Next Day

"Yes.. 10 minutes, " Swara said happily and was about to run toward the mess hall when Sanskar's voice stopped her.

"Five Rounds more, " Sanskar said, ticking the students' names who were near the finishing line.

"What? " Swara asked, confused not confirmed did he say that to her only? Sanskar moved the list down and looked at her.

"Don't want to do it? " Sanskar asked, looking at her with a challenge in his eyes.

"Refusing to train order results in disqualification...isn't it? " Swara thought and laughed a little, turned around and started running again. Sanskar saw her for less than a minute then looked back at candidates who were finishing the rounds and marked their timings.

********************

"What did you do to get punishment from sir? "

Swara looked at the two boys who were sitting opposite her, across the dining table. Swara looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"They are my friends... he is lakshah and he is Aditya, " kavita introduced them.

"I didn't do anything but now I will do things, " swara said, with a red face and put a full spoon in her mouth. The boys laughed while Kavita's mouth got open a little.
*******************
"Grandpa is there a problem if I come home disqualified? " swara asked. Grandpa coughed at that.

"Why are you not answering? " swara asked in an irritated tone.

"No, if things are hard for you then you can come home, " he said after clearing his throat.

"Right!... I love you, grandpa, you are the best, Muah! " Swara said, giving him a virtual kiss. Grandpa chuckled and cut the call.

"Did you get disqualified? "Ram asked after she put the receiver back.

"NO, but I am planning to get disqualified, " Swara said in a determined tone. Ram looked at her with incredulity.

*******************

"Hello! " Swara waved her hands with an ear-to-ear smile. Sanskar stared at me without a blink.

"Candidate go back to your room, " sanskar said in a calm tone.

"I don't want to and it's swara, not Candidate... you should know my name because we will be seeing each other a log from now, "  swara said with a teasing smile and sit down on the 4 steps stairs, which were leading to the ground. She put on earpods and start watching drama on mobile. Sanskar rubbed his right eyebrow with his index finger, releasing a sigh and walked out from there.
******************

"Five rounds, " Sanskar said, looking down at the cardboard.

"Yes! " Swara said obediently and started the run.

"Again! "

"Yes! "

"Again! "

"Yes! "

**********************

"Where is he? " Swara said, moved back a little, and looked in the gallery. She was sitting on the stairs, waiting for sanskar.

"There he came, " She saw him coming and hurriedly stood up.

"Can't you come a little early, I am tired and sleepy...first you make me do extra training then don't come on time, I need my beauty sleep, " swara said, complaining nonstop.

"By the way, I am curious about something?... whole day you supervise training and during the night you make rounds... When do you sleep? " Swara asked, blinking at him innocently.

"You think I will answer your question? " sanskar asked with an expressionless face. swara made face.

"If you will answer then no harm will be done.... anyway I am going to sleep, " swara said, yawning and stepping toward the rooms.

Sanskar shook his head and moved in the other direction.

****************

"Sleepy...so sleepy, " Swara said keeping her face in her palm.

"Is he coming or not? " Swar said in an irritated tone, looking in the hall.

"Aish! " She said through gritted teeth, got up and walked to the instructor's office. She stop in front of sanskar's office and knocked on the door then opened the door. Sanskar was typing next week's schedule, raised his head and looked at her with twisted eyebrows

"Why are you not coming? "  swara asked with pouted face and entered inside.

"You gave me a big lecture on time but not following your own rules is not right, " swara said as she was disappointed. Sanskar got up, held her arm, and made her walk outside, after making her stand on the doorstep, he closed the doors.

Swara blinked at the closed door for a whole minute.

"Shibal!..." swara said in loud voice with red tomato face.

"That's a curse word...I am sure now, " Sanskar said, hearing it but a satisfied smile appeared on his lips and he sat back on the chair and continued his work.

***************
"She is really something, " Sanskar said, watching swara standing, lying against the wall outside his office, with earpods and eyes fixed on his mobile.

He closed the distance between them and looked at the screen from the top. His eyes narrowed seeing zombies eating people alive. He tapped on her shoulder and there was a huge scream.

"Aaaaa...aaaaa..." Swara screamed after smashing the mobile on the ground and was about to fall with it when sanskar held her on time in mid-air, sliding his arm around her waist.

Swara looked at him with wild open eyes, scared written all over her face. both share a long eye lock.

To Be Continued...