The night had never felt so alive.
Cold wind swept across the chhauni, carrying the faint scent of horses, steel, and burning lamps. Stars glittered above like a thousand silent witnesses, watching the young seeker take another step toward his destiny.
Arjanveer stood at the edge of the camp, gazing toward the vast darkness that surrounded Anandpur's forests. His Amritpaan was approaching, but so was something else—a test, a calling, a voice he felt but could not understand.
He closed his eyes.
"Guru ji… guide me."
Footsteps approached.
Gurbaaz Singh emerged from the shadows, arms crossed, a playful smirk on his face.
"You're awake again," he said. "At this point, even the horses sleep more than you."
Arjanveer chuckled nervously. "Can't help it. My mind keeps spinning."
"Good," Gurbaaz replied, tapping his chest. "That means your heart is waking."
He motioned with his chin."Come. Jathedar wants to see you."
The Jathedar's Lesson
Inside the main tent, Jathedar Jasraj Singh sat cross-legged, eyes closed, dumalla shining with embedded steel. He looked like a mountain meditating.
Without opening his eyes, he spoke:
"Arjanveer Singh… sit."
Arjanveer obeyed quietly.
A long silence.
Then the jathedar said:
"Tell me what you fear."
Arjanveer hesitated."Failing… disappointing the Panth… not being strong enough."
"Good," Jasraj Singh answered. "A man who cannot admit fear will never defeat it."
He opened his eyes—sharp, intense, unblinking.
"Do you know what makes a Nihang fearless?"
Arjanveer shook his head.
"It is not the shastar. Not the blue bana. Not the training."He placed a hand over his heart."It is the oath. The inner promise that cannot be broken."
Arjanveer leaned forward."What promise, Baba ji?"
"That the Khalsa inside you will never retreat… even when the world does."
The words struck deep.
Jasraj Singh continued:
"Tomorrow night, you will take the oath beneath the sky. Alone. As all warriors must. And the sky will decide if you are ready."
A shiver ran through Arjanveer.
"Go," the jathedar said. "Prepare."
The Walk into Darkness
Near midnight, Arjanveer stepped out of the chhauni.
No escort.No torches.Just the moon, the wind, and his own heartbeat.
He walked through the forest path until the trees opened to a clearing—a natural circle, its center softly glowing in moonlight.
He stood there, breathing slowly.
A voice inside him whispered:
Stand. Speak. Declare your truth.
So he did.
The Warrior's Oath
Arjanveer knelt on the cold earth.
His voice trembled at first, then grew stronger.
"I vow to rise when others fall.""I vow to protect when others run.""I vow to speak truth when silence is safer.""I vow to walk the path of the Guru… even when my own strength fails."
The wind rose, sweeping around him like a swirling spirit.
He continued:
"If fear challenges me—I will not bow.If death threatens me—I will not break.If injustice appears—I will not stand aside."
The air stilled.
The world seemed to listen.
Arjanveer pressed his palm to the ground.
"Waheguru ji… make me worthy of this blue bana.Make me worthy of the Khalsa."
A sudden warmth filled his chest.
Not from outside.
From within.
As if something ancient… something powerful… had awakened.
Witness in the Shadows
When he stood up, he sensed someone behind him.
Jathedar Jasraj Singh stepped from the darkness, arms folded.
"You spoke with heart," he said. "That is all the Guru asks."
Arjanveer blinked."You were watching?"
The jathedar smiled slightly."The sky listens. But a jathedar must witness, too."
He placed a hand on Arjanveer's shoulder.
"Tonight, you were not tested. You were revealed."
Arjanveer breathed deeply, feeling a new strength—steady, clear, unshakable.
"Tomorrow," the jathedar said, "your journey enters its next stage.Prepare yourself, Arjanveer Singh."
Arjanveer nodded.
"This time," he said softly, "I am not afraid."
"Good," Jasraj replied."Because from now on… fear fears you."