Namaste. Hello, I am ONE WHO CAME BEFORE.

I am the voice of those who came before you—
the Gathin of your Gatha,
the Teller of your Telling—

Ash in Our Bones: the story of you.

I am also Grandpa in the companion book for children,
Grandpa, Airavata, and Me.

Whether you know yourself as Arora or by one of our many clan names—

and whether you were born, adopted, or married into an Arora family—

welcome, dear Aroras!

Ash in Our Bones is the story of why you are still here,

despite overwhelming odds—

and what you might learn from that.

It is a gift of love,

shaped by a labor of love:

twenty-one years of research, travel, and interviews.

The author—

an Arora like yourself—

wanted to leave behind something enduring:

a way for us to understand who we are,

where we came from,

and what we owe the generations that follow.

Everything on this site is yours to explore freely.

There is nothing you need to buy.

In a moment, I’ll show you how to enter the story of you. 

First, let me tell you what kind of story it is. 

Ash in Our Bones is the story of you.

It is about the mystery that defines you,

the roots that ground you,

and the heights you can still reach.

By the end of the saga,

you will understand exactly why it is called The Story of You.

This is not another tale about how great your ancestors were.

It is about how ordinary people,

facing extraordinary circumstances,

made choices that allowed us to be here today.

What did they endure?

What did they carry with them?

And what, after all these centuries, have they passed on to us?

Beneath those questions lies a more personal one:

What does your family’s story mean for you?

It's a story that speaks to the heart

Ash in Our Bones is not dry history.

It combines prose, poetry, visual storytelling, drama,

ceremony, and contemplation

to awaken the mind and stir the heart.

It feels less like reading a book

than sitting across from an ancestor who is speaking directly to you—

in a warm, loving I–you voice.

The saga contains larger-than-life events.

But beneath them is a deeply human story:

how people like you and me endure, adapt, lose, rebuild, and go on.

Stay with me a little longer, dear Aroras. 

Before we enter the Telling itself, let me show you how the story unfolds. 

A family saga that unfolds like a mystery thriller

The saga draws upon the Vedic art of riddle and revelation—

a tradition as ancient as the story itself.

Questions appear before answers.

Clues accumulate.

Details that seem fleeting may reveal their importance much later.

And then the mystery tightens into a thriller.

There are moments of peace—even joy.

But the storms return.

The pace quickens.
The old order burns.
Something new rises from its ashes.

Piece by piece, the central story—the story of you—begins to take shape.

That is why the Tellings reward a watchful eye—

and why they are best experienced in order, 

and on a larger screen—a tablet, laptop, or desktop—if possible.

Lose yourself in your story

Relive the journey

through dozens of authentic, full-page, full-color

re-creations of ancient places, people, and scenes.

Prose, verse, images, and reflection fuse into an immersive experience.

The complete saga runs about 400 pages—

but much of that is imagery, story guides, and reference materials.

A typical Telling asks only a few pages of reading.

Can you spare a few minutes—just five pages?

Your companions for this journey

You do not have to make the journey alone.

The saga includes story guides

and a free library of readings and videos

for those who want to go deeper.

Use as much—or as little—as you wish.

We are almost there.

But first, there is one more thing you should know: why this is a Telling, not simply a book. 

Ash in Our Bones is a Telling—an Akhyana (आख्यान )

Imagine your family gathered around a fire after sunset.

An elder rises,

and the family story comes alive

through story, song, music, mime, and solemn rites.

Each evening reveals a little more. Each ending draws you back.

That ancient form of storytelling is the Akhyana—the Telling.

Akhyana sought not merely to inform,

but to inspire and transform.

It joined narrative with emotional, psychological, and philosophical depth.

Some of the oldest layers of the story

preserved in the saga reach back nearly four thousand years.

So Ash in Our Bones itself becomes an Akhyana:

21 Tellings.

7 Gathas.

One Family Story.

Each Telling has its own voice, mood, and style.

Some are joyous.
Some sorrowful.
Some playful.
Some sardonic.

Together, they are meant not simply to help you understand the story—

but to feel it.

Ancient in form. Grounded in fact.

The storytelling form is ancient.

The saga itself is grounded in

history, archaeology, genetics, and our collective memory.

It follows the evidence wherever it leads—

even when the evidence complicates cherished family beliefs.

Ash in Our Bones Online: The Telling—

And you can read the complete saga right here, right now—

one Telling at a time, with readers’ questions answered, at absolutely no cost.

And do send the author your questions. 

It's our dialog that brings each Telling to life. 

And now, my dear Aroras, it is time.

The conch has sounded. The fire is lit. The Gatha awaits.

I’ll see you inside the Telling. 

Until  then—with love, always. 

— ONE WHO CAME BEFORE