Pen drive Sana ke bag me thi, par uska bojh uske dimag me tha.
Raat bhar neend nahi aayi. Baar-baar wahi khayal—agar ye sab bahar aa gaya to?
Subah Aliyar ka message aaya:
"Aaj school se pehle library."
Library almost khaali thi. Sirf ceiling fan ki awaaz aur pages palatne ki halki si sound.
Aliyar ne laptop nikala. "Ready?"
Sana ne gehri saans li. "Haan."
Pen drive plug hui. Screen par ek single folder tha: CONFESSION_FINAL
Video open hua.
Rayan ka chehra screen par aaya—tired, bina attitude ke.
"Main jo bolne ja raha hoon, wo sach hai," uski awaaz heavy thi.
"Galti meri thi. Par main akela nahi tha."
Sana ka haath automatically Aliyar ki taraf chala gaya.
Video me Rayan ne names nahi liye, par hints clear the—pressure, silence, authority.
Aur ek line par Sana ka dil zor se dhadka:
"Ek student ko scapegoat banana easy hota hai… kyunki wo akela hota hai."
Aliyar ne video pause kar diya.
"Ye kaafi hai," usne kaha. "Par dangerous bhi."
"Kyuki ab sab log involve ho jayenge," Sana ne dheere se bola.
Usi waqt library ka door khula.
Vice-principal andar aaye.
"Tum dono yahan kya kar rahe ho?" unki awaaz normal thi, par aankhen alert.
Aliyar ne laptop band kar diya. "Project work, sir."
Vice-principal ruk gaye. Unki nazar bag par padi—Sana ke bag par.
"Kisi ne complaint ki hai," unhone kaha. "Sensitive content circulate ho raha hai."
Sana ka dil dhak-dhak karne laga.
"Tum dono office aao. Abhi."
Corridor me chalte waqt Sana ko laga jaise school ki deewarein bhi sun rahi hain.
Office ke bahar already kuch teachers khade the. Whispers. Looks.
Principal ne andar bulate hi kaha,
"Hum chahte hain ye matter quietly handle ho."
Aliyar seedha bol pada, "Aur agar quietly ka matlab sach ko dabana ho?"
Room me ek second ke liye complete silence ho gaya.
Principal ne Sana ki taraf dekha. "Tum kya chahti ho?"
Sana ne pehli baar bina dare kaha,
"Main chahti hoon ki jo hua, wahi likha jaye. Poora."
Vice-principal ne file band ki. "Soch lo. Isse tum dono ki image, exams, future—sab affect hoga."
Aliyar ne Sana ki taraf dekha. Sana ne haan me sir hila diya.
"Future tab kharab hota hai," Sana ne kaha,
"jab hum galat ke saath khade hote hain."
Principal ne lambi saans li. "Humein proof chahiye."
Aliyar ne calmly kaha,
"Proof humare paas hai. Par decision aapka hai—
ya to school ka naam bachega…
ya sach."
Office se nikalte hi Sana ke phone par unknown number se message aaya:
"Agar video bahar gayi, to tum dono zimmedar hoge."
Sana ka chehra pale ho gaya.
Aliyar ne message padh liya.
Usne phone Sana ko wapas dete hue kaha,
"Lagta hai ab game openly kheli jayegi."
Aur wahi, corridor ke end par,
ek aur student khada tha—
jo ye sab chup-chap sun raha tha.
Uske haath me bhi phone tha.
Aur screen par record button ON tha.