Naya School, Naya Darr
Raat ke 2 baje the.
Poora kamra shaant tha.
Sirf clock ki "tick-tick" awaaz sunai de rahi thi.
Ayaan Verma apne bed par leta hua ceiling ko ghoor raha tha. Uski aankhon mein neend thi, par dimaag mein hazaar sawaal.
"Yaar… kal naya school hai… aur mujhe already lag raha hai kuch gadbad hone wali hai,"
usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Ayaan 15 saal ka tha.
Class 9 ka student.
Aur overthinking ka national champion.
Kal se wo join karne wala tha —
Moonridge Public School.
Naam sunte hi uska dil thoda sa hil gaya.
Moon
Ridge
Public School
Haunted School (uske dimaag mein)
"Kaunsa normal school aisa naam rakhta hai?"
Ayaan ne pillow ko hug karte hue socha.
Subah Ka Safar
Agli subah…
School bus zor se ruki.
SCREEEEECHHH!
Ayaan almost seat se gir gaya.
"Driver uncle, Formula One race nahi chal raha
usne seat pakad ke kaha.
Bus ke bahar ek bada sa gate tha.
Upar likha tha:
MOONRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL
Where Future Meets Destiny
Ayaan ne padh kar sigh li.
"Future meets destiny… ya future meets problem?"
Andar Ka Pehla Kadam
Jaise hi Ayaan gate ke andar gaya—
THUD!
Gate apne aap band ho gaya.
Ayaan ruk gaya.
Heart fast beat karne laga.
"Automatic hoga… haan haan… automatic hi hoga…"
Tabhi paas se peon muskurata hua bola:
"Beta, gate thoda ajeeb hai.
Kabhi khulta hai, kabhi band hota hai…
kabhi kisi ko andar hi rakh leta hai."
Ayaan:
"…ANDAR HI RAKH LETA HAI?!"
Peon haste hue chala gaya.
Ayaan wahi khada reh gaya.
"Main abhi ghar ja sakta hoon kya?"
Class 9-B
Notice board par likha tha:
Class: 9-B
Ayaan dheere dheere classroom mein gaya.
Room thoda purana tha.
Walls par ajeeb se symbols bane the.
Blackboard par cracks the, jaise kisi ne use todne ki koshish ki ho.
Usne last bench choose ki.
"Safe zone,"
usne mann mein kaha.
Teacher Ki Entry
Thodi der baad teacher aaye.
Lambe, patle, serious face.
Naam board par likha tha:
Mr. Darkhan
Students ne ek saath bola:
"Good morning, sir…"
Mr. Darkhan ne dheere se kaha:
"Good morning."
Unki awaaz thodi… heavy thi.
Unki nazar Ayaan par ruki.
"New student?"
"Yes sir… Ayaan Verma."
Teacher muskuraye.
Par wo smile normal nahi thi.
Thodi tedhi.
Thodi ajeeb.
"Welcome, Ayaan,"
unhone kaha.
Jaise warning ho.
Pehla Ajeeb Pal
Class chal rahi thi.
Maths ka lecture.
Sab bored.
Tabhi…
CRRRKKKKK…
Blackboard khud likhne laga.
Chalk bina kisi haath ke chal rahi thi.
Dheere dheere likha:
HELLO AYAAN
Ayaan ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Ye… ye hallucination hai…
main stress mein hoon…"
Usne aankh band ki.
Phir kholi.
Words wahi the.
Uska benchmate dheere se bola:
"Bhai… tu bhi dekh raha hai na?"
Ayaan ne ghoor kar dekha.
"TU BHI?!
Ek Funny Twist
Peeche se ek ladke ki awaaz aayi:
"Arre relax yaar… itna dramatic kyun ho raha hai?"
Wo ladka grin kar raha tha.
Naam: Kabir Malhotra
School ka sabse bada joker
"Ye sab roz hota hai," Kabir bola.
Ayaan shock mein tha.
"ROZ?!"
"Haan… bas naye students ke saath."
Ayaan: "Main hi kyun?!
Kabir hansa.
"Welcome to Moonridge, bro."
Recess
Bell baji.
Sab students bahar bhaag gaye.
Canteen ki taraf.
Ayaan wahi baitha reh gaya.
Uska dimaag ghoom raha tha.
Tab usne blackboard par last line dekhi:
THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.
Uska gala sookh gaya.
Dheere se bola:
"…Main school transfer le sakta hoon kya?"