The Graduation Ceremony

"W-What time is it...." I mumbled as I turned around to look at the clock on my side table. Pulling it close, I squint my eyes and looked at it, as it states there 6AM in the morning. With a slight sigh, I lazily place it back to where it came from and roll over to the other side, pulling the blanker over my body and decided to try and make myself look like a life-sized burrito. Apparently I was rather anxious about the graduation ceremony, that will be taking place on Thursday, which is only two days away, though it does give me time to head back to my place called, home, where my ancestors, family and relatives, well.. used to lived at least. Apparently my family was one of the only one who wishes to take care of this huge-sized mansion in the middle of nowhere. Some my relatives stated that it was rather impractical to live somewhere far, but it doesn't seem to bug me. I mean, this place has almost everything, almost at least. And not to mentioned my parents seem to keen on taking care of the history, so I don't mind about it either, even if I have to travel back and forth from here to San Fransisco during the weekends. As for my brothers, well... they rather venture out elsewhere instead, and they hardly come back too, despite them being the oldest compare to I am.

"Well Anahita, at least you are here with your family for a while before you head off," I mutter and let out a slight sigh in my bed, eyes still wide open, even from the little rolling around I did. Indeed, leaving my parents alone gave me the guilty vibe, since I may end up being like my brothers. Though my parents didn't have any objections on me joining Starfleet due to my engineering interest, but I still feel bad about it because they'll be all by themselves. But after a long assurance from them being alright, and the mentioned of the goddess taking care of them, I end up acknowledging their safety, and also a promise of me sending them subspace mails during my journey. I toss to the other side once more, trying to take another 15 minutes of sleep, but all seems futile. Turning slightly and let my body at ease, I sigh and decided to wake up instead and gave a little stretch before rubbing my eyes, while shifting my hair slightly to the side so it won't get tangle. Lazily, I shifted myself and hop off from the bed, letting out a yawn. Not much ladylike during the waking session, but I'll just let it go since nobody is around to see. Upon reaching the bathroom, I turned my head slightly to check on myself in the mirror before giving a slight brush of my hair.

"Guess I'll just braid it and try to make it look tidy," I said as I gave my a little scratch on the top of my head before proceeding into the bathroom to refresh myself. With a nice, half an hour relaxation of bathing, I came out and put on my casual t-shirt and my track pants, and decide to visit my late grandfather. Guiding myself quietly without waking my parents, I left the house and took a nice, deep breath before letting it good happily. The scent of nature never cease to amaze me really. At least for a while before I end up sniffing metallic steel or placing my hands on the cold, metallic plating of a starship. It's not that I dislike it, but having a feeling of nature is different compare to a holodeck, because they are real. Without wasting my time during this particular early morning, I decided to head out towards the grave of the Rajaram, where all the family members and relatives were buried. The traveling didn't take long honestly, gladly enough we have our own medium of transport, a type 8 shuttle. It looks like those van during the 21st century, but this one can fly. It's one of the reward my grandfather obtains during the war he was in. Apparently Starfleet ended up approving since the young girl served him well during ground incursion. With a couple of touch of the console, the gentle hum of the shuttle core starts to sound, just like a purring kitten before it lift off and being navigated towards the destination I'll be going.

With only 15 minutes worth of traveling time, I land down the shuttle on the old-looking airstrip, and settle in myself for another short walk. It wasn't long though, with another additional 5 minutes of walking, I reached the place where all of my family laid to rest. With a slight smile on my face, I decided to ease myself by cleaning the area from dried leaves falling from the trees that were covering them as a huge umbrella while singing some songs from my mother tongue. It's quite relaxing I might say by doing so, that's how I felt at least, though at the same time, I do feel pain in my heart seeing that the place was not being kept by the other relatives of mine. Probably the tradition of it is dying in these new generation I'm living in, but somehow I intend to make sure it lives on, one way or another. Giving a slight sigh, I continue on sweeping the leaves away and toss them into the Eco-incinerator. It's better than burning openly now does it? And it's good for the environment at least. Plus, it does generate power for the small, family capable bathhouse. Engineering students, guess this is what happens when you have tons of free time after you graduate, and waiting for the last field test. While waiting for the bathhouse to give a decent amount of heat, I decided to give grandfather a visit. Sitting down there, giving a slight smile, and a gentle stroke on his grave, I pushed over some of the leaves and the dust on it, as I soon could see the name 'Ashan Dhiren Rajaram' on it.

