And the priest didn't only teach him the ways of the Lord. He also introduced him to a man who had been visiting his church for several years. A tall, strong, homeless man. But this man wasn't like others. There was something about him, a certain aura that he had, like he was capable of so much more.
"His name is Mr. White," the priest told Ayush. "He has been coming here for several years and he has taught many young men the ways of combat. I believe he would be able to teach you as well."
Ayush's eyes lit up at this opportunity to learn from the man. It didn't take much to persuade Mr. White, and soon, they were training in the alley behind the church. Mr. White taught him various martial arts and showed him how to use his strength wisely. As Ayush trained day after day, he found his own body changing, becoming stronger than he thought possible. His once lean body turned into a muscular one, and his endurance increased as well.
"Ayush, do you know why I am teaching you these things?" Mr. White asked him after a particularly grueling session.
"To protect others," Ayush replied.
"That is correct," Mr. White said with a smile, "and you will be an amazing guardian of the innocent."
Ayush smiled back at the praise and continued to train hard, day after day.
Years went by and Ayush was no longer just a young boy. He became a young man who stood at 6'5" with a chiseled physique that looked like a Greek God's. But he wasn't arrogant or full of himself. He was still the same kind-hearted boy everyone knew and loved.
"Ayush," the priest said one day, as he sat him down for a talk, "I believe it is time for you to go out there and do some good in this world."
"I will always cherish this place," Ayush said, "but I am ready to protect others."
With a smile of pride on his face, the priest gave Ayush his blessing and handed him an envelope with enough money to pay for his training at the U.S. Navy.
And with that, Ayush set off for his new home, California.
But little did Ayush know, Mr. White's true identity was unknown to him. The man was actually a former Special Operations Instructor who had retired early due to being shot by friendly fire during a mission. He had seen something in the young boy, a desire to protect others, and decided to teach him everything he knew to fulfill that dream.
Now Ayush stood on his own two feet, ready to face whatever challenge life threw at him.
As Ayush entered the recruitment office, he towered over everyone in the room. He stood at 6.5 feet tall, and his physique was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. His shoulders were broad, and his chest was thick, his waist was defined, and his legs were strong. His muscles were sculpted out of stone, and he had an air of confidence about him that everyone couldn't help but notice.
The recruiters looked at him with curiosity and suspicion. They had never seen anyone who looked like him, and they weren't sure if he would even be allowed to enlist. But there was something about him; a kind of aura that radiated off him that drew them to him.
The recruiters had seen a lot of young men who thought they were capable of joining the U.S. Military. But few had actually succeeded. And yet, here was a young man who they believed could actually do it.
"I want to enlist in the Navy," Ayush told the recruiter as he stood at the counter.
"Okay, sir," the recruiter replied. "Have you considered becoming a U.S. Navy Seal?"
Ayush didn't hesitate for a second before nodding his head, "That's exactly why I want to enlist."
The recruiter smiled at that. There was no denying it; this kid had drive and determination. He filled out the paperwork and Ayush signed the contract. A few days later, he received a letter from the Navy and he knew he was one step closer to becoming the elite warrior he wanted to be.
Ayush showed up on the first day of Basic Training and immediately stood out amongst the other recruits. He wasn't like them; his physical prowess was unmatched. While the other recruits struggled with push-ups, pull-ups, and running, Ayush excelled in each category. He was like a god amongst boys.
On one of their 10km runs, he decided to pick up his pace and soon left the rest of them in his dust. It was as if he was flying; his strides long and powerful as he pounded down the road. In no time, he finished his run and went back to get the rest of the group.
The Drill Instructor stood with a watch in hand, counting down the seconds until the next person would cross the finish line. And when one of them did, he shook his head in disgust.
"Pathetic," he said before spitting in the recruit's face.
The other recruits were terrified of him. They had heard the stories of Drill Instructors, and this one was especially ruthless.
But then Ayush came into view, jogging along with the rest of the recruits. The Drill Instructor's eyes widened in surprise as they crossed the line together.
"Recruit!" he yelled, "did you cheat?"
Ayush looked at the Drill Instructor, confused as to why he was yelling at him, "No sir, I ran with the other recruits."
The Drill Instructor glared at him for a second before turning away to address the rest of the recruits, "Alright listen up. You maggots have just been shown up by a giant. I don't know what kind of magic he used, but I better not see any of you slacking off again. Do you all understand?"
The recruits all nodded quickly as the Drill Instructor turned to Ayush again.
"And you, Recruit Ayush," he said as he poked a finger in his chest, "you better be ready to keep this up because I'm gonna make sure you all suffer."
Ayush nodded with a smile, and that was that.
It wasn't long before the news of Ayush's abilities reached Master Chief Jason Hayes. A man who had spent his entire life serving his country and protecting innocent people. He was intrigued by the young man and decided to see him for himself.
He walked into the barracks, where Ayush was sitting on his rack reading a book. The other recruits were sitting around him, looking at him in awe.
The Master Chief walked up to Ayush's bed and looked down at him, "So, you're Ayush."
"I am, Chief," Ayush replied as he stood up from his bed and saluted.
The Master Chief smiled at that and looked him straight in the eye.
"Do you want to become a Navy Seal?" he asked him.
