# Chapter 2 — The Missing Beat
Kabir ne door ko halkasa dhakka diya aur corridor ki orange light se kamre ke andar ka andhera aur gehra ho gaya. Room 69 ka number plate deewar par chamak raha tha, aur Riya uske saath khadi thi, ek haath mein phone, doosre mein apni dupatta ka kinara pakde hue. Bahar campus ka shor door tha; andar sirf AC ki halki humming aur un dono ki saanson ka ehsaas.
“Tu sach mein nervous hai?” Kabir ne muskurake pucha.
Riya ne aankh upar uthayi, phir dheere se hansi. “Nervous nahi. Bas… dekhna hai tu kitna serious hai.”
Kabir ne ek step aage badhkar usse bilkul paas le liya, aisa jaise room ke beech ki khali jagah ka koi haq hi na ho. Riya ne pehle toh resistance ka sirf naam kiya, phir uske haath Kabir ki shirt ke front par aa gaye. Uska touch halka tha, par usme woh confidence tha jo sirf aadat se aata hai—ya phir kisi chhupi hui bhookh se.
“Main serious hi hoon,” Kabir ne low voice mein kaha. “Bas zyada bolta nahi.”
Riya ne uski collar seedhi ki aur aankhon mein dekhkar boli, “Achha. Toh phir prove kar.”
Yeh bolte hi usne khud hi gap band kar diya. Kabir ka haath uski kamar par gaya, hesitant nahi, ab sure. Riya ki body ek pal ko rigid hui, phir dheere se pighal gayi. Unke beech ka pehla kiss soft tha, testing, jaise dono ek doosre ki permission ko padh rahe hon. Phir doosra kiss aur gehra hua, aur room ki hawa mein ek naya temperature ghul gaya.
Riya ne uske shoulder par fingers tight kiye, aur Kabir ne uske baal ke paas se ek loose strand hata diya. Unki hansi kiss ke beech toot-kar nikal rahi thi, thodi breathless, thodi amused, jaise unhe khud par hi yakeen nahi aa raha ho ki yeh sach ho raha hai. Campus ki boring routine, lecture notes, hostel ke gossip threads—sab kuch us pal ke bahar reh gaya.
Kabir ne uske forehead ke paas ek chhota sa kiss rakha aur phir uska naam bas itna kaha, “Riya.”
Usne jawab mein sirf uski shirt ko aur kas liya. “Room 69 mein khade ho kar itna formal mat ban,” woh whisper karke boli.
Kabir has pada, aur us hasi ke saath hi usne Riya ko phir se apne paas kheench liya. Is baar unka closeness dheere-dheere aur bhi bold hota gaya, ek aisa secret jo sirf unke beech rehna tha. Riya ne apni aankhen band ki, Kabir ke cheek ke paas apna face tikaya, aur uski saanson ki garmahat mein apni shankh jaisi dheemi si hansi ghul gayi..
Late morning ka canteen usual noise se bhara hua tha, phir bhi aaj sab kuch thoda zyada loud aur thoda zyada hollow lag raha tha. Steel plates ki khanak, chai ke kettle ki seeti, benches ka ghisna—sab same tha, par Room 69 ke chaaron boys ke table par ek alag si khamoshi chipki hui thi.
Arjun ne cup ko saundha-sa hilaya aur muskurane ki koshish ki. “Yaar, koi itna bhi serious mat bano. Ho sakta hai Kunal seedha lecture miss karke library me so gaya ho.”
Kabir ne ek teekhi nazar us par phenki. “Library me? Kunal? Woh banda attendance se zyada excuses me interest leta tha, par itna gayab bhi nahi hota.”
Rohan ne apne glasses ko thoda upar kiya, phone screen par baar-baar refresh karte hue bola, “Uske number par calls ja rahi hain, but no answer. WhatsApp pe last seen kal raat ka hai. Uske baad kuch nahi.”
