Chapter 38

He stopped right in front of me and said, "Follow me," before turning back toward his abode.

Was he actually accepting me as his student? Shock coursed through me, but I quickly tamped down my hope. This could very well be an elaborate way to reject me. Gods are impartial, after all, and I was undeniably past the acceptable age for learning by this era's standards. If that was his reason, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Ironically, I had prepared myself for rejection on the basis of gender, crafting countless arguments in my head. Yet, he hadn't even brought it up.

We walked in silence. When we reached his home, he opened the door and allowed me to enter. Unlike the extravagant palaces I had seen in this era, his residence was humble. In size, it rivalled the castles, but most of the property consisted of open grounds, dotted with a few hut-like structures scattered across the expanse.

I followed him behind one of the larger huts. From a distance, I could make out the vague structure of a well. A few meters away from it was a brick tank—probably meant for storing water.

My assumption was proved right, when Lord Parshuram said, "Fill the tank with water from the well, by tomorrow morning."

"Will I be accepted into the gurukul then?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.

"You will not be rejected," he replied simply before walking away. Not being rejected was good enough for now.

I went closer to the tank to inspect it. Sliding the lid a bit, I checked the current water level in the tank. It was empty. Shit. How did he expect me to fill it completely? That too within a day?

Complaining wasn't an option now. I should've inspected the task before saying yes. Resigned to my fate, I approached the well. Thankfully, there was a pulley and bucket available. At least that made things a bit easier. I dropped the bucket into the well, heard it splash, and began pulling it back up. The water level wasn't bad, so that was one relief. I carried the bucket over to the tank and poured the water in. Then I blinked. The water I'd poured didn't even seem like a drop in the tank.

After four more buckets, a task that took nearly half an hour and drained half my energy, I crouched to check the water level again. Barely two centimetres.

This wasn't going to work.

I wasn't exactly an experienced in a lot of physical work. I would die of exhaustion before this thank even gets quarter filled. Did lord Parshuram set me up for failure from the beginning? I can't give up. But doing useless labour will be of no use in the end.

Think Aarohi think. What do you use at home to fill water? Obviously, a motor. Use your mechanical degree then. Can you build a motor now? I could try but then I'd need many things, including a lot of power. Could it be done by Alexa? Wouldn't hurt to try.

I headed back to Alexa. As soon as I was within her hearing range, she asked, "Are we leaving?"

"Not yet!" I shouted back.

Once I reached her, I got straight to the point. "Can you provide me with a motor? And some long pipes with a decent diameter?"

"What are you planning now, Aarohi?" Alexa asked, her tone laced with exasperation.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, can you quickly switch into scooter mode? I really don't feel like walking back again."

In the next fifteen minutes I tried my best to set everything up, as Alexa time and again warned me not to lose even a single screw or else she'd be stuck in the same form, which in the moment was the original car with more solar panels in order to gain maximum energy to power the motor.

"Start the motor, Alexa," I said as I straightened out the last folds in the pipes. The earlier folds had caused the pipes to disconnect from the motor in my previous attempts.

The familiar rumble of the motor reached my ears. I held my breath, silently praying, Please, let it work this time.

One minute passed and then another minute passed. I checked the pipe in the tank. There was steady stream of water. I ran back to Alexa and threw my arms around her, which probably looked ridiculous since she was in her car form. "I love you, Alexa!" I shouted, grinning ear to ear

"I love you, Alexa." I shouted.

She grumbled in response, "You only love me when I'm useful." But there was no real complaint in her tone. If anything, I could've sworn I heard a hint of a smile in her voice.

"You know that's not true." I shouted and went to inspect the tank.

As I examined it, I noticed a network of pipes surrounding the structure—not the ones I had hooked up to the motor, but something more traditional. They looked like hollow bamboo tubes, intricately connected, with small shutter-like mechanisms where they joined the tank. Ingenious, but delicate. If handled carelessly, these could cause more trouble than help.

Still, everything seemed to be working as it should. If nothing went wrong, the tank would likely be full by evening.

