Chapter 3 - THE FAMILY HISTORY

RUDRA POV

'That was intense.'

I thought to myself as I was left reeling in awe, the things she said giving me a lot to think of. As the darkness set in after the sunset I got myself back inside the building to rest an give myself time to process it all.

And as much as I wanted to seem mature a part of me was quite excited at the discovery that my name was kind of awesome; I mean - storms, might and fearsomeness altogether kind of give an amazing combination.

The talk with grandmother though it took an unexpected turn, did alleviate my soppy emotional state. Unfortunately, I couldn't revel in my newfound emotions for long as the next day, we embarked on an exhausting journey much to my distress giving me no time to dwell on my mentality.

After we set out early the next morning, I spent the following week traveling with Grandma and the greatest discovery during that journey I found out was that she had more stamina than me – a lot more. 

The difference I felt was like a wide chasm so much so that I wondered to myself if she was some mutant or super soldier as I stared at at her untiring form, that didn't seem out of breath after hours and hours of walking on uneven and steep terrains which left me huffing an puffing. I mean given the world we are in there's always a feeling of what-if.

Our journey started normally as we walked to the public transport from which we went to a bus depot, then travelled on buses for the first two days, then a cab again for a few hours, it then took an unexpected turn from there as we reached what seemed like villages away from developed areas where travelled on carts pulled by horses and bulls but it didn't end there as we went further away from civilization as we traversed mountains and forests on foot resting in tents at night.

I was left exhausted, but my Grandma, she didn't seem to break a sweat. On the seventh day of our journey, unable to contain my wonder, I eventually decided to question her.

As we rested in a clearing taking a short break amidst our journey I finaly decided to asked her scooting near where she was sitting I tried inquire in my must innocent tone, hoping to scoop out the secret

"Amma~ah(Oh Grandma), don't you get tired?"

She looked at me confused like I was some strange creature and replied while putting a little distance between us

"No, it's just taking a walk. Why?"

"Are you a mutant, a secret super soldier perhaps?"

I couldn't resist and asked in a joking tone, you know what-if.

"No(?) why?" she asked making me more surprised at the fact she didn't seem to question the mutant and super soldier stuff.

"Then what is with that stamina of yours?!! It's too much!!"

I pressed on keeping my focus on the query that was nearly screaming out of my tired soul.

She smiled mischeviously like a child that succeeded in some prank only she knows and spoke

"Ha ha ha ha you child, fine come and sit here, I will tell you a story."

"So, have you read of the history of India?" Grandma asked as I sat down near her

"Yeah, somewhat." I answered, I might not be an expert but I know the basic stuff.

"Then you do know that our country has been invaded multiple times, yes?" Grandma asked me her question more like a spoken fact than an enquiry.

"Yeah." I affirmed.

'A little too many times I would say.' I thought to myself.

"Then do you know how long those who invaded have ruled some areas, including the Mughals?" she questioned.

"Five-six hundred years?" I made a hald-educated guess because of the on-off ruling periods.

"Close enough, then answer this - why is it that the greatest temples of India are still standing to this day?" Grandma said not denying me, yet she posed another question.

Thinking about it for a while I could knot come up with any logical answer so I speculated

"They didn't attack places of worship?" 

She looked at me as if I was stupid and spoke 

"If any ruler has some common sense, then after conquering the land of a differing culture the first place they would destroy are those where local people gather, to prevent rebellion, even if they may be places of social gatherings or worship."

"Uh, I don't know then, there is no record about it." I said giving up answerng due to my lacking knowledge.

"Of course there won't be, who writes about themselves being beaten up" said my grandmother making me surprised at her words.

"What do you mean?" I asked prompting her to eloborate.

"What I mean is that most of the history books you read were written by or written under direct or indirect supervison of the ones who ruled the land during that time, and while they cannot deny the factual history, the can dominor alterations to hide some fact making the history appear biased in their favour." she said.

"What kind of alterations are we talking about?" I asked as I found the topic quite interesting.

"Like erasing some of the cruel massacres and atricities commited during invasions, or hiding some of their defeats under the banner of benevolence makin it seem the battles never happened." said grandmother making me have a whole new perspective on history.

'So it is true that history is written by the victors.' I thought but I posed another question which was bothering me

"What does it have to do with the temples?" I asked as I got a nagging feeling that the answer would be quite unexpected.

My grandmother seemingly expecting mu question continued her story

"You see, my boy, most of the priests in these temples come from a long family line like mine.

Our families have sworn to and guarded these temples for thousands of years and all those priests and priestesses that come from families like ours are accomplished in literary and martial arts. We have been taught the Geeta and the Vedas since young trained in combat arts of 'kalari payat(kalaripayattu)', forging both the mind and the body since young.

My parents were also warrior priests of the temple my mother and father, your great-grandmother and great-grandfater fought against a troop of 100 armed men as a pair during a british invasion to our temple, he died fighting but together they took out 79 of them and twenty escaped with their leader ."

"They must be amazing marksmen." I said exclaiming as I imagined the scene of bullets flying like the in a war movie but the truth was something else

She laughed as if she found what I said amusing yet there was something more hidden behind that expression thht I couldn't identify.

"Ha ha ha, no child they did now use guns, never knew how to." she said

"Then how did they fight?" Now I was genuinely curious.

"They used a Dhaal(round one-handed shield) and a Talwar(sword)." she answered leaving me gobsmacked as I couldn't quite comprehend how a pair with a sword and shiled took out 79 out of a hundred gunmen and forced the rest to flee even if at the cost of their life.

"Kalaripayattu, the world's first martial art, is it that strong?" I asked out loud questioning what I knew about the combat art my grandmother introduced

 "Well, you are not wrong, but not right either, now let's get going; we have a few more kilometres to cover."

She said as she didn't give me a proper answer to that along the way, but I was about find out soon.

"By the way, does Grandfather know?" I asked as the question popped up in my mind.

"Of course, child. He courted me after he was beaten up for a misunderstanding." she said.

"Tell me about it!" I asked hoping for some gossip and leverage on my grandfather.

"Some other time, we have somewhere to be." she said leaving the blac- ahem* story for another time.

But the revelation that my grandma was a trained fighter was quite shocking, I don't know how strong she is but my great-grandparents were strong that much I knew for sure.

'I wish I had seen them', this wish I had at that time; I wish I never had it because it was then I realized the meaning of 'be careful what you wish for', for you never know it might come true.