Looking into the eyes of his fiancée, Lara, Dhruv said in a heavy and stern voice, "Fine... I accept... I accept this condition of yours."
He had agreed to Lara's condition of a duel to be held after three years.
As soon as Dhruv said this, Lara glared at him one last time and then began to leave the 'Shaurya Mahal' with her bodyguards.
Lara had just reached the large door of the hall when a girl's warning voice fell on her ears, "Stop, Lara!"
As soon as Lara turned to look, she saw Ira in a pink gown. Ira was very beautiful in appearance and was in no way less beautiful than Lara. Sunlight was streaming in from all around Ira, who was standing near a latticed window, making her look like an apsara descended from heaven.
Looking at Lara, Ira said, "I know you feel no remorse for what you have done today. Because now, you will have to face Dhruv. And yes, one more thing... never think that just because you've become the leader of the 'Ambar Dal', we will be scared. Because there are people in the Shaurya Dal who are more powerful than you."
Lara listened to Ira's threat very carefully, but she left without saying a word.
On the other side, after everyone had left, Dhruv said to his father Arendra with full confidence, "Baba! I promise you that exactly 3 years from today, Lara Zayan and her entire clan will regret what they have done. I will now defeat Lara in a duel right in front of the 'Zayan family'."
Arendra was happy to see his son Dhruv speaking so frankly. Because for the past three years, he had mostly remained silent. But what his fiancée had done by coming here today had awakened the Dhruv within him who had been asleep for three years. But one could not turn away from the truth either. And the biggest truth at this moment was that Dhruv was at the third star of his powers while Lara's powers had reached the ninth star.
Meanwhile, after leaving 'Shaurya Mahal', Dhruv was still thinking about Lara; how Lara had insulted him in the course of their conversation, and how she had pressured his father to break the engagement. Thinking about these things, Dhruv quickened his pace, heading towards his mother's graveyard.
Seeing Dhruv walking ahead, deep in thought like this, his friend Ira also followed him out, so that she could boost his morale.
But seeing Ira following him, Dhruv said, "I want you to leave me alone for a while!"
After hearing this from her best friend, Ira let Dhruv be alone for a while. Soon, Dhruv reached his mother's burial site, looking at the "Pillar of Power".
He began to clean the fallen tree leaves and dust from his mother's grave. After that, remembering his mother, Dhruv began to talk, "Maa, why is this happening to me... why aren't my powers increasing? At this rate, I won't be able to fight Lara even after 3 years. And even if I do, how will I defeat her? How?"
Saying this, dejected, Dhruv rested his head on his mother's grave. And closing his eyes, he said, "Three years... after three years, everything will be over, Maa... If I can't regain my powers, Baba will have to be ashamed in front of the entire 'Mesodoria City'."
Dhruv's throat had become dry while talking to his mother. He composed himself and said, "Now, Maa, I feel that when I come to your world, how will I show you my face... because I haven't done anything that would make your name shine. Why... why, Maa... why aren't my powers increasing!" Saying this, Dhruv clenched his fist and began to beat his hand hard on the ground.
He was continuously hitting his hand on the ground. After a while, exhausted, he said, "Maa, now only a miracle, some magic can get my powers back."
Just then, a voice echoed in his ears, "Dhruv... can you hear me?"
Hearing his name, Dhruv looked around. Dhruv was surprised because at this moment, there was no one at his mother's grave except him. Just then, the same voice echoed in his ears again, "Dhruv... it seems you are in some trouble. And you need a little help."
This time, hearing this voice, Dhruv stood up in his place and began to look around the grave. But he couldn't see anyone there. Just then, that voice was heard in his ears once again, "Stop looking for me here and there, Dhruv... I am in your ring."
As soon as he heard this, he looked at a ring made of 'black stone' on a finger of his right hand. This ring was the last gift given to Dhruv by his mother. In no time, a movement began in Dhruv's ring, which made him a little flustered.
He tried to support his right hand, on which he was wearing the ring, with his left hand. But just then, he suddenly received a strong jolt that made him fall to the ground. In an instant, a white smoke emerged from his ring in the form of a shadow. Then that shadow took the form of an old man. Seeing all this happening in front of him, Dhruv couldn't believe his eyes.
Dhruv, flustered, asked the old man, "Wh... wh... who are you...?"
As soon as Dhruv asked this, the white shadow of the old man began to circle around him. To see him, Dhruv had to repeatedly turn around in circles. Sometimes the shadow was in front of Dhruv, and sometimes, in the blink of an eye, it would go behind him.
Dhruv, flustered, asked again, "Wh... wh... who are you and... and what were you doing in my ring?"
After circling around Dhruv for a while, the shadow stopped in one place in front of him to answer his questions, "Who I am is not important for you to know, but yes... I will not let any trouble come to you."
Saying this, the shadow began to laugh and then continued, "I should be the one thanking you. After all, you have kept me safe in your ring for the past 3 years and look... today you even woke me from my sleep. Thank you, Dhruv! Thank you very much! There is something different about you. I don't know what it is yet, but yes, it is something very different."
