this is going to be an excruciatingly long and detailed post. you’ve been warned in advanced.

After our exciting, spontaneous trip to India in the summer, I had accepted the fact that I probably would not be able to come visit again for a while. I was so bummed about it because in the short 5 weeks we were there, I was the happiest I had been in a while and I connected so much with family there, that I wanted more opportunities to make memories with everyone. God has such interesting ways of putting things in our lives that we not necessarily can see coming, but will change us for the good and this is just one testament to that.

On the day before Vinayaka Chavati, Nanna and I went to Ninos to get some fruits and flowers and while we were there, I was telling him about how life changing our India trip was and that I was itching for the chance to go back. I was also telling him how I had always wanted to serve a medical mission trip and I hoped that one day I could go to India and serve the people there. He was super supportive and told me that he would support me if that was something I truly wanted. When we got home, I still had the idea of serving a medical mission on my mind so I impulsively Googled “India Mission Trips” and came across the website of International Medical Relief. The more I read the more I loved and I sent the link to Amma and Nanna via email, asking if it was something I could potentially do (I did not think they would say yes, just sort of asked to try). To my surprise, it Nanna said it was something we could discuss doing. Long story short by the end of September I was booking my tickets to spend a month and a half in India by myself. I couldn’t believe it I was so over the mood excited. I remember telling Arundhathi and Saranga the first time. Saranga didn’t believe me at first and then the idiot went and blabbed to everyone so it wasn’t really a surprise. I din’t care though because after not going for 12 years, I was getting the chance to go twice in the same year! Saranga and I had a countdown until the day I left, and I couldn’t have been more excited if I wanted to.

And finally just like that the wait finally was over and the day I was leaving came. I wasn’t nervous about traveling on my own or anything, I was more worried about how I was going to handle being away from home for 6 weeks. I had gone long periods of time without seeing Amma and Nanna but I was always busy at home I didn’t think much of it. This was the first time though that I was going to be away from Srivi for a long time (the longest we had gone without seeing each other at that point was 10 days) and that too I was the one who would be away so I wasn’t sure how homesick I would get. My flight was in the evening so the plan was that I’d hang out at home and finish packing all my things. Then in the evening, Amma, Nanna, and I would drop Srivi off at college and take me to the airport. After saying bye to Srivi, we made our way to the airport and I was getting pretty anxious that I would get to the airport late and not have enough time to go through security. Eventually we reached and after checking in my back (it was a little overweight so I had to take some candy out), I made it to security and got to my gate with more than an hour to spare. I had eaten dinner like 3 hours before then so I was hungry. I tried looking around the airport for some fast food places but I didn’t want to wander too far away from my gate so I just went a small shop and bought cool ranch Doritos, a packet of Cheetos, and a water bottle. I was going to eat the Cheetos then but I remembered a conversation with Arundhathi and Saranga where we discussed how America Cheetos tasted better than India ones. I decided to save those for when I went to Hyderabad to have them try and see for themselves.

Eventually I passed the time enough and before I realized it, I was on the flight to Amsterdam. It was pretty late by this point so as soon as the plane took off, I put my headphones in and passed out. I’m pretty sure I slept the complete 7 hours it took to get to Amsterdam. When I landed,  I found my gate fairly easily, went to the bathroom, texted everyone I needed to to let them know my whereabouts, then sat at the gate and ate the rice Amma packed for me. I sat for a LONG time, and then it was time to board my final flight that would take me to Delhi. In the wait for boarding, I met a few chiropractic students from California going to India for a medical mission trip also. They were really nice and talking to them helped pass the time. I got on the flight and slept for a good chunk of time, enough to sleep through dinner. But I woke up feelings super hungry. While waiting for the air hostesses to ask if I was ready to eat, I had to watch the man next to me eating his food. It was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever had to witness. He was slurping and mixing all his food together into one container, I really had to try and not gag. And finally I got my food and it was DELICIOUS. I passed the rest of the flight sleeping and looking out the window, and a long 20 some hours later, I made it to India. The thing I got freaked out about was that Amma told me I had to go through immigration AND customs. I followed a group of people on my flight to immigration, but I never saw a sign that pointed to a customs counter. I picked up my luggage and before I realized it, I reached the arrival pick up destination (it was like 3 in the morning India time). I thought I missed a step but nobody had told me otherwise so I just went outside to find Devi Pinni. It took some time since I had no way of contacting her at the time but eventually we found each other and made the almost hour drive back to her house.

