School chhutti ke baad corridor dheere-dheere khaali ho raha tha. Pehle jahan shor tha, hansi thi, ab wahan sirf footsteps ki halki awaaz bach rahi thi. Rohan aur Aman chupchaap staff room ke paas khade the. Dono ke chehron par tension saaf dikhti thi, par koi kuch bol nahi raha tha.
"Abhi bhi peeche hat sakte hain," Aman ne dheemi awaaz me kaha.
Rohan ne sirf itna bola, "Aur phir zindagi bhar darr ke saath jeeyein?"
Dono ne ek dusre ki taraf dekha, phir bina kuch kahe store room ki taraf chal pade.
Store room school ke sabse purane hisse me tha. Wahan tak jaate-jaate light kam hoti ja rahi thi. Deewaron ka rang utra hua tha, aur chhat se latakti tubelight aadhi jali hui thi. Gate ke saamne pahunchkar Rohan ruk gaya. Uska dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha, jaise usey pehle hi pata ho ki andar kya milne wala hai.
Gate par zung laga hua tha.
Aman ne dheere se dhakka diya.
Kiiiirrrr…
Gate khulte hi awaaz goonj uthi, jaise kamra khud protest kar raha ho. Andar hawa bhari hui thi — purani files, sadi hui lakdi aur band kamre ki ajeeb si smell. Rohan ne mobile ka torch on kiya. Light seedha zameen par padi jahan dhool ki moti parat jami hui thi… par us dhool ke beech pairon ke nishaan saaf dikh rahe the.
"Koi yahan aata-jaata hai," Aman ne kaha.
Rohan ne kuch nahi bola. Uski nazar kamre ke kone par tik chuki thi.
Wahan ek lohe ki almari padi thi, aadhi khuli hui.
Rohan ne jaise hi usse khola, uske haath kaanp gaye.
Andar purani registers, attendance sheets aur kuch files thi… par sabse upar ek moti si diary rakhi hui thi. Cover phata hua tha aur us par haath se likha tha:
"Galtiyan yaad rakhi jaati hain."
Aman ne dheere se diary uthai. Panna khola.
Us par likha tha:
"Aaj phir awaaz uthane walon ko chup kara diya gaya."
Agla panna.
Naam. Dates. Remarks.
Har naam ke saamne ek hi shabd likha tha —
"Transfer."
Par Rohan samajh gaya tha… yeh transfer nahi tha. Yeh kuch aur tha.
"Rohan…" Aman ki awaaz thodi si kaanp rahi thi.
"Yeh naam… yeh log humare school ke students the. Sab top students."
Diary ke aakhri panno par pahunchte hi Rohan ki saans atak gayi.
Wahan fresh ink se likha hua tha:
Rohan Sharma
Aman Verma
Aur unke saamne likha tha —
"Next."
Tabhi achanak…
Dhadam!
Store room ka gate zor se band ho gaya.
Torch ki light jhilmila kar band ho gayi. Andhera poore kamre me phail gaya.
"Kaun hai?!" Rohan chillaya.
Andhere me taali bajne ki awaaz aayi.
Ek awaaz goonji — bilkul wahi awaaz jo raat ko phone par aayi thi.
"Maine kaha tha… sach mehenga padta hai."
Aman ne Rohan ka haath pakad liya.
"Koi yahin hai," usne kaanpte hue kaha.
Light achanak phir se jal uthi.
Gate khula tha.
Par kamra…
khali tha.
Sirf zameen par ek kagaz pada tha.
Rohan ne uthaya.
Us par likha tha:
"Ab tum sirf dekhne wale nahi ho… tum kahani ka hissa ho."
Aur bahar se school ki main light band hone ki awaaz aayi.
Rohan ne pehli baar mehsoos kiya —
yeh sirf darr nahi tha… yeh kisi ka adhoora badla tha.