"Grandpa, guess what? I manage to pass the finals and now I'm graduating soon, and would be taking care of the engine of a starship! Isn't that great!" I let my voice out with joy while giving out a light giggle. Indeed, after all of the hard work that I've done, with the help of my classmates and friends of course, I finally completed the final. Though I was hoping that my grandfather could see how I did, perhaps he does still. With a slight sigh, I looked up in the sky and let out a smile.

"I hope I can make our family proud out there grandpa, and hope that you and Durga would watch over me as well," I muttered as I gave one last gentle pat on his grave as I stood up and brushed off the leaves that was stuck on my clothes and pants before giving a slight bow as respect towards my grandfather's grave, before decided to take a short, warm bath that I prepared for myself before heading back home for a nice breakfast with my parents.


After at least an hour passed, I reached home safely. Quietly entering the house, I made sure not to wake up the rest of the family from their sleep, but a voice came not far from the door that I entered from.

"So, I see that you went out visiting grandpa there again, jaan?"

"Yup. How did you know, baba?" I asked as he came over to give me a gentle peck on my forehead, ruffling my hair along the way, making a little mess of the long hair that I had tied up neatly.

"Of course I know, jaan. Isn't that what you always do whenever you wake up early in the morning? Besides, it became rather obvious when we heard the shuttle's hum as it flew over our home."

Letting out a slight giggle as I scratched the back of my head, a light blush heating up my cheeks, I gave my father a nice, warm hug.

"Now, can you go help maa make breakfast?"

"Okay! Does the usual one sound good, baba?"

He nodded and I headed over to the kitchen to help my mother prepare breakfast for the family. Both me and my mother continue to chat while breakfast is being prepared, regarding the classes I had at the academy, what kind of people did I met, and not to mentioned that my mother decided to ask if I had any kinds of love interest there, which is quite an embarrassing question for me. Not to mentioned there's a slight growl coming from the living room where my father was, and all my mother did was giggling hearing about it. Our day soon continues on, having a good conversation with one another at the dining table, eating out breakfast while enjoying ourselves, I was hoping this would last forever, but I know I can't do that, as I will be venturing through space, exploring, and taking good care of the captain's engines.

Time soon passes, from morning, afternoon till evening, and it soon repeated itself for another two days. The time flies as it finally arrives, where I have to leave home once more, and head back to San Fransisco to report at Starfleet Academy before I depart space for my first real voyage. Good part is, my parents would also be following me to watch the departing ceremony. It's like those goodbyes people would do during the 20th century, where they wave their friends, loved ones and family goodbye as they watch them flew away on an airplane. Not sure if there's any difference compare to mine since I'll be going out in space, but at least I can see them for the last time.

"Jaan, are you ready to go?" my father gave the first call as he waited at the door.

"Just a minute,I need to do something with this uniform."

"Don't worry, you'll look fine there bilauta." my mother added as she lets out a slight giggle along the way, waiting for me to head down. With a slight sigh, I came downstairs wearing the academy uniform. The combination of black and blue, with the lining of gold, that's the standard color of the uniform now, I head downstairs and lets out a slight sigh, tugging my skirt slightly, while holding a luggage for the trip.

"I hope they'll approve me wearing slacks once I get to work. It doesn't seem practical to wear skirts if  I were to keep the warp core alive." Both of my parents just laugh about it as they gave me hug as I approach them.

"Don't worry jaan, you'll do great," father said as he lets out a smile and gave a gentle pat on my head.

"Yup, don't worry bilauta. Like your father said, you'll do fine. Maybe even one day, you'll even become a captain of a ship!" she added and giggle as she gave me a hug.

"One day maa, that does consider as a prayer after all. Wish me for the best of it," I added. With everything packed up and ready, all of us depart from our home, as San Fransisco is our next destination we'll be heading for the graduation ceremony. With the hope, everything will set sail smoothly as I pray for Durga, that she'll be protecting us all during our journey.

Prologue

The business of the Rajaram's family continues to flourish after their ancestor, Alagan Dhiren Rajaram, the eldest brother of the family, took over the company's business after the lost of both his younger brother, Sohan Kishan Rajaram and his caretaker, Anik Kadam. As the years continues to pass by, the business continues to grow, making their name known to the entire world. From only one big company station in one country, the company continues on to grow even bigger, having business partners nationwide, as they have more branch in other neighboring countries such as Russia, Malaysia, China, Australia and other who wishes to become their trading partner. Because of their good trading system, their reputation on being truthful and versatile depending on the people they are trading with, it's no surprise that a lot of people would wish to have business with them.

