Who is he?
Earlier that day, pushing the air, the main door opened ajar swiftly, projecting the image of a 14-year-old boy with a yellowish fair complexion, moderate height and normally dressed, showing up just out of the blue.
He walked in, covering the hall and measuring some steps, he arrived outside of Izumi’s room. The next minute, his right hand moving in air collides with the door, producing the knocking sound.
“Master Izumi, Can I come in?”, asking for permission, he shouted.
“Yes, you may”, with a calm voice, Izumi responded.
Sliding the door open, his sight falls on the front wall, filled with hanging scrolls, showing quotes and calligraphy, then drifting to an “oppressed” zafu( Japanese cushion) lying on the mat displaying Izumi’s dedication towards meditation. These were the main attractions of Izumi’s room.
“Oh, good to see, that you are back now.”, Izumi smiled and sighed, seeing a familiar face.
“Yes, master... As soon as the work completed, I left for here”, he responded, walking towards Izumi.
“That’s good. But you could’ve taken a few more days to spend with your family”, Izumi showed concern.
“It’s okay, master, I’ve already taken more days off then I asked for. So, now I want to restart my training from where I left it”, dedication, as well as restlessness for training, was flowing out of his eyes.
“Okay, If you insist, you may start now. But, before that, I want to tell you something”, Izumi paused, raising the curiosity to top.
“What master”, curiosity spoke.
“I’ve undertaken a boy as my student, named Haru. So, now, I might not be able to give you the same time as before. Even though, I will be having an eye over you”, Izumi explained, ending the piled up curiosity.
“What a student... and I will be training on my own... huh..., How could that be possible. You told me that you won’t be undertaking any student until the completion of my training, what happened to those words”, in confusion and anxiety.
His frowns went up, with eyes bulging out and hands moving in the air, looking for a possible answer.
“I remember all my words. But the situation is different here. Despite all that, I haven’t trained you in a manner that you’d need my help in the future. I believe in you and I know that you can resume and complete your 4th gate training on your own”, putting a hand on his shoulder and gently praising him.
Izumi’s words turned the gloomy atmosphere around him into a cheering one, filling confidence in him.
“Sorry, for acting recklessly, master. I feel you now and believe me, I will make you proud by completing this 4th gate training”, with these words he leaves room and vanishes.
“So, you are Haru”,
Haru skids down to the direction of the voice and surprised to see a teenager standing there.“Who are you, and how do you know me?”, Haru asked in bewilderment.
“Me... I was the only student of master Izumi until you came”, he answered enviously.
For a few moments, they gazed over each other.
“ huh... seriously! but I don’t remember him telling me anything about having any other student”, he shot back, breaking the silence.
“I see”, with a heavy voice, showing facial expressions as if he was drowned in his thinking.
Though, learning such important news, Haru’s mind didn’t flicker. Being insanely focused on completing the task given by Izumi.
“Excuse me, but now I have to start my training. So, I am leaving now”, Haru commented politely, sliding out of the conversation.
“Oh, you are going to begin your training now. That’s good, kid. But, I doubt if you will ever even be able to reach half of the task”, trying to waver his determination and confidence.
“I’ll complete my training, no matter what. ‘Cause countless eyes are waiting to see me rise as their protector and I won’t break their hope”, Haru came on strong, with confidence and resolution flooding out.
“Let’s see then, until when you can be that firm”, challenging Haru.
Haru’s aggression was covered by his intelligence, instead of responding to him, he takes steps and arrives at the starting point (down the hill) to begin the task.
Making up his mind as hard as a rock, he proceeded. Primarily, for quite a while, the gentle and less demanding scenery attracted Haru to whiz himself through the air.
Over time, the surrounding gradually changed.
The gentle pavement along with dark green aboriginal grass fields and shrubs evolved into a graded and gradual walkway, in company with mature and verdant vegetation.
Haru’s observation was taking wings striking the trees in their thickest coat, deep rich greens to absorb the intense rays and provided cool shelter to any creatures that pass.
“huh...huh... this is way harder than what I assumed it to be. On top of that, my stamina has diminished due to the wrong decision of running from the very beginning”, Haru murmured to himself, calculating his moves while fighting with the fatigue and pain aroused in his muscles.
Yet he kept on moving, motivating himself and trying to shoot his confidence up through all the ordeals.
An hour of walkout felt like a day journey to Haru, without water or food, sweating from head to toe, breathing heavily and now, extremely stressed.
On top of all these, the scenery was altering once again.
The hills started to roll like waves of an angry ocean before him and under the blanket of trees by rocky escarpments and steep gorges. The sky went dark and low giving a claustrophobic feel.
The steeps, born in thousands of years, were challenging Haru, the most. Though he was able to clear the first two steeps, being not that straight and rough, just some rocks bulging out. But, the instant his sight fell on the third steep, he went blank. Emotions went extinct. The mind became empty.
#Now what’s going to happen with the third steep?
#Whats’s there further in the journey which is still hidden?
#Will Haru be able to complete his task?
Stay tuned to find out.
Writer:- Kartik Gautam Editor:- Shreyash Kishor
Co-Writer:- Shreyash Kishor Co-Editor:- Kartik Gautam
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