My first day in Delhi was pretty uneventful. It was a little after 4am by the time I fell asleep and I woke up about 4 hours later and hung out with Devi Pinni and Anupam Babai for some time. We talked and caught up, it was really nice being able to have my own adult conversations with them. Anupam Babai went to work (Devi Pinni took off work just for me) and the Devi Pinni and I went through my suitcase, I gave her the stuff Amma sent for her, we got ready, and we went out to do some shopping (of course). It was winter in India when I went and even though it’s not nearly as cold there as it is in Michigan, homes don’t have central heating systems like we do here so the nights get really cold actually. So even though I was in India, it was pretty cold. Devi Pinni wanted me to try this woolen kurthas she got and I loved them. She said she had been trying to convince Amma for a long time to let her send some to us but Amma didn’t think we’d like them or wear them so she kept saying no. After she realized it fit and that I liked it (I immediately thought of Peddakka because they were totally her style and since we go to so many Indian functions and she’s cold all the time I thought they’d be perfect for her). So then she deemed it her mission to go shopping and buy all the wool kurthas we could find. We also wanted color leggings because one, India leggings are the best leggings in the world and two, they don’t sell colored ones here. We went shopping for what seemed like hours, and when the jet lag was really starting to kick in, we went home, ate lunch, and I passed out for like 5 hours. When I woke up, we went out again to get some blouses I brought with me resized and then came home, at dinner, talked for a bit, and went to sleep. I still couldn’t believe I was in India at that point (again!)

I woke up the next morning at 2am and then FaceTimed Srivi because I couldn’t sleep. I don’t know how she realized this would be the best idea ever but she put a basket full of snacks in the room I was sleeping in and told me to take and eat whatever I wanted when I got hungry. There was a container of pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds that I was addicted to so I just sat there and ate the seeds as I tried to sleep. In the morning, we just hung out (I hate hot milk more than anything, especially India milk but of course I had to drink a glass everyday :/) We chilled and Anupam Babai took me to the Bhairav Mandir temple. The unique story of this temple is that it’s a Siva temple where both young boy Siva and adult Siva are worshipped. First, you’re supposed to go to the young boy part of the temple and offer milk, then go to the adult part and offer whiskey (yeah how weird). Offering the milk is like to bless you with all good things and offering the whiskey is supposed to take away all your vices and bad qualities. So Anupam Babai and I were walking and talking and there was a little puppy trailing us that was SO adorable. It followed us all the way to the inside of the temple. When we got there, we offered the milk, and the priest gave us half the packet back. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with it but there were some women outside so we just gave the packet to one of them. Next we went inside the adult temple and it reeked of alcohol. Everyone was pushing and shoving but we somehow made it to the front. The priest at the temple though was ridiculously rude and mean, but Anupam Babai made a point that the God definitely took away my bad traits at left them at that temple. Overall it was a very unique experience and I was glad I got to share it with Anupam Babai.

We got home then some of Devi Pinni and Anupam Babai’s friends came home. I felt so awkward because they all were speaking in Hindi (largely because they were talking about me) so I just sort of sat there and smiled. The Akka made some food for lunch and they put it in my plate to eat. Going into my India trip, I told myself not to be picky or be an inconvenience to anyone, and to just eat whatever was put in front of me. So I was served lunch and there was a piece of bell pepper and a piece of kakarakai (bitter gourd). I HATE kakarakai more than anything else, like I refuse to eat it. I ate the bell pepper no problem but I didn’t wanted to be rude about the kakarakai  so I tried to eat it but I literally had a gag reflex to it. I told Devi Pinni and she said I didn’t have to eat it but then Disha (the cook Aunty) and everyone else kept teasing me about it which wasn’t cool :P After lunch, I showed Anupam Babai and Devi Pinni their wedding video and Disha commented on how I shouldn’t wear glasses because I have such beautiful eyes apparently. Then it was time to go out.

Devi Pinni first took me and that Akka to a Devi Shaktipeeta temple which was so small and serene. We did a small puja there then headed across the street to the infamous Qutub Minar. Qutub Minar is also known as the world’s tallest rubble masonry minaret. It’s in a complex that’s rich in both Hindu and Muslim history, so it was cool hearing all the stories that Devi Pinni had to tell. We wandered around for a few hours then came back home. And like that the day was pretty much over. We came home, Disha made me the best omelet I’ve ever had in my entire life, and then I stayed up pretty late talking to Devi Pinni and we went to bed.