Their business isn't the only one that has been growing throughout the years, their family as well, could be seen growing into a nice, peaceful family. After the marriage of both Kelsey and Dhiren, their family were growing. Their children, from young, till the age of adulthood, created their own family along the way, no matter from what race and religion they are in, and they still came back together and spend a great deal of time with one another without any kinds of heavy dispute. It was indeed something beautiful and rare to be seen. But as time passes by, their parents aren't getting any younger either. The first one to leave the world was Kelsey. Out of old age, she passed away, and followed by Dhiren one month later on. But, before they leave the world, they had send a message to ever family member, that every member should be close to one another, and not be separated, and that is exactly what the family had done. As one passes on to another world, they'll be buried at the same place where the other families are. It can be in a different spot, but as long as it close by, it was good enough. Soon, it became a tradition for the Rajaram family to do such burial for the dead. 

As the death of the chairperson of the company, usually the responsibility will fall upon towards the eldest of the family, but to make it fair, the family themselves decided to create their own summit, with the family members to ensure that everyone agrees to whom the company's responsibility falls upon. With all the decision, give and take, one family member was selected to take on the legacy and the time continues on back to its original state. But everything that goes up in glory, must come down in flames at certain point, and that happens as well towards the business for the Rajaram. The reason of its downfall, is not because of any inner conflict with the family or the company itself, the major case of the downfall is because of humans themselves that created the destruction, where global conflict on Earth over the issue of genetic enhancement and human genome enhancement, that leads into a genocidal war and nuclear cataclysm, and the beginning of World War III, which last from the year 2026, till the year 2053. During these period of time, humans won't forget the death of at least 600 million human and the destruction of the planet's major cities and governments, the Rajaram's family and its company is no exception to that.

But, even during that turn of event, the family manage to survive, though, there are numerous family members who end up getting caught into the war. Some became soldiers and did not come back from it, and some was the casualty instead. It was indeed a dark time for their generation, as it last for years, until the point where the war subsided and they began to regain back their steps carefully. It was fortunate that their ancestor's home was still intact after the war, though there were several damage, but it was soon became the home for the family once more. As years passed on, from fictional becoming a reality, a man with the name Zefram Cochrane, created the first warp drive and manage to create first contact with another race, called Vulcans on April 5th, 2063. And this has became the mark where humans began to raise once more from the ashes of war and also the beginning of the creating the United Federation of Planets.

In the year 2161, the Federation was founded by the United Earth, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellar. And during this founding ceremony, a couple of members were invited to witness such occasion, as some of of them were in service Starfleet. It was the dawn of a new age of harmony and prosperity and all seems to be enjoying quite well though the journey isn't easy as what people usually would have expect. There are conflicts from time to time, such as the conflict with the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire at first, until both of the Federation and the Klingon created an alliance with one another, though thought the years, the Romulans still consider as hostiles with both factions, until a devastating interstellar conflict between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion from the year 2373 to 2375, which last for two years, as it is considered the bloodiest war in the Federation history, right after the Battle of Wolf 359, where the Federation intercepts a Borg Cube, where thirty nine ships were destroyed, trying to fend off one Borg Cube. 

The participation of the Rajaram during that time huge, where the young man and women from the family decided to join Starfleet to help fend against the threat. But only some made it back alive. One of the man was Ashan Dhiren Rajaram, a Starfleet Marine Corps, from the age of 18 years, he was in service during the Dominion War ground assault team and from there, he continues climbing into a rank of Lieutenant General, as he commands the Marine Delta Corps during the Klingon and Federation dispute at the age 50 years old. During his service in the Marines, he was married to a wonderful women he met back on Earth when he was at the age of 25. Married during his age of 30, the family soon had two daughters and two sons, and he soon became a grandfather at the during the age of 60 years old, as he was granted with numerous grandsons and granddaughters when he was still living. And as what the Rajaram would do from generations, Ashan would always tell a tale of a young, beautiful girl, and two of her tigers to his grandchildren, hoping that one day, the tale of the Rajaram family would lived on. Though many of the grandchildren didn't take part of the story, one of his granddaughter took quite an interest on listening to his tale. Ashan was quite grateful of  that, as there would be at least one child who would bear the legacy of the Rajaram, at least before he passed away from the world. Graceful and pure, he was quite certain the name Anahita fits her well, as she will be the next generation of Rajaram to be living in this century.