Vardaan 1...The Ultimate Boon

Chapter 13: Final Exam Time (Part 2)

On the pradhanaacharya's signal, all three looked back and found some tools, seeds, and food items lying along the wall.

Dev's full attention was on a map that he was trying to understand. It took some time and Dev raised his head and saw the pradhanaacharya.

The pradhanaacharya understood that Dev understood the map.

"Shishyas, I had already told you that I find you special. Not just one, but all of you. Now it is not necessary that you also feel the same." the pradhanaacharya began.

Those words of the pradhanaacharya were simple but no one understood their profound meaning.

"Now you all have to do farming. I know that all of you did not come to Gurukul to learn to farm. Believe me; this test will give you the biggest lesson of life." the pradhanaacharya said.

All four got excited upon hearing this.

"Remember shishyas! Despite being a group, it is a personal test for everyone. All of you have to grow crops under this final exam. The one whose crop did not grow will neither return to the gurukul nor go to his home." the pradhanaacharya said.

Everyone was shocked when the pradhanaacharya explained the strict principles of the final exam.

Yes, instead of the strict rule, the pradhanaacharya explained the strict principle, because there was no rule in the entire culture of Uttarasaadhaka gurukul.

Aware aacharyas of Uttarasaadhaka gurukul knew very well that there is no rule in the universe made by Mother Nature. Mother Nature only creates principles. So there was no rule in Uttarasaadhaka gurukul too. They all follow different principles in different situations or tasks.

"It may take you four months or four years; no one will leave the place until the harvest is done. Those are your tools and enough ration for three months. It's about to be noon, now you guys should leave." the pradhanaacharya explained everything in a few words.

No one asked any questions.

They picked up the luggage and left with the blessings of all the aacharyas and the best wishes of their mates.

"Their time has come, now you guys also get ready friends, at any time the pradhanaacharya can call us too." A classmate of Dev said.

Along with others, he was watching Dev and the other three. Dev and his friends were walking away from Gurukul.

Other boys also started preparing themselves mentally for their respective final exams as they all had goosebumps.

It was early noon when all four had reached the bank of the river far away from the limits of the gurukul.

The bank of the river was there but the track to go to the other side was not visible. Where the attention of all three was on the problem of crossing the river, while avoiding everyone's eyes, Rasik ate a roti almost swallowing it.

When Rasik's hunger subsided, he also started looking for a way to cross the river.

In a few moments, Rasik saw the track. He didn't say anything to anyone and started crossing the river. All three stopped seeing him and came close to him fearing something untoward.

Rasik crossed the river with a little difficulty. He shouted and asked Dev about the next stop on the map.

Dev immediately told.

Rasik went ahead in the direction told by Dev and after walking a few steps he saw the way ahead. He returned and signaled his friends to come.

Everyone carefully crossed the river.

Dev checked the path again, and he saw another pathway a little distance away. He brainstormed looked at the map and asked to walk on a different route.

"If all goes well, one hour will be saved," Dev said while stepping ahead.

Everyone kept walking and kept walking.

The sun came right above the head. The condition was bad due to the heat but no one was taking the name of stopping.

After an hour, they had come to a deserted region. Not even a single insect could be seen from far and wide. Despite the tough conditions, everyone crossed this scary area with fast steps.

As fast as the deserted region ended, a forest came. There was some respite from the strong rays of the sun, yet no one stopped, because no one wanted to appear weak by taking the initiative to stop.

Everyone wanted to show himself stronger than others, so even in such a bad physical condition, whenever they saw each other, they used to smile.

The smile was the signal, "I am okay, how about you?"

That signal compelled others to say to themselves, "If he is okay, so I am no less."

In such a way, unknowingly encouraging each other, everyone went ahead and also finished climbing a mountain.

It was getting evening. Everyone reached the bank of a river.

That river was not much deeper and wider than the previous river. The velocity of its water was also not high.

All three were thinking of going to the river when Jagdeesh saw a wooden bridge about a hundred steps away.

Showing Prudence, everyone went towards the bridge and inspected it. Finding the bridge in good condition, they crossed the river over it.

Dev checked the map again.

"Friends, Speed up your steps. We must at least reach that mound before night falls." Guessing the position of the sun, pointing to the mound in front, Dev suggested.

"I think so too because the map also points there," Batuk spoke.

"No...I don't trust the map. I saw it too. Look in front, till far away only that mound is visible. How can there be fields around it?" Rasik told his thinking.

"Friend, we can doubt ourselves but not on this map. Aacharya Suketu himself had prepared this map at the behest of the pradhanaacharya Deependra. Doubting the map made by aacharya Suketu would be called mere foolishness." Jagdeesh clarified.

"Whether there are fields or not, we have to reach there, that is the clear instruction by the map. So even if you bring negative thoughts into your mind, yet keep pace, that mound is not as close as it looks." Dev advised.

All four went on rising and the sun also went on hiding along with it.

The wilderness area which started from the area outside the river continued till the mound.

The whole mound seemed deserted, lifeless. Gradually everything stopped appearing due to sunset, but no one stopped.

All three were following the advancing Dev as well as cursing him. Dev was pretty focused. He gave himself the task to reach the mountain, so for him, there was no looking back.

"When will this oppressor Dev run out of energy?"

Everyone was saying in their mind while cursing Dev. But Dev went on moving without looking back.

After a while, the moment also came when all three accepted defeat looking into each other's eyes. All three losers got together and started cursing the Dev by staring together.

Unaware Dev went on saying 'focus- focus' in his mind.

"Stop brother, will you get peace only by killing us?" Batuk said in his mind. Just then Dev slowed down.

Dev looked at the map and paused to say something. All three heaved a sigh of relief and sat down at the same time.

Everyone reacted as if Dev took the initiative to stop.

That's why all three losers were feeling proud in their minds.

Dev felt that all three stopped, so he proved to be the most powerful. Having the feeling of winner, Dev also thought of giving rest to his trembling legs on their pretext.

Tiredness was at its peak, so no one wasted much time, had a quick meal and everyone fell asleep while sitting.

They were fast asleep, completely unaware that 'an untoward' was eager to wish them 'good morning'.