Imran chupchaap chai ka sip leta raha. Uski aankhen table ke kinare par tikki thi, jaise woh kisi aur hi cheez ko sun raha ho. Phir dheere se bola, “Last seen ka matlab kuch bhi ho sakta hai. Battery dead, network off, ya….” Woh ruk gaya.
“Ya?” Arjun ne poocha.
Imran ne kandhe utha diye. “Ya phone uske paas hi na ho.”
Kabir ne chair pe peechhe lean kiya. “Mast. Matlab hum ek missing student ko phone-tracking se dhundh rahe hain aur tum logon ke paas theory hai ki uska phone bhi uske saath nahi hai.”
Rohan ne table par rakhe newspaper ko khola. Front page par campus ke annual fest ki chhoti si news thi, lekin woh usse dekh bhi nahi raha tha. “Morning lecture me bhi nahi aaya tha. Professor ne attendance le li aur bola, ‘Kunal ko bata dena, next time excuse ka format proper ho.’”
Arjun ke hothon par ek aadha smile aaya, phir turant utar gaya. “Missed lecture, unanswered calls, aur last seen. Bas itni si baat hai. Rumor mat banaao.”
“Rumor toh campus ka favourite subject hai,” Kabir ne mutter kiya. “Kal raat se log keh rahe hain usse hostel ke back gate ke paas dekha tha. Kisi ne bola parking lot me. Kisi ne bola city side auto stand pe. Har koi ‘last seen’ ka expert ban gaya hai.”
“Thik hai, par kisi ke paas solid cheez?” Rohan ne poocha.
Imran ne sirf ek line me jawab diya. “Solid kuch nahi.”
Tabhi corridor se heels ki halki tik-tik aayi. Sabki nazar ek saath udhar gayi. Dr. Meera Kapoor apne usual composed andaaz me guzri, files ek hand me, dusre me coffee cup. Unki presence normal se zyada sharp lagti thi, jaise corridor bhi unke aate hi seedha ho gaya ho. Woh thodi der ke liye rukin, canteen ki taraf dekhte hue, aur phir bina expression badle boli, “Campus me students ka vanishing act naya trend ban raha hai kya? Bad decisions ka pehla sign usually silence hota hai.”
Unki baat hawa me thodi der latki reh gayi. Phir woh chal di, jaise kuch kaha hi na ho.
Kabir ne apni chai ka cup neeche rakha. “Wah. Lecture nahi, warning thi.”.
Admin block ke noticeboard ke saamne usually do cheezein hoti thi—circulars aur gossip. Aaj dono hi kuch zyada hi slow the.
Board par naye notices ki ek patli si layer lagi hui thi, lekin beech ka ek khaali space sabse zyada bol raha tha. Wahi jagah, jahan kisi missing student ka formal notice lagna chahiye tha, abhi bhi blank thi. Corridor mein students ka aana-jaana tha, lekin awaaz mein woh usual campus laziness nahi thi. Har koi dheere bol raha tha, jaise walls bhi sun rahi hon.
“Ab tak notice kyun nahi laga?” Kabir ne board ko dekhte hue murmur kiya. Uski tone casual thi, par aankhon mein irritation thi. “College ko lagta hai sab kuch self-correct ho jayega kya?”
Rohan ne apne glasses ke upar se board dekha. “Official process hota hai. Verification, family confirmation, police intimation—”
“Bas, bas,” Arjun ne beech mein toka, half-smile ke saath. “Tu process ka encyclopedia hai. Par point Kabir ka valid hai.”
Imran kuch nahi bola. Bas corridor ke end tak nazar le gaya, jahan ek security guard khada tha. Guard ka posture lazy tha, lekin uski aankhen board se zyada un logon par thi.
Rohan ne bhi notice kiya. “Woh guard…” usne low voice mein kaha. “Pretend kar raha hai ki sun nahi raha. Matlab definitely sun raha hai.”
Kabir ne shoulders shrug kiye. “Campus mein sabhi free mein detective hote hain.”