"Academy Departure & Laddoo Gratitude"

"How does it feel now? Do you feel any pain in this area?" the village doctor asked, examining a patient.

"No, I feel good now, all thanks to you, doctor," the patient replied.

"That's good to hear. I am prescribing some herbal ointment. Arrange them from the city and apply them, and you'll be good to go," the doctor said, writing on a paper and giving it to the patient.

"Thank you, doctor," the patient expressed, leaving the clinic.

"Aish... I think today is the day for the kids to depart," the doctor said while standing at the door, observing the village decorations.

"I just wish Vijay could get over it soon. He must not miss this opportunity... sigh... Let's get to work," turning back into the clinic.

"Doctor uncle..." a faint and familiar voice.

"Huff...huff...Doctor uncle...wait..." Vijay hollered.

"This stupid boy... be slow, or you will trip over and fall," the doctor said with a smile.

"Huff...huff...Doctor uncle...huff...this...my..." Vijay breathing heavily.

"Wait, first take a deep breath and relax," the doctor uncle said, relieving Vijay.

"Um... actually, I am sorry for the behavior earlier... I mean... when I shut myself home and refused to talk to anybody," Vijay with an apologetic tone.

"I mean, I know somewhere in myself that grandma doesn't have much time left, but I refuse to accept it."

"And I am also sorry for my crude behavior on that day at the clinic."

"Sigh... hey, you said you got over it, but why are you bringing up the past, hm?" the doctor caressing Vijay's hair.

"Anyway... what's in the bowl you are holding?" pointing to a steel bowl covered with some cloth, Vijay was holding.

"Ah... this... hehehe... I forgot in the talks that I am here to give this to you..." Vijay forwarded the bowl to the doctor.

"Actually, grandma teaches me to make these 'laddoos'... they might not be better than hers, but I've practiced with her a lot and improved, so they might not taste that bad... hehehe."

"I want to give them to you before leaving for the academy."

"Ahh... looks like I got something in my eyes," the doctor wiping his eyes and caressing Vijay's head.

"I am not gonna give them back, okay? I haven't tried something sweet for a long time, so you better not ask for them back," the doctor said, and they chuckled.

"Okay, head to the gurukul now, before it's late."

"Okay... bye, take care, and thanks for being with my grandma before her last moments," Vijay hugged him before running out.

"Ah, looks like I'm getting too old for moments like this," the doctor mused, gazing distantly at the sky as he headed back to the clinic.

*

"Huff... huff... finally here," Vijay said, raising his head to gaze at the signboard stating 'Village Head Office.'

"Knock... knock... Mr. Singh, are you there?" Vijay called.

"Who's there?" Mr. Singh asked.

"It's me, Vijay. Can I come in?" Vijay replied.

"Oh, Vijay, come in, come in. Sit here," Mr. Singh said with a pleased smile, signaling towards a chair.

"And here, I thought that I might have to get you out of the house myself today," he added.

"Hehe... sorry for that, Mr. Singh, and thanks a lot for taking care of me and my grandma this whole time. Grandma told me that you helped us a lot when we arrived in the village. She was very grateful towards you," Vijay said, sitting on the chair with a smile.

"Hmm, that's all in the past now. Anyway, what are you doing here? Isn't the departure today?" Mr. Singh changed the topic.

"Oh, that... actually, I was just heading there before giving you this," Vijay said, taking out a bowl from a bag he was holding.

"I... I made this. Eat it in your free time or when you feel like it," Vijay said, giving the bowl of 'laddoos' to Mr. Singh and running out of the office towards Gurukul.

"This brat..." Mr. Singh chuckled while holding the bowl.

*

"Let's depart," the counselors signaled the coachman.

"Huff... huff... please wait a minute..." a panting voice drew their attention.

A young boy navigated through the crowd, reaching towards Guru G.

"Pranam, Guru G," Vijay greeted him while touching his feet.

"God bless you," Guru G praised. "Thank you for your teachings, Guru G. I am very grateful to you for what you have taught us... Here, I made these myself," Vijay said, handing over the bag with the bowl of 'laddoos' to him.