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Three years later~

I walked back towards gurudev, after my morning meditation. Yes, I actually started doing meditation in the morning. And for that I had actually started waking up in the morning.

A lot had changed over the past three years. As expected, filling the tank hadn't been enough to earn Gurudev's acceptance. I had to pass a series of gruelling tests before he reluctantly agreed to take me as his student. And after that the actual hell started.

The first six months he drilled the basic in my head. In the first week he didn't let me shoot an arrow or even swing the sword. He made me stand in correct position for doing that for hours, until that became an instinct. Then the next week I stood in the same position with a stretched arrow. My shoulders burned with pain that first week, pain I can still vividly recall. But there was no room for complaints. It was endure or go home, he had made that crystal clear from day one.

The rigorous training took a toll on both my physical and mental health. There were countless moments, especially during the first six months, when I completely broke down. Those months were the hardest, watching myself struggle without seeing any visible progress was disheartening. But as time passed, the growth came exponentially. Building a strong foundation, I later realized, was essential, and I became truly grateful for it.

Other than that, I had to cook and clean, for myself and gurudev, which was expected of a student in this era. The first time I had cooked was a disaster. I still remember the look on Lord Parshuram's face. It was like what have you learned in all your years? Now I can laugh about it. But at that point I was almost about to cry.

But he was patient with me. He started teaching me cooking. I didn't become a good cook. But now you won't die if you ate the food I made.

About a year into my training, he introduced Alexa into the mix. At first, I thought it might be a test, but soon I realized it was a calculated decision. We were quite compatible together. Our strengths literally doubled with each other.

When I reached Lord Parshuram that morning, he was meditating, as always. He sat atop a large rock, motionless yet exuding an unshakable aura of focus and calm. I knew he was aware of my presence; he always was. Quietly, I settled below the rock, letting the crisp morning air wash over me. The sky hinted at early monsoon, with soft clouds gathering near the horizon.

After a few minutes, I noticed movement behind me. I got up and turned to see Lord Parshuram had completed his meditation. I bowed in respect. "Good morning, gurudev." Even now, at times, it still amazed me that Lord Parshuram had actually accepted me as his student.

"Good morning, Aarohi. I have something important to tell you."

I looked up at that, as he continued, "I have imparted all the knowledge and skills I could. You have learned well, Aarohi."

There it was—the moment I had been dreading and anticipating in equal measure. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next.

"If you had more time, I would have ensured you perfected every skill," Lord Parshuram said, his voice measured and firm. "But there is much you must accomplish, and I trust you to polish your abilities on your own. From this moment, your gurukul education ends."

I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I willed myself to hold back the tears. In the beginning, all I had wanted was to finish my training and leave this place, eager to return to the world beyond. But as the years passed, I had come to cherish this place, these serene mountains. I had come to love the challenges it put me through.

I didn't want to leave. Not so soon.

Lord Parshuram must have noticed the emotions on my face. His voice softened slightly as he said, "Aarohi, tears are not a sign of weakness. They reflect the loss of something precious."

At his words, tears started flowing freely from my eyes. It felt just like the farewell at school all over again. But amidst the overwhelming emotions, I knew what my next step should be, to express my gratitude to my teacher.

I looked up, wiping my face with hands, and asked, "Gurudev, what do you want for my gurudakshina?"

There was a pause. Lord Parshuram took in a deep breath, as if preparing himself to ask a lot from me. But his words surprised me, "I want you to not touch or use the weapons for seven days in your life."

I blinked, confused. It didn't seem like much to ask. "How will I know when the seven days begin?" I asked, trying to understand his reasoning.

"There is a white bird on your wrist. It will turn red when the period starts and fade away as soon as it ends." As I gazed at my wrist, a white bird appeared there, its delicate form taking shape before my eyes.

With reverence, I approached him and touched his feet, feeling the weight of his presence in that simple gesture.

He blessed me saying, "Live a great life. Your name will echo through the ages, among the best warriors to ever walk this earth."

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Word count: 1832