Kabir neeche झुका aur do fingers se ek campus ID sleeve uthayi. Plastic thoda bent tha, edges par dirt lagi thi. Sleeve ke andar koi card nahi tha, bas clear cover aur back side par ek faint printed line. Rohan ne apni pocket se tissue nikala, jaise habit se hi cheezein handle karna chahta ho.
“Ye Kunal ke batch color jaisa lag raha hai,” Rohan bola. “Same maroon tone.”
Arjun ki nazar uske paas hi zameen par padi—ek broken pen cap. Faded blue body, chipped end, aur side par tiny white scratch. “Kunal ka pen,” Arjun ne dheere se bola. “Woh hamesha aisa hi use karta tha.”
Kabir ka jaw tight hua. “Toh yeh accidental nahi hai. Kisi ne yahan uski cheezon ko touch kiya.”
“Par struggle ke marks?” Rohan ne room ko dekhte hue kaha. “Kahin kuch टूटा हुआ nahi, buckets ulte nahi, shelf bhi theek hai. Yeh room... too clean hai.”.
Class khatam hote hi rooftop ka hawa aur tez lagne लगी. Neeche campus ka shor ek dull hum mein badal gaya tha, aur upar metal railing ke paas Kabir akela khada tha, apni sleeves ko thoda sa roll karke, jaise kisi cheez ka pressure haath mein rok sakta ho. Uske dimaag mein Kunal ka naam baar-baar takra raha tha—missing ex-student, purani files, adhoore hints, aur Room 69 ka woh ajeeb sa shadow jo har naye clue ke saath aur lamba hota ja raha tha.
“Tum yahan chupke se hero banne aaye ho?” Riya ki awaaz pehle aayi, phir woh khud. Black tote shoulder par, chin thodi upar, eyes mein wahi sharpness jo Kabir ko irritate bhi karti thi aur attract bhi. “Ya phir 69 ka matlab aaj bhi samajh nahi aaya?”
Kabir ne bina mudhe kaha, “Tumhari entry hamesha warning se hoti hai kya?”
“Warning hoti toh tum sudhar jaate,” Riya boli, railing ke paas aa kar khadi ho gayi. Uski tone casual thi, par uski ungliyaan bag strap par tight ho rahi thi. “Main mazaak ke mood mein nahi hoon, Kabir.”
Yeh sunke Kabir finally uski taraf muda. “Kya hua?”
Riya ne ek second ke liye nazar hataayi, jaise kisi ek sach ko bolne se pehle usse check kar rahi ho. “Maine Kunal ka naam suna.”
Kabir ka poora body ek beat ke liye still ho gaya. “Kahan?”
“Neighboring college mein. Ek friend ne casually bola tha—Kunal wahan kisi se pooch raha tha Room 69 ke baare mein.” Riya ki voice dheemi ho gayi, but crisp. “Bas itna hi.”
Kabir ne seedha poocha, “Kaun friend?”
Riya ne turant hansi ka ek fake sa sound diya. “Oh no. Tum investigative mode mein aa gaye. Source dead end hai, Kabir. Jitna bolna tha bol diya.”
“Riya—”
“Don’t.” Usne haath uthake usse roka, par uski aankhon mein pehli baar woh usual taunt nahi tha. “Mujhe pata hai tum kya karne wale ho. Tum source pakdoge, phir source ka source, phir campus ka aadha gossip network. Aur tab tak jo asli baat hai, woh phir se kisi aur ke paas chali jaayegi.”
Kabir ne jawline tight ki. “Toh Kunal ab bhi yahin se connected hai.”
“Ya tha,” Riya ne correction kiya. “Aur woh Room 69 ke baare mein specifically pooch raha tha. That’s not random.”
Neeche courtyard mein kuch students hans rahe the, par rooftop par hawa aur unki saans ka sound zyada clear ho gaya tha. Kabir ne railing par haath rakha. “Tumne pehle kyu nahi bataya?”
