Chapter 5

Getting out of my bed, I rush towards the bathroom to take yet another shower, to relax my tensed muscles. Goodness, that workout yesterday really had done it, a little sore here and there but everything had worked out perfect, maybe today the 'men' would learn to respect us women equally, and understand that God created all equal. Meaning women as well…but then again that pleasant thought was completely ignored. Of course, that is what everyone would think at first glance, when I walked out of the bathroom and heard General Shashank yell at Rupa for crying.

I stood there, with my arms crossed why was Rupa crying? And then it hit me like a boulder, her feet were bleeding, covered in blood. I rushed towards her, worrying that no serious damage had been caused. General Shashank turned around and opened his mouth to speak, but I shut him up! "listen man, I don't have time to listen to your bull, her foot is bleeding, now will you back off, I don't care if you're a general or whatever, you're a human being first and if you can't feel pain for rupa's bleeding foot covered in shards of glass, then I have no clue how the hell you got to this position!"

"rupa, are you okay, is it really bad?" I asked rupa concerned. Rupa nods her head, while General Shashank, glares at me and mutters under his breath for my rustication. I smirk he couldn't do anything about me and neither would I let him.

"rupa, put your hand on my shoulder, and take all your weight off your bleeding foot, okay! Just relax you'll be fine!" I say. Rupa fiddles with her fingers and slightly puts her weight on me as I help her walk towards our room. 

"that is it Heer, I can't take no more of that little girl! She thinks she can talk to me like that not once but twice and get away with it, I will have her dealt with, no one gets away with insulting me twice!" General Shashanks yells in anger.

Madam Heer turns around and smirks, "your just saying that shashank because you know she is right, if you learned to respect women then you would not be in this position today, humiliated and degraded. It was time you were taught a lesson, that you never learned in years of service, when you yourself now, how strong women have become today, and you should have known by now, or at least thought about me, I wouldn't be standing next to you like this just for bullshit, I worked hard until the end and I continue doing so, what you never could do I do for you…and its about time you learned to respect us women, and your wife, me!"

Shashank slumped into his seat, and fiddled with his fingers. This was one reason why heer never respected him much. He spoke in response, "im sorry Heer, I am terribly sorry!"

Heer rolled her eyes and wiped the tears trickling down her face, "its too late now shashank, too late!" 

"Ouch, Manya please just leave it!" Rupa screams as I pulled out the shards from her foot. I looked up and smiled at her, "it's just two pieces left Rupa, be a strong girl, you can deal with it, I know you can! And just think right after this you can rest your foot!" rupa pouts. "fine."

Rupa looks around the room, trying to find something that would distract her from the pain. Finally it clicked, as I pulled out the long shard from her foot, rupa spoke. "Manya, how do you do it?"

I glance at her "do what?" rupa pretends she didn't hear it "I mean, how do you confront all those who discriminate against us?" I smile at her.

"some things do not need one to unleash their anger, I just find it hard to believe someone would disrespect a woman, because of her gender, I mean, men should be thankful to women, if it weren't for their mother they would not be alive. A mother, has the right to decide the fate of her child. If she had wished she could have let her baby just die before birth, but a mother is so attached to her child whether it be a girl or a boy she loves the child until her death and beyond, so why and how does a man not understand the love a women can give to a man, and that if it weren't for us men would be wiped out of existence. But I guess, some things are harder for a man to understand, and that's another reason why im not leaving this camp, not unless I force the others to understand how important we are"

Rupa nodded "you know your one of a kind, I'm glad to have such a good friend like you, first for yelling at Shashank sir because he wouldn't let me pull out the shards and forced me to listen to him and second because your such a sweet person" Rupa smiled affectionately.

I glance around in surprise, General Shashank was not here with us today, apparently he had left camp for some other personal business back home. Hmmm. I sighed there was more to that than anything else. Was it because of me, he left?

My thoughts were interrupted with a sharp whistle from behind me. I twirled around and found Madam Heer smiling at me affectionately. I smiled back and listened carefully. "as all of you know, Shashank sir is not here today, he left earlier for some unfinished business just about 5 kilometers away, now he has given me charge for today, and as per routine we will start this business. All of you are expected to finish this route in half an hour, go through the tires, climb your way through the mud path, through the tunnel, jump over those boxes and finally across the monkey bars in military position. Now are all of you ready?"

"yes ma'am" all shouted. I glanced at the track this appeared easier than yesterday, but there was one thing I worried about and those were the boxes, my height 5'2" could not jump over a box that was higher than me. I sighed and stood in line.

One by one all disappeared running through the course, sweating there selves apart, while I stared in amazement at akash. His body sculpt, his even breathing, his facial expressions as he went through the course, never leaving that look of pride and stern, proving he was one of a kind. I smiled to myself, but turned crimson red when I found Madam Heer gazing at me thoughtfully.

That's when I knew it, I was in for it, instead I found her winking at me. I blushed hard and glanced down at my thick and ugly black military boots. Whoever had designed those had one horrible taste in shoes, I would surely give them a piece of my mind sooner or later.

Finally, the whistle blew again, it was time for me to run the track now. Taking a deep breath I rush forward pacing myself to not stop short of breath and forget to live up to the expectations I had created for myself. The day would be long but something that I would not forget to accomplish with all my might.

Sulking I walked into my room, yet never forgetting to keep my head held high, it was a significance of my pride for myself. Sighing, I stop outside my room and hear someone walk behind me. I turn around alarmed and a bit scared inside but never would I let that feeling ever appear on my face. I take a deep breath and relax myself, it was only akash.

"hi akash!"

"hi manya. How are you?" I nodded positively and wait to hear why he was outside my dorm "is there anything you needed or wanted?"

"ummm no…and yes…I mean how is rupa? Is she okay? I heard about her little accident, I hope its not bad or anything?" I smile slightly, "she's fine, just needs to stop straining her foot and she'll be up and about in a few days" an awkward silence filled the air, trying to remove it I finally spoke.

It's quite late I think you should go now, you know don't want anyone thinking something else and plus its past our 'bedtime' cya tomorrow, bye."

"yeah, take care bye." he smiles slightly and walks away

Next Part: Camp out...