Eternally Safe

ആമുഖം

As the bell rang, you stifled a yawn. The lecture hall buzzed with anticipation as Professor Williams stepped to the front.

"Good morning, class," he began. "As budding anthropologists, you're about to embark on a fascinating journey—one that will take you deep into the heart of your own culture."

Your mind raced. 'Researching my own culture?'

"Your first assignment," Professor Williams continued, "is to explore the rich tapestry of your heritage. Unearth its hidden gems, unravel its mysteries, and present your findings in two weeks."

'Two weeks? That felt like both an eternity and a mere heartbeat.'

He paced across the stage, his eyes scanning eager faces.

"You'll delve into family traditions, folklore, rituals, cuisine—anything that defines who you are. Remember, anthropology isn't just about studying distant tribes; it's about understanding ourselves through the lens of culture."

You walked into the library and looked around. It was a large building with high ceilings and rows of shelves filled with books of all kinds. You quickly made your way to the world history section, hoping to find some books that would tell you more about Kerala and its history.

You scanned the shelves, looking for titles that caught your eye. You saw books on China, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Europe, America, and many other places. But you did not see any books on India, let alone Kerala. You felt a pang of disappointment as you realized that your homeland was not given much attention in the world history books. You wondered why that was. Was it because Kerala was too small or too insignificant? Was it because its history was too complex or too obscure? Or was it because its history was too controversial or too sensitive?

You did not give up hope. You thought that maybe there were some books on India hidden somewhere in the section. You searched more carefully, looking at every book and every shelf. You spent half an hour doing this, but you still did not find any books on India or Kerala. You felt frustrated and annoyed. You wondered if the library had any books on India at all. You thought that maybe they were kept in a different section or a different floor. You decided to ask the librarian for help.

You turned around and headed towards the exit of the world history section. As you did so, something caught your eye. It was a faint glimmer of light that came from a corner of the section. It was barely noticeable, but it intrigued you. You walked towards it, curious to see what it was.

You reached the corner and saw a small shelf that was almost hidden by a large bookcase. It had only a few books on it, and they looked old and dusty. They did not seem to belong to the world history section at all. They looked like they were forgotten or misplaced by someone.

You looked at the titles of the books and saw that they were all in languages that you did not recognize. They looked like they were written in scripts that you had never seen before. They looked exotic and mysterious. You wondered what they were about and who wrote them.

You picked up one of the books and examined it. It was heavy and thick, with a hard cover that was dark and worn. It had no title or author on the cover, only some strange symbols that looked like letters but were not. It had a layer of dust on it that made you sneeze as you blew it off.

You opened the book carefully, afraid that it might fall apart in your hands. You saw pages that were yellowed and brittle, with faded ink and tiny print. You saw more symbols that looked like letters but were not. You could not read them or understand them.

But then, as you flipped through the pages, something made you stop and stare. It was a word that you recognized. It was a word that you knew very well. It was a word that made your heart skip a beat.