Guru G took the bag and said, "Stupid, hurry up and wear your uniform and get ready. You are late," knocking Vijay's head lightly.

Vijay wore the uniform, collected his stuff, and headed into the carriage. The counselor signaled to the coachmen, and they started their journey to the academies.

"Bye... bye... Guru G, bye Mr. Singh, bye Doctor Uncle," Vijay waved his hand out of the carriage to them as they were there to see him off.

Just as, little by little, the carriage faded into the air, taking the uproar with it and leaving nothing but dust and silence behind.

The carriages made their way through the farm of golden wheat, with magical tube-wells evenly filling them with water. A troop of eucalyptus trees lined the road, and the singing larks filled the chiming morning, captivating the kids who had hardly stepped out of the village before.

Moving forward, magnificent temples with tall gold statues and hovering magical 'yantras' made their veins pump with excitement.

"Wiiiissstttllleeee..."

the train's horn diverted the students from their imaginations, signaling their arrival at the tall magnificent train station, adorned with marble statues and inscribed 'yantras,' displaying a female figure saying, "WELCOME AND HAVE A ENJOYABLE AND SAFE JOURNEY."

"Alright, students, let's get down. All the academies will part ways from here, so say goodbye to your friends," the counselors declared.

The children hugged each other, cried, and bid farewell, while one of the kids seemed a little more fascinated by the surroundings, as if avoiding the situation.

"H..he..hello..Vijay," a boy diverted Vijay's attention from the surroundings.

"Hello, Vijay," turning towards the boy.

"Oh.. it's you, the boy from the forest," Vijay said in amazement as he saw Dev.

"Y..yeah. It's me...th-thanks for saving me then," Dev pleaded.

"Hey, you don't have to be modest, okay? It's nothing... just talk frankly. It's not like we don't know each other," Vijay said, helping him ease a little bit.

"Actually... I am here to say goodbye as we both are going to different universities, and thanks for back then," Dev said, feeling a little at ease.

"Oh.. really? Which one did you get into?" Vijay asked.

"I don't have the courage like you, so I have to go to 'Nalanda Academy.'"

"Really... man, let's exchange the academies quietly. Nobody will notice," Vijay said half-jokingly, and they chuckled.

"Okay, everyone, form a line according to our respective academies. Let's depart now," the counselor commanded.

They got into a line and headed inside the station. Upon stepping inside, their hearts widened as they saw the projection screens displaying information about train timings. However, the biggest amazement was the trains hovering over the ground in the air, with beautifully designed bodies and seamless windows.

"All right, everyone, we will now head toward our respective trains," the counselors declared. Slowly, all the children made their way to their respective trains.

"Whistle... huummm... swoosh..."

Just as they settled down at their respective seats, the announcement for the departure of the trains was announced, followed by the whistles of the train.

The trains lifted up a little more in the air, and some magic circles-like projections from the 'yantras' on the train collected energy from the surroundings. In a blink of an eye, they headed toward their destination, leaving nothing but a "swoosh" sound behind.

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....✦Chapter ended 'you' brats.... motivate me for next chapter... comment✦...

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Meanings and words

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1. Gurukul - An ancient Indian educational institution where students receive traditional knowledge and wisdom from gurus (teachers).

2. Pranam - A respectful salutation or gesture of bowing down, often touching the feet of elders or revered individuals as a sign of respect in Indian culture.

3. Yantras - Sacred geometric diagrams or symbols used in Hinduism for meditation, worship, and invoking specific energies or deities.

4. Laddoos - A popular Indian sweet made from flour, sugar, and ghee, often offered during celebrations or as prasad (religious offering).

5. Mr. Singh – A character in the story.

6. Clinic - A healthcare facility where medical treatment and consultations are provided to patients.

7. Guru G - A term of endearment used to refer to a respected teacher or mentor (Guru) in India.

8. Nalanda - An ancient center of learning and one of the most renowned universities in India during ancient times.

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