Back to School 2021

Amma pressed the new uniform into my chest, her eyes glistening. After three years abroad, I was returning to our Tamil school in the city. That morning, I discovered Kannadasan's poetry tucked in my satchel—her quiet way of saying *remember who you are*. In class, reciting those verses felt like coming home. My teacher smiled, recognizing the familiar cadence. Classmates leaned closer, hungry for connection to something real. By year's end, I'd started a heritage club. Nothing grand, just students exploring our roots together, rewarded not by grades but by belonging. Amma's prayers had manifested in unexpected ways.