‘My name is not important,’ said the Mithra. ‘I don’t hold that name anymore. My only identity is my title: the Mithra.’

Shiva nodded politely.

‘Now, how do I know your mother? Simple. I grew up with her. She was my sister.’

Shiva’s eyes opened wide in surprise. ‘You are my uncle?’

Mithra nodded. ‘I was your uncle before I became the Mithra.’

‘Why have I not met you before?’

‘It’s complicated. But suffice it to say that your father’s brother, Lord Manobhu, and I were good friends. I held him in deep regard. We’d decided to seal our friendship with a marriage between our two families. My sister went to live with Lord Manobhu’s brother in Tibet, after their wedding. And you were born from that union.’

‘But my uncle had rebellious ideas...’ said Shiva, trying to guess why the Mithra had been forced to keep his distance from their family.

The Mithra shook his head. ‘Manobhu didn’t have rebellious ideas. He had inspiring ideas. But an inspiration before its time appears like a rebellion.’

‘So you were not forced by the Vayuputras to stay away from my family?’

‘Oh I was forced all right. But not by the Vayuputras.’

Shiva smiled. ‘Uncle Manobhu could be stubborn at times.’

The Mithra smiled.

‘When did you know that I was your long-lost relative?’ asked Shiva. ‘Did you have spies following me?’

‘I recognised you the moment I heard your name.’

‘Didn’t you know my name?’

‘No, Manobhu refused to tell me. Now I understand why. It was a clue he’d left for me. If you emerged at all, I would recognise you by your name.’

‘How so?’ asked Shiva, intrigued.

‘Almost nobody, even from amongst the Vayuputras, knows that Lord Rudra’s mother had had a special and personal name for him: Shiva.’

‘What?!’

‘Yes. Lord Rudra’s name means “the one who roars”. He was named so because when he was born, he cried so loudly that he drove the midwife away!’

‘I have heard that story,’ said Shiva. ‘But I have not heard the one about Lord Rudra’s mother calling him Shiva...’

‘It’s a secret that only a few Vayuputras are aware of. Legend holds that Lord Rudra was actually still-born.’

‘What?’ asked a genuinely surprised Gopal.

‘Yes,’ said the Mithra. ‘The midwife and Lord Rudra’s mother tried very hard to revive him. Finally, the midwife tried something very unorthodox. She tried to breast-feed the still-born Lord Rudra. Much to his mother’s surprise, the baby actually started breathing and, as history recalls, roared loudly.’

‘By the Holy Lake,’ whispered Shiva. ‘What a fascinating story.’