The next day was also quite an adventure. Devi Pinni took me to the other historic area of Purana Quila. There was so much to look at, and I loved hearing all the stories of the kings of the past. It’s also believed to be where some of the Maha Bharata took place so it was cool to hear the links between a story we grew up hearing about and seeing the place in person. We wandered around for some time and saw old structures like where kings would take their baths in, water reservoirs, and even areas where chariot races would take place. It was really cool. The most uncomfortable part of the day though was when we had to walk through this grassy area to get back to the front of the complex. We were walking and literally everywhere you looked there were couples. Under trees, laying in the grass, you name it and they were there. Even worse was there was so much PDA I was shocked! Like if we were in the States I would be just as grossed out but maybe not as surprised. This was a little much. Devi Pinni and I walked awkwardly for what felt like years while staring at our feet until we finally made it back to the entrance. We left and walked across the street (I’m 23 and Devi Pinni still made me hold her hand) until we reached Lal Darwaza. It was closed so we only got to see it from outside but we saw a few more ancient structures then took an auto home. I loved that Devi Pinni sang old Hindi songs with me too. After we got home, we ate some food and watched The Hobbit on TV then fell asleep. In the evening, Anupam Babai and Devi Pinni had to go to some work party, so I stayed home, watched cartoons, and slept.

The next two days in Delhi were super uneventful. Devi Pinni and Anupam Babai were at work, and since Amma refused to let me go anywhere by myself, I sat at home and slept mostly. I did practice dance too which was nice but other than that not much. Oh also, conveniently for me, there were some connection issues so I did not have wifi at all the entire time I was in Delhi. In the evening though, I enjoyed talking to Anupam Babai and Devi Pinni about all sorts of things, and we even watched The Theory of Everything together too which was nice. My last day in Delhi, I went to Devi Pinni’s friend Sandhya’s home and spent the day there with her and her three kids. And just like that my time in Delhi came to an end and I left for the airport to go fly to Hyderabad.

The entirety of my Delhi trip, something that was constantly on my mind was the fact that I did not go through a customs counter before exiting the airport when I landed in India. I was scared that I was going to get a call saying I entered the country illegally and that they would take me to jail or something. When I was getting dropped off at the airport, Devi Pinni arranged for someone to assist me with getting my luggage checked in and getting through security. Anupam Babai dropped me off and we met that uncle at the airport. Before leaving Delhi, Devi Pinni also gave me an India phone so that I could keep in touch with people. So I follow this uncle inside and we’re at the counter when something was wrong. I still can’t tell you what it was because I don’t speak or understand Hindi. All I was told by that Uncle was that he would be right back and he took my boarding pass and left me awkwardly with my baggage. I had no clue what to do and I was getting pretty anxious. As I was waiting, I get a call from a number I couldn’t recognize. I thought it was Devi Pinni so I picked up and all I could hear on the other end in a thick Indian accent was “Hello sir this is Mr. Nograj calling from the police station…” and I freaked out. I thought my worst fear had come true and that I had somehow entered India illegally. I started to panic and my voice got all shaky, so all I managed to say was hello a few times. After a minute or two I was about to hang up when I heard laughter and someone say “Annapurna Akka it’s me Saranga. Amma wants to know if you want to eat dinner when you come home”…..I was so mad. I still tell him how scared I was that day because I literally thought I was going to be arrested. By this point that uncle came back and I got checked in. I went through security no problem but I was getting nervous that I would miss my flight with the unexpected time waste. Luckily though, I got to my gate and realized that my flight had been delayed an hour. Eventually I boarded the plane and made it to Hyderabad safely. I picked up my luggage no problem and got picked up by Saranga who was holding a sign that said “Swarna Pushpam”. I still have no idea why he calls me that but whatever. We drove the hour home to Ammamma and Thathayya’s house and then I ended up staying up until 3 in the morning talking to Sreenu Mama and Satya Atta. Probably a bad choice on my part because I was going to Saranga’s college the next morning for their Sport’s Day and I had to be ready to go by 6am.

Back story on this sports day. So I’ve heard about sports days in India from movies and stuff but I never really understood the concept of it. One day a few weeks before my trip, Saranga and I were talking and he told me about it so I mentioned to him how I’d love to come hang out with him and see what it was like. He ended up asking Atta if it was okay (she said yes) and his principal even said I could come (he told her that I was his cousin from the states who wanted to watch and that I’d take pictures. And oh boy did she hold me to that). I love Ammamma and Thathayya’s house because it feels so much like home. So even though I didn’t sleep very long, I felt well rested, got ready, and waited for Saranga to pick me up. He didn’t really tell me what the plan was but I figured I’d have to get used to just going with the flow. He came, picked me up, and then we went back to his house because we were going to go to his college with some of his friends. I talked to his friend Manasa once when we came in July and she sounded sweet on the phone but after we got home, we began emailing each other and became pretty close actually. So I was really excited to finally get the chance to meet her. We pulled up in their colony and Saranga led me to the basketball courts where Manasa and a few other people were warming up. I thought my first interaction with Manasa would be extremely awkward because I’m so much older and I’m her friend’s cousin but I’ll never forget the first time she saw me, she ran over, hugged me, and said “I’m so excited you’re finally here”. It felt like I was seeing one of my best friends or my sisters after a long time and you could tell in her voice how genuine she was, which made my heart quite warm. Then I went and said hi to Srikanth Mama and Karuna Atta (Arundhathi was still sleeping) then we talked for a bit before leaving.

