# Chapter 13 — Static in the Hallway
Imran ne door ko kandhe se halka sa dhakka diya aur room ki thandi hawa andar aa gayi, par Mehak ko zyada farq nahi pada. Uski nazar seedha Imran par thi, jo ek plain white T-shirt mein khada tha, sleeves thodi si rolled, aur us kapde ke neeche uska frame itna clearly dikh raha tha ki Mehak ne apni saans ek pal ke liye rok li. Curves nahi, par proper boy-wali shape—wide shoulders, narrow waist, aur chest par cotton ka aisa pull ki har move ke saath fabric zara sa stretch hota. T-shirt us par bas padi nahi thi, usse hold kar rahi thi.
“Tu aise kyun dekh rahi hai?” Imran ne half-smile ke saath pucha, awaaz mein woh familiar challenge.
Mehak ne apna dupatta shoulder se theek kiya, par aankhen hatayi nahi. “Kyuki tu jaan-bujh ke aise khada hai,” usne bola, aur uske lip corner pe ek tiny smile aa gayi.
Imran ne ek step aage liya. “Main normal hi khada hoon.”
“Normal?” Mehak ne ek chhoti si hansi daba li. “Normal mein itna attitude aur itni… fit T-shirt nahi hoti.”
Usne ye bolte hue dheere se Imran ke chest ke paas finger se halka sa circle banaya, bas kapde ke upar se, aur phir turant haath wapas le liya. Imran ki aankhon mein kuch dark sa chamka. Wo aur kareeb aaya, itna ki unke beech ki hawa garam lagne lagi.
“Mehak,” usne low voice mein kaha, “tu khud ko innocent mat samajh.”
“Main innocent kab thi?” usne dheere se reply diya, aur is baar uski awaz mein sharaarat zyada thi.
Imran ne laugh kiya, phir uska wrist pakad kar apni taraf kheench liya. Mehak seedhi uske saamne aa gayi, aur ab us white T-shirt ki details aur obvious ho gayin—collar ke paas halka sa crease, chest par fabric ka soft pull, aur side se ek clean line jo uski body ko aur sharp dikhati thi. Mehak ne apna thumb uske shoulder par rakha, phir dheere se uski sleeve ke edge ko pinch kiya.
“Ye T-shirt tujh par bahut…” usne sentence ko jaan-bujh ke adhoora chhoda.
“Bahut kya?” Imran ne poocha, lekin uski smile already answer samajh chuki thi.
“Bahut dangerous,” Mehak ne finally bola.
Imran ne uski chin uthaayi. “Achha?”
Mehak ne bas haan mein aankh se ishara kiya. Room ka silence suddenly loud ho gaya—fan ki dheemi awaaz, corridor mein door slam, aur un dono ke beech woh electric pause jo bolne se zyada feel hota tha..
Canteen ka late morning scene usual hi tha—steel trays ki khanak, chair ghisne ki awaaz, aur midterm ke baad ka woh special panic jisme har koi ek dusre ko dekh kar bhi answer sheet dhoondh raha hota hai. Fan dheere-dheere ghoom raha tha, par heat aur gossip dono fast chal rahe the.
Arjun ne apni chai ka cup ek side rakha aur table par bikhre samose ke crumbs ko ungli se hataya. “Yaar, mujhe lag raha hai campus ka har banda aaj Kunal ka naam le raha hai,” usne half-smile ke saath bola. “Jaise exam ke baad attendance bhi usi se lagni thi.”
Rohan, jo apni notebook khol ke usme kuch likh bhi raha tha aur sun bhi raha tha, bina upar dekhe bola, “Attendance ka toh pata nahi, but uska missing period ab bhi explain nahi hua. Aur sabse weird baat ye hai ki jab woh wapas aaya, uske paas kuch bolne ke liye tha hi nahi.”
