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Neel Gupta, 19, Jabalpur se naya-naya aaya tha Mumbai Masters in Environmental Science ke liye. Uska admission St. Xavira College mein hua tha jiska boys’ hostel 1930s ka tha—yeh jagah jungle ke beech thi, lekin ab kaafi students rehte the. Naye session mein Neel ko Room 58 mila.
Room purana tha, lekin thik-thak. Par ek ajeeb cheez thi—ek concrete box kamre ke kone mein, zameen se juda hua. Lag raha tha kisi zamaney mein wahan paudha ugaya gaya ho. Hostel ke wardens ne kaha, “Use mat chhuo. Waqt guzar gaya, ab bas showpiece hai.”
Neel, Nature ka shagird, curious ho gaya. Ek raat, jab sab so rahe the, usne box mein dekha: halki si kacchi-kacchi si mitti aur kuch murjhaaye hue roots. Usne paani dala, aur ek chhoti si green shoot dikhne lagi agle subah.
Teen din baad, shoot minibamboo jaisa ho gaya. Kabhi-kabhi room mein earthy smell aa jaati thi — lekin garam, thoda ajeeb. Ek raat Neel sapne mein us paudhe ko dekhta. Uske roots bed ke neeche tak ja rahe the. Sapne mein awaaz aayi: “Khaali mat chhodo humein.”
Neel class chhod kar waapis aya aur paudhe mein thoda khun mila diya. Uska finger cut ho gaya tha paper se. Paudha hilta raha thodi der. Uske baad—aur rapid growth hui. Ek patta ban gaya chehre jaisa. Jaise kisi ne whisper kiya ho: “Aur do.”
Room ka temperature badhta gaya. Lekin baahar sab normal tha. Hostel ke Laundry Wala Bhaiyya ne kaha, “Room 58? Pichle 4 batch se wo bandh hi rehta tha. Tum kaise mil gaya?” Neel has diya. “Log extra emotional ho jaate hain plants ko leke,” usne kaha.
Ek raat Neel fir sapne mein wahi paudha dekh raha tha. Is baar uske saalon ki yaadein us box mein khich rahi thi. Maa ke saath last picnic, school ka annual day. Har memory root ban ja rahi thi. Neel cheekh pada, par awaaz uske gale ke andar hi atak gayi.
Agli subah Neel college gaya hi nahi. Hostel ke students ne dekha, uske room ke andar halke green moisture ka layer the walls pe tha. Uske bed ke niche kuch hilta hua dikh raha tha. Koi andar nahi gaya. Warden ne darwaza todwaya.
Andar Neel tha hi nahi. Sirf ek naya patta, uspe likha kuch tha – jaise kisi ne ungli se likha ho mitti mein: “Ab humein sambhal lo.”
Paudha ab teen feet ka ho gaya tha, aur har patte pe kisi chehre ke traces the. Pichle batch ka Satyam, jo bina bata drop out ho gaya tha. Ek aur ladka, jiska transfer ho gaya, bina notice ke. Sabke chehre.
Government authorities aaye, box ko seal kiya gaya. Par ek din ek junior student ne curious hoke box ke paas paani gira diya. Agle din wo bhi gayab tha.
Aur ab, Room 58 ab officially ‘Occupancy Blocked’ declare ho chuka hai.
Par hostel ke raat ki lighting mein jab koi us box ke paas se guzarta hai, to usmein halke-halki awaazein aati hain—“Paudha yaad rakhta hai. Jo diya gaya… usse wapas chahiye.”
