The Girl Who Joined Infantry

CHAPTER - 13

-" Le, gatak ja." ( Here, gobble these up.)

-" Ye kya hai? Kahan se aye?" ( What are these? Where did they come from?)

-" These are called almonds, they are nuts, they are not tasty, but they boost energy, now eat." I explained to Rubina like one would explain a child.

-" I know what an almond is." Rubina snorted, " but where did they come from?"

-" Oh, I did some gili gili hocus focus, and conjured them out of thin air." I said in an dead pan tone.

-" What do you mean?"

-" Ufff ! You ask too many questions. My mom sent a whole packet with me, so I can get occasional bursts of energy in between meals." I said, " I hadn't needed them until now, but seems like you do."

-" But-"

-" No 'but'. Do what I say. Let's see if my method can level up your stamina."

It's been two weeks since our training had started. But Rubina is showing lack of stamina and had passed out 5 more times this week.

Though I think she is improving and to me her progress seems okayish compared to given time, but our TO is not happy with it.

Last evening he had personally called Rubina to meet him after training. And she very predictably had insisted me to come along.

-" You need to increase your stamina as soon as possible, or I will have to discontinue your course." He had said to her. Then had told me to help her anyway possible.

As my attention snapped back to the present, I found Rubina trying hard and failing to swallow the almonds. I handed her water bottle and popped two almonds in my mouth. One can always use a few extra calories.

Rumor is, today some rock climbing exercise is included. I chewed the almonds and chugged it down with some water.

-" Can I ask what you are trying to do?" Rubina asked as we made our way to the training ground.

-"Well, I have this plan." I said after a few moments of thinking how to explain it. " You mainly come short during the morning drill, that could only mean that you are lacking energy. Now I am going to feed you 4 almonds every morning to provide you with some calories. Next week I will cut down the almonds to 3 then the week after that it would be brought down to 2 or 1 depending on your progress. So by 3-4 weeks you will be able to endure the training without needing smuggled in calories. "

Rubina didn't seem to be convinced, but nodded anyways, and faced the training ground in front.

As it had turned out, those 40 push ups weren't part of regular beginner's training. It's just a specialty of our TO to see where his trainees stand.

Now we start our day with a 3 hour long morning drill, then we eat breakfast ( which by the way tastes heavenly after such a tiresome training). After that we get a lecture on army's rules and regulations, it's history, train some more.

After lunch, in the afternoon, we play basket ball( which I suck at) or football( which also I suck at, specially to keep up with others, since they got longer legs).

To my relief, Rubina did not show any signs of fainting in the morning drill.

After breakfast, which always tastes like heaven after so much training, we were taken to the ground where an obstacle course had been set up.

Half of us were lined up in front of a towering wall from where hung a bunch of sturdy ropes. And the other half had to run through the obstacles course first.