7th day today.
Same routine.
He's making me work like a donkey without mercy and letting me go back dead tired.
He's not teaching me anything. Is this how it works?
I was massaging my dying broken shoulders, when I heard a knock on my door.
It was Nick.
"Hey there champion. How are you?"
"I'm ok. But all you guys are crazy!"
"Hahah, I know you're surprised by that punishment thing."
"Obviously! Who does that to his brother?"
"It was sweet of him to just make me run. I tried to help someone he's... training..."
"You can say 'he hates".
"Well, I tried to help someone he hates, and is training under him. He will never tolerate it. Only Col James is allowed to do that."
"I see, this Killer..." Shit!
He's his brother!
"I mean Major Wills.."
"Hey you can call him by nickname in front of me, don't worry. Just don't tell him that I know."
I smiled. Atleast Nick won't make me do crunches.
"Thanks. So Major Killer is killing me. But..."
"But have you learnt anything?"
"No! Exactly! That's what I was thinking!"
How did Nick know what I was thinking?
"That is what's going wrong." He said pointing towards me.
"What do you mean?"
"First tell me what have you decided? You want to learn something or you want to prove something? There's only one answer"
I took a deep breath. This is the time to decide.
"I want to learn."
First he gave me a look of surprise. Then a smile. Then a loud dangerous laugh.
I looked at him with my eyebrows raised, a fear setting deep inside me.
He controlled his laughter then took a moment to quiet down. Then shit became serious.
"Look it's next to impossible to train under Wills. You must have understood that in a week's period. Yes or no?"
I nodded.
"But that's not his real training."
"What is that supposed to mean? He's giving me instructions. I'm trying to do everything he says. What else happens in training?"
"Has he given you any aim? Like you have to run so many rounds by the end of this month. Or you'll be taught this aspect of fighting after you clear a baseline. Something like that?"
"Umm no."
"Has he tried to correct you in something you do wrong and warned you not to repeat that mistake?"
"Nope."
"That's not how he trains. He's just following orders from Col James to train you."
Then reality hit me. "He hates me more with every single day passing because he never liked me, yet he has to see me everyday. He is just passing time to make everyone think that I'm learning something, while he simply screws me."
"Exactly. Hate to say that, but that's what he is doing. I am sure because I know how he trains someone for an objective."
I was angry. My eyes were red. How could that guy do this to me. I got up. I'll call my dad straightaway and get this man sorted out before I leave this place.
"Where are you going?"
"To finish this ongoing non sense! He has made a joke out of me!"
I was furious.
"See Jane. Three minutes back you decided to learn something. Now you've decided to end everything? Look he's right at his place. You have to give him that much."
I stopped before opening the door. Nick is right. He is supposed to follow orders, which he is doing.
"Then you tell me. What should I do. I've given up my arrogance of lifetime over last week. What else can I do? I will not beg him."
"You need to take a stand, not beg him. You have to look into his eyes and question him. You have to make him believe that you've changed."
I imagined myself doing that with all the fierceness in me.
It took a few moments for that fierceness to turn into fear.
"Chances of him killing me on the spot, following this act of bravery, is very likely."
"I know. But you have to take risk."
"I'll think about it."
"You must. You have whole night. But you should only proceed further if you are ready to accept two conditions, that are absolutely essential."
"What are they? "
"First of all. If you want him to train you, and if he confronts, you'll have to trust him blindly. Without question. Without doubt. People respect him for a reason. You have to respect him too. And the respect should come from within."
Giving it a few moments, I agreed to it.
"Ok and what's the second condition"
"Anytime during your training, you will not get distracted BECAUSE of him."
"What do you mean?"
"See. I've stayed with him for a very long time. Girls were after him since the beginning. He's got the looks every girl dreams of. I didn't know this till our cousin sister told me this, and since then I've noticed this myself. So.. you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I know what you're trying to say. You are warning me against falling for him."
He nodded with a half smile.
"Brother, I better pack my bags and run away, than falling for this Hitler. I know he'll kill me even if he has slightest of doubts about it. Don't worry, it's not happening. I only see him as a teacher."
His eyes lit up and a big proud smile on his lips was evident.
He got up.
"So! I'll be at a distance tomorrow to witness something that has never happened before."
"If I feel that he's about to kill me, I'll simply dig your grave next to mine."
With this we laughed.
We talked for a few more minutes. And then he left.
My heart had become heavier with the thought of 'taking a stand'.
But I have to do it.
My aching cramps helped me fall asleep in minutes.
*
Damn you alarm!
Jane get up. Today you've got to do or die.
I got ready in a flash and ran.
There was no one at the ground. Great. Perfect.
My heart was pounding so loud in my chest, I swear he must have heard it, wherever he was.
But where was he?
*