The day after the Trial of the Mirror Lake arrived with a sky painted in soft gold.A gentle mist floated over the chhauni, carrying the fragrance of horses, steel, and early-morning simran.
Arjanveer stood quietly beside his tent, tightening his turban with steady hands.Today's journey was different.Sacred.Final in its own way.
Jathedar Jasraj Singh had summoned him at dawn.
"The next step toward Amritpaan," he had said,"is the walk to the Sarovar."
Not everyone received this call. Only those whose inner fire had proven steady enough to hold the Guru's light.
Arjanveer had barely slept.Not out of fear.But because his heart felt full—heavy with gratitude, ready for rebirth.
The Departure
A small group awaited him at the edge of the chhauni:
Jathedar Jasraj Singh, silent as a mountain
Baba Fateh Singh
Gurbaaz Singh, smiling proudly
Two other senior Nihang warriors on horseback
They carried no banners, no drums, no display of glory.This journey was not meant for the world to witness.
Only for the soul.
"Arjanveer," Baba Fateh Singh said softly, "today, you walk not as a fighter… but as a seeker."
Arjanveer bowed deeply.
"I understand."
The journey began.
The Sacred Road
The path to the Sarovar was an ancient trail—used for generations by warriors preparing for Amritpaan.
Tall deodar trees formed a natural canopy overhead, filtering sunlight into peaceful patterns on the ground.The air was heavy with birdsong and distant flowing water.
They walked in silence at first.
Then Gurbaaz Singh stepped beside him.
"Feeling ready?" he asked.
Arjanveer hesitated. "I don't know if anyone is ever truly ready."
Gurbaaz chuckled. "Good answer. Those who think they're already perfect are usually the first to fall."
Arjanveer smiled faintly.
But inside, he felt something shifting—not nerves,not doubt,but a rising calm he had never known before.
Lessons on the Path
When the trail opened into a plateau, Jathedar Jasraj Singh spoke without turning back.
"Arjanveer."
"Yes, Baba ji?"
"What is the purpose of a Khalsa?"
Arjanveer thought carefully.
"To protect… to serve… to stand for truth—"
The jathedar cut him off gently.
"Many say these things. Few live them."
Arjanveer walked closer."What should I live then?"
Jasraj Singh finally turned his head, eyes sharp as lightning.
"A Khalsa does not live to be a warrior.He becomes a warrior to live fully."
Arjanveer's breath hitched.
Jasraj Singh continued:
"To be Khalsa is not a title.It is a commitment to fight the darkness outside you…only after you have fought the darkness within you."
Arjanveer lowered his gaze. "I will try."
Gurbaaz tapped his arm."No, veer. You won't try. You will become."
The Final Stretch
Hours passed.
The trees parted.
And then—Arjanveer heard it.
The sound of water.
Not a stream.Not a river.
A deep, echoing body of water—alive, powerful, ancient.
The warriors stepped aside.
Jasraj Singh gestured forward.
"There," he said.
Arjanveer walked ahead.
And then he saw it—
The Hidden Sarovar
A vast, circular lake lay before him, surrounded by white stone steps carved centuries ago.
The water was impossibly clear.Still, yet glowing with a strange radiance, as if reflecting a sky unseen by ordinary eyes.
This was no ordinary lake.
This was the Sarovar used by the Nihang order for preparing warriors for the final step of Amritpaan.
Arjanveer felt his throat tighten.
"It's beautiful…" he whispered.
Fateh Singh nodded. "This Sarovar holds the prayers, battles, and tears of countless warriors."
Gurbaaz added, "And now… it will hold yours."
The Ritual of Arrival
Arjanveer stepped toward the edge, kneeled, and bowed deeply, touching the stone with his forehead.
Jasraj Singh placed a heavy palm on his shoulder.
"Here," he said,"you will meditate. Reflect.Wash not your body—but your intentions."
He pointed to the water.
"The Sarovar does not cleanse you.It reveals you."
Arjanveer nodded, swallowing hard.
Baba Fateh Singh handed him a small steel bowl.
"For the next hours," he said,"you will sit by the water, recite, breathe, and surrender.This is the quiet before the rebirth."
Arjanveer took the bowl with both hands.
For the first time in his life, he felt completely seen—by the warriors around him,by the path beneath him,by the Guru above him.
He stepped down to the first stone step of the Sarovar…
And the journey toward becoming Khalsa truly began.