Greetings from the Grandparents

It had been a week since Manyata had been discharged from the health building. She was standing at one of the castle windows, looking outside at the vast mountains lying before them. The little baby was cradled in her arms. Her striking similarity with Vayu had been growing. Her skin was flawless with pink tinges on her cheeks. Her head already had a thick tuft of curls. Her nose was blunt and had big brown eyes and a smile was always plastered on her face. However unlike any other infant she has seen, her daughter had immense strength in her arms. She had seen her bend the gold locket the maid was wearing. 

She knew like herself and her husband, their child shall also be unique and talented.

Manyata thought back to the day when she had first met Vayu. Just like her Vayu also belonged to the Administrators Class who were known as Brahmins.

Yes the society was divided in four classes The Brahmins, The Kshatriyas or the Warriors, the Vaishyas or the Traders and the Sudras or the Labourers.

Once a child came of age, and turned eighteen, he or she was given a right to choose which class they wanted to join. They were then examined by a panel of examiners of the class they wanted to join and accordingly were inducted in the class.

The Brahmins were considered to be the brain of the society, the Kshatriyas were its arms, the Vaishyas were its reason for financial growth and the Shudras were the Backbone. Even though the Brahmins had the authority and power over all others, save for few stray incidents they had never looked down upon the rest. However, sheldom would a person belonging to the Brahmin Class join any other class.

The Brahmins had the duty of the governing, administration and ruling of the Ethar and also of looking after the general health and education of the subjects, and carrying out research and experimentation work for inventing, cures to diseases. The Kshatriyas were warriors and endowed with the duty to protect the subjects from any harm, irrespective of the fact whether it was natural calamity or a crime committed by an individual . The Vaishyas helped in increasing the economy by trading and manufacturing different products for consumption, weaponary and other such equipment which would help in the day to day lives, whereas the Sudras were involved with agriculture, fishing, cleaning, animal rearing. The Brahmins always wore white clothes often bordered by gold. The rest of the classes did not have any restrictions in their clothings. However the Kshatriyas had an inclination towards black, and Vaishyas loved including every possible colour in their attire.

All men and women wore Dhotis, which were a 22 yard of cloth draped in the form of a trouser. The women also wore a clothe covering their bust called the "choli" which was tied at the back in a ribbon knot and carried an Angavastram, a long rectangular piece of cloth similar to a stole. The men also often carried an Angavastram but their torso remained bare. However in the north due to colder climates they had to wear long coats made from the fur of sheep.

The Emperor was considered the supreme power of the Ethar. He had equally huge responsibilities to fulfill. He had the duty to look after the welfare of the people of the Ethar. An emperor was chosen from amongst the Brahmins as they were considered to be the only class who had the ability to efficiently govern and rule the people of the Ethar without being biased.

When Manyata had completed her examination and succeeded to carry on her family tradition of joining the Brahmins she had wanted to be a Health Preserver. She still envied Parikshit and Shivani for living her dream. Even Vayu wanted to become a Health Preserver, but it was rather fate when they attained such success which they had not desired but which was much more than what many would have dreamed of. Vayu had become the Emperor even before they got married and she became the Prime Minister. She knew people considered her and her Husband as the epitome of knowledge, wit and intelligence. They were the shrewdest minds in the history of Ethar and she secretly admitted the fact.

That is what had drawn them to each other. She had always competed to become the best and would have become, if Vayu had not been trying to do the same. It was their competition with each other that had drawn them close. She knew that Vayu had that one talent which she lacked, which made him the Emperor and the favourite of every subject, it was his patience. Vayu seemed to have the solution to every problem that existed and he never seemed to be fazed when he faced a problem, no matter how grave or serious it was. Vayu had three sisters, Revathi who was a year elder to Vayu and Jaya who was a year younger to him and Saudamini who was his step-sister and the eldest of them all. Both of them were Brahmins themselves, but Jaya's husband was a Vaishya. Both Revathi and Jaya were educators but that didnot hinder them from bringing up their children.

Manyata admired them, for breaking the stereostype of taking retirement after child-birth, like her mother and mother-in-law had done.

"I will do EVERYTHING for your well being," she whispered to the child in her arms "but I shall also continue to discharge my duties as the Prime Minister." She promised herself. The child as if in acknowledgement chirped again with laughter and clapped her small hands.

"Will I be intruding into the conversation of the mother and daughter?" Came a woman's voice.

She turned around to see her parents. Her father Shivashakti was a man in his early fifties, once a minister, now the advisor to the Emperor and her mother Shantipriya in her late was a researcher . The couple smiled at their daughter who was holding their granddaughter.

Shantipriya loved her daughter more than anything in the world. Since her husband had to travel around Etharand she had Manyata as the only companion they had become each other's bestfriend and sharing with each other their sorrows and secrrets. Shivashakti was the minister of Commerce then and had to travel from one state to another to see that fair and proper trade practices were being followed. Just before Vayuvijay became the emperor he had been promoted to the post of Advisor to the Emperor. It was not unknown to Shantipriya that Vayu hardly adhered to the advises of his father in law. Shantipriya knew that Shiva strongly disagreed with Vayu's emotional and compassion driven enactments and law formulation. Shiva was a practical man who felt that emotion should be kept aside when ruling Ethar. Shanti however felt quite the opposite. According to her, if the emperor was not emotionally connected to his subjects and empathised with their pain, he will never be able to rule them and ensure their welfare. She respected the young emperor and just like her daughter, knew that he was meant for great achievements.

"Mother, when did you come," Manyata exclaimed as she approached her parents.

"She looks just like you did when you were her age!" Shanti declared "I think though, she has her father's nose and eyes."

"Not to mention a bush on the head," said Shiva.

"Father..." Manyata mock warned her father.

Shiva chuckled at her daughter's warning. He looked at his granddaughter and extended his arm to his daughter to take the little baby in his arm. Shanti was surprised at this gesture, since she knew well that her husband did not like children. But again this was not any child this was his own granddaughter.

Shiva took the baby in his arm and rocked her lightly. She giggled and extended her small arms.

"I would not do that if I were you father." Manyata advised him as she saw him bending his head towards the baby. She was right. The baby had grabbed her father's cheek and immediately he groaned.

"I told you!" said Manyata as she took the baby back from her father, who started rubbing his cheek once his hands were free.

"She surely is strong." commented Shiva.

"She did the same to Vayu when he first saw her."

"Have you thought of a name yet?" asked Shanti.

"Well we have few in our mind." Manyata informed.

It was a tradition that when the child turned six months old the naming ceremony shall take place whereby the baby shall be named. The name of the child was selected from a glass jar containing chits were family and friends of the parents along with the parents would anonymously write their choice of name and the high priest would chose a chit without looking at its contents. The name on that chit would be the name of the child.

"You know this child is special," asked Shiva "don't you."

"Ofcourse I know, my baby is special," Manyata replied cuddling her daughter.

"Obviously, Mani," Shiva continued, "I know every mother feels her child is special. But that's not I meant." Shiva sighed as he noticed the look on her daughter's face. She obviously was unaware of the power her offspring had. She didn't know of the prophecy either.

"She is special. She has much more power than any human will ever possess. She will..." His was stopped midsentence as he saw his wife and daughter shaking with laughter.

"Oh good heavens, father, did she squeeze your cheek too much." Her daughter said as she was now bursting with uncontrollable laughter, "let me see if she managed to give you a bruise."

"Well we have someone to keep you in check." Shanti guffawed.

He stared at the two women. The little baby had also joined in their laughter which made Shiva smile as well. The information can wait, he told himself.