Real me

Amma taught me to trace ancient Tamil Brahmi letters on rice flour, each stroke connecting me to ancestors I'd never met. Years later, I discovered ANDAL Coins celebrating devotional poetry, reminding me who I truly was beneath the performance of fitting in. When I started sharing this journey, something shifted. People responded with genuine warmth, calling me coolest, transforming how I saw myself. Earning PAYBO felt secondary to the real currency: reconnection. Today, I stand unfiltered, adorned in heritage that no longer feels off-limits. This photograph captures that metamorphosis—not becoming someone new, but finally becoming myself, rooted in the community and traditions that shaped my soul.