Beep! Beep!

Some machine clicking sounds could be heard in the background as Aditya drank some sweet lemon juice with a sad expression on his face. He was slowly moving while sitting on a rocking chair as he looked at the busy street in the early morning. The fresh morning air was crisp as winter was on its last stages, and the spring was around the corner. The sweet and sour taste of the juice tickled his taste buds as he looked at the needle poking out of his index finger of the right hand.

This needle, attached to a laptop through a device, was the solution that he and Tya decided on to skip the time-taking process of writing the code for a program. Last month, a significant chunk of his wakeful life had been spent writing the code for different applications. Though it won't be an exaggeration that Aditya could do the work of hundreds of software engineers by himself, it was not enough to meet his goals.

The most frustrating part was that the creative aspect of the program was quickly done, but the writing part took most of his time. They were many days he scolded these computers for being too dumb. Every instruction had to be given clearly in easily understandable language. He felt that it was better to teach kindergarten students than to teach a computer. No wonder everyone was waiting for the quantum computers which had much higher potential for learning.

Aditya had come up with an interesting theory which combined medical knowledge and engineering knowledge. Tya was able to achieve 'Cellular Regulation' or ' Cell Manipulation' now. So, Aditya asked if he could manipulate the nerves in his hand to generate nerve impulses in a prescribed pattern. Tya said it was possible as every cell in Aditya's body was infiltrated by 'Dark Energy' which Tya could manipulate.

Aditya could insert a needle into a nerve in his hand which could conduct the nerve impulses as if they were electrical signals. It is similar to the 'Nerve Conduction Test' done to do Electromyography. After some signal decomposition and rectification, Aditya successfully modified these nerve impulses into binary codes '0' & '1'. With this, Aditya only needed to insert the needle into a finger and Tya could directly convert the nerve impulses into the source code of the software. Aditya did not have to write these lengthy codes.

Aditya tried using external recording electrodes to do the same job as piercing a nerve directly with a needle was quite painful. But he noticed that the electromagnetic fields generated were subtle and difficult to catch for this machine he bought. Aditya needed a more sensitive tool to detect these signals accurately. He could buy them through Rudra or Ishaan.

But, before that, Aditya wanted to see if he could write a program which could make these 'weak' signals easy to interpret. These sensitive machines are costly, which Aditya did not have a problem with, but they were heavy also. Aditya did not want to be seen bringing a colossal machine into his house. Also, it would restrict his movement.

So, Aditya had Tya write a program which could effectively translate these weak, 'hard to detect' electromagnetic signals into binary codes. If that was successful, then Aditya could attach a patch, containing a recording electrode, to his arm. The device, which decomposed these signals and rectified them into a positive polarity, was able to be placed in his pocket.

There will be a lot of strain on the nerve, which will have to be electrically excited multiple times. Tya could easily manage it as one of the abilities of 'Cellular Regulation' was strange healing powers. Though he couldn't regenerate whole limbs if they were cut off, repairing a damaged nerve was possible.

Just as Aditya completed drinking, a notification popped up on the laptop screen. Aditya removed the needle and rubbed the wound with a swab dipped in a disinfectant, as he quickly installed the software. Aditya had already written a 'compiler' and 'linker' program. These could transform the source code of Tya into an executable program.

After the software was installed, a screen, where coding is done, opened. Aditya took a recording electrode and patched it on an accurate location on his forearm. Aditya had mild anticipation in his eyes as he said, "Tya, write some program."

"Which one?" Tya's adorable voice sounded. Aditya rolled his eyes as he forgot that Tya is not good with choosing.

"Tya, write a program which can help me creating 3D models which look exactly like the real world with the help of a normal camera," Aditya asked.

"Okay,"

Ding!

Aditya's excited expression turned into a frown as the program got terminated suddenly. 'was it a failure?'

"Adi, it is successful, the device can accurately transform the electromagnetic waves into the binary code, but this laptop can't handle the code of the program. You have to get me a more efficient computing machine with higher processing capabilities." Tya replied in his cute voice.

"Oh," Aditya's wrinkled brows relaxed when he heard this. "Tya, did you remember when I asked you to prepare a mobile OS with a set of special features?"

"Yes"

"write that one," Aditya said as he looked at the screen again. This time, Aditya saw the code start appearing by itself at a very rapid rate. In just a matter of a few minutes, the code was complete and was transformed into a functional Mobile OS.

When loaded this program into his mobile, he was quite satisfied with it. On the outside, it was no different from Android OS, but the core was something only he knew. He felt a wave of relief in his heart that he did not have to sit in the same place as he wrote tens of thousands of lines in a day.

Just as he was revelling about this success, he heard the sounds of someone climbing the stairs. Aditya remembered the reason as to why he was feeling depressed in the first place. His face became dark again. Aditya couldn't understand the meaning behind Maahi's request that he should start going to school once more.

"I know that you never liked to go to school. But that is what I want you to do," Maahi caressed Aditya's face as she said in a soft voice.

"You know that I quit college and started my own business when I was 17, right?" Maahi asked as she looked at Aditya.

"Yes"

"When I look back after five years of rising into a billionaire, the moments that I truly cherish were those boring days that I spent in school. At that time, everything was interesting and had a new feel."

