Ren and I were having our important discussions about Mr Martins when suddenly she stopped speaking. I turned around to see Nick entering.

"Why is your face so red? And why do both of you look like caught in a crime?" He was not getting any answer. After waiting for two minutes, "I have exactly 22 minutes before Wills kicks my ass in football."

I shifted my chair to create some space for another chair. He laughed and sat next to me.

Me and Ren were looking at him, without blinking. "I wish Elyssa could see this." he said looking at the ground, faking sadness but hiding a smile.

Ren had a good laugh and I controlled my own laughter before getting him back on track.

"Last night, after we left... What happened?" I asked him straight.

"You really don't want to know. It's-" "Ah cut the crap." Ren said this time.

Giving up in defeat he said "Fine, but only major points. I have to be in the ground on time."

"No mr, we want details." "Yes, absolutely."

"You two are becoming a deadly combination these days." We girls high-fived and looked back at him. And he started narrating the story-

* "It doesn't look like anyone missed me here." Sir Louis started the conversation very politely.

"Welcome back, Boss." "Thank you dog. Now you both will start pushing after I kick your asses, or you know better?"

I never knew I'll regret my own decision of getting flame shots, the same night. A hangover would have been a better reason to regret, instead of falling face first on ground, every tenth push.

"I've always loved weekends, except those two weeks when Colonel owned my ass." He had a deep thought before talking again. "Yeah, weekends. And I'm feeling bad that you guys partied alone, without me. Huh? Doesn't matter, I'll have it now."

He saw both of us falling on ground so frequently. "What is making you fall so much?" He asked, amused. "Two tequila flame shots, sir." "Three shots, Boss."

"You are always one step ahead, dog, aren't you?" "Unluckily yes, boss." Yes, I would have been dead if I had said that. But because it's the dog, he can talk freely with his boss. I feel cornered.

"So. The three of us are here at KMA after seven years. Your dear dad is not here. You two are shit drunk, and I had a 6 hours sleep on my way, so nowhere close to sleepy. So, what does it mean?"

"It's a second hell night for us." "But it's not your birthday, dog. It's... Exactly a month from now, isn't it?" God he remembers his birthday too! Geez they freak me out.

I think he caught me making faces when he crushed my little finger under his boot saying "I remember your birthday too, Nick."

"Sorry sir." I was actually feeling apologetic. A brain like his, carrying a title himself, it's an easy thing for him to remember. He took his foot off and I sighed in relief.

"You guys keep distracting me. So, we were at Hell night. No, it won't be a Hell night, because you are not in the first year, and your batch is not here. Most importantly, you are not an SC right now."

He had a small laugh before continuing "Dog?" "Yes Boss?" "The way we celebrated your birthday.. I hope none of your batchmates have a doubt about the date now."

Can you believe it when I say Wills replied with a laugh? "No sir, all of them remember it. Every year I get calls from all of them just to hear curses." Well, it's actually funny if you look at it from their point of view. It was the only day in Will's training life when the whole batch got screwed all night and he just sat and pointed out the faults in our screwing. I, too, hated him for next many days.

They both were laughing because, obviously, they were a part of the giving team of Hell night, and I was in the receiving team.

"Oh, I need to confirm this news. Did you declare getting the title?" "Never Boss, I never did that." Wills replied before he was even finished speaking. "Thought so."

Isn't that obvious? He never handed over the title to Wills, how can he even think of declaring? I've been listening to this title thing for ten years now, and I'm fed up. Wills doesn't give up, and Sir Louis doesn't give the title. I know it's a big thing, but dude, comeon! Grow up!

"You said something?" Shit did I say it out loud? "No sir." I prayed to all gods that my tongue behaved. "Better" Oh thank goodness.

"Nick, I heard you got fumes? Everyone is talking about it!" "Yes sir, six in a row." He didn't speak for a few moments.

"How did you manage to piss him that badly?" "Unpleasant behavioural problems, sir" "That bad?! And you two didn't like it, the night three of your seniors did the same?"

I didn't know where to go and hide my face. My brain had come back to ground level now. It was my body that was still high up there.

None of us replied to his question. "Fine, it's something personal I assume." "Yes sir."

"So? What's new? I've been out of network area for far too long. What all happened?" And we gossiped about KMA, senior officers, cadets, visits and everything possible, like old times. It felt good, just that my shoulders were hurting badly. But I was surprised to see Wills going on pushing. Bloody he hasn't even properly worked out in last so many months!

We had absolutely no idea of time, not that it mattered. Tomorrow is an off, there's no way he's gonna let us go soon. My body was still recovering from the after effects of never-ending Fumes, when finally hell came down.

"So. Dog?" "Yes Boss" "You know, how much I waited for this day." "Yes Boss."

"No you don't. Only I know that." "Apologies Boss." I preferred to stay quiet.

"I'm still very curious about your talent of remembering all the names." There you go again! "Boss I never lied."

"I want you to prove it, then." "Anything you say, Boss." "Good...." You could hear that sadistic tone in that single word.

