Dawn broke softly over the chhauni.
Mist drifted across the open grounds, clinging to the earth like a veil between worlds. The Nishan Sahib stood unmoving, its blue fabric catching the first light of the sun.
Arjanveer knelt beside the sarovar, his hands folded, eyes closed.
The water was still.
So was his mind.
That itself felt new.
Only days ago, his thoughts had been storms—questions, fears, doubts crashing endlessly. Now, after Amritpaan, the noise had not vanished…
…but it no longer ruled him.
A Different Kind of Strength
"Utho, Singh."
The voice was calm, firm.
Jathedar Jasraj Singh stood behind him, hands clasped behind his back.
Arjanveer rose immediately.
"Tell me," the jathedar said, "what has changed?"
Arjanveer thought carefully. "I feel lighter."
The jathedar nodded. "Good. That means your ego is loosening."
He gestured toward the training grounds, where Nihangs were already practicing—spinning shastars, flowing through movements that looked less like combat and more like prayer in motion.
"Today," Jasraj Singh said, "you will learn what strength truly means."
The Test Without Weapons
Arjanveer expected shastar training.
Instead, the jathedar led him beyond the camp, into a rocky stretch of land where the ground was uneven and unforgiving.
"No weapons," Jasraj Singh said.
Arjanveer hesitated. "Baba ji… then what is the test?"
The jathedar looked directly into his eyes.
"Control."
He pointed to a narrow stone ledge overlooking a shallow ravine.
"You will stand there until sunset. No movement. No reaction. No matter what comes."
Arjanveer's heart quickened—but he bowed.
"As you command."
The Long Day
The sun climbed.
Wind rose and fell.
Insects crawled across his skin. Muscles trembled. Sweat stung his eyes.
Hours passed.
Thoughts tried to invade.
Why am I doing this?What if I fall?What if I fail?
Each time, Arjanveer returned to his breath… to simran… to stillness.
Midday came.
A sudden shout echoed from below.
"Hey! You think you're better than us?"
A group of travelers had spotted him. Mocking voices rose, taunting, laughing.
Old anger stirred.
His fists clenched.
But he remembered the jathedar's words.
Control.
He did not move.
The voices eventually faded.
The Real Enemy
As the sun dipped lower, pain spread through his legs like fire.
That's when the truth hit him.
The test was never about balance.
Or endurance.
Or obedience.
It was about mastering the voice inside him that demanded reaction.
The one that wanted to prove something.
The one that wanted to fight… even when no fight was needed.
Tears welled—not from pain, but realization.
This is the steel, he thought.Not the blade in my hand… but the discipline in my heart.
Return to the Chhauni
At sunset, Jasraj Singh returned.
"You may step down."
Arjanveer obeyed, legs shaking.
The jathedar studied him silently.
"Did you win?"
Arjanveer shook his head. "No, Baba ji."
A pause.
"Good," Jasraj Singh said. "Then you learned."
He placed a hand on Arjanveer's shoulder.
"A Nihang is not fearless because he feels no fear.He is fearless because fear does not command him."
The evening ardas echoed across the camp.
As Arjanveer joined the sangat, something settled inside him.
He was no longer trying to become a warrior.
He was becoming disciplined enough to deserve the title.
And that was far harder.