Arjun, jo ab tak window ke paas khada tha, phone ko palm mein ghumata raha. Uski voice halka sa casual thi, but eyes mein woh easy charm nahi tha, sirf irritation thi. “Kunal room se nikla tha, uske baad se no proper sighting. Aur campus gate pe jo guard tha, woh bol raha hai, ‘mujhe yaad nahi.’ Sabko yaad nahi hota, bhai. Convenient amnesia.”
Imran chup tha. Woh hamesha ki tarah sabse kam bol raha tha, lekin uski nazar CCTV screenshot par atki hui thi. Blurry frame mein ek white van ya delivery jeep jaisi koi vehicle thi, bas half-visible. Usne apna phone uthaya, brightness badhayi, aur angutha image par drag kiya.
“Ruko,” woh bola.
Teenon turant uski taraf dekhe. Imran ne screen table par rakh di. “Yeh number plate dekh rahe ho? Repeat ho rahi hai.”
Rohan ne glasses adjust kiye. “Repeat?”
Imran ne screenshot ke do alag frames khole. “Haan. Same last digits. Aur shape bhi. Yeh ek hi vehicle ho sakti hai, alag angle se. Matlab jo bhi Kunal ke aas-paas tha, usne campus ka layout pehle se samjha hua tha. Random outsider itni clean movement nahi karega.”
Room mein ek second ka silence utar aaya. Sirf ceiling fan ki kharr-kharr aur corridor se aati door slam ki awaaz.
Kabir ne lower voice mein kaha, “Tum keh rahe ho koi campus ke andar ka banda.”
“Shayad,” Imran ne seedha jawab diya. “Ya koi aisa jo yahan aata-jaata raha hai. Routes, timing, blind spots. Jo bhi tha, usko pata tha security kab kamzor hoti hai.”
Arjun ne ek slow breath li. “Toh simple disappearance nahi hai.”
“Kabhi tha bhi nahi,” Rohan muttered. “Aur jo message mila tha, usmein jo line thi—‘wrong room, wrong night’—woh joke nahi tha.”
Kabir ki aankh ek second ke liye Room 69 ke board par gayi, jo door ke upar latak raha tha. “69 pe already enough jokes ho chuke hain campus mein,” usne dry tone mein kaha. “Ab bas yahi kam tha ki mystery bhi yahin aa jaye.”
Arjun ne half-smile diya, phir turant serious ho gaya. “Mazaak baad mein. Pehle yeh batao—agar koi system ko clean kar raha hai, toh next step kya hoga?”
Imran ne phone lock kiya. “Next step? Woh log pattern samajh rahe honge ki hum kya dekh rahe hain. Isliye ab humein quietly kaam karna hoga.”.
Canteen ke back table par shaam ka light peela sa ho gaya tha, jaise campus ne apni saari awaaz dheere-dheere nigal li ho. Steel ki plates, chai ki khushboo, aur door se aati hostels ki bhari hui hansi ke beech Arjun apni chair mein thoda sa pichhe lean karke baitha tha. Kabir uske saamne se ek samosa tod raha tha, Rohan notebook ke corner par kuch likh bhi nahi raha tha, bas soch mein dooba hua tha, aur Imran chupchaap glass mein paani ghumata ja raha tha.
Tabhi Naina aayi.
Woh hamesha ki tarah seedhi chalti thi, bina kisi drama ke, lekin uski presence mein ek alag hi control tha. Na zyada serious, na zyada soft. Bas itni calm ki saamne wale ko yaad aa jaye ki is campus mein kuch cheezein sirf dekhne se samajh aati hain. Arjun ne usko dekhte hi ek halka sa smile diya, aur Naina ne us smile ka jawab de diya—par sirf utna hi jitna dena zaroori tha.
“Late?” Arjun ne casual tone mein poocha.
“Tum logon ki table par aake punctual kaun hota hai,” Naina ne dry sa reply diya, aur chair khisakakar baith gayi.
Kabir ne ek eyebrow uthaayi. “Matlab hum ab bhi trustworthy nahi hain.”
