Before dawn, the chhauni felt different.
Not silent.Not busy.Just… waiting.
As if the entire camp held its breath for the young seeker who still slept inside his tent.
But the moment the first thread of light touched the horizon, Arjanveer's eyes opened.No alarm.No call.Something inside him simply knew:It was time.
He stepped out of the tent.A cold mist rolled across the ground, touching his bare feet like a warning.
At the center of the camp, five torches burned in a circle.
Gurbaaz Singh stood beside them, wearing a faint smile.
"Niyam Pariksha," he said softly."The Test of Intention. You're ready."
Arjanveer wasn't sure.
But he followed.
The Circle of Truth
As he approached the torches, five Nihang Singhs emerged from different sides of the camp—silent, blue-robed, their steel glinting even in the weak dawn light.
They were not the Panj Piare.Not yet.But they guarded the path to them.
Jathedar Jasraj Singh stood at the center, his farla swaying like a storm flag.
"Arjanveer," he said, his voice steady and heavy,"step into the circle."
Arjanveer hesitated only a heartbeat, then walked forward.
The flames cast his shadow in five directions—one toward each warrior watching him.
Jasraj Singh looked him straight in the eye.
"Your test is simple.One question.One answer."
Arjanveer's pulse thundered in his ears.
The jathedar raised his voice so the entire chhauni could hear:
"Why do you seek to walk the Khalsa path?"
The question struck him like a spear.He expected something complex, something mystical.But this?This was worse.
His mind exploded with thoughts.
Because I want to be strong.Because I want to stop evil.Because I want purpose.Because I want discipline.Because I want to belong.
But every thought felt wrong—too selfish, too small, too uncertain.
The silence grew heavier.
Gurbaaz watched, worried.The other Singhs watched, unreadable.Even the horses at the far edge of the camp had gone still.
Jasraj Singh stepped closer.
"Do not answer with fear," he said."Do not answer with desire.Do not answer to impress us."
He tapped Arjanveer's chest—right over his heart.
"Answer from here."
Arjanveer closed his eyes.
The fears, doubts, expectations… all of it swirled inside him.
But slowly, very slowly, he pushed them aside.He felt the warmth of the torches.The coolness of dawn.The presence of the Guru in the air itself.
And then, the answer rose—not from his mind, but from somewhere deeper.
He opened his eyes.
"To lose myself," Arjanveer whispered."Not to gain anything…but to give everything."
The words surprised even him.
Jasraj Singh's expression didn't change… but something in his eyes softened, just slightly.
The oldest warrior among the five nodded.Another lowered his spear.A third smiled beneath his beard.
Jasraj Singh placed a hand on Arjanveer's shoulder.
"Your intention is accepted," he said."Your path continues."
Arjanveer felt the weight lift from his chest—not like victory,but like surrender.
A good surrender.
The Blessing of the Five
The warriors formed a circle around him—not trapping him, but surrounding him with unmistakable strength.
Each one placed a hand on his shoulders, arms, or back.
Not a prayer,not a mantra,but something else…
A silent recognition.
A sharing of spirit.
When they stepped away, Jasraj Singh spoke:
"Tomorrow at dawn, the Panj Piare will call you."
Arjanveer froze.
That was it.
The step before Amritpaan…was over.
He had passed.
A New Kind of Fearlessness
Gurbaaz met him outside the circle, grinning proudly.
"You did it," he said.
Arjanveer took a shaky breath.
"I… don't know how."
Gurbaaz tapped Arjanveer's chest.
"You listened."
As they walked back toward the campfires, Arjanveer felt different.Not stronger.Not braver.
Just…
Clear.
The storm in his chest was gone.The restlessness had quieted.The path ahead still felt huge, overwhelming, impossible—
But no longer frightening.
Tomorrow, he would take the next step.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
Tonight, he whispered the same prayer he spoke last night—but this time, with steady breath:
"Guru ji… make me worthy."
And the wind that brushed his face felt like an answer.