After hearing so much from the shadow, Dhruv said angrily, "So you have been hiding in my ring for the last 3 years!!! Could it be that my powers were diminishing because of you? Because ever since you've been hiding in my ring, my powers have not been increasing."
At this, the shadow laughed even more. Seeing him laugh like this, Dhruv maintained his anger and said, "That means I am right. Because of you, for the last three years, I had to be ashamed in front of the people of 'Mesodoria City'."
The shadow was still laughing. At which Dhruv now became very angry, and on his innocent-looking face, dangerous expressions began to appear. He was in such a rage at this moment that he didn't even care for the last memento given by his mother. In his anger, Dhruv took off his ring and threw it towards a distant rock.
Seeing Dhruv so upset, the shadow said, "Listen, Dhruv, what was meant to happen, has happened. Now, nothing will come of you getting angry like this. But yes, if you support me, I can be of great use to you."
Dhruv didn't quite understand this. He asked the shadow, "What do you want?"
To answer Dhruv's question, the shadow once again stopped in the air in one place in front of him and began to say, "Now you're talking! I want you to give me a place to live in your ring again. In return, I will give you..."
Before the shadow could say anything further, Dhruv said, "No... no... never... never ever... I am not going to make such a mistake again. I will not wear that ring again, not even by mistake."
Then the shadow, showing the ring in his hand, explained to Dhruv, "Don't you want people to respect you again... for your power's star to reach from 3 to 9 again? Don't you want to be called 'Eklavya' once again?"
These words from the shadow made Dhruv's heart beat faster, and now, despite himself, Dhruv wanted to listen to what the shadow was saying.
Just then, the shadow continued, "Come on, Dhruv, I agree that even without wearing the ring, you will start to regain your powers, but you also understand very well that you don't have much time left."
While saying this to Dhruv, the shadow was now circling around him again. He said further to Dhruv, "Dhruv, you are now 15 years old. This means you have only 1 year from now, and if your power doesn't reach the seventh star in 1 year, then according to the rules, you will be expelled from the 'Shaurya Dal' and Mesodoria City."
Dhruv was shocked to hear the shadow's words. He asked in surprise, "But how do you know about all this?"
"Forget about how I know this and pay attention to what I am saying..."
Now Dhruv once again began to listen carefully to the shadow's words. He continued, "And the most important thing! After three years, you also have to face your fiancée Lara, don't you?"
Hearing Lara's name, Dhruv said angrily, "Don't even take her name in front of me..."
Seeing Dhruv so angry, the shadow said with a laugh, "Dhruv, nothing is going to happen by you getting angry like this. Now you must accept your truth. And your truth is that after three years, you will have to face your fiancée Lara."
This time Dhruv came forward and asked the shadow, "So what should I do...?"
"You should do what I am telling you to do. Wear this ring again and include me in your life. Then see how I will change your life. I will make you so powerful that you will be able to face every difficulty that comes your way with courage. And yes, don't be afraid, this time I will not take your powers. You will understand later why I have done this until now! Slowly, you will understand the reason. But now you don't need to be afraid."
Dhruv could not see any other way to regain his lost powers. Then Dhruv said in a flat tone, "Alright, I'm ready!"
As soon as Dhruv said this, the white shadow passed by him very quickly, laughing. It began to revolve around him, causing Dhruv to lose his balance and fall to the ground once again.
Then Dhruv said, "Hey, what are you doing...? You ruined all my clothes!"
After getting up from the ground, Dhruv asked him a question, "By the way, you still haven't told me your name."
"My name is Vidur. But you should only call me Gurudev or Acharya..."
"Alright, Acharya Vidur! So when will you start my training?"
Vidur said, "Very soon..."
Just then, Dhruv suddenly asked Vidur, "Acharya, do you know anything about the 'Karishmai Sharbat'?"
Vidur immediately replied, "In my opinion, that is the most worthless kind of 'sherbet' in the world. I will make a special thing for you - Amritdhara! It will help you a lot."
Dhruv asked in surprise, "What did you say, Amritdhara... what is it... and what are its benefits?"
Annoyed by Dhruv's questions, Vidur said, "You ask too many questions! For now, I am writing down some herbs for you. Arrange for them. When the Amritdhara is ready, you will see for yourself what it is. Then you can tell me yourself whether Amritdhara is better or your 'Karishmai Sharbat'!"
Saying this, Vidur wrote down the names of the herbs and handed a piece of paper to Dhruv. Reading that paper, Dhruv was stunned. He said in amazement, "Acharya, these are very expensive! To buy them, at least 800 gold coins will be needed. And I don't have that much money."
At this, Vidur said in a flat tone, "It is your problem how you will arrange for so many gold coins. I have just asked you to bring the least expensive things, and you are already telling me your problems! How you will arrange 800 gold coins is your concern! When you find out what the price of my Amritdhara is in Marcus, you will be blown away. Then you will understand what treasure you have gotten your hands on."
This conversation was going on when Dhruv felt that someone was coming towards them. Hearing this sound, Vidur said in a hurry, "I am going back into the ring. You wear this ring and yes, don't tell anyone about me, understand!"
Saying this, Vidur disappeared into Dhruv's ring.