Kabir ne apni bottle ka cap ghumaaya. Uska tone halkasa impatient tha, par aankhon mein woh usual sharpness thi. “Bolne ke liye tha ya bolna nahi chahta tha, dono alag cheezein hain. Mujhe bas ye samajh nahi aa raha ki jo banda gaayab tha, woh campus ke kaunse kone mein tha. Aur kisne dekha.”
Imran chup-chaap baitha tha, par uski nazar har movement catch kar rahi thi. Usne apni thandi coffee ka sip liya aur dheere se bola, “Kunal ne jis tarah room ke baare mein react kiya tha, woh normal nahi tha. Jaise usne kuch aisa dekh liya ho jo dekhna nahi chahiye tha.”
Arjun ne eyebrow raise ki. “Room 69 jaisa kuch?”
Kabir ne huff kiya. “Har cheez ko 69 joke mat bana. Waise bhi, hamare hostel ka naam hota toh bhi log usme mystery dhoondh lete.” Phir woh thoda serious hua. “But seriously, uski aankhon mein darr tha. Aur darr ka reason campus ke andar hi hai, bahar nahi.”
Tabhi canteen wall par naya notice chipkaya gaya. Safed paper, bold black heading: Student Safety and Restricted Access After Dark. Neeche rules the—main gate ke baad movement limit, old blocks mein entry restriction, aur unauthorized presence par disciplinary action. Language itni formal aur over-serious thi ki Arjun bhi seedha ho gaya.
Rohan ne notice ko padhte hue sharmaate hue nahi, balki suspiciously dekha. “Ye policy jaisa kam aur cover-up jaisa zyada lag raha hai.”
Kabir ne chair ke back pe elbow tikaya. “Exactly. ‘Safety’ likh kar log usually panic calm karte hain. Par yahan tone dekh. Jaise kisi ne jaldi-jaldi nuksaan control karne ki koshish ki ho.”
Imran ne bas ek baar notice ki taraf dekha aur phir apni plate mein bachi pakodi ko stare kiya. “Ya phir kisi ko pata chal gaya ho ki raat ko koi cheez campus mein move kar rahi hai.”
Arjun ne kuch bolne se pehle hi ek familiar, composed shadow unke table ke paas se guzri. Dr. Meera Kapoor—files ka stack, crisp cotton saree, aur woh calm expression jo hamesha class ke baad bhi classroom ka control uske paas hi rakhta tha..
Library corridor ki hawa bhi aaj kuch zyada hi seedhi lag rahi thi, jaise kisi ne saare corners ko ek line mein khinch diya ho. Afternoon classes ke beech ka yeh waqt usually library ke bahar halki-fulki bheed ka hota tha, par aaj corridor mein awaaz kam, nazrein zyada thi.
Arjun ne apna notebook band kiya aur Rohan ki taraf jhuka. “Toh, jo tu keh raha tha… Kunal ne exactly kya bola?”
Rohan ne spectacles ko finger se thoda adjust kiya, phir dheere se bola, “Wahi. Alive hai, but badly shaken. Aur statements… inconsistent hain.” Uski voice mein nerdy precision thi, par tension bhi. “Har baar ek detail same aa rahi hai.”
Arjun ne eyebrow raise ki. “Kaunsi?”
Rohan ne ek second ke liye corridor ke end par dekha, phir answer diya, “Someone moved him. Then changed their mind.”
Arjun ka smile us pal ke liye gayab ho gaya. “Moved him? Matlab room se bahar?”
“Could be. Ya kisi aur jagah shift kiya. But he keeps saying the same sequence, almost like memory mein woh loop ho gaya ho.” Rohan ne file ko tight pakad liya. “Aur uske baad panic. Jaise kisi ne usse half-way mein ruka diya ho.”
Arjun ne halki saans chhodi. “Great. Matlab hum ek missing ex-student ke breadcrumbs follow kar rahe hain, and breadcrumbs bhi confused hain.”
“Room 69 ka case hi confused hai,” Rohan ne dry tone mein kaha. “Number bhi 69, room bhi cursed, aur clues bhi half-baked.”
Arjun hansa, par woh hansi sirf surface tak rahi. “Tu bhi na.”