We got to Saranga’s school and he showed me around a bit. Awkward moment number one, there was a kid there with a University of Michigan sweatshirt on. I got so excited so when Saranga introduced me, I said, GO BLUE! He looked at me like I was insane and when I said, “Your sweatshirt! U of M! It’s where I’m from!”, he goes “Oh I have no idea. My cousins who live in some place called Canton sent it to me.” Whooooooppppsssss. I also met Bhavya and she was hilarious. She reminded me of someone I could totally be friends with, and both her and Manasa were so sweet to me that I didn’t feel as awkward as I thought I would. They split everyone up guys on one bus and girls on the other. I figured I’d just stick to Saranga the whole day but he was adamant I didn’t ride the boys bus (he didn’t want his weird classmates trying to hit on me) so I went with Manasa and Bhavya on the girls bus. Let me tell you these girls were crazy compared to my classmates at 17 and 18 years old. They were screaming and singing and dancing in the bus it was hilarious. Although I had to stand the entire time, I still had a good time talking to Manasa. Then we reached the stadium.

When Saranga told me that he told his principal I was going to take pictures, I thought I could get away with taking a few pictures here and there, and just mostly hang out and observe. Nope. As soon as we got there and entered where the opening ceremony would be (it was an intercollegiate tournament, I don’t know what they needed guests of honors and what not) his principal told Manasa to take me with her. But then I realized they were going to be running and I was not about that life so instead I pulled out my camera and watched/took pictures. When they started the opening remarks, the principal kept signaling to me to take pictures (even though there were 3-4 other photographers). I don’t know it was just weird. So I ended up taking a zillion pictures, watched a bunch of games, and hung out with all the high schoolers. I had a great time, mostly because Saranga’s friends were really receptive to me and made sure I didn’t feel left out or bored. The only annoying part was that people kept coming up to me and asking who I was. They thought I was either a junior, a senior, or a staff member at the arena. When I met one of Saranga’s teachers, instead of asking me how I was enjoying the day and my trip, she said, “Can you take him back to your country? We don’t want him here.” How the heck am I supposed to respond to a comment like that….

The day had a bunch of different games going on simultaneously. There was basketball which is where we spent most of our time, cricket, kabadi, soccer, volleyball, and throw ball. I had to make my rounds a few times to look like I was doing my job (even though I did not get paid) but the most interesting thing to me was definitely kabadi. I don’t know anything about the game but these kids were getting so riled up about it, it was crazy. Fist fights and screaming fits were going on literally every 5 seconds, and I just wanted to scream at them all that this wasn’t the national champion match that was life or death. But hey I mean good for them that they were so passionate. I got some cute pictures with friends too so that was nice. At the end of the night after all the awards and stuff (Saranga’s team came in second for basketball and somehow I ended up with a medal too), we got on the bus to head back to the college. I sat next to Bhavya and at first I thought it was going to be a super awkward car ride back. She asked me if I wanted to listen to music so I said sure and we listened to a bunch of Maroon 5 songs and I fell asleep. I woke up like 5 minutes later and just started casually talking to Bhavya. Before I knew it we were having this super deep conversation about life and our experiences and stuff, I felt like I had known her my entire life. We talked the entire remainder of the bus ride which was like an hour and a half and it was one of the best talks I’ve ever had. She made a lasting impression on my heart that day that’s for sure. In due time, we made it back to college, then Manasa’s driver dropped Saranga and I home to Srikanth Mama’s house before going home. I walked in and FINALLY saw Arundhathi and I gave her the biggest hug imaginable (funny enough she was wearing the same outfit that she wore the day we left in August). I had dinner there and then Saranga dropped me off at Ammamma and Thathayya’s home.

The next day, I hung out at home and spent time with Ammamma, Sreenu Mama, and Satya Atta. I played with Shreya a bit but mostly I enjoyed talking to Atta and Ammamma. We spent the whole day like that then around 5, I started getting ready because it was some distant relative’s wedding and Amma and Nanna wanted me to go represent our family which meant I had to wear a sari. Luckily, Saranga said he would go with me so I wasn’t alone entirely. I wear saris a lot so I thought it wouldn’t take me more than 30 minutes to tie it. Wrong again. The power kept going out so it was hard to see, not to mention the blouse was a bit big (I didn’t know I was going to this wedding until after I got to India so I borrowed stuff from Devi Pinni), and once I thought I tied it decently, Satya Atta said it looked bad so we ended up retying it a bunch of times. Saranga came and I still was no where close to being done getting ready (I hate taking too much time) so paapam he sat and talked to me in the room as I tried figuring out how to tie it, then doing my hair and make up (in the dark). Almost 3 hours after I started getting ready, I was done and it was time to go. In the car to the venue, I had a really nice conversation with Saranga where we talked about how large our family is and who the groom was in relation to each of us.

