Chapter 163: Ayushmann Badhana - 1
Rewari Kingdom, Pataudi Village, Mercenary Recruitment Camp
A 17-year-old boy with dry throat and scarred feet, dragged himself toward the Pataudi village under the scorching sun. He wore a worn-out white shirt and dhoti. Ahead of him, a long queue of villagers stood waiting with weary faces. The recruitment camp was a large makeshift tent over an open field which bore banners of the Hindshakti company fluttering in the wind.
Ignoring his fatigue, the boy joined the line. Moments later, two boys of similar age, both panting heavily, ran up and stood behind him. They were twins, nearly identical in height and build, with one having curly hair and the other straight.
"Thanks to you, we almost missed it!" the curly-haired twin grumbled, still catching his breath.
"Stop complaining," the straight-haired twin shot back. "We made it just in time, didn’t we?"
The curly-haired twin noticed the boy in front of them staring them and asked with a teasing grin, "What’s the matter? Never seen twins before?"
The 17-year-old boy turned away, uninterested, and focused on the line ahead. The queue was slowly being checked before anyone was allowed to enter the camp area, which was secured with sharp-ended palisade walls and a small ditch serving as a makeshift moat. The entrance was heavily guarded, unlike the rest of the perimeter, which was sparsely watched and shaded by a few tall trees.
They waited in line for over two hours before a sharp whistle blew, signaling the end of the day’s recruitment. The crowd began to disperse, disappointed.
The curly-haired twin groaned in frustration, "No way! They’re disbanding. Did we miss our chance?"
"Relax," his brother reassured him. "The recruitment lasts all week. We can come back tomorrow."
"All because of you," the curly-haired one muttered under his breath.
The 17-year-old boy listened to their conversation, taking in just enough of it. To know more, he dragged his tired body to the entrance, where he witnessed soldiers in blue uniforms dismissing the remaining crowd.