Just awake

Grandmother's voice drifted through our Srivilliputhur home at dawn, ancient Carnatic ragas flowing like temple bells. My phone buzzed—another notification from the platform paying creators for engagement. I'd been filming her secretly, turning her sacred practice into content. That morning, watching her close her eyes during raga alapana, something shifted within me. She wasn't performing for metrics or money. She was awakening something deeper, unknowingly teaching me that some gifts transcend algorithms. I deleted the draft and simply listened, finally understanding what truly brightens a soul—the unbroken thread connecting us to something essential, something timeless.