Rohan ne phone ko haath me pakad kar screen ko ghurte hue dekha.
Message sirf do shabdon ka tha — "Tum aa hi gaye."
Na koi number, na koi profile, bas wahi unknown sender.
Usne aas-paas dekha. School gate par bheed thi. Students haste-bolte andar ja rahe the, jaise yeh ek bilkul normal din ho. Kisi ke chehre par darr ka naam tak nahi tha.
Par Rohan ke liye har chehra ab shaq ke daayre me aa chuka tha.
"Calm reh," usne apne aap se kaha aur gate ke andar chala gaya.
Corridor me ghuste hi use ek ajeeb sa ehsaas hua — jaise hawa thodi bhaari ho. Classrooms se awaazein aa rahi thi, chalk board par likhne ki, benches khisakne ki, par Rohan ka dhyaan sirf ek hi baat par tha:
kaun use dekh raha hai?
Apni class me jaakar jaise hi woh apni seat par baitha, uska dil achanak tez dhadakne laga.
Uski bench par kuch likha hua tha.
Pehlay use laga shayad kisi ne pen se kuch kharoch diya ho, par jab usne dhyaan se dekha to uske haath thode kaanp gaye.
Bench par laal rang se likha tha:
"Warning samajh nahi aati?"
Laal rang thoda sukha hua tha, jaise thodi der pehle hi likha gaya ho.
Rohan ne ungli se chhoo kar dekha. Rang thanda tha.
Usne turant peeche mudkar dekha.
Peeche baithne wala ladka apni notebook me kuch likh raha tha. Aage wali ladki apni dost se hans kar baat kar rahi thi.
Kisi ke chehre par kuch bhi ajeeb nahi tha.
"Yeh ho hi nahi sakta…" Rohan ne dheere se kaha.
Period shuru ho chuka tha, par Rohan ka dhyaan bilkul nahi lag raha tha. Teacher board par padha rahe the, par Rohan ke kaan me sirf apni dhadkan ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Uska phone silent par tha, phir bhi use lag raha tha jaise woh phir se vibrate karega.
Lunch break me usne Aman ko side me bulaya.
"Aman, mujhe serious baat karni hai," Rohan ne kaha.
Aman ne uska chehra dekha aur hansna band kar diya.
"Kya hua? Tu theek nahi lag raha."
Rohan ne bina kisi ko dekhe bench par likha message dikhaya aur raat wali call ke baare me bata diya.
Aman pehle chup raha, phir bola, "Ho sakta hai kisi ne tujhe daraane ke liye kiya ho."
Par usi waqt Aman ke phone par notification aayi.
Aman ne jaise hi message padha, uska chehra safed pad gaya.
Usne chupchaap phone Rohan ke haath me de diya.
Message likha tha:
"Ab do log ho gaye ho. Galti mat karna."
Dono kuch seconds tak ek dusre ko dekhte rahe.
Ab yeh mazaak nahi raha tha.
Yeh koi khel bhi nahi tha.
School chhutti ke baad jab Rohan apna bag utha raha tha, use apne bag ke andar ek kagaz mehsoos hua.
Usne chupke se nikala.
Us par likha tha:
"Store room. Aaj 4 baje. Agar sach chahiye."
Rohan ne Aman ki taraf dekha.
Aman ne sirf itna kaha, "Agar hum nahi gaye… to yeh kabhi khatam nahi hoga."
School ki ghanti baji.
Bachche bahar nikalne lage.
Aur Rohan ko pehli baar laga —
shayad school ke andar hi kuch aisa chhupa hai, jo bahar aana chahta hai.