Dr Deshpande's Dainty Tales

Dr Sulagna Deshpande sipped on the Cappuccino that her granddaughter had just passed her in her favourite mug. Sunaina, all of 13, was a bubbly young girl, always enthusiastic and curious to learn. Her most precious moments were spent with her grandmother, a retired Professor of History. When her grandmother narrated historical incidents, she got the thrills. Now, with the commencement of winter vacation, their afternoons had become more splendid. Sunaina had just learnt to make a cappuccino from a YouTube video. She had tried it before, but before offering it to her grandmother, she had to be confident of her own skills. And today she gathered all her confidence and prepared 2 mugs for both of them. It was time for some stories from History.

Dr Deshpande was a tea connoisseur, but she was ready to change her taste once in a while for her granddaughter. Sunaina’s parents were both busy with their work and could hardly give her company. But Dr Deshpande had given her time and inculcated a few positive habits in the restless girl, so she never had a chance to be bored. To learn from small everyday things, to read and to listen, observe and write. Sunaina diligently followed her grandmother’s footsteps. As a result, she was always enthusiastic to try new things like this Cappuccino.

 

Dr Deshpande, however, noticed today that Sunaina was somewhat lost. Having dealt with students for almost 40 years, she could catch someone’s mood within seconds.

“It’s delicious. Would you mind teaching me as well?” she tried to initiate a warm conversation.

“Sure, Dadi, I will.” Sunaina sounded low today.

“Is there something you would like to share? I am open to listening.” Dr Deshpande looked at her.

“Dadi, I have to do a special project for my school—a project about Legends from History. And you have to guide me through that. I have very limited time,” she looked worried.

“Don’t worry, dear. You are a confident girl. I am sure you would end up with a wonderful project. And I would guide you in that.” Her grandmother’s assuring words seemed to work on Sunaina.

“Either get your diary and pen, or a recorder, whichever you are comfortable with. From tomorrow, I will tell you stories about 6 historical legends.” Dr Deshpande said.

“Dadi, what’s a legend?” the 13-year-old was eager.

“Frankly, legends are stories that have been passed on through generations, and that may or may not have historical evidence. Mostly, legends or legendary figures form part of poems, ballads, folk tales, or sagas,” said the Professor.

“Like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow?” Sunaina seemed to return to her normal self.

“Yes, exactly. You have to state it clearly, in your project, what legends are, and how they may have little or no historical significance.” As a Professor of History, Dr Deshpande was well aware that some legends had, time and again, been passed down as the truth. But as a historian, she couldn’t let it happen. Children are the vessels to carry on the truth forward.

“Oh Dadi, I cannot tell you how excited I am to listen to and document these stories.” Sunaina started hopping around on one leg all around.

“You may write a book someday. You never know.” Dr Deshpande pulled her beloved granddaughter into a hug.

 

 To be continued

Read for Part 2: The Buckriders of Limburg

Read for Part 3: The Mystery of Puteri Gunung Ledang

Read for Part 4: King Vijaya of Simhala

Read for Part 5: The Firangi Pirates of the Sundarbans

Read Part 6: The Legend of Oshun

Read Part 7: The Saga of Fairhair

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.