He ordered me to get a rope. I rushed down and then up the stairs all the while praying I don't trip and fall. If I knew what he's gonna do with the rope, I wouldn't have brought it too soon. Wills was hanging from the edge of the roof, with his feet tied with one end of the rope, and it's other end fixed to a pole. If, by any chance, the either end of the rope decided to open the knot, or break in between, Wills would fall head first on the ground.

Before I could ask him to reconsider, he ordered me to restart pushups. Now, Wills was hanging at the edge, I was pushing along the edge, and sir Louis was sitting between the two of us, with his feet hanging from the edge. A peacefully calm late night just turned out to be horrible for us.

"You -" he pointed at me "will push five for every right answer your brother gives. For every single wrong answer, add a fifty. In any case, he'll be staying in pulled up position till you're done." I gulped and said yes sir.

"And dog.." he brought out his smart phone, did something with it and continued "With every reverse crunch, you'll name the person I show you. Don't worry these are all the people we have met during our training days. I had a tough time collecting these photos, but I'm sure you'll recognise them easily." Really?!

No one can remember names of people they met ten f*cking years ago! He actually went around collecting them! How crazy is this guy! I really hope he has got only a few photos, and that Wills recognises them all, because I really can't push anymore.

And it started. Wills would crunch up and see the photo in his phone and say out the name, wait till I finish five Pushups, then go back down and pull up again to repeat the whole thing.

I don't know about his Boss, but I was impressed! He would hardly take a second before calling out name of the individual. Some of them sounded familiar to me, but I'm 100% sure I would never recognise them the way Wills was doing.

My shoulders were forcing me to say something out, in pain. He must have guessed 50, if not less. I wanted to ask - how many photos has he got!

"Sir MN Zarr, Final year, Boss...Wait !" "Great! Nick, thank your brother for getting you extra 50 over your own 5. You can start counting." Damn!

"Permission to correct Boss" Wills literally pleaded. "It won't change the count, still permission granted."

"Sir NM Zarr, Final year, Boss" "Correct"

I knew damage has been done. I got on the job. Wills was hanging onto his dear life by taking support from his thighs.

"Boss we've been over a hundred already. You still think I cheated with you in-" Wills started speaking. "Dare you try that emotional blackmail, I'll kick you at the right place!"

"Damn Nick, hurry up!" Yea, like it's so easy. Nevertheless I tried my best and he fell back as soon as I fell on the floor, hurting my nose badly this time.

"How many more.." Finally a voice came from the edge. "We're almost halfway through." Sir replied casually while I was ready to puke out a 'what!'

It went on for hours. My shoulders were numb now. I did only five reps of fifty, thanks to Wills brain working A class after the shots, at this point in night, morning may be, and while hanging upside down.

"That's it. I'm sorry sir." I gave up. "Nick! No!" Wills shouted at me.

"Your brother doesn't approve you worthy enough, I guess." "Nick for the sake of all those nights I got screwed because of all of you, you'll not give up now. I'll kill you if you do."

"We are only left with five more..." Sir said, like he was counting candies. Any other day, 5 would be a miniscule number. Oh five? Let's do it while we talk about breakfast. But right now, five meant 25 Pushups, without a doubt.

And if he gets one incorrect, 25 plus 50. And if god plans to play with me, and he remembers none of them, it will be a figure my brain can't process right now.

"Fine!" I said with clenched jaw, remembering how he would never give up on us till he lost consciousness. Thankfully he named them all right.

Sir Louis began and I couldn't wait to run away from what I just underwent. "So. We went through two hundred and thirty eight photos. 156 of them were your seniors and juniors at random. Rest included our drill instructors, the local college boys we competed with, officers on TD, civil staff etcetera etcetera. Out of these 238, you got 233 right, four with minor faults and about one, you were clueless. Am I right dog?"

"Yes Boss" He exhaled. "What do you think? Should I trust you?" "Everything... is in front.. of you, Boss."

It was beyond my senses how could Wills talk so much right now. I could barely breathe. And what's the point of this conversation?

The sun was rising now. What a happening night out we just witnessed. The sky has that purple hue to it. It's cool and beautiful. The only thing wrong here is this guy, who's annoying me to the core!

"Permission to speak freely sir?" I've had enough of this sh*t. I knew I was about to blow a dynamite but I can't take this anymore. "Rejected." What?! How am I supposed to ask them to grow up now?

"Boss.." "What is it?" Partiality at it's peak!

"You know I never lied." "I know dog, you never did."

"You know I deserve it." That's a very very daring statement.

"That's exactly what I can't decide." Damnit! There was a long gap before Sir decided to move on to phase 2.

"I'll take some time in deciding that. For now, you two have a debt to pay." He said rubbing one of his knuckles, which stopped me from crying out loud 'what on earth were we doing till now, then'.

*

"Nick! Your f*cking team is waiting for you!" Oh no. That's Killer. Nick stood up without wasting a moment and ran away with horror in his eyes.

I hope he's in a state to tell rest of the story at dinner tonight.