Arjun has kar board ke paas thoda aur aage badha. Naina aur Pooja side corridor se guzri, dono ke beech casual sa comment exchange hua, lekin unka dhyan bhi noticeboard ki taraf ek second ko gaya. Naina ki smile thodi tight thi; Pooja ne bas ek quick glance diya aur aage nikal gayi. Atmosphere mein ek ajeeb si restraint aa gayi thi, jaise sabko pata ho ki kuch missing hai, par koi loud nahi bolna chahta.
Arjun ke shoe ke paas kuch safed sa pada chamka. Usne casually jhuk kar uthaya, jaise bas paper ka tukda ho. Par jab usne side mein palat kar dekha, uska expression ek second ko change hua.
Torn slip of paper.
Uspar bas do cheezein dikh rahi thi—ek partial room number: “6_”, aur neeche faded ink mein ek time stamp: “11:4_”.
Arjun ne apni palm mein slip fold ki aur bina drama ke pocket mein daal diya. Uske face par ab bhi lightweight smile thi, lekin uski eyes sharp ho chuki thi.
Kabir ne uski movement notice ki. “Kya mila?”
“Nothing,” Arjun bola, too quickly. Phir apni voice normal karke add kiya, “Bas campus ka ek aur sad secret.”
Rohan ka dhyaan ab bhi guard par tha. Guard ne ek step side liya, phir turant pretend kiya ki woh notice board ke pinboard ko dekh raha hai. Itna fake interest kiya jaise uska kaam hi yahi ho. Rohan ne dheere se kaha, “Woh definitely normal nahi hai.”
“Kaun normal hai yahan?” Kabir ne thoda sard hansi ke saath bola. “Room 69 ka fanclub bhi toh campus mein hidden feel karta hai.”
Arjun ne usko dekha. “69 ka joke abhi mat maar. Mood already weird hai.”
Kabir ne haath upar kiye. “Fine..
Library ke bahar wali steps par shaam ka light peela-sa pad raha tha, aur side lawn mein hawa itni dheemi thi jaise campus khud kuch chhupa raha ho. Room 69 ke chaaron boys ek hi jagah khade the, lekin directions alag-alag thi.
“Main Kunal ke usual spots dekh leta hoon,” Kabir ne apne bag ka strap seedha karte hue kaha. “Canteen ke piche, old cycle stand, aur woh bench jahan log assignment ke naam pe drama karte hain.”
Arjun ne half-smile diya, par uske eyes mein mazaak kam aur tension zyada thi. “Theek. Main aur Rohan route compare karte hain. Tu bas kuch solid laana, hero mat banna.”
Kabir ne unki taraf dekha, phir bina aur bolne mess road ki taraf nikal gaya. Uska walk bhi aisa tha jaise woh kisi se poochhne nahi, seedha nikal ke dekhne ja raha ho.
Imran, jo ab tak chup khada tha, bas ek halki nod ke saath mess ki taraf mud gaya. Usne zyada baat kabhi ki nahi, par jab poochta tha, log khud bolne lagte the. Mess ke andar steel plates ki khanak aur dal ki smell ke beech woh seedhe counter ke paas gaya.
“Bhaiya, Kunal ko aaj kal dekha tha?” usne dheere se poocha.
Counter wala pehle toh normal tha, phir usne Imran ke face ko dekha aur awaaz aur kam kar li. “Haan… kuch din se yahin aata tha. Par saath mein kuch bolta nahi tha. Bas soch mein rehta tha.”
“Worried lag raha tha?”
Bhaiya ne idhar-udhar nazar daali, jaise walls bhi sun rahi hon. “Bahut. Do-teen din se. Khana bhi dhang se nahi kha raha tha. Ek baar bola tha—‘sab theek nahi hai.’ Bas itna hi. Phir chala gaya.”
Imran ne sir hila diya. “Kis baat ka tension?”
“Woh toh nahi bola.” Bhaiya ne jhijhakte hue tray uthayi. “Aur beta, zyada mat pooch. Kuch cheezein campus mein bolne se pehle hi ghoom jaati hain.”
Udhar library steps ke neeche Arjun aur Rohan ek bench par baith gaye. Rohan ke paas notebook thi, aur usne already do routes pencil se mark kar diye the. Arjun ne uske shoulder ke over jhaank kar dekha.
“Kunal library se yahin side lawn cross karke old hostel wing ki taraf gaya tha,” Rohan ne low voice mein kaha. “At least, last CCTV timestamp aur student report usi direction ko point karte hain.”
Arjun ki smile gayab ho gayi. “Old hostel wing? Wahan toh log din mein bhi avoid karte hain.”
“Exactly.” Rohan ne glasses adjust kiye. “And if he went there after dark, it wasn’t casual.”
Kabir wapas aaya toh uske paas koi flashy revelation nahi tha, sirf ek tight expression tha. “Kunal ka regular spot empty tha. Cycle stand pe ek senior mila, par woh bolne se bach raha tha. Bas itna bola ki Kunal kisi ke saath argue nahi kar raha tha. Ulta, woh khud nervous tha.”
“About what?” Arjun ne poocha.
Kabir ne kandhe uthaaye. “Woh nahi bola. Bolte waqt usne apne aap ko ek baar bhi seedha nahi dekha.”.
Old hostel wing ka corridor afternoon ke baad aur zyada lamba lag raha tha, jaise building ne saans rok li ho. Ventilator ki dheemi awaaz, faded walls par peeling paint, aur floor ke corners mein jamti hui dhool—sab kuch itna still tha ki Arjun ko apne footsteps bhi loud lag rahe the.
“Yahan ka mood hi creepy hai,” Rohan ne dheere se bola, apne glasses ko set karte hue. “Aur smell bhi. Old wood, dampness... aur—”
“Smoke,” Kabir ne usse pehle hi cut kiya. Woh ek side se chal raha tha, nazar corridor ke end par tikki hui. “Cigarette smoke.”
Imran ne bina kuch kahe sirf ek baar sar uthaya. Woh hamesha ki tarah kam bolta tha, lekin uski eyes sab notice kar rahi thi. Arjun ne uske expression se hi samajh liya ki woh bhi kuch unusual feel kar raha hai.
Room 69 ke naam par pehle log haste the, par ab jab woh is wing mein khade the, number ek joke ki tarah nahi, warning ki tarah lag raha tha.
Kabir ne maintenance door ki taraf ishara kiya. “Yeh dekh.”
Door half-open tha. Bas itna sa ki koi andar tak झाँक sakta tha, lekin full entry ke liye push karna pade. Frame ke paas fresh scrape marks the, jaise kisi ne recently shoulder ya kisi hard object se usse ragda ho. Arjun ne ungli se mark ke paas dust chhua; naya tha, bilkul naya.
“Someone was here recently,” Rohan ne whisper kiya, jaise khud ko hi confirm kar raha ho.
“Obviously,” Kabir ne jawab diya. “Question yeh hai, kaun aur kyun.”
Imran ne door ko dhire se khola. Hinges ne bas ek halki si squeak ki, phir room ke andar ka andhera unke saamne fail gaya. Maintenance room zyada bada nahi tha—purane buckets, broken mop sticks, ek rusted shelf, aur floor par accumulated dust. Par hawa mein cigarette smoke ki faint smell ab bhi bachi hui thi, jaise koi abhi-abhi nikal kar gaya ho.
Arjun ne flashlight on ki. Beam shelf ke neeche aur corner par phiri. “Kunal ka naam yahan kyun aa raha hai?” usne chupke se kaha, jaise jawab room sun lega.
Rohan ne floor ke paas kuch chamakta dekha. “Woh kya hai?”