Riya ki aankhon mein thodi si annoyance chamki, phir soft ho gayi. “Because I didn’t want to see that look on your face.”
“Kaisa look?”
“Jaisa ab hai.” Woh ek step aur paas aayi. “Kabir, tum kabhi kabhi bahut zyada alone ho jaate ho is case mein. Jaise sab kuch tumhe hi uthana hai.”
Kabir ne ek chhota sa, tired sa laugh diya. “Aur tum mujhe lecture dene aayi ho?”
“Maybe.”.
Hostel ki corridor mein raat aur zyada bhaari lag rahi thi, jaise deewar bhi unki wapas aane ki khabar sun chuki ho. Arjun ne apni keys ek haath mein ghumaate hue gate khola, lekin uske usual easy smile mein ab patience kam aur irritation zyada tha. Kabir seedha andar ghusa, shoulders tight, jaise poori campus uske against ho. Rohan piche-piche aaya, file aur phone dono ko itni care se pakde hue jaise unmein hi jawab chhupa ho. Imran sabse last mein tha, chup-chaap, par uski nazar har kone ko scan kar rahi thi.
“Bas itna hi mila?” Arjun ne low voice mein poocha, aur khud hi jawab bhi de diya. “Ye toh kuch bhi nahi hai.”
Kabir ne ek dry laugh diya. “Kuch bhi nahi? Bhai, humne library ke purane register, parking ke CCTV ka aadha broken footage, aur do staff ke half-truths nikale. Campus ka treasure hunt tha kya?”
Rohan ne turant protest kiya. “Nahi, it’s not nothing. It’s pattern. Kunal ka naam har jagah direct nahi, but indirect aa raha hai. Someone is cleaning the trail, not erasing it completely.”
Arjun ne bed ke paas jaakar table lamp on kiya. Light fall hote hi usne door ke neeche kuch safed sa notice jaisa dekha. “Yeh kya hai?”
Room 69 ke andar ek second ke liye sab silent ho gaye. Kabir ne pehle reach kiya, note uthaya, ek fold khol ke padha. Uske chehre pe mazaak ka usual mask bhi utar gaya.
“Stop looking where you’re not invited.”
Bas itna hi tha. Seedha, thanda, aur itna close ki room ki hawa hi badal gayi.
Arjun ne note uske haath se le liya. “Warden ke paas jaate hain. Abhi.”
Kabir ka jawline tighten hua. “Aur unko kya bolenge? Ki humein anonymous threat mila hai aur hum phir se blind chase pe lag gaye? No. Pehle aur dekhte hain.”
“Digging ke naam pe tum apni jaan risk karoge?” Arjun ne sharp tone mein bola. “This is not a movie, Kabir.”
Kabir ne bhi equally hard look diya. “Aur tumhara plan kya hai? Formal complaint aur ek aur lecture? Kunal gayab hai, Arjun. Koi usse chhupa raha hai. Ye note proof hai.”
Rohan, jo ab tak note ke edges ko dekh raha tha, achanak bola, “Wait.”
Dono uski taraf mud gaye.
“Paper,” Rohan ne note ko lamp ke neeche laakar dekha. “This isn’t normal printer sheet. See the faint watermark? Aur ye texture—admin block stationery jaisa hai. Same off-white, same grain.”
Arjun ne note ko aur kareeb se dekha. Kabir ki aankhen patli ho gayin. “Tu sure hai?”
“Almost,” Rohan bola, voice steady but tense. “Main library aur office samples compare kar chuka hoon. Ye random nahi hai. Campus ke andar se hai. Kisi staff ya admin access wale ke paas aisa paper hoga.”
Room mein phir silence aa gaya, lekin ab woh pehle jaisa empty silence nahi tha. Ab usmein ek naam-less threat tha, jo corridor se nikal kar unke bed ke bilkul paas aa baitha tha.
Imran ne pehli baar note se nazar hataakar baaki teenon ko dekha..