"Should we go for a stroll around the Gurukul. I think I overate tonight," Mriga told Yash, holding onto her stomach.
She was actually fine but just wanted Yash to let off some steam and not go to bed on a sulk.
Medical Department
The Medical department was located right next to the Gurukul's entrance. Since Vindhya had a strict regime to follow on a daily basis, her parents had arranged for a high protein diet which was delivered to her every evening by a privately hired cook in the capital. As a rule, she never ate after the sunset and hence had rarely visited the foodhall.
She needed a few apparatuses from the lab for her project and hence had decided to sit and work overtime in the lab, tonight. After completing her final assignment, she stretched and got up to leave the building. She had been feeling a bit down during the past few days but refused to admit that it was because of Yash's confession.
It was as if she had conjured him up from her thoughts, she saw him in her line of vision, right outside the Medical department. He was standing on the path which ran perpendicular to where she currently stood. A smile lit up her tired face. She descended the stairs quickly to reach him… and stopped. A girl ran upto him right at that moment. She was the same girl whom she had seen with Yash earlier once. Mrignayani!
Jealousy snaked up inside her as she saw the girl put something in Yash's mouth, laughingly.
"Didn't you tell me that you had eaten too much and needed to digest it? Then why have you bought this big pack of peanuts from that vendor?" Yash's indulgent voice reached Vindhya's ears.
"Ah… thankless guy! I stood in a queue to buy these roasted nuts, then deshelled them while running to catch up with you and fed them to you, lovingly. And you stand here and complain? So unfair," she sighed dramatically.
He looped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him while she tried to fight it off. The couple walked ahead on the circular path oblivious to the two pairs of eyes watching them.
Shaurya's meeting with Prithvi had lasted longer than usual and he had been asked to stay back for dinner by Saraswati. He was returning from there now when he saw Mrignayani and the guy illuminated by the lamps located on the path. He stood rooted under a tree's shadow till they hadn't gone past him.
Vindhya didn't know till when did she stand on those steps, much longer after Yash had gone away from there. With laden steps, she walked towards the dorm for Medical girls.
A week later
The exams were finally over and a collective sigh of relief could be heard from the entire Gurukul. As was the tradition, at the end of every semester, a sports meet was held for the entire school.
But it was an alternatively held event.
In one semester, the students aged 9 and ten competed in the outdoor sports while the elders clashed with each other in all indoor games. In the next semester, the reverse was applied. This was done because the competition amongst the age group of 11 till 16 was extremely intense, and the younger children may not get the required coaching and training from the teachers at the same time.
This term, the juniors were supposed to have the competition on the track, archery, long jump, shot put and group sports like kho kho, kushti. On the other hand, the seniors would be using their mental skills to play chess, chausar*, and a quiz alongwith some other indoor games.
The event was spread over two days where the entire school was supposed to be present alongwith the teachers, irrespective of whether they were participating in a sport or not. Senior children acted as coaches and referees during the juniors' meet and the younger ones helped in carrying out operational tasks during the event.
Prithvi had gathered his team last night to help him in the conceptualization of the thresholds which he would be designing for the selection of the Queen. Though he trusted Ramanujam, Saraswati and Shaurya to the fullest, but he didn't give them any brief about the real purpose behind this exercise. He told them that these were going to be part of new simulation exercises which he was going to design for the trainees for next semester.
Sports Ground
Prithvi normally stayed away from the sports meets because they served no purpose for him. But he had decided to use this as an opportunity to scrutinise the potential girls, aged 15 and above, keeping in mind the Queen's words from their last meeting. This morning, he had stationed himself at a secluded vantage point from where he could see the proceedings clearly of all the events scheduled for the day.
First half was dedicated to the juniors' events. Since, he had no interest in looking at these, he carried his work scrolls along with. After a couple of hours, suddenly there was a burst of applause which made him raise his head from his work.
A bunch of young kids had walked out to the ground carrying their bows and arrows. To his surprise, they were being led by Abhirath and Mrignayani. He smiled at the sight of his little soldier leading her group of kids, looking like a proud mother hen.
She was the one who was urging the surrounding crowd to clap and cheer for the participants. Putting his work aside, Prithvi sat up to see the proceedings with interest.
*Chausar – A strategic game which is a variation of Ludo, played with two die.