**Setting: Ten years later in the gurukul**
Ten years had passed in the gurukul. Agni, Neer, and the other students had grown into young
adults, now around twenty years old. Their education included yoga, scriptures, Vedas,
Upanishads, and the duties of a Kshatriya (warrior). Only their training in valor remained.
**Yoga Class Scene**
During a yoga session, all students sat in meditation. Neer, ever mischievous, mimicked Guru
Niranjan, causing some students to burst into laughter. Agni, a disciplined and serious student,
glared at him.
**Agni (with sharp eyes):**
Such childishness is inappropriate during yoga."
**Neer (grinning):**
"Oh, be quiet, Agni! Have some fun sometimes. You're always about rules. You'll become like
Gurudev one day!"
Agni fell silent, his eyes focused. Guru Niranjan spoke sternly:
"There should be peace in yoga, not noise! Everyone, proceed to class!"
**All students:**
"Pranam, Acharya!"
**Scripture Class Scene**
Acharya Manu entered the classroom.
"Who can answer my question?"
Neer whispered something, and Gopal immediately complained, "Acharya, Neer was mimicking
you!"
**Acharya Manu:**
"Stand up, Neer!"
Neer stood, chuckling. Acharya Manu asked, "If an innocent Brahmin appears to be a traitor,
what should the king do?"
**Neer:**
"If the Brahmin is innocent, send him to exile quietly. A king's duty is to protect, not seek
revenge. If guilty, let God decide his punishment."
**Acharya Manu (nodding):**
"Your answer is emotional… Now, Agni, respond."
**Agni:**
"A king must distinguish between the innocent and guilty. If the Brahmin is proven guilty, he
should be punished according to the scriptures, not based on his caste."
Pleased, Acharya Manu said, "Neer, your behavior lacked propriety. You will clean the entire
scripture hall today. Agni, supervise him. Report any mistakes."
**Agni:**
"As you command, Acharya."
As the other students filed out, Neer leaned against a stack of scrolls, a wry smile on his face as he watched Agni.
Neer (teasingly): "So, the perfect prince is to be my jailer. Tell me, Agni, will you be reporting every speck of dust I miss? Or perhaps you'll just glare at me until the floor cleans itself out of fear?"
Agni stood rigid by the door, his expression unreadable. The order was a simple punishment, but it felt like a test of a far greater magnitude.
Agni (coldly): "Just do your duty, Neer. And I will do mine."
But as he said the words, a flicker of that same, unspoken question from ten years ago passed between them. In the silent, dusty hall, the air grew thick with a tension far heavier than any classroom chastisement. Supervising Neer wasn't just about cleaning; it was the first step on a path that fate had written for them long ago.
Would this shared duty force them to understand each other, or would it be the first spark that ignited their final, tragic clash?