89Please respect copyright.PENANAAbXeNymcyYAryan could see absolutely nothing. With great difficulty, he took slow, tentative steps forward. Suddenly, a roar echoed through the air. Listening closely, he realized it was the roar of a tiger. In a desperate bid to escape the beast, he began to walk faster. Out of nowhere, his foot struck a stone, causing him to lose his balance. He went tumbling down a steep mountain slope and finally splashed into a turbulent river.
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As he drifted along the raging river, he swallowed a large amount of water and lost consciousness. After a long while, an old man came down to the riverbank to drink water. While filling his bottle, he noticed something floating in the water. Moving closer, he discovered it was a teenage boy. The old man rescued him and brought him to his shelter. His dwelling was a tong ghar (a small bamboo hut) built high up in a tree, hidden and surrounded by creeping vines and leaves. He then carefully pressed the water out of Aryan’s stomach.
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A few moments later, Aryan opened his eyes, though he could see nothing. He asked, "Where am I?" The old man responded with a question of his own, "Who are you? What is your father's name? And what are you doing all alone in this deep jungle?"
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Aryan replied, "My name is Aryan. My father's name is Omar."
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The old man was taken aback and asked, "Are you the son of the great warrior Omar?"
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Aryan said, "Yes, I am his son. Did you know my father?"
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The old man sighed deeply and said, "Yes, I know him very well. I owe him a great debt. If I am alive today, it is solely because of him." He then asked, "How is your father, and how is everyone in your family?"
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Upon hearing this, the horrific memories flashed across Aryan's mind. With a choked voice, he said, "My father and my family... no one is alive anymore. Everyone was brutally murdered." After listening to Aryan’s entire story, the old man also learned that Aryan had lost his eyesight.
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The Promise of Kalbhairav
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Aryan burst into uncontrollable tears and cried, "I am so helpless that my entire family was slaughtered right before my eyes, yet I could do nothing. And now, I am not even in a position to take revenge." Tears rolled down the old man's cheeks upon hearing these words. Standing tall with determination, he said, "Aryan, if you break down like this, how will you take your revenge? Saying you cannot fight just because you have no eyes is nothing but an excuse. If a person truly desires, they can achieve anything. You must not give up, Aryan; you are not helpless! From this day on, do not consider yourself alone. The Almighty has given me the chance to repay the debt of your father's blood."
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Placing his hand on Aryan’s shoulder, he continued, "To take revenge, you do not just need eyesight; you need indomitable courage. I promise you, I will use all my experience to mold you in such a way that your enemies will tremble at the mere mention of your name. You are not blind, Aryan; you will become an invincible warrior. From this day forward, this old man will be your guide."
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Aryan bowed his head and said, "Yes, Master. May I know your name?"
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The old man replied, "My name is Kalbhairav. Now go to sleep, your rigorous training begins tomorrow."
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The Training of the Senses
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The training commenced the very next morning. For the first ten days, Aryan was not allowed to touch any weapon. Kalbhairav would make him sit beside a cascading waterfall. He had to listen to the sound of the waterfall, the chirping of birds, and the rustling of other forest creatures to identify exactly where each animal was located.
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In the next phase, Kalbhairav began throwing dry leaves or small pebbles at Aryan from various directions. Aryan had to sense and tell from which direction the stone was coming. In the beginning, Aryan failed repeatedly and kept getting hurt. However, by the tenth day, relying purely on the sharp 'whooshing' sound in the air, the blind boy caught a flying stone right in his hand.
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Kalbhairav smiled faintly and said, "Your ears will now do the work of your eyes."
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