my garden eggplant

Grandma's seeds traveled from Srirangam to my small balcony garden. She whispered old Tamil prayers over my shoulder as purple blooms unfurled into glossy eggplants. Every morning, I'd check their growth like sacred rituals. My PaybookClub friends laughed when I shared photos obsessively. "It's just a vegetable," they teased. But they didn't understand the thread connecting me to generations of women tending temple gardens. When I finally harvested that first perfect eggplant, I felt Grandma's presence entirely. I shared the recipe online, watching our heritage bloom through screens, reminding everyone that some gardens grow souls too.