lane mein tumhara daily patrol hai kya?”
“Hostel side lane hai,” Naina ne halki si smile ke saath kaha. “Mere liye normal route. Tumhare liye… shayad dramatic entrance.”
Arjun ne dheere se exhale kiya. “Main bas walk kar raha tha.”
“Of course.” Naina ne cup se steam ki taraf dekha. “Aajkal tumhara walk bhi suspicious lagta hai.”
Woh dono kuch seconds tak chup rahe. Door canteen ke paas ek steel plate girne ki awaaz aayi, aur phir kisi junior ka hasna. Normal campus sounds the, lekin lane mein kuch aur hi tension bhari hui thi. Arjun ne apne phone ko pocket mein thapp se dabaya, jaise usse yaad ho ki uske paas koi answer nahi hai.
Naina ne uski taraf dekhte hue casually bola, “Waise, ek baat sunni thi.”
Arjun ka jaw tighten hua. “Kis type ki baat?”
“Gossip type,” Naina ne easy tone mein kaha, “but thoda weird bhi. Boys’ hostel ke paas raat ko footsteps sunayi de rahe hain. Odd hours pe. Kabhi second floor ke neeche, kabhi back corridor mein. Ek-do log bol rahe the koi late-night round laga raha hai.”
Arjun ne uski aankhon mein seedha dekha. “Tumne khud suna?”
Naina ne shoulder shrug kiya, jaise issue bada nahi ho. “Maine? Ek baar. Shaayad. Ya shayad kisi ne zyada loudly apne shoes ghaseete. Campus mein log har cheez ko mystery bana dete hain.” Phir usne Arjun ko quietly observe kiya. “Par tum itne tense kyun lag rahe ho?”
“Main tense nahi hoon.”
“Arjun,” Naina ne naam ko halka sa stretch kiya, “tumhare face pe likha hai.”
Woh halki si muskurahat ke saath uski taraf ek step aayi, phir nazar lane ke end par le gayi. “And one more thing. Kal shaam ko do log Kunal ke baare mein pooch rahe the.”
Arjun ka expression ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaya. “Kaun?”
“Pata nahi.” Naina ne awaaz aur neeche kar di. “Ek senior-type tha, dusra outsider jaisa. Hostel office ke paas idhar-udhar ghoom rahe the..
Seminar room bilkul khaali tha, bas bahar baarish ki halki-tik-tik aur window glass par tap-tap karti boondon ki awaaz. Whiteboard par ab bhi half-erased formulas chipke hue the—kabhi ek matrix, kabhi ek arrow, kabhi professor ki hurried handwriting jaisi lines, jo aadhi mit chuki thi. Room ki fluorescent light thodi thandi si thi, aur chairs ulat-pulat hokar aise pade the jaise class khatam nahi, koi chhoti si emergency khatam hui ho.
Arjun ne board ke neeche padhe marker ko uthaya, phir bina likhe hi wapas rakh diya. “Okay, so,” usne slow sa bolke room ka mood halka rakhne ki koshish ki, “scratch on the latch was real. CCTV glitch was not random. Aur ye cloth strip... yeh bhi kisi fashion statement ka part nahi lagta.”
Kabir, jo khidki ke paas wall se shoulder tikaye khada tha, ne ek baar hansi dabayi. “Campus ka koi stylish ghost hoga.”
“Tu mazaak baad mein,” Arjun ne kaha, lekin uski awaaz mein bhi tension thi. “Kunal ka phone ab bhi ring kar raha hai. Matlab battery dead nahi, ya kisi ne switch off karke rakha hai. Either way, he’s not answering.”
Kabir ne apni jeans ki pocket se ek folded paper nikaala—same rough notes jo unhone din bhar me jaldi-jaldi likhe the. Usne us par ungli chalayi. “Aaj ka pattern dekh. Admin block, library side gate, then seminar wing. Har jagah movement ka ek gap. Jaise koi campus ke andar ek route map kar raha ho.”
Arjun ne uski taraf dekha. “Prank ke liye itna organized? No chance. Ye koi bachkaani masti nahi hai.”
Kabir ka jaw tightened. “Exactly. Aur jo bhi hai, woh humein dekh bhi raha hai. CCTV glitch ussi time hua jab corridor empty tha. Coincidence nahin.”
Tabhi Arjun ke phone ne buzz kiya. Screen par faculty group ka message chamak utha:
**Mandatory Attendance Audit tomorrow, 9 AM. All students must report with ID cards. Non-compliance will be escalated to Dean’s office.**
Arjun ne ek second ke liye bas screen dekhi. “Great. Ab campus ko attendance ka bhi obsession chadh gaya.”
Kabir ne message padhte hi seedha bola, “Aur Kunal missing hai. Perfect timing. Audit ke din agar woh absent dikha, toh sabse pehle uska naam register mein red flag ho jayega.”