The last time I went to a wedding in India I was 11, so I don’t really remember much but this wedding was pretty nice. Okay well it wasn’t the actual wedding. It was like the dinner/reception thing they have the night before the wedding. The only people I knew going into it were some of my Peddananna’s (dad’s older brothers), and a few cousins (distant cousins, we met them in August). I felt so bad though because as soon as we walked in, I drew so much attention to myself for some reason that instead of focusing on the bride and groom, everyone was looking at Saranga and I. I guess Saranga looks a lot like Srikanth Mama and I look a lot like Amma so for a lot of the people there, it was like seeing the two of them after a long time. We walked in and I met Vijji Akka (Nanna asked her to kind of watch out for me and introduce me to everyone) and she pointed me in the direction of Raghu Peddananna and Kishtapa Peddananna. I talked to them for a bit and then Saranga and I went to get food. I was quite apprehensive going to get the food because I didn’t want to sick, plus I never eat much at these big events so I only took a little. Saranga and I were talking when all of a sudden this lady comes out of nowhere, grabs my arm, and almost screams “Nuvvu Sudha kuthura?” (are you Sudha’s daughter?) I said yes and she was so excited. She told me her name which I forgot and said that Ammamma grew up in her house and that she knew Amma since she was a baby (this was a common thing I had to hear from almost everyone). We talked for a bit and she left. A lot of people did this to Saranga too and I felt bad because a lot of the men kept clapping him on the back which sounded like it hurt. Some how some way though, we talked to everyone, I was very respectful and nice (Nanna was really appreciative that I went because he asked), took some pictures with people, and then we left. It was a pretty fun evening.

The following day was pretty emotional for me. Because Arundhathi had exams at the time, we didn’t get to hang out much, but Saranga come over a lot. One thing about Saranga that still blows my mind is that regardless of having equal interactions with the three of us and us with the two of them that summer, we both became so comfortable with each other and clicked so effortlessly and quickly it’s insane. Within a day or two of us coming home after our trip that summer, we were talking everyday and were telling each other everything that we were feeling in our minds and in our hearts. That’s still true now. We haven’t gone one day without talking to each other, he knows me better than I know myself sometimes, he teases me to no end which is annoying but what can you do, and I know that I can come to him with any problems I’m facing (I hope he feels the same way). In such a short time, he’s become my best friend and it’s made me grateful that despite no contact for 12 years, God gave me the chance to find that in my brother. Anyway, that day when I woke up in the morning, something was feeling off but I thought it was because I was feeling a little homesick and that’s it. As soon as he saw me, Saranga asked me what was wrong but I brushed him off. Later, we were sitting in the bedroom talking to Sreenu Mama and he was telling us a bunch of stories about when he was younger. He got emotional while talking because dynamics between him and his cousins changed drastically as people got older and things happened. You could tell it stilled bothered him. Saranga and I were watching a movie and then I figured I should take a shower so I went and when I came out I was feeling worse than before. I came and sat next to him and rest my head on his shoulder, and out of nowhere I started crying. He kept asking me to tell him what was wrong but I just cried more and more. I’m sure I scared the crap out of him but he just held my hand and told me to tell him what was bothering me. I don’t know if it was one thing specifically or a combination of things, but I told him that I didn’t want to turn out like our parents and lose touch with each other. That I was too invested and that I couldn’t stand the idea of not having him and Arundhathi in my life. And that’s when we made a pact (his idea not mine). We promised each other that no matter what happened and where life took us, that we’d be there for each other always. That we’d always come to each other in celebration or when things got tough, and if we ever had a disagreement or misunderstanding, that we would always talk it through with each other. It’s one of the nicest things that someone has done for me (I’ve felt this way about a lot of people but nobody has reciprocated their feelings like this to me so openly) so it meant a lot and it’s something I’ll cherish forever. That evening, we decided to spontaneously go and see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them which was amazing, despite the theater being freezing, and we ended up having to walk half the way home to Atta’s place. She fed me dinner (and criticized how “little” I was eating) and then Saranga dropped me off at home.

