They reached back to the spot where they had been training the kids earlier. With her hands on her hips and chin jutting out, she stood there in a militant pose, glaring at him.
"I think for the first five sessions, just concentrate on making them hold the bow for a bit and then help them do the hand exercises extensively. Depending on each child's flexibility and improvement, start handing them the arrows post that," he instructed.
Though she wanted to disagree with whatever he said, unfortunately, this is what she had planned in her head as well.
Irritated, she said, "You could have told me this at the ground's gate as well. Why have you brought me back all the way here?"
Abhirath didn't answer her immediately and put down the bags which he held on his shoulders.
"Give me your bow," he said cryptically.
By now, she was thoroughly peeved.
"The correct form of asking for something is – can you please give me your bow or may I kindly borrow your bow? In such cases, the chances of someone agreeing to your request becomes higher. If you haven't noticed, people around you are not your slaves. What is your problem? Can you never speak politely?" she finally said it.
He didn't respond to her litany. Instead, he pulled the bow off her shoulder and started stretching it. Miffed at his high-handed behaviour, she tried to get it back from him.
He let her take it and said mildly, "I want you to show me your stance."
Mriga looked at him in disbelief. Had he not heard a single word of what she said to him a minute ago?
"I want to see your position where you are just about to release the arrow," he added as an afterthought.
"I am not one of your trainees. You may be the best out there but I am not so bad either," she said to him, her nose in the air.
There was no way that she would open herself to his ridicule in this manner. She knew that the minute she does what he asks, he will let loose his 'pearls of wisdom' in his usual horrid way and she didn't want to get any more upset on the very first day. They still had nine more days to go for this training.
While she stood there with a faraway look in her eyes, Abhirath lost his patience. He came and stood behind her and pulled off the quiver from her shoulder. Before she could open her mouth to argue yet again, he turned her from the shoulders and reached to catch her hand which held the bow.
Speaking next to her ear, he said, "Either your shoulder muscle is not strong enough or you have a weak spine or the weight of your bow is not right for you. Everytime that you pull your hand to release the arrow, your back is arching involuntarily. Though it's a negligible arch, it makes a huge difference to your end result. Maybe you haven't realised it yet."
"So basically, you are saying that one way or another, there is something wrong with me," she said on a sulk, refusing to even consider his words.
Ignoring her petulance, he continued speaking, "Last year, during our sports meet, you didn't have this issue. It's probably recent. Have you hurt yourself in the near past?"
Saying so, he covered her hand which held the bow with his own and brought it to the eye level. Mriga tried to pull out of his grasp but he held on.
"I am only trying to help you. What is so wrong in it? Why do you have to fight me on everything?" he asked, intensity suddenly audible in his words.
"I haven't asked for your help and I don't need it," she said and moved out of the unintended half embracing position which they had stood in.
Picking up her things, she walked off without saying another word.
Abhirath stood there, hands clenched by his side.
"Here is the list of probably candidates which the departments have submitted to Rani Samyukta. Her person just came to deliver this to you," Ramanujam told Prithvi.
Prithvi gestured him to leave it at his desk and went back to ponder over the boundary map which he had been obsessing over the past one hour. Ramanujam was used to his superior's eccentric behaviour and stepped out of the room, quietly.
Saraswati was on her seat, sorting through the mails which they had received from various corners of the country.
"So, tell me…" she said the minute he came out of the room.
Ramanujam looked at her in enquiry and replied, "He is still busy looking at Chandragarh's maps."
She rolled her eyes in exasperation and said, "All you spies are near geniuses and complete idiots at the same time. Why do you think will I be interested in what that old crocket is doing in that room? I want to know the details of the missions at the fair."
It was Ramanujam's turn to give her a wry look.
"For a spy, you are quite the gossip monger. I told you already that Abhirath was the first one to identify the person who was his mission and he passed his test. He had been assigned to the Suraksha Chakra head of the Northern zilla and the guy was full of praises for his abilities. As for the code cracker due, Chiranjeev managed to decipher the message which had been passed onto him in the stipulated time but Nirbhay failed to do so. But the supervising teacher told me that Nirbhay has more potential than Chiranjeev. He just lacks the confidence in his own abilities. As for Vandit, to tell you honestly, I had been worried about him managing to fulfil his task, but he did so after a little help in form of a hint from the Southern zilla mentor," he told her.
Saraswati continued to look at him, waiting for more.