Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
I will either find a way, or make one.
Homesick for the Stars
When I stumble into landscapes like these, I can't help but laugh at the audacity of man — thinking we can tame this beastly beauty of nature and dare to call it "mine." Let everything happen to you: Beauty and terror. So I do. I stand still in trembling reverence at...
How I Travel to My Village Poranki Anytime Without a Passport
Poranki, my small hometown a few kilometers from the center of Vijayawada, is a place where your morning walk will take you through banyan groves, tall college buildings, and cow-dung-filled roads. I travel there as much as I can, but when I cannot, I just have...
Inside The Moth Atlanta: A Night of Stories About Belonging, Bravery, and Being Human
At the Moth spoken word storytelling event yesterday, the stage was literally set. But, I was never meant to be there. Who pays $80 and drives to downtown Atlanta on a weeknight to listen to five ten-minute stories? I had told myself. But then came a last-minute nudge...
Don’t Kiss Me. Yet. – A Poem Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/KkB8hsIK1t8 - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - I look up.Your mouth of firehovers an inch above mine.In your eyes I see the curve on my backyou were never allowedto memorize with your hands. Read the full poem here. --...
Help! Bengaluru’s Living Rent-Free in My Heart: A Love Letter to Chaos, Contrast, and Everything In Between
- After stepping back onto the plane from a work trip to Bengaluru, I was sure this essay would write itself. As the plane climbed out of Kempegowda, I looked through the window to say goodbye to the city that shimmered like a galaxy on land. I felt captivated...
A Lifetime of Poems, Fiction & Essays – Read by Rachana
Hey, welcome! I write about the enduring human spirit via essays, stories, and poetry. This podcast is my way of bringing those pieces to life in audio, so you can listen while you’re on a walk, driving, cooking, or just needing a moment of reflection....
Child Bearers of the World – What Remains – A Poem Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/4BJSLSTS18g - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - A mother holds her baby boy close.He had meant a thousand heartbeats.Life inside the womb was longer than on earth.Being still alive is no good than being stillborn....
Don’t Kiss Me. Yet. – A Poem by Rachana
Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - This narrow bed, never meant for two,forces us to fuse,rib to rib,with no air left,only a threat of two bodiesabout to burst into flames. I look up.Your mouth of firehovers an inch above mine.In your eyes I see the curve...
The String of Pearls: Deep Connections And Friendship in the Digital Age
- Picture This Whether you know me or you're a stranger reading this, I want you to picture this. We're standing across from each other and holding hands. We smile at each other and look around us. Once we decide on a direction, we start walking together. That...
Arrested By Your Gravity: A Philosophical Freefall Into Desire {NSFW}
Want To Listen To The Article Instead? Listen to it HERE. - I hope you know by now. I’m crushing hard on you. You are the shiny object I'm trying to get away from, yet there’s nothing else in the world that commands my attention the way you do. And I’m...
At Atlanta’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, The Line Between Faith And Football Is Blurred
I just walked out of a Georgia Tech vs. University of Pittsburgh football game at half time. And it was not looking good for our Yellow Jackets, let me tell ya. Yup, by the time I finished writing this, my son has told me, we've lost. When our 21 year old got us...
Why Darkness Can Be a Gift – A Poem Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/kIYM07fLXZM - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - And so you sit up straight, wring your hands. But the weight of silence, makes you wonder, Can darkness be a gift? This silence that’s so violent — can it be a...
The Invisible Brandons Hiding in Plain Sight – Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/m64m4MyMcIM - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - A Night To Remember I came home and couldn’t go back to bed without cleaning my kitchen countertop with my hands. As I cleaned, I thought of Brandon and how he was a...
Nostalgia in Ruins: Watching My Childhood Home Fall and My Memories Rise
- My mother visited her (and mine) childhood home for the last time today as it will be demolished starting tomorrow. Nostalgia, as it turns out, will not have a home anymore. Yet, somehow, we'll have to continue living on. Since I've moved to the US 23 plus...
On Living Out Loud – Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/KHnRhdHrQyE - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - The Actions Of A Free Man Here’s the truth. The things that make us feel alive, laughter that makes our ribs ache, projects that ignite curiosity, connections that fire...
Writer-At-Large: The Invisible Brandons Among Us
Listen to the essay- Yesterday I went to a restaurant with a couple of my friends. For now, let's call the place CF Pangs. We were shown to a booth in the back, and I briefly excused myself to use the restroom. As I came back, I saw our waiter, Brandon,...
Short Story Fiction: Yours Forever – Love and Reform Collide in New Delhi
- “When are you getting married Ky?!” These days, Anu texts him with her question. And her prank-playing boy was never far behind with a retort.. “It’s tomorrow mamma, didn’t you get my Evite?!” This time, the reply was puzzling. “Mom, I am moving to New Delhi...
Why I Really Have 3,452 Friends: The Quiet Ethos of Enduring Friendship
- Fun days are when I meet many brand new strangers and also have a chance to invite some of them to my home. Yesterday was one such day. I was witness to an event where two friends who had never met after 7th grade, but had stayed in touch, met in person after...