Ek second ke liye dono ke beech sirf fan ki purani creak aur door ke neeche se aati hawa thi. Phir Tara ne apna backpack floor par drop kiya. Itna sudden tha ki Kabir ne instinctively ek step peeche liya, but she was already smiling—brief, fierce, almost dangerous.
“Dar lag raha hai?” usne poocha.
Kabir ne seedha uski taraf dekha. “Tujhe?”
“Not even a little.”
“Phir tu itni restless kyun hai?”
Tara ne kandhe uchkaaye. “Because I hate this campus right now. Aur kyun na kuch aisa karun jo normal na ho.”
Kabir ka throat dry ho gaya. Uske andar ka rebel usually loud hota tha—motorcycle, fights, sarcastic lines—but is waqt woh silence ke against khada tha. Tara ki presence mein uska usual confidence ek edge pe tha, jahan excitement aur panic ek hi line mein mil rahe the.
“Yeh normal nahi hai,” Kabir ne bina smile ke kaha.
“Good.” Tara ne ek slow, deliberate step aur liya..
Boy’s hostel passage mein raat ka andhera waise hi heavy tha, aur upar se tube light ka flicker usse aur bechain bana raha tha. Har dusre second light dim hoti, phir ek jhatke se wapas aati, jaise hostel khud saans le raha ho. Room 69 ke bahar ka corridor khaali tha, bas ek door aadha khula hua tha, uski patli si gap se thandi hawa andar aa rahi thi.
Kabir seedhiyon se utra to uske steps mein woh pehle wali akad nahi thi. Face normal tha, par aankhen alag tarah se chal rahi thi, jaise woh kisi aur scene se abhi-abhi nikla ho aur yahan waapas aane mein time lag raha ho. Arjun ne ek nazar mein samajh liya, lekin kuch bola nahi. Rohan ne bas apni spectacles ke upar se usse dekha aur thoda sa head tilt kiya—later, wala look. Kabir ne jawab mein bas shoulder shrug kiya, jaise abhi baat karne ka mood hi nahi.
“Sab theek?” Imran ne dheere se poocha.
Kabir ne haan mein sir hilaya. “Haan. Bas… walk lamba ho gaya.”
Arjun ne uske face ko second bhar observe kiya, phir common desk ki taraf mud gaya. Desk pe keys ka chhota sa bunch, register, aur maintenance log pada tha. Usne haath badhaya, ek purani brass key nikaali, phir ruk gaya. Bunch halka lag raha tha.
“Ruk.” Arjun ne brow furrow ki. “Yeh maintenance key kahan gayi?”
Rohan seedha desk ke paas aaya. Usne log book kholi, phir key ring ko dobara count kiya. “Ek missing hai. Woh blue tag wali.”
Kabir ne pehli baar genuinely alert hokar dekha. “Yahan se koi bhi le sakta hai?”
“Normal days mein maybe.” Arjun ki awaaz low thi. “Lekin raat ko? Aur bina sign-out ke?”
Rohan ne pen ko log book par tap kiya. “Either koi careless hai, ya phir kisi ko pata tha woh key kahan use hogi.”
Yeh line corridor mein thodi der ke liye atak gayi. Door ke paas ek faint knock jaisa sound hua—shayed hawa, shayed koi pipe. Phir upar se ek dham se aawaz aayi. Muffled thud. Jaise kisi ne heavy cheez floor par gira di ho.
Sab ek saath freeze.
Imran pehle move hua. “Upar?”
Arjun ne bina sochhe lantern uthayi, jo desk ke neeche emergency ke liye rakhi thi. “Chalo.”
Stairs chadhte waqt light do baar aur flicker hui. Kabir last mein tha, uske jaw tight the. Upar wali landing pe pahunchte hi unhe smell aayi—wet cement aur kuch metallic sa, jaise pani kisi rusted surface se guzra ho. Corridor mein ek room ka latch half-broken latak raha tha, aur uske niche floor par ek wet footprint trail ja rahi thi. Nanga, clear, aur fresh.
