Guard ne jawab dene se pehle storage room ke locked door ki taraf ek baar dekha, phir waapas un dono par. “Jo log is campus ko tumse zyada samajhte hain. Tumhe jo dekhna tha, dekh liya. Ab aur mat karo.”
Uski awaaz mein dhamki kam, warning zyada thi. Aur shayad isi wajah se line aur bhi khatarnak lagi..
Campus lawns par shaam ka light golden saaya tha, par us glow ke neeche bhi campus apni usual zindagi mein hi laga hua tha—kahin NSS ki registration lines, kahin placement ke liye resume discussion, kahin selfie sticks, kahin canteen se aa rahi samose ki smell. Hostel blocks ke beech se nikalti hawa mein festival ke posters phadphada rahe the, aur har dusre group mein koi na koi future ka plan sun raha tha, jaise kal subah hi sab set ho jaayega. Room 69 ke chaaron boys us crowd ke beech ek alag hi frequency pe the.
Arjun bench ke edge par aadha baitha, aadha khada sa tha, face par woh usual easy smile jo kisi ko bhi convince kar de ki sab under control hai. “Yaar, campus itna busy lag raha hai, jaise kisi ne ghost story ko admission brochure mein print kar diya ho,” usne halka sa bolke mood banane ki koshish ki.
Kabir ne ek dry sa huff diya. “Brochure mein ghost hota toh log aur seriously lete.”
“Tu har cheez ko seriously leta hai, bas bolne ka style casual rakhta hai,” Rohan ne turant toka, par uski aankhon mein bhi woh normal nerd-alert se zyada tension thi. Uske haath mein phone tha, screen par bar-bar same notes app open-close ho rahi thi—Room 69 ke clues, timings, floor numbers, sab kuch jumbled.
Imran sabse alag, thoda side mein khada tha, dono haath pockets mein. Woh kam bolta tha, par jab bhi bolta, seedha point pe. “Aaj crowd zyada hai. Easy hai kisi ko bhi hide karna.”
Kabir ne lawns ke end par khade mess volunteers aur fest coordinators ki taraf dekha. “Aur easy hai kisi ko bhi miss karna.”
Arjun ne uski baat ko half-smile mein todna chaha, par uske phone ne vibration se poori line ka tone badal diya. Screen par ek unknown number. Sirf ek line:
wrong floor. not tonight.
Arjun ka face ek second ke liye blank hua, phir usne phone ko palm mein aise band kiya jaise screen se bhi kuch leak ho sakta ho. “Guys.”
Rohan aur Imran dono seedhe uski taraf dekhne lage. Kabir already alert tha.
Arjun ne phone unke beech nahi, bas apne paas rakha. “Same pattern. Matlab jo bhi hai, nearby hai.”
Rohan ne apna phone check kiya, almost habit mein. Tabhi ek aur notification blink hui—Pooja.
free later?
Usne message ko ek baar padha. Phir dobara. Campus ke shor mein woh chhota sa text ajeeb tarah se loud lag raha tha. Rohan ka thumb screen ke upar ruk gaya. Search, notes, timeline, Kunal ka naam, Room 69 ka pressure—sab ek side, aur yeh simple sa sawaal doosri side. Koi emergency nahi, koi clue nahi, bas ek normal human message. Uski aankhon mein ek brief, tired sa softness aayi, jaise dim light mein ghar ka darwaza yaad aa gaya ho.
“Pooja?” Kabir ne bina tease kiye poocha, bas notice karke.
Rohan ne phone lock kar diya. “Haan. Later bola hai.” Uski voice low thi. “Reply karunga.”
Imran ne lawn ke dusre kone mein ek security guard ko dekhte hue kaha, “Later ka matlab abhi nahi. But it exists. Useful.”
Kabir ne us par ek quick glance maara..
Rohan ke room mein raat kaafi der tak jaagti rahi thi. Table lamp ki peeli roshni bas ek kone ko pakad pa rahi thi, baaki sab shadows mein dooba hua tha. Bahar baarish dheere-dheere window ke glass par tap-tap kar rahi thi, jaise koi patience test kar raha ho. Room 69 ka board door ke bahar andhere mein aadha dikh raha tha, aur Rohan ko pehli baar us number mein koi joke nahi laga.
Uske desk par khule notebooks, ek half-charged phone, aur campus map ka folded sheet bikhra pada tha. Kunal ka naam uske dimaag mein baar-baar aa raha tha, jaise koi adhoori line jo khatam hi nahi hoti. Aaj ka din panic se bhara tha, aur ab jab noise thoda kam hua tha, tab bhi silence sukoon nahi, warning lag rahi thi.
Knock bahut soft tha.
Rohan ne head uthaya. “Come in.”
Pooja andar aayi, umbrella corner mein rakhte hue. Uske hair par rain ki kuch boondein thi, aur uske expression mein woh usual crispness nahi thi jo class ke baad hoti thi. Aaj woh zyada quiet thi. Zyada careful.
“Tum abhi bhi jaag rahe ho,” she said, room ko ek nazar dekhte hue. “Mujhe laga tum already conspiracy wall bana chuke hoge.”
Rohan ne faint smile diya. “Mere paas sirf notes hain. Conspiracy wall ke liye budget kam hai.”
Pooja ne desk ke paas khade hote hue map ki taraf dekha. “Tumhare notes mein bhi aadha campus phansa hua hai.”
“Because campus itself feels phasa hua,” Rohan bola, aur uski awaaz unexpectedly thodi thak gayi. “Kunal missing hai. Faculty strange behave kar rahi hai. Aur Dr. Meera Kapoor ke saamne sab log aise act karte hain jaise attendance nahi, confession de rahe hon.”
Pooja ne ek chhota sa exhale kiya, almost a laugh. “Tumhari analysis dangerous hai, but not wrong.”
Bahar ek tez hawa window se takraayi, aur glass halkasa vibrate hua. Dono ne ek second ke liye chup rehna choose kiya. Phir Pooja chair khinch kar baith gayi, bina kisi hurry ke. Room ke beech ka distance kam hua, lekin us tarah nahi jaisa log usually notice karte hain. Bas itna ki baat karna aasaan ho gaya.
“Tum theek ho?” she asked.
Rohan ne seedha jawab nahi diya. “Main functioning hoon.”
“Ye answer sirf nerds dete hain.”
“Because only nerds survive on it.”
Pooja ne aankhon mein ek soft seriousness ke saath usse dekha. “Rohan, tum sab kuch akela carry mat karo. Agar kuch missing piece hai, toh woh tumhari notebook mein nahi, kisi ke darr mein hoga.”
Woh line room mein thodi der tak reh gayi. Rohan ne apni pen side mein rakh di. Is baar usne kuch prove karne ki koshish nahi ki. Bas quietly uski baat sunta raha. Baarish ka sound aur lamp ki humming ke beech, tension ka ek hissa dheere se pighal gaya—solve nahi, bas shaant.
Pooja ne apna bag uthaya, phir ruk gayi. “Kal subah library ke back section mein milna. Main ek cheez dekh ke aayi hoon..