Agent 024

TRY NOT TO FALL

"Run faster. The faster you are, the greater momentum you'll have for the jump.", Abhay said as I sat on the sand gaining my breath.

"Okay.", I said getting up and walked back towards the starting line.

"Run fast and propel yourself forward with force. Clear?", Abhay said.

"Clear.", I said.

I took a deep breath and ran. 

At the mark, I jumped forward and landed halfway across the pile.

"Impressive.", he said marking the distance.

"You have a good run, that makes all your athletic hurdles easier. We need to focus on strength now.", Abhay said, extending his arm.

I held it and he pulled me up.

We were standing too close to each other. His face was an inch away from mine. I had a rugged breathing from all the running but I doubt that was the only reason. Our hands were still clutched and they were the only distance between us. He had an uneven breath too. I was scared to look into his eyes, I didn't trust myself after that. Heck I had entered an academy no one knew existed, I was training to be an Agent, broken my back, I could do this. I looked up in to his eyes and saw he had been looking at mine the whole time. His eyes were brown. I had often wondered how people could see oceans in someone's eyes. I mean all they could possibly see was the aqueous fluid or the vitreous fluid at best. But here I saw it, oceans and waves crashing against the shore and yet tempting me in. I saw storms and sunshine. As his eyes caught the rays of the rising sun, they glowed with a heavenly hue. I could feel his breath on my face. The world had ceased, no other sound, no other person around mattered. I was diving deeper into his eyes and I was gladly loosing my way. He looked back into my eyes with deeper intensity and I wished that moment to pause.

I saw realization dawn on his face all of a sudden and he immediately unclasped our hands and stepped back creating distance between us. I missed his warmth, it was like all the good things had just been snatched away from me all of a sudden.

"The uhh strength, training umm rope.", he said clearing his throat.

I jumped back into my senses. 

"Yes, let's go.", I said looking anywhere but at him.

I started walking towards the pole where ropes of different lengths hung at different heights on the hooks of the pole.

"We'll start with the lowest rope.", he said his voice back to his normal tone, his expression rigid. It was as if nothing had just happened. Maybe nothing had, I wondered as I clasped the rope and tugged at it. I wasn't taking any chance this time.

Abhay saw what I was doing and chuckled - "It won't fall."

I nodded without looking at him.

"Tisha.", he said, calling me to look at him.

"So I just got to hold the rope and push my self up and then hold it with my knees?", I asked still looking at the rope.

He let out a deep breath. "Fine. Yeah, that's one way. Let's start with that.", he said.

I nodded and began climbing the rope carefully.

"Right grasp the rope tighter with your feet. Keep your knees bent. Try forming a foothold, a balance from where you can climb higher. Take it step wise step."

"Okay.", I said and followed his instructions. 

Surprisingly I needed much less force to climb now. I finished climbing to the top and started sliding down slowly.

"Nope, you'll bruise your hand that way. Climb down the same way you went up.", he said and I nodded.

Sure enough red deep lines had already started appearing across my palm.

"Thanks.", I said as I got down. I realized there was no reason to be a jerk to him. He was just doing his duty, and he was doing it well.

"That really helped.", I said pointing to the rope.

He nodded and said, "Let's move on to the next rope?"

"Yeah."

I clasped the rope and tugged it.

"It's not going to fall, Tisha.", he said, shaking his head.

"Do you blame me?", I said. "I might be a reckless soul but hey I value my back.", 

"Do I blame you for running the entire course and aggravating your injury to to the point of bed rest. Yeah, that was all you.", he shrugged with a taunting expression on his face.

"I swear if you weren't my trainer, I'd challenge you to a fight right now.", I said.

"What are you - a knight? I challenge you to a fight.", he said in a thick fake accent.

"The next rope.", I said.

"By all means."

"How's the progress?" the Agent said walking up to us.

"We're done with the jumps and rope.", Abhay said as I got down from the highest rope.

"I see you got down the rope.", the Agent smiled.

"On my feet this time, luckily.", I said.

He laughed. 

"You'll be good to join the class from tomorrow. Hope Abhay was a good teacher.", he said.

Abhay and I exchanged an awkward glance before I said to the Agent, "Thanks to him, I don't fall from ropes anymore."

"I have that effect on people.", Abhay shrugged and the Agent shook his head smiling and left.

"Anyways thank you. I mean it. Your guidance really helped.", I said.

"Anytime, Tisha.", he said with that charming smile again. But I wasn't going to fall for it this time. One rejection was enough for a day.

The class was dismissed and people were walking out now.

"Well see you later then.", I said wiping my hands on my track pants.

He looked like he was about to say something but stopped and nodded. I turned around and started walking out.

"Hey, Tisha?", he called out as I reached the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Try not to fall."

I gave him a confused look.

"For anyone.", he said and walked away.