"A drawing on the school wall, a hovering butterfly in the school grounds or a dry leaf which drifted into my hands in the classroom. Everything felt unique and worthy of attention. Students lived in their small, unique world ignorant of the cruel world out there."

Maahi adjusted herself in Aditya's lap. She passed her slender, exquisite fingers through Aditya's messy hair and smiled. She continued, "those boring lessons which become completely irrelevant to us in the real world. Strict teachers who think that only those students who do their homework can become successful. Students who are so rebellious that they would rather get punished but not obey the rules."

Maahi came so close to Aditya that he could feel her fragrant breath on his face. She looked into Aditya's unwilling eyes and spoke, "that is the place where people are still quite pure in their hearts. I don't mean that everyone is good, but even the bad ones are quite genuine in comparison to the villains of the outside world. I don't want you to go there for studying. I don't care if you pass or fail. But I want you to spend time with your friends. You may think that you have all the friends you need. These friendships require time and care to nurture them. If you do not give them some time of your life, these good friends of yours will leave at some point."

Aditya looked into Maahi's eyes deeply for a moment as he felt warm in his heart when he heard these words. He knew that Maahi did not know of the fact that he was currently planning to rescue his parents.

Maahi wanted him to live a healthy life instead of doing these vague, aimless things he was currently indulging in. She did not know that these unclear things he did were preparations of something bigger.

Maahi was right in thinking that he was neglecting his friends. The number of times Aditya contacted his friends Bhadra and Jatin in the last two months could be counted with his fingers. Though they understood Aditya's difficulties, Maahi was right in saying that they would stop waiting for him at some point. Even if Aditya met them at that time, they would only become acquaintances who greeted each other politely.

Let alone them, even meeting Kranthi or Kumari who would visit this garage from time to time, have become rare. Aditya did not have the luxury to think about these things. When Maahi raised this issue, it would be a lie if Aditya said that he did not feel uncomfortable. Aditya was someone who valued his friends and their companionship very much.

Aditya gritted his teeth as he looked at Maahi and said, "Maahi, I can agree to your wish, but I have my condi..."

Maahi did not hear the latter part as she had already placed her luscious, red lips on Aditya's and started kissing him passionately.

Aditya touched his lips with his thumb as a small smile appeared on his face. After creating 'Ishaan' and 'Rudra', Aditya did not want to do any remarkable things as 'Aditya' anymore. So, at Aditya's age, the most inconspicuous thing one could do was go to school.

Aditya had already decided to live a normal life for four days in a week. Even if 'those' people came to find him, they would not find anything unusual or suspicious about him. After Tya had created this 'Muscle Enhancing Oil', it became effortless to become anyone he wanted in the matter of a few minutes. Also, there was another piece of shocking news that Tya had given Aditya.

His soul particle had established a new bond with Maahi's soul particle. According to Tya, this bond was on a whole other level when compared to Hamsa's. This bond was so strong that Aditya and Maahi could now feel each other's emotions. Maahi was ignorant of this as she did not know the truth. But on the other hand, Aditya could feel all of Maahi's feelings, especially her love for him.

This bond was so phenomenal and felt like as if Maahi's soul particle would eventually integrate into Aditya's. Tya theorised that if one day, Aditya died, i.e. his soul particle was destroyed, Maahi's soul particle would also disrupt. She would either become mad or stay in a vegetative state forever. Aditya was aghast when he heard this theory and asked Tya to undo this bond immediately.

Tya expressed his helplessness in this matter as this depended on Maahi's love for Aditya and Aditya's modified soul particle. If Aditya's soul particle became normal or if Maahi's love for him decreased or faded, this bond will dissolve all by itself. But with this risk came a boon also. Tya could now diverge the 'Dark Energy' into Maahi's soul particle also. So it will strengthen and transform Maahi's soul particle resulting in some of the transformations that Aditya experienced. Tya was not sure as to what kind of changes might take place, as there was no precedent like this before. Aditya had asked Tya to channel a portion of Dark Energy into Maahi's soul particle as he hoped that she would become strong as well.

Adding Aditya, Hamsa and Maahi's soul particles, the amount of Dark Energy that was being absorbed by Tya had increased exponentially. According to Tya, the new ability 'Gene Regulation' which would activate in a year has come down to three months. Aditya was tempted to get a few more girls on board so that more dark energy could be absorbed.

But Tya rejected it on the basis that his soul particle did not form a bond with Kumari who was pretty close to him. He did not form 'Quantum Soul Bonds' with Taarini, Charita, Jagvi and others, which made the nature of this bond very ambiguous. He felt that there was a set of criteria which needed to be fulfilled to form this bond.

"Maybe I have to kiss them," Aditya stroked his chin as he imagined kissing Taarini when a chill ran through his spine. "I am pretty sure I would be frozen to death, maybe I should try that foolish girl Charita. She would agree, but it goes against my morals as I don't have any feelings for her."

Just as when Aditya was mulling over these thoughts, a burst of exciting laughter was heard. "Adi, you are finally agreed to go to school. We are going to have so much fun. All the guys have decided to throw a party in our school canteen to celebrate 'playboy' Adi's return."

Aditya touched his head when he heard white buffalo shouting as he came up, but a warm smile spread across his face. Maybe it was not a bad idea to go to school, after all.