2 The life before it all began

My childhood was spent at our estate in the village following around my grandfather as if I was a chick following his parent. Everyone knew that from an early age I loved my grandfather the most and that I had shadowed my grandfather copying the various things that he did around the day. I tried my best to have the same routine as him and so everyone used to call me chote Sarkar.

I used to take great pride in the title as my grandfather was called Sarkar. While following him I got used to some good and some bad habits. For the good part, I became used to getting up early and freshening up by seven. For the bad part, I disdained from ever leaving his side to attend school and neglected my education.

My grandfather too did not force me as I always managed to stay afloat and never truly fail a year. I followed him to the farms and learned as he had from his father. In the afternoons we would have our lunch in the farm and then return to the estate where he would depend the rest of the time teaching me everything about guns, their making, their cleaning, their maintenance and their history.

By the time I began my high school the village had turned into a developing town and hence I did not have to move to continue my education. The farms that we used to have had slowly been taken by the government for the various developments and we got a nice sum of money but it also took away a constant source of income. Though we remained rich, by the time i was finishing my tenth standard education I knew that unlike my father and grandfather I will have to worry about employment and so I had to get serious for the next two years.

By the tenth standard I had more proficiency in guns, ammunitions and agriculture than in my studies. After setting my mind to better I had everything else take a back seat and joined the herd in the various tuition classes in the town and devoted the next two years to have a chance to attend a reputable college for engineering by getting a good score in the nationally held exams.

My grandfather supported me just like always and made sure that I had no other stress than studies without ever questioning. The time for my exams finally came and he was my greatest support through them. After I had given the exams, I got more nervous instead of calming down waiting for the results. The national exams had a basic test and then an advanced test depending on your result.

My basic test result turned out to be good and I qualified for the advanced test. Out of everyone in the classes only about ten percent students had qualified for the advanced and so my grandfather was very proud and boastful about my performance in front of his friends. I was happy to see him and once again dived into the preparations for the advanced test that was to be held a month after the results were announced.

The advanced exams results were not exactly up to the standard that I attend in top Indian institutes but were good enough for the national institute. I was content and so was my grandfather. I had become the first in our family to attend a university. I thought that everything was going well in life and was content but then tragedy struck. My grandfather passed away.

The only family I ever knew was no more. I was devastated for well over a month before I came back to my senses and started to get a hold of things. I had to start my college in a month and before that I had to sort all legal and financial things of my grandfather which I had been neglecting in my grief.

The lawyer informed me that as I was the sole heir, I was entitled to all his property and savings but since I was a minor in the eyes of law, I can only receive a small portion before I reach maturity. My grandfather was not an affluent person who had many vices and as we were the only two in the family, he had quite a bit to pass on. He had also passed me his substantial collection of guns but since I was a minor and without a licence it will be all confiscated if ever, I used it.

He did not have any major property other than our estate near the farms and a small bungalow in the town where we stayed while I prepared for my exams these two years. Everything else had long been sold and converted to cash to be kept in the bank. He did not have a huge insurance and hence it was not worth much. The total assets that I was getting was more than fifty lakhs, which was a hefty sum at any time and if managed properly would let me live properly.

I then focused the next four years on my education and took further my grandfather's hobby of guns. As I turned twenty-one, I acquired a licence for a wide range of guns and then took it further by actually learning the whole procedure of gun and ammunitions manufacturing. I took extra courses and used my free time for these purposes.

Over the years I reduced the time I visited my town as there was nothing anymore to tie me around, sold the town bungalow and bought a decent two-bedroom apartment in the city where I planned to stay in the future while working.

This how we come to today, the day I graduated. I was out with my fellow classmates celebrating our last carefree days before we head onto the big bad world.

We had a few too many drinks and then I passed out not knowing that the next time I opened my eyes I will lead a totally different life.