For a week, Arav sat in the hall where the others had awakened their Prana. The space was both humbling and oppressive, its high ceilings and serene energy serving as a constant reminder of his failure. Around him, the other students had succeeded, their newfound energy brimming with life and purpose. Even Dhiran and Buddhi had found their balance, leaving Arav as the only one still struggling..

“Can you believe it?” Dhiran had said, beaming with pride. “I can already feel the strength coursing through my veins. I’m going to be unstoppable on the battlefield!”

Buddhi chuckled. “Don’t let it go to your head, Dhiran. You still trip over your own feet during sparring practice.”

Their playful banter was meant to lighten the mood, but it only made Arav feel heavier. While the others celebrated, he remained in the shadows of his mind, grappling with the silence where his Prana should have been.

For a week, Arav sat in the hall where the others had awakened their Prana. The space was both humbling and oppressive, its high ceilings and serene energy serving as a constant reminder of his failure. Around him, the other students had succeeded, their newfound energy brimming with life and purpose. Even Dhiran and Buddhi had found their balance, leaving Arav as the only one still struggling.

Each morning was the same.

“You’re still at it, huh?” Dhiran asked as he entered the hall.

Arav didn’t look up. “What do you think?” he muttered, his tone sharp.

“Hey, don’t bite my head off,” Dhiran said, sitting cross-legged beside him. “You’ll get there. It’s not a race.”

“It’s easy for you to say,” Arav shot back, finally meeting his friend’s gaze. “You’ve already done it. Everyone else has.”

Buddhi walked in, munching on a piece of dried fruit. “Still stuck, huh?” he asked with a half-smile.

Arav groaned. “Thanks for pointing that out. Really helpful.”

“Hey, no need to get all moody,” Buddhi said, plopping down on Arav’s other side. “I’m just saying, maybe you’re thinking about it too hard. You’re not supposed to force it.”

“That’s what everyone keeps saying,” Arav muttered. “But how am I supposed to not think about it? Every time I close my eyes, all I see is…” He trailed off, unwilling to voice the memories that haunted him.

Dhiran’s expression softened. “Your past doesn’t define you, Arav. Maybe it’s time to let go of it.”

Arav turned away. “Easier said than done.”

Left alone in the hall, Arav closed his eyes and tried again. The process was supposed to be simple: focus on the breath, connect with the rhythm of life, feel the balance of the elements within. But every time he tried, the same memories surged forward.

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He saw his father dead body without any of his limbs lying in front of their home, his mother completely burnt body, his sister clutching close and dying in his arms, the Ashura’s monstrous form looming over them all. He remembered the fire, the screams, the unbearable heat. And then, the power—wild, destructive, and unrelenting—coursing through him as he fought back.

The memory of that power always unsettled him. It wasn’t like the Prana everyone else described. It had been chaotic, consuming, a force that felt more like destruction than creation.

How am I supposed to find balance, he thought bitterly, when everything inside me feels broken?

Later that afternoon, Master Varunesh entered the hall. He stood silently for a moment before speaking.

“You’re fighting against yourself, Arav,” the master said.

Arav opened his eyes, startled. “Master?”

Varunesh smiled faintly. “You’ve been sitting here for a week, struggling to awaken your Prana. Do you know why?”

“Because I’m a failure?” Arav said bitterly.

“No,” Varunesh said firmly. “Because you’re trapped in the veil of Maya—the illusion that blinds us to the truth. You see your past as a weight, a wound that festers. But you do not see the pattern beneath it.”

Arav frowned. “What pattern?”

Varunesh sat down in front of him, his posture relaxed yet commanding. “The divine principle manifests itself in the eternal dance of veiling, unveiling, and revealing. Light and darkness, creation and destruction—they are not opposites but partners in the same cosmic rhythm. Your pain is not separate from your strength. It is a part of the balance that defines you.”

Arav shook his head, his frustration boiling over. “How am I supposed to find balance in chaos? All I know is loss and destruction.”

Varunesh’s gaze was steady. “And yet, here you are. Breathing. Alive. Seeking. Do you not see the harmony in that? The universe is a constant interplay of opposites. Day becomes night. Heat gives way to coolness. Creation follows destruction. Balance is not the absence of struggle but the acceptance of it.”

Arav clenched his fists. “But I don’t feel balanced. I feel... broken.”

Varunesh agreed with a nod stating that finding balance is a realization, than an external pursuit emphasizing that the chaos one experiences is not adversarial but rather serves as a valuable teacher.

The words lingered in the air without Aravs resistance this time instead of pushing them away like before he allowed himself to be consumed by memories. The screams echoing in his mind alongside the fiery chaos and the fierce roar of Ashuras presence.. Amidst the darkness of recollection he found solace in reminiscing about times. His sisters infectious laughter filling his ears and his mothers comforting touch bringing warmth to his heart; not forgetting the unwavering support and fortitude displayed by his father through it all.

He observed the rhythms, around him. The sunrise and sunset of the sun,the ebb and flow of the waves the dance of the changing seasons.He reflected on the wisdom imparted in the Vedas,the principles of righteousness the harmony, between obligation and longing the process of both creation and dissolution.

“It crossed his mind that maybe the disorder isn't entirely distinct, from the orderliness; it could be a part of it.”

He felt a gentle heat spreading in his chest initially subtle but gradually becoming more prominent and undeniable It wasn't, like the overwhelming energy he experienced during the conflict with the Ashura Instead it was an constant warmth like a flame that brought light rather, than destruction.

His breath calmed down. Suddenly he experienced the connection that others had talked about before. The atmosphere felt alive, with a buzz, around him; the brightness of the light and the depth of the silence heightened his senses.

Varunesh grinned with a sense of contentment, on his face. Remarked softly,"That's it. You've discovered your equilibrium."

Arav woke up slowly. Spoke softly; "Is this... My life force?

“Yes,” the master said. “But remember, Arav, awakening Prana is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning. The balance you feel now must be cultivated, nurtured. It is the foundation upon which your path will be built.”