I hail from a deeply academic and patriotic lineage, a heritage that continues to shape my values, work, and worldview. My grandfather, Ramamurti Pratapgiri, was a distinguished author—best known for his seminal work "The Problem of the Indian Polity"—and a professor at Royal Wilson College, Mumbai in the early 1900s. He was also a committed freedom fighter who served 1.5 years in prison for India's independence. My grandmother, Shantha Bai, was a fearless soul who also joined the freedom movement, spending her last years in jail during the pre-Independence era.
 

I was born to a family of educators. My father, Rabindranath Pratapgiri, a double postgraduate in History and Public Administration, and my mother, Indumati, a devoted Hindi Pandit and teacher, both dedicated their lives to imparting knowledge and values.
 

My eldest brother, Ramamurti Pratapgiri (named after our grandfather), is a retired Physics teacher whose 55 years of teaching have left a lasting impact on generations of students. My other elder brother, Dr. Pratap G. Subramanyam, is a PhD scholar and acclaimed author, known for his books on investment banking and for teaching at some of India’s leading management institutions.
 

My sister, Shantha Krishnamurthy, is a gifted portrait artist, whose paintings capture both realism and soul.
 

Continuing our family’s cherished tradition of service and scholarship, my daughter, Dr. Aishwarya Krishna Priya, has charted her own distinguished path as a psychologist, founder of Acro Mental Health and Wellness, and a dedicated PhD scholar. A postgraduate from King’s College London, UK, she carries forward our belief that educators shape people’s futures, while psychologists heal people for their futures—uniting knowledge with compassion to create a lasting impact.
 

And of course, no picture of my life is complete without my beloved canine children—Lakmé, Vayu, and OM—who bring unconditional love and balance to my world. They need no education, for they are born with love and compassion; no teachers, for they arrive with innate wisdom; and no training, for their hearts already carry the purest skills of loyalty, joy, and presence.
 

As Shashi Preetam, I do not seek inspiration from anyone, nor do I draw strength from others. In this material world, the only true inheritance of tangible value is liquid money—if one receives it at all. What a lineage truly offers is not wealth, but a preset refinement of who we must be ethically, and a constant reminder never to blur the lines of humanity’s code of conduct in the pursuit of our goals. And when our time comes to pass it on, we must filter what is truly needed and leave only that behind—shedding the baggage so the next generation carries forward clarity, not clutter.