The Link- 10- The One With The Password

The next day, Kriti had to get up early, so as to try to return to her normal life. She had put the alarm on phone at night and tried to get a sleep. But, she couldn’t. Many questions surrounded her. She wanted to avoid these questions, but had no wayout. She took her meds and tried to sleep. But, again, there were questions. The most prominent one being… Abhigyan… He was a mystery, a curiosity… that was growing day by day.

The morning that followed was bright and the sun was scorching high. She got ready for the college much before time and waited for Nidhin to pick her up.

Nidhin reached the Roys’ mansion at the agreed time, but since Kriti was waiting for him, she felt that he is late.

“Why are you late?”

“I am not late… I am here on time… see it’s just 7:35.”

“So… you are five minutes late…”

“Hahaha… you have changed… I mean you were the person who would always reach the class after half of it was already done… how many times teacher had not let you enter in the class… because for the 10 o’ clock class… you would be entering at 10:45…”

“Wow… I am like that?”

“Yup…”

“Okay… then…” she sat down on the sofa and ordered one of the maids to bring coffee for the two of them.

“What are you doing… aren’t you getting late now…?”

“I am just trying to be me… I am in the habit of being late… U forgot?”

Nidhin just smiled… He had realised that Kriti is not completely lost…

“Well… ummm…. what were you talking about WordPress, that day?”

“Oh…ya… I just remember that image… I hope you know…”

“Ya everybody knows… your mom and dad were telling everybody in the party.”

“Mmm… saved my work… well… so do you know anything?”

“Well… I have already told you what i knew…”

“And you were saying something about the password for your laptop?” Asked Nidhin.

“Ya… but…” Before Kriti could complete her sentence, Mrs. Roy came in with the coffee.

“Namaste aunty…” Nidhin greeted Mrs. Roy.

“Namaste beta… how are you…”

“I am good and you..”

“How can I be fine… she said looking at Kriti…

Nidhin was dum stuck at this. he didn’t knew what to say or ask… so he looked at Kriti and asked “shall we go now… i mean we are adequately late…”

“Oh… ya… okay…”

Mrs. Roy was not very happy with her decision to join the college so early… but she had no say… in the lives of her own family.

“Just take care of her… she is not in a position to do that…” Mrs. Roy told Nidhin in a requesting tone.

“Don’t worry Aunty… she has trusted me for the first time… and I bet… the moment she meets her friends and teachers… she would regain her memory…”

“Well… I can only hope..”

“What are you two talking about… Nidhin… please let’s go…” Kriti screamed from inside the car.

Nidhin sat beside her on the back seat. Mrs. Roy waved Byei to Kriti… till the time the chauffeur took the car out of her sight.

Kriti’s college was just at a distance of 15 minutes.

As soon as they reached there, some looked at her with disappointment, some with hidden laughs, some with amazement but mostly with despair, as if they want to say, “bechaari ka kuch nahi ho sakta…”

By this time, Kriti had gone used to all these kinds of reactions. She may not understand herself, but she could clearly make out the script written on every face…

“hi….” A girl colored all in pink, almost came rushing towards Kriti and hugged her without any prior notice.

“Ohh… ohkay…” Kriti said while desisting her.

“How are you?” she asked..

“Well before that… who are you?” Kriti asked.

“Oh My god… you don’t remember me? I am Snidha….” the girl gave a look as if ‘how can you forget me’…

“Ohkay… Snidha… I am fine… I will see you later…”

“Ya… ya…” she said in that in an accent and gave way.

After she was gone, Kriti asked Nidhin.

“Who was she… i mean were we best friends?”

“No… actually she is just a classmate… you rarely talk.”

“Really? I mean her conduct…”

“I am sorry, but i must say that i am enjoying this…” He said… trying to resist his laughter.

“You know, it’s not funny.”

“Ya… i know… but still…”

“So are we having any class?”

“I guess no… she was roaming around… and I don’t believe her… But I just got a message that we don’t have a class till 10. We had a two hour lecture, but the professor is on leave… in the meantime… do you want to meet your friends?”

“Umm… actually no… can we sit somewhere… where nobody would disturb me… i don’t think I am ready to meet people.

“Okay… then let’s go to the class… we can sit there… there is no class right now… it would be empty.”

They reached their class, and true… there was no one.

She asked Nidhin, where she used to sit.

He pointed at the third desk.

“Ohkay… you know… it’s strange… I mean I myself am feeling ‘how dumb’…”

“No… it’s not dumb… it’s the curiosity… and it’s good…”

Kriti smiled.

“So, while were are free for almost 2 hours… what are we gonna do…” she asked.

“Well… you were telling something about the password… i didn’t get it… i mean which password…?”

“There are many, but to start with… the laptop password.”

“Oh… let me see…”

Kriti took out the laptop from her bag… and gave it to Nidhin.

“Hmmm…” with this sound he opened the flap and switched the On button.

The laptop asked for the password. Nidhin clicked at the ‘Help’ button.

The question or rather the hint that appeared was… “No one can steal, no one can copy, it’s the thing that determine my writing”

“Hmm…  this looks tough…” Said Nidhin. “no one can steal… or copy… umm… what can it be?”

“No idea…”

“Life… love…. intelligence…? that determines your writing… you write… mostly about college… about social issues, and sometimes friendship…”

“So, we sink the two… no one can steal life and you write about issues relating to real life… let’s try life…” he was calculating.

Nidhin entered the 4 letters… but it was wrong.

Kriti was sitting beside him, but her focus was not on the password, she was quite nervous about the possible things that she would know about herself, once the laptop opens… she was rather scared to explore herself. She was scared of herself now…