"Yes, Chief, I want to protect innocent people."
The Master Chief nodded at his reply, "I think you're exactly what we're looking for," he said. "So how about we get you started with Hell Week? I've seen your file and I think you've got what it takes." He said with a smile.
"Chief, I don't know..." one of the Drill Instructors started to say.
But the Master Chief cut him off with a glare before turning to Ayush again, "What do you say? Do you want to try?" He asked.
Ayush didn't even hesitate for a second, "Yes, Chief. I can do it."
The Master Chief smiled at his response and patted him on the back, "Good luck," he said before turning around and walking away.
As the Master Chief walked away, he couldn't help but smile. He had seen many young men try to become a Seal, and many more fail. But this kid was different, there was a certain fire in his eyes that he hadn't seen before. And he had no doubt that this kid would make an amazing Seal.
And Ayush proved him right when he successfully completed Hell Week, coming in first place in every event and breaking several records in the process.
After completing Hell Week, Ayush moved on to the rest of his training. He was able to keep up with his instructors and even surpass them in some cases.
When it was time for his final test, he stood confidently before his instructor, ready to prove himself.
"Alright, Recruit," his instructor said, looking down at his clipboard, "this is your final test. You will be dropped off at the bottom of the ocean with nothing but a rebreather. You must find your way to shore using nothing but your body."
Ayush nodded, not hesitating for a second as he turned around and jumped into the ocean.
And so began his journey to the surface. But little did anyone know; Ayush's ability to survive underwater was beyond human. And he took his rebreather off without anyone knowing it.
The water rushed past him as he kicked and kicked; slowly rising through the water towards the surface. It didn't take long until he breached the surface and began to swim for the shore.
Ayush swam with powerful strokes, cutting through the water like a knife. And before anyone knew it, he had already reached the shore and stood up, dripping wet and covered in sand.
The instructor looked at him in shock as he checked his watch and confirmed the time.
"Holy shit, Recruit," he said, as Ayush stood there looking down at him with a smile, "you're one hell of a swimmer."
"Sir, I just swam, sir," Ayush replied, with a hint of humor in his voice.
The instructor chuckled at that and walked up to him, patting him on the back.
"Well done, Recruit. You're now a Navy Seal."
Ayush smiled at the compliment and felt proud of what he had accomplished.
And just like that, he was a U.S. Navy Seal.
It didn't take long for Ayush to make friends amongst his fellow teammates. There was one man who stood out above the rest. A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a charming smile on his face and was always looking for a good time.
"Hi, my name is Clay," he said as he walked up to Ayush one day.
"I am Ayush," Ayush replied with a smile as he held out his hand to shake it.
"Nice to meet you, Ayush," Clay replied, before dropping Ayush's hand and looking at him curiously, "so what are you?"
"Sorry?" Ayush asked, confused by his question.
"What nationality are you?" Clay asked, his eyes running over Ayush's body.
"I'm Indian," Ayush replied before dropping his eyes to the ground in embarrassment.
Clay looked at him in surprise for a second before his smile came back.
"Ah cool," he said with a nod, "well nice to meet you then. Are you ready to hit the gym?" He asked before walking away with Ayush following close behind him.
It wasn't long until Ayush found himself going to the gym every day with Clay. The two of them would train hard together, pushing each other's limits until they were both exhausted.
One day, as they lay on their backs catching their breaths, Clay looked over at Ayush with a curious expression.
"How did you become so strong?" he asked.
"I've been training ever since I was 15," Ayush replied quietly, "I never want to be weak again."
Clay nodded at that before looking back up at the ceiling. There was a moment of silence between them before Clay spoke up again.
"Ayush?" he said softly.
"Yes?" Ayush replied in confusion.
"Can you help me get stronger?" Clay asked him with pleading eyes.
Ayush smiled at his request and nodded his head before standing up and pulling Clay up with him.
"Let's go," he said with a grin, "let's start right now."
The next day, Clay started training with Ayush. And it wasn't long until Clay's body started to change.
His muscles began to grow and his endurance increased. He was no longer struggling to keep up with Ayush; in fact, he was getting close to beating him in several exercises.
And that only made Ayush work harder. He didn't want to be beaten by Clay and so he started to push himself harder than ever before.
The competition between the two men grew until one day they decided to have a contest. Whoever could lift the most weight would be crowned the winner.
The two of them stood before the barbell, sweat dripping down their faces as they stared each other down. They could see the competitive fire in each other's eyes, and they both knew they couldn't back down.
They knelt down and wrapped their hands around the bar, taking deep breaths and preparing for the lift. And then without warning, they both lifted the weight up off the ground, straining under its weight.
It was a tense standoff; neither man backing down as they held the weight above their heads. They held it there for several minutes before slowly lowering it back down to the ground.
They both stood up panting as they stared at each other. Neither of them had been able to beat the other and so they were at a draw.
Ayush walked over to Clay, patting him on the shoulder with a grin.
"You're pretty strong," he said.
Clay chuckled at his comment, "not as strong as you, though," he said teasingly.
Ayush rolled his eyes at that and punched Clay in the arm with a laugh.
And that was that. The two of them were inseparable from then on, competing in every event they could find and pushing each other to be their best.