That Sunday, Karuna Atta’s sister Aparamma was organizing an Annamacharya Keertanas concert and she asked me if I wanted to attend which I really wanted to do. So Atta picked me up and took me to the concert which was amazing. The lead vocalist was amazing and even though the concert was only an hour long, it was so cool to sit outside in a traditional setting and listen to the concert. Afterwards, I thought I would eat dinner at Atta’s house like I had been and then go back to Ammamma’s, but Atta convinced me to spend the night at their place. When I came home and Arundhathi and Saranga saw me, they were so excited! Arundhathi had some friends over so I just went inside and hung out with Saranga, then we ate dinner and were just talking in his room. Arundhathi’s last exam was the day after (we made plans to see Dear Zindagi as soon as her exam was done) so she was busy studying. After dinner though, we went outside and lit floating lanterns which I was obsessed with. We came inside, Arundhathi went back to studying, and Saranga and I started talking at 9:30 or 10 that night. We ended up talking nonstop until about 3am when Srikanth Mama saw us still up. I’m still not sure how that happened. We were just casually talking and then somewhere in the middle in turned into this long and deep heart to heart about literally anything and everything. It’s one of the most memorable conversations I’ve ever had. The next morning, Arundhathi dropped me off at Ammamma’s place on her way to school. This was the start of my routine for the next 5 weeks. Ammamma’s house was on Arundhathi’s way home from college so she’d pick me up at 4 everyday and take me home with her. I’d spend the evenings and nights with Arundhathi and Saranga, then the next morning Arundhathi would drop me off on her way to college and the cycle would repeat. It was a nice routine I really enjoyed it. I’d spend my days watching movies or talking with Ammamma, snap chatting Bhavya about all sorts of random things, texting friends, napping, or watching Netflix. I was just glad to get to spend the time with everyone. That specific day, I basically slept all day or hung out with Ammamma then Arundhathi picked me up and we saw the movie, then we came home, hung out, and this time I had a heart to heart with Arundhathi until 4am. Same story it was so effortless and we talked about all sorts of things. I never felt like there was an age or world difference between us, it just felt like I was talking to my sister and brother which I loved.

The rest of the week kind of went along the same lines. I went and saw Fantastic Beasts again, this time with Arundhathi and I even got to see Samhita and Deepa Pinni which was so so nice. At the end of the week, Sreenu Mama came for work and since we didn’t get to go to Warangal in the summer, he took me back with him and I spent 2.5 days there. My Warangal trip was really nice. I hung out with Atta and we ate and talked and did errands for the house. She took me to a vegetable market which was so incredible. There were so many variations of vegetables and so many colors I was mesmerized. It was very therapeutic walking everywhere I had fun. That afternoon we watched a bunch of old Telugu songs, then got ready and went to two temples, as it was Satya Atta’s birthday that day. First we went to the Badra Kali temple which is what Warangal is known for. Devi was SO beautiful I was so drawn to her face. As we were leaving, Satya Atta wanted to buy me a sari there that was tied to the Ammavaru so we spent some time there, then we left. We also went to the Thousand Pillar temple which was out of this world gorgeous. We made it just in time for the final aarti so we watched, and then we did darsanam and left. It was a lot of fun. The next day was similar but the evening was another one of my favorite days of my trip. Atta made pav bajji and we watch Nuvve Nuvve and then Sreenu Mama and I started talking. We also had this INSANE heart to heart talk I was so caught off guard. Having it with someone around my age is one thing, but to open up to your uncle and talk about some really emotional and personal things was not something I expected. My love and respect for Sreenu Mama increased tenfold that day, because he didn’t treat me like a little kid and heard everything I said with open ears and an open heart. It was incredible. Scary thing was around 1am we heard shrieking outside the door. Turns out there were monkeys fighting in the hallway. I was so mortified but then our conversation picked up again and I forgot all about it. After Sreenu Mama went to sleep, Saranga texted me and we talked on the phone for an hour after that. The next morning was pretty relaxed because I was heading back to Hyderabad after lunch. We hung out, took pictures and then we left for the 3 hour journey back to Hyderabad. I felt so bad for Sreenu Mama because he made the 3 hour drive to Hyderabad to accompany me, then stayed home for 30 minutes and left to make the 3 hour drive back to Warangal. I really enjoyed my time in Warangal though. It’s definitely somewhere I want to go back and spend more time at.

The rest of my trip was filled with lots of polaroids, pictures, movies, food, conversations, and memories. I went on a few walks with Karuna Atta which I really loved a lot because before this trip, I just knew her as my mom’s brother’s wife; we didn’t have much of a relationship besides that. So I loved talking to her and getting to hear everything she had to say. She felt like my mom away from home so every time I got homesick and started missing Amma, I would just go and hug Atta. We ordered food a few times which was fun because I never got to do that in India before. We got pizza a few times and we even go street food which despite it being spice, I really loved. Oh and we also got biriyani which was so good but even though I ate as much as I physically could, that wasn’t good enough for anyone so Saranga kept refilling my plate I thought I was going to explode. I had some interesting conversations with Srikanth Mama about cooking (we made masala omelets together once) and books, and childhood stories which I loved hearing. I also got to hang out with Manasa a bunch when she would come hang out at the house in the mornings or after school, I saw a few movies, and I just got to spend time with everyone which was exactly what I wanted. One day, we went to Guilt Trip, which is the most amazing dessert place I’ve ever eaten at. It was me, Saranga, Manasa, Bhavya, and their friend Meda. I chilled with the girls because I was comfortable with them and we had a lot of fun. Not to mention the food was SO good. I had a red velvet cupcake and an Oreo shake which was amazing. When I got into nursing school in September, Saranga told me that I had to treat him to cheesecake and tea, so that’s what I did. I ended up paying for part of Guilt Trip but I didn’t mind because they took care of me quite well since I came to visit.

