[ VAAMAANGI is a Sanskrit word and a synonym of wife. Its literal meaning is left part or left side of body]
"Shambhu, if you are free, we need to talk," Gajpati Bheema called him.
"Yes, just coming, Gajpati." Gajpati and Shambhu both went outside so as not to disturb the injured.
"We need to examine your body for negative powers. As you yourself admitted, you got this tattoo when the summoning happened. We need to know if it has any adverse effects. And you were present there, so you can tell me in detail what had happened," Gajpati said, stating what he wanted from Shambhu.
"Right now?" Shambhu was a little hesitant, so he asked. "Not right now. Healers and doctors have done their work, so my son will be released in the morning. I will come back then. Until then, you stay with your brother and rest," Gajpati said and then asked for his parents' contact IDs. After taking the IDs, Gajpati went his way and contacted Shambhu's parents, telling them the same thing.
Shambhu took a breather after being left alone, then asked Raktaa, "Raktaa, can you mask your presence?"
"I don't need to mask my presence," Raktaa said nonchalantly. "Why? Aren't you a foreign entity in my body?" Shambhu asked. "Because I am not like a tumor, and it's not a doctor's checkup. To search for an evil entity, they test the energy it has," Raktaa explained. "And you might already know energy is divided into three basic types: Sat, Raj, Tam (the 'a' in these words is pronounced as 'u' in 'cup' or 'curl'). Sat is the positive and good, Tam is the negative and evil, while Raj is the neutral one and can be influenced by the energy it comes in contact with. And I am completely made from Sat energy. So they aren't going to be suspicious. But you didn't tell me why you wanted me to be your wife?" Raktaa asked the question again.
"I didn't sense anything evil in you, but I needed to be sure. That's why my question about my parents proved that you follow DHARMA and would not harm anyone just for your own good. Then, under Dharma, the best relation I could've had with you to both save you and make sure you won't go against me was that of husband and wife. I can't live with an unknown female without any obvious relations," Shambhu now sillily stated his reasoning.
"Then why did you interrogate me? Just to disturb and tease me?" Raktaa said as if she was complaining.
"The interrogation was just to make sure you aren't unstable due to your loss and accept your role and duty," Shambhu explained his side. They both then chatted for some more time and then went to sleep after eating in the canteen.
The next morning, both Ananta and Vishal were released. Gajpati came and took Vishal, his son, Shambhu, and his family to his office. Guruvar Shuka was also present there to examine Shambhu and Ananta. He asked both of them to come forward. He put one of his hands on Ananta's lower abdomen and one on his forehead, then released his own spiritual energy to check the energy inside him. Ananta was flabbergasted by the energy that entered him. Guruvar then repeated the same process with Shambhu. Shambhu was surprised and a little bit nostalgic. "Isn't this the same sensation that happened when you entered my body?" he asked Raktaa. "Yes, but the sensation then should have been much stronger, as I, as a spiritual body and energy, completely took a part in your vessel," Raktaa answered. "It was. I just didn't show any reaction because of the situation I was in. It was both euphoric and slightly painful," Shambhu said.
Guruvar Shuka then ended the check-up after examining Vishal and gave his verdict, "There is no trace of Tam (evil energy) in them. But Shambhu does have something that is increasing his spiritual energy, and his body is more susceptible to my spiritual energy."
"He has PROTECTOR'S BLOOD too, Guruvar," Gajpati added.
Hearing this, Guruvar Shuka became more interested in Shambhu. "You are a rare occurrence then," he said. "Have you joined any academy then?" asked Shuka.
"No, Guruvar. I just turned fifteen before this AQUAS, and my initiation ceremony was just 10 days ago," Shambhu answered.
"Then how about I recommend you for admission in the PROTECTOR Academy here?" Shuka offered.
Shambhu was tempted by this offer, as he himself was planning to enter the academy. He had learned during his stay in Prayag that joining the Academy is considered the first step to walk on the path of a protector. But after a thought, he rejected the offer.
Shuka was shocked. "You don't want to join the academy even after having PROTECTOR'S BLOOD? Don't worry, after my recommendation, you are sure to get admission."
"It's not like that. I want to earn my admission through my own karma," Shambhu said with determination.
Shuka was happy after this answer. He then spoke, "Then come to the academy on the 5th day from today; there will be an open entrance test for those who have missed the last ones or are late."
Shuka went his way after this talk, and Gajpati Bheema took all their statements as witnesses of the SUMMONING. Shambhu omitted the part where he met Raktaa, obviously. After the procedures ended, Gajpati handed them their new stay passes to stay in governmental shelters which were made for the people affected by summoning. Shambhu and his family went to their shelter. Shambhu's father had kept him away from the general populace and had prevented him from fighting, but he had taught him whatever martial arts he had learned for self-defense. The open entrance test of the academy consisted only of fights; no written tests were needed, as these tests were only for those who wanted to walk on the path of a protector.
In the next three days, Shambhu practiced the martial arts his father had taught him for almost ten hours daily. He also checked his coordination with Raktaa in a fight, which was not good obviously, but she did teach him some weapon techniques of the weapon she wielded.
Time went by, and the day of the test came. Shambhu too went to the testing grounds. It was a stadium co-owned by the Academy. Shambhu could not believe the grandness he was witnessing. The walls of the stadium stood over 100 meters tall and 30 meters wide. These walls were circling an area of over 1 mile in radius. The stadium had four entrances. On every entrance gate stood two big elephant statues made out of granite, facing each other. Both were over 50 meters tall. Their trunks were forming an arch over the gate but not touching each other, and they were holding a lotus in their trunks, as if they were welcoming the people coming there. The elephants were standing in ponds of clear water, in which blue, fish-shaped fountains were built. The left pond was for people to freshen up, while the right pond was for drinking water. Both of these ponds were artificial and over 200 meters in diameter. Shambhu entered the stadium, and he was surprised to see that over 100,000 people were present there.
This event was one of the less exciting events that was hosted in this stadium because the people fighting in it were not even properly initiated. They wouldn't have even awakened their first CHAKRA. So there were no fighting elements used. Yet the people were here. And when Shambhu saw the fighting stage for the event, even his generally stoic face showed surprise. The fighting stage was clearly not made for this event.