A month had passed in the seclusion of the secret laboratory. The days had been a concentrated blur of meditation and mind exercises, aimed at providing Dhruv with control over his Divya Drishti and Atma Shakti. Anika, as well, had spent her time learning to get around Dr. Rudra's sleek laboratory and becoming familiar with some of his more complex gadgets. It was progress, to be sure, but Dr. Rudra was aware it was not sufficient.
One day, after a meditation session was done by Dhruv, Dr. Rudra came towards him with a stern look. "You've progressed wonderfully, Dhruv. But you need to know something. Your powers are a part of you, but they aren't everything about you. You can't depend on them solely."
Dhruv stared at him, bewildered. "What do you mean, Dr. Rudra?"
"I mean," he replied, a tiny smile on his lips, "that if you are a sword, the powers are the edge, but the body is the blade. The blade has to be strong, too." He looked at Anika. "You both need to be able to fight, to defend yourselves, even when your powers are gone or are blocked."
A flash of excitement flashed in Dhruv's eyes. "So....you're teaching us martial arts?"
Dr. Rudra erupted into a huge, booming laugh that echoed through the cavern. "Me? No! How would I know martial arts? My combat skills are restricted to debates at a science conference. I have one friend, though. A Chinese friend named Yang Lee."
Dhruv's expression faltered for a moment, but Dr. Rudra went on, "He was called the 'King of Street Fights.' He retired a couple of years ago, but I owe him one. A very big one. He can certainly teach you."
Dhruv and Anika exchanged a glance, their mutual excitement evident. "Yes! We want to learn!" Dhruv broke out.
Dr. Rudra extracted a secure satellite phone from a pocket and entered a number. He spoke into the mouthpiece, "Yang Lee? Rudra. I need you to fly to India. I have a young friend I wish you to instruct." A silence. Rudra's expression dropped, his eyes bulging in amazement. The hum of the lab seemed to grow quiet. "He said no," Rudra breathed, his tone filled with astonishment.
Dhruv's heart fell. He had just witnessed the naked force of Rudra's scientific intellect and his great wisdom. He had witnessed the manner in which Rudra had rescued their lives. He recalled Rudra's words: I owe him one so he can definitely teach you. And still, he did not accept.
Rudra's astonishment gave way to fury. "You old fool!" he bellowed into the phone, his voice a clap of thunder. "After all we've been through? This is the one thing I demand of you!" He listened a moment longer. Then, a slow smile crept onto his face. "You still like that girl from the cafe, don't you? The one with the..." There was a muffled sound on the other end of the line. Rudra's face changed, the jesting becoming mock outrage. "What are you saying, 'she's got a boyfriend now and I resemble a panda'?! That is a new haircut, you unrefined lout!" He listened once more, his eyes growing white as he clapped a hand to his brow. "Oh wait, I forgot. You asked her out a few years ago, and she was so humiliated she said no to you by addressing you as 'Uncle' and then you said to me, 'she's dead to me.' My bad. Guess I'll be seeing you in a few days, you big sad-sack of a human!"
He hung up, shaking his head and laughing. "We are just kidding, buddy," he told Dhruv. "Don't get too serious about things between old friends. He's only an old prankster. He'll be here in a few days. Now, you two," he added, glancing at Dhruv and Anika, "steel yourselves. Yang Lee is a friend, but he does not pamper his students. You will be taught how to fight, to defend yourselves, and to prepare for anything."