One of my favorite memories of my trip was the moments I shared with Saranga on the terrace. The first time was late one night. We casually went up because he wanted to show me the view, and when we made it to the top and then climbed the water tank, the things I saw were breath taking. It’s crazy how much perspective can change so much within you. He was showing me the different socioeconomic areas that make up the city, and I felt like I was in a completely different world than what I was used to. I think I could sit and look at that view all day. The second time was when Saranga woke me up at 4 in the morning so we could go watch the sunrise. Even though I’m not a morning person at all, I loved sitting there and watch the red sun peak out behind the trees. The sky turned beautiful shades of purple, then to pink, and finally vibrant shades of orange and red. It took my breath away. The final time was at Ammamma and Thathayya’s house. Saranga came home with me and promised to study for a bit before going to college. He studied for an hour or two and then when we realized it was was drizzling so we ran up to the roof to take pictures. We had a lot of fun just joking around and experimenting with different camera angles.

I also got to do some other fun things while I was in Hyderabad. Saranga and I went to the zoo one day and we spent the entire day just talking and seeing the animals. Saranga told me I looked like a hippo which was kinda mean (he was teasing so it was okay) and then afterwards we went to Sirisha Amma’s house. I went to Aparamma’s house and had dinner there a few times where I got to meet Saranga and Arundhathi’s other cousins, and I even sang for Ammammagaru, Atta, Sirisha Amma, and Aparamma. One of my favorite things we did was play with the puppies that live in the colony. They were SO cute I just wanted to love them forever (PUPPPPPPPIIIIIEEEESSSS). On more than one occasion, Srikanth Mama tried convincing me to take one back home with me, but I’m sure Amma would kill me if I did, even if legally I couldn’t. I got to hang out with Ammamma and Thathayya, heard all his stories and got to hear his adorable laugh all the time. Every day for like a week, he would call me and ask me to show him my hands. He would put his next to mine and even though our hands look nothing alike (mine look exactly like Amma’s and Ammamma’s), he would say, “Wow, same to same”. I’ve always been attached to him since I was a baby, so it meant a lot that he thought that.

One of the best parts of the entire trip was figuring out who I was as an individual. Unfortunately growing up with two siblings so close in age, we all became one entity as opposed to three individuals, and so a lot of our relationships with people are the three of us with them and them with the three of us. We rarely share our own unique relationships with people. This trip was really such a great chance for me to build my own relationships with the people in my life, and I can’t wait to see how those relationships will only blossom as time goes on. I got to go to Venkratnam Peddananna’s tadinam and see a bunch of the family again which was nice. I got to go on Srikanth Mama’s motorcycle and it was such a relaxing trip, I really was able to clear my head. And Srikanth Mama showed me all these cool shops and places, I really had a great time.

Now I don’t know what kind of sister I would be if I didn’t mention my cutie patootie, Arundhathi. She stole my heart when I was 11 haha. I remember seeing her the first time and being so obsessed with her. In all the videos and all my memories, I remember just wanting to play with her and be with her all the time. And now even 12 years later, that still holds true. She’s probably the sweetest and purest person I know and I love how she cares about everyone important to her with every ounce of her being. Even though she’s 7 years younger than me, I never once felt the age difference between us whenever I was with her. We planned my wedding, talked about our favorite movies and music (we have A LOT in common), our friends, our hopes and dreams, everything. I loved every minute I got to spend with her, because she’s become exactly my sister and one of my closest and best friends, there’s no doubt about it.