“Tum?” Naina ne uski taraf dekha, almost amused. “Tum toh campus ke weather report jaise ho. Kabhi bhi badal jaate ho.”
Rohan ki hansi nikal gayi, aur Imran ke hothon par ek chhota sa smile aaya, jo almost miss ho jaata agar Arjun dhyaan se na dekh raha hota.
Naina ne Arjun ki taraf dobara dekha. Is baar uski aankhon mein koi complaint nahi thi, koi expectation nahi thi. Bas ek quiet understanding thi—jaise dono ko pata ho ki kuch baatein ab bolne ki zaroorat hi nahi rahi. Chapter khatam hone wala hai, aur dono us ending ko drag nahi kar rahe.
Arjun ne bhi usko wahi respect diya. Na koi old joke, na koi awkward explanation. Bas ek simple nod.
“Sab theek?” Naina ne poocha, lekin tone mein concern kam, awareness zyada thi.
“Campus hai,” Arjun ne kaha. “Theek kab hota hai.”
“Fair,” Naina said, aur spoon se apni chai ko ek baar stir kiya. “Bas apni side pe chaos ko zyada feed mat karna.”
Kabir ne turant bola, “Usmein hum expert hain.”
“Wohi toh problem hai,” Naina ne bina dekhe jawab diya.
Uska ye line bolna tha ki canteen ke doosre kone mein ek staff member ke haath se tray achanak slip ho gayi. Metal ki khanak poori canteen mein phail gayi, ek plate zameen par ghoomti hui ruki, aur ek guard jo ussi waqt paas se nikal raha tha, ek second ke liye ruk gaya. Sabne udhar dekha.
“Arre bas,” staff member ne embarrassed hoke kaha, jhukkar bartan sametne laga.
Guard ne ek quick glance maara, phir bina kuch bole aage badh gaya.
Lekin Arjun ki nazar us guard par nahi ruki. Uski nazar us timing par thi. Exact moment..
Admin block ki staircase par shaam ka andhera dheere-dheere chadh raha tha, jaise campus ki roshni bhi kisi baat se katra rahi ho. Kabir ne railing ko ek baar tap kiya aur seedhi nazar neeche bheji. “CCTV room ke side wala angle yahin se aata hai,” usne low voice mein kaha. “Aur agar Kunal ko koi shift kar raha tha, toh isi taraf se hua hoga.”
Rohan uske peeche tha, phone ki flashlight ko ek narrow beam mein set karke. Uska chehra usual se zyada tense lag raha tha, lekin awaaz steady thi. “Maintenance log mein is stairwell ka mention hai. Mostly locked rehta hai. Sirf janitor aur admin access,” usne murmured. “Par lock recent lag raha hai. Old rust ke upar naya scratch hai.”
Kabir ne eyebrow uthayi. “Toh kisi ne recently khola.”
Rohan ne nod kiya aur side door ke handle ko dhakka diya. Door band tha, magar lock ke paas jo paint chip hua tha, woh fresh sa lag raha tha. Kabir ne ek kadam aur paas jaake sniff kiya, phir seedha muh banaya. “Dust, damp concrete… aur kuch aur bhi.”
“Recently disturbed,” Rohan bolte hue ruk gaya. Uski flashlight beam floor par phisli aur ek kone mein atak gayi. Wahan, ek torn slip pada tha—kagaz ka chhota sa tukda, corner se phata hua. Kabir ne jhukkar uthaya.
Slip par bas aadha room number dikh raha tha: “1?9” aur neeche hostel extension ka ek hissa—“3-4”. Baaki sab jaise jaan-bujhkar mita diya gaya ho.
Kabir ne paper ko ungliyon ke beech ghumaya. “Room number partial hai. Extension bhi incomplete. But this is not random.”
Rohan ki aankhen narrow ho gayin. “Kunal ko panic mein drag nahi kiya gaya tha,” usne dheere se kaha. “Kisi ne usko move kiya. Controlled way mein.”
Kabir ka jaw tight ho gaya. “Aur agar move kiya gaya, toh campus ke andar hi kahin.”