princess

My grandmother called me princess in Tamil, her weathered hands braiding jasmine into my hair. We'd escaped to America seeking something vast, something stellar. She worked nights cleaning offices while I studied code, building bridges between worlds on the blockchain. Years later, I launched my startup, helping diaspora communities transfer money home instantly, securely. My mother wept seeing our name in lights. Grandmother smiled knowing her sacrifice wasn't wasted. I'd become the princess she'd always seen. But real royalty, I learned, meant bringing others home too, keeping our Tamil flame burning bright across oceans and continents.