Rohan ne apne shoes ke paas ruk kar floor inspect kiya. “Yeh normal water nahi lag raha.”
Arjun ne trail ko follow kiya, phir broken latch ko dekha. “Kisi ne door force kiya.”
Kabir ne dheere se ek aur step liya, phir ruk gaya. “Aur thud isi room se aayi thi?”
Imran ne sirf ek baar room ke andar andhera dekha..
Courtyard ke edge par raat aur gehri ho chuki thi. Broken security light kabhi jalta, kabhi mar jaata, jaise campus khud saans rok kar kuch sun raha ho. Door kahin thunder ghooma, aur hostel ke peechhe wale neem ke patton mein halki si sarsarahat phail gayi. Room 69 ke chaaron boys ek doosre se thoda door khade the, par nazrein ek hi direction mein atki hui thi.
“Plan simple hai,” Arjun ne low voice mein bola, apni charm wali habit ko is time zabardasti serious bana kar. “Main warden ke paas jaata hoon. Story tight rakhni hai. Bas itna bolenge ki courtyard mein noise thi, hum check kar rahe the.”
Rohan ne turant apna phone nikala, screen ki light ko haath se cover karte hue. “Main guard ko dekh leta hoon. Uska mood pehle se kharab hai, toh extra drama nahi chahiye. Aur haan, agar koi CCTV ka poochhe, toh main maintenance timing ka angle use kar sakta hoon.”
Kabir ne ek sookhi hansi di, par uski aankhon mein mazaak se zyada alertness thi. “Toh main kya karun? Saza ka official face banu? Main story straight rakhunga. Agar koi puchhe ki raat ko yahan kyun the, toh bol dena Room 69 ka ‘normal’ version dekhne aaye the.” Usne apne kandhe se bag adjust kiya. “Waise bhi, is hostel mein 69 normal kab raha hai.”
Imran, jo ab tak chup tha, bas ek bench ke paas nazar ghumata raha. “Main yahin rahunga,” usne dheere se kaha. “Agar kuch move hua toh notice kar lunga.”
Arjun ne uski taraf dekha. “Perfect. Tu dekh, hum handle karte hain.”
Tabhi unke peeche heels ki soft awaz aayi. Sab ne ek saath mudkar dekha. Dr. Meera Kapoor courtyard ke dark side se nikal kar aayi thi, dupatta ko halkasa shoulder par sambhalte hue. Uski presence aise thi jaise room mein temperature ek degree aur gir gaya ho. Calm face, steady eyes, aur woh expression jo seedhe jawaab nahi, seedhe sach maangta tha.
“Tum log abhi tak yahan ho?” usne poocha, bilkul normal tone mein, jo aur bhi unsettling thi. “Late night courtyard mein group meeting ka reason kya hai?”
Arjun ne apni voice steady rakhi. “Madam, bas hostel ka matter hai. Routine check.”
Dr. Meera ki nazar ek-ek karke sab par phiri. “Routine check itni tension ke saath hota hai?” phir usne Rohan ke phone ko dekha, Kabir ke bag ko, aur Imran ke silent stance ko. “Aur warden ya guard ko inform kiye bina?”
Koi turant jawab nahi de paaya.
Woh ek step aage aayi, broken light ke neeche uska chehra aur clear ho gaya. “Main galat jagah par hoon, ya tum log galat cheez chhupa rahe ho?” usne softly poocha.
Kabir ne jawline tight ki. “Madam, hum bas—”
“Bachche nahi ho,” Dr. Meera ne uski baat kaat di, lekin awaaz mein gussa nahi tha. Sirf woh cold calm jo aur dangerous lagti hai. “Aur agar ye Kunal se related hai, toh waqt waste mat karo.”
Us naam ne courtyard ki hawa aur bhaari kar di..