📍 Chapter 22 – Classroom ke Raaz ka Doosra Darwaza
Aaj school ki hawa kuch alag hi thi… jaise purani deewaarein bhi kuch kahna chah rahi ho. Kal raat ki sab baatein abhi tak Aarav ke dimaag me ghoom rahi thi—wo parchhi, wo shadow aur wo aadhe sach jo kisi ne jaane-bujhe chhupa rakhe the.
Mehreen subah class me sabse pehle aayi. Uske chehre par hamesha wali sakoon bhari muskurahat nahi thi. Aaj wo bilkul chup, bilkul khoyi hui. Usne desk par haath rakha aur dheere se bola:
“Yeh sab kaise ho raha hai Aarav? Hamari class… hamari zindagi… sab badal kyun raha hai?”
Aarav ne uske paas baithkar kaha,
“Shayad hum kuch aise raaz ke beech me aa gaye hain jise school dikhana nahi chahta.”
Mehreen ne use dekha. “Par hum kar kya sakte hain?”
Aarav ne apni pocket se wo parchhi nikali jo pichli raat milी thi—kaali siyahi me likha ek hi sentence:
“Jo dekhna chahte ho, uska doosra darwaza classroom 12 ke peeche hai.”
Mehreen ne parchhi dekhi aur uska dil ek pal ke liye ruk sa gaya.
“Doosra darwaza? Classroom 12 ke peeche? Par peeche to sirf storeroom area hai… waha to kabhi koi nahi jaata.”
Aarav ne parchhi fold ki.
“Isi liye to… wahi sabse sahi jagah hai kuch chhupane ke liye.”
🕒 School ke Baad – Investigation Start
Classes khatam hote hi Aarav aur Mehreen classroom 12 ke peeche wale corridor me gaye. Waha hamesha ki tarah wo purana shaant environment tha… webs, dhool, aur dim light. Lekin aaj… kuch alag lag raha tha.
Jaisе koi aa kar abhi-abhi gaya ho.
Mehreen ne dheere se pucha,
“Aarav… kya tumhe bhi… koi dekh raha ho jaisa feel ho raha hai?”
Aarav ne sidha jawaab nahi diya. Uski nazrein ek point par tiki hui thi—
storeroom ki side wali blackened wall par.
Ek patli si line, jaise do panels jode gaye ho.
Aarav ne haath rakha—
aur wo panel halka sa move hua.
Mehreen ki saansein atak gayi.
“Yeh… door hai?”
Aarav ne dheere se pressure dala.
CREAK…
Ek chhota sa hidden sliding door khul gaya.
Un dono ne ek dusre ko dekha.
Dar bhi tha… par curiosity aur zyada thi.
🔦 Andar Ka Andhera – The Second Door
Jaise hi wo andar gaye, hawa thandi ho gayi.
Room bilkul dark tha, sirf Aarav ke phone ki flashlight thi.
Andar deewar par kuch papers chipke hue the. Purane… pille pille… jaise kisi ne saalon pehle likhe ho. Mehreen ne ek sheet uthai.
Us par likha tha:
"Classroom 12, Batch 2014 – Incident Report (Never Submitted)."
Mehreen ka gala suk gaya.
“Aarav… yeh kya matlab hai? School me koi incident hua tha? Par kyun kisi ko nahi bataya?”
Aarav ne doosri sheet padhi.
Usme students ke naam… aur ek naam par circle bana hua:
“A.D.”
Mehreen ne turant Aarav ki taraf dekha.
“Yeh tumhare initials jaisa hai…”
Aarav ka chehra utar gaya.
“Par mera to 2024 batch hai… 2014 me koi aur A.D. tha.”
Mehreen ne dheere se kaha,
“Kya yeh sab ussi shadow ka connection ho sakta hai? Jo tumhe baar-baar dikh raha hai?”
Aarav jawab de hi raha tha ki peeche se thapp… thapp… jaise footsteps aaye.
Dono ki rooh kaanp gayi.
⚠️ Footsteps… and a Warning
Unhone torch ek taraf kari—
koi nahi.
Par footsteps clear the… door ke bahar ruk gaye.
Aarav ne Mehreen ko peeche ki taraf push kiya.
“Don’t worry… main hoon.”
Footsteps thame.
Aur door ke neeche se ek parchhi slide kar gayi.
Aarav ne uthai.
Parchhi me sirf do words the:
“STOP NOW.”
Mehreen ka rang ud gaya.
“Aarav… koi hume dekh raha hai… koi nahi chahta hum yeh sab jaanen.”
Aarav gussa daba nahi paya.
“Bas isi liye to aur jaana padega.”
📚 Hidden Files – History Repeats
Room me ek purana metal locker bhi tha. Lock zyada strong nahi lag raha tha. Aarav ne halki force lagayi aur wo khul gaya. Uske andar ek file thi—dusty, torn, lekin clearly important.
File ka title dekh kar Mehreen ka dil phat gaya:
“Classroom 12 – Behavior & Shadows Case File.”
Mehreen ne turant pages palatne start kiye. Usme students ke statements the… teachers ke reports… aur ek baar-baar repeat hota hua line:
“Shadow appears near the student chosen by A.D.”
Mehreen ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
“A.D. koi student nahi tha… koi selector tha. Kisi ko bhi choose karta… aur phir uske saath kuch hota.”
Aarav ne file se ek aur sheet nikali.
Usme likha tha:
“Next chosen one will be connected to the truth seeker.”
Aarav: “Truth seeker? Matlab jo yeh sab jaanne ki koshish kare…”
Mehreen ka dil zor se dhadka.
“Matlab… tum.”
Aarav ne flashlight thodi neeche ki… aur dono ke paon ke paas ussi shadow ki silhouette dikhi—bilkul same jaisi pichli baar.
Mehreen ne zor se Aarav ka haath pakda.
“Aarav… kuch aa raha hai. Chalo yaha se!”
🏃 Escape – But Not Really
Dono bhaagte hue room se bahar aaye. Corridor dark tha, hawa heavy, jaise koi unke paas hi ho. Classroom 12 ke paas pahunch kar Mehreen ne rone jaisi awaz me kaha:
“Yeh sab humse kyun ho raha hai, Aarav? Humne kya kiya?”
Aarav uski taraf mudha.
“Shayad hum bas galat waqt pe sach ke paas aa gaye. School ke raaz… kisi ko nahi pasand aate.”
Mehreen ko chain nahi aa raha tha.
“Par aage kya? Hum kya karein?”
Aarav ne parchhi pakdi jisse unhe warning mili thi.
Usne kaha:
“Hum rukne wale nahi… ab sach jaana hi hoga. Chahe koi bhi shadow ho.”
Door ke peeche se phir woh halki si thap-thap ki awaz aayi… jaise koi unki baat sun raha ho.
Mehreen ne aankhen band ki.
“Aarav… kya hum sach me safe hain?”
Aarav ne dheere se kaha:
“Ab nahi… par jaldi honge.”
Aur classroom 12 ke bulb ne ek baar flicker kiya.
Bas.
Chapter ends with tension.