And just like that, time flew by and the day I was supposed to leave for my mission arrived. Originally I was supposed to meet everyone at the airport but Atta and I weren’t too comfortable with that so instead I went to some workshop presentation that Saranga and his classmates did with Srikanth Mama and Atta. I knew it was going to be an interesting day when we walked in and after the principal sucked up to Atta, she saw me and said “Oh, you’re still here?”. Wow lady thanks for that lovely welcome. I sat there FOREVER after stupid speeches involving cow tipping (this guy thought cow tipping involved tickling the cows I wanted to scream at him and say GO TO THE STATES AND GET YOUR INFORMATION STRAIGHT FIRST) and then every random person had to speak for God knows what reason. Finally came the presentations. Basically the students had to pick a problem then do some research and come up with practical solutions to these problems. All the kids presented very well and you could tell a lot of hard work went into their presentations. At the end they opened up the floor to anyone to make comments so I spoke and just encouraged the kids to not limit themselves to what’s in Hyderabad and to explore how the problems they researched were being tackled in other countries. I don’t know I guess I said something nice because the principal liked what  I said because she asked me to write some review of the workshop presentations for her. After the workshop, we came home, and Manasa, Saranga, and I sat on top of this big pile of rocks in their colony and talked. I love talking haha. Then we went home and took pictures because I unintentionally matched with what the workshop kids decided to wear (I thought I was going to the mission so I dressed accordingly).

And then it was the last chunk of my trip. I went and served my mission, and after a week there, I flew back to Hyderabad from Bangalore. I got my luggage and was waiting outside for Saranga to get me but overtime I called, the line wouldn’t go through. There was a woman standing next to me and she immediately realized that I wasn’t native to India. The more we talked she told me she was from California. She asked me if my ride was coming and I said yes and she asked where I was headed. When I told her Banjara Hills she said she was going there too and that if my ride didn’t come, I could go with her. I said thanks with no intention of going with her but paapam she waited with me until Saranga picked me up. Then we went to Ammamma’s house and stayed up a bit talking, but mostly we both just passed out. The next day was Christmas so we woke up and I called home and FaceTimed with everyone at the annual Christmas Eve party. Then Saranga went home and I spent the morning listening to old Hindi and Telugu songs with Ammamma and Srikanth Mama. After lunch, I just hung out while everyone slept and then Saranga and his friend Yagnya picked me up. We went to this place called Laamakan and I didn’t want to interfere with their catching up so I just sat awkwardly (plus I was sick so that didn’t help much). Then her parents were nice enough to drop us off at home despite the insane traffic and they were so sweet to me too I was really grateful for their kindness. When we got home, Arundhathi made me change (we planned to dress up fancy for Christmas) and then she gave us our Christmas gifts that she bought while I was in the same room as her and kept saying how much she wished I found out what they were every day my entire trip. She got Srivi and Peddakka some cute things but I almost cried when I saw what she bought me. She made me a scrapbook, and she filled it with some pictures of my India trip. She said she wanted me to fill the rest of it. It was so heartfelt and sweet, honestly one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. Then we took a zillion pictures and polaroids, and passed out.

The next day was the day before I left. My flight to Delhi the next morning was at 6:20, which meant I had to leave Ammamma’s house by 4 in order to get to the airport on time. Even though he had an exam that day, Saranga was adamant that he dropped me off at the airport so him and Arundhathi spent the night at Ammamma and Thathayya’s house and we went to the airport early the next morning. Unlike last time, I was doing really well about not crying because I knew I was going to do everything in my power to make sure I came back next December. Arundhathi, Saranga, and I decided to splurge so we went to Ratnadeep and bought a bunch of snacks. When we came home, we ate dinner and then I called a bunch of family members on the phone to bid them farewell while Saranga made a bonfire. The three of us made makeshift smores with Cadberry chocolate, coconut biscuits, and weird India marshmallows, but we enjoyed ourselves just the same. Atta came and gave me a beautiful sari and I was sad to say bye but I knew it wasn’t bye for a long time, so I found some comfort in that. Srikanth Mama’s hugs remind me a lot of Madhu Mama’s hugs; they don’t have to say a lot but you feel all that love they have for you in that one hug, so him saying bye to me and giving me a hug made me pretty emotional. We took some pictures with Ammamma and Thathayya that I’ll cherish forever and then we stayed up pretty late talking. Surprisingly, Arundhathi stayed up the latest (Saranga and I passed out) and then the next morning it was time to leave. I was so proud of myself for not crying and then I went to take blessings from Ammamma and Thathayya before I left. I bent down and touched their feet and when I got up, Thathayya was bawling. I held his face and gave him a hug, and then I started bawling too. I hate hate hate saying goodbye to him. And then we were off to the airport. Paapam I cried the whole way there so Saranga and Arundhathi both held my hands until we got to the airport. I flew to Delhi and spent the day there, mostly showing Devi Pinni and Anupam Babai my pictures and telling them about all my adventures the last few months. Then, I got dropped off at the airport, where I slept on the floor of my gate for 3 hours and made the long journey back home.

I was so grateful that I got this chance to visit India on my own. I learned so much about myself and my family, made new friends that I love so much now, and made amazing memories that I’ll keep with me forever. I’m anxiously counting down the days until I get to go again.