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A few days later,
In Acharya Vyasa's Ashram, two teenage kids were sitting and listening to the words spoken by the third kid standing in front of them with very keen attention.
He had a sturdy and robust build, indicative of his physical prowess and years of training. His silver hair with golden tips was unkempt and fluttering along with the wind, and he wore a simple white cloth (Dhoti) below his waist, bare-chested above, showing his humble background.
Ekalavya brushed his hand against his smooth silver hair before he turned to his two new shishyas.
"Guru Dev, why do some people live in poverty and some are so rich?" the boy asked with a very thoughtful expression.
"My dear Shashi, remember these words: not everyone is born equal in this world, but each person always gets a chance once in their life to make something out of their small, non-existent self into something extraordinary." Ekalavya looked at his two innocent shishyas while speaking in a calm tone, before pausing to let them digest his words.
"Even though each person is given the chance, not everyone understands that intent and ends up missing the opportunity. And people who do recognise it and take the risk become someone who leaves their mark on the annals of history." Ekalavya smiled as he explained slowly, wondering how much these kids could understand his words.
"So our chance was meeting you, Guruwar. Wasn't it?" Shashi, the boy, responded, exchanging a look with his sister.
"Yes, dear Shashi. You catch on quick. Fortunately for you two, fate was on your side and made you take the right path." Ekalavya smiled, looking at the siblings, and felt like he needed to start giving them lessons on everything from the basics.
"Shalini dear, speak up... what do you wanna ask?" Ekalavya turned to the girl. Seeing her hesitating, he encouraged her to ask.
"Hmmn... Guruwar, I can't understand whatever profound words you are saying. Am I stupid?" Shalini asked with an innocent expression and teary eyes.
"No... no, who said our dear Shalini is stupid? You don't have to understand whatever I am saying right now. You only need to etch these words into your head. You will understand everything in the future." Ekalavya hurriedly waved his hand and bent down, patting her head, feeling a little guilty for making the innocent kid cry.
"Hmmn...!" Seeing Shalini understand and stop being teary, he sighed in relief. He didn't want to see that quiet and innocent girl cry her eyes out.
"Alright... off you go. For now, it's enough for today. Go practice how to make the concoction I taught yesterday." Ekalavya waved at them as he instructed them to learn and practice by themselves.
"As you wish, Guruwar!" Shashi and Shalini stood up and bowed, showing their proper respect before they left, seeing him waving at them.
"Phew... I really am not used to this. Kids aren't my cup of tea. They haven't developed their minds yet, so they can't understand advanced knowledge. So I really need to prepare the material beforehand—what to teach them from the basics!" Ekalavya muttered to himself, trying to recall something useful which he could use to teach those kids.
"Brother Ekalavya, Acharya Vyasa is calling you." The voice of his fellow brother brought him out from his stray thoughts.
"Ahh... yes, I am coming." Ekalavya replied back before he turned and walked towards his Guruwar's abode.
"Pranam Guruwar," Ekalavya arrived at his Guruwar's abode, seeing him busy writing his new Granth (Scripture), so he respectfully stood in Añjali Mudrā to show his respect.
"Kalyanam Astu! Come here, Priya Ekalavya, sit down...!" Hearing his Priya Shishya's voice, he looked up before giving his blessing and beckoning him to sit in front of him.
"Yes, Guruwar!" Ekalavya nodded and sat down on the ground on a grass Shaiya.
"Priya Shishya, I have taught you everything you should learn from me. Now, the only thing left is the knowledge of Granths (Sacred Scriptures). Starting from today, I'll be teaching you every morning, so be prepared and make time for it." Guru Vyasa smiled, seeing his favorite Shishya sitting in front of him, having learned all his knowledge at such an early age, which even surprised him.
He decided to pass on the rest of his knowledge, so he can start his journey of self-reflection and hopefully write his own Granths like him.
"Yes, Guruwar... I was waiting for this." Ekalavya smiled happily, hearing that finally he was getting the knowledge he always wanted to learn from his Guruwar.
"You should ask for permission from your father and mother, as I need you to remain here until you have learned all my knowledge of Granths." Guru Vyasa reminded him, knowing full well that it would take years to teach his Shishya all his knowledge.
"Yes, Guruwar...!" Ekalavya nodded. After taking permission from him, he immediately ran home to get his father and mother's permission.
Reaching home, he quickly found his mother and asked her permission. As for his father, he wasn't around, so informing his mother and helping her for a while, he came back to his Guruwar's Ashram and started to live there.
In the morning, his Guruwar imparted his knowledge, and in the afternoon, Ekalavya taught his two Shishyas from the ground up.
As for the rest of the time, he carefully made a selective training method for himself and started to train his body to build a perfect warrior physique.
This went on for a while—four years—before he was able to soak up every knowledge from his Guru Vyasa and truly had nothing left to learn from him. Only then did he stop his monotonous life in the Guruwar's Ashram.
He was acknowledged by his guruwar and given permission to start his journey to self reflection.
He wanted him to truly see the world with his own eyes and apply the knowlege he learned from him. He wanted him to train his mind amd experienced the upset and downs of this world has to offer to him.
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