I was born in mid-June 1999 in a small town in India. I started walking and talking at a really young age. Apparently, by 1.5 years old, I was a fully functioning baby — a record my niece would later break. For many kids, it’s their parents who teach them these foundational skills. For me, it was my brother. He taught me how to walk and talk. Essentially, I was my sibling’s toy! We hail from a large family, and growing up with them was truly a joy. I took full advantage of being the youngest, and they completely indulged me. They still do!
At the age of 3, I began attending school and was directly enrolled in the first grade. While most kids in the class were just starting with basic reading and writing, my brother, who must’ve been 11 years old at the time, began teaching me to read Marathi at home. Before long, we had covered the basics. Next, he introduced me to English. What astounds me still - he is a genius - is his innovative approach; he taught me English by drawing phonetic comparisons between English and Marathi. I’m not sure how he conceived of this idea, but it was brilliant, and it worked. As a result, I began reading and writing in English almost simultaneously with Marathi. I believe this experience sowed the seeds of my lifelong fascination with languages. Once we covered languages, we delved into basic mathematics. I quickly grasped it and moved on to multiplication tables. I tackled one table per day, and in no time, I’d mastered content up to the 3rd grade level. That meant, now I had all the time in the world to get hobbies, and I did.
My introduction to reading came through newspapers. My father would bring 3-4 newspapers home daily. As a child, I was curious about what he was reading. However, the news content often contained words that were too advanced for me. Thus, I began by reading only the sections with pictures. “This news has a picture; I’ll read it. This one doesn’t? Well, it’s probably not important anyway.” And just like that, I was hooked on reading. Recognizing my newfound passion, my brother and father provided me with books. I remember spending countless hours engrossed in reading, even delving into my siblings’ textbooks. Bhaiya was always there to cater to my ever-growing demand for books. My mother, however, became increasingly frustrated with our reading habits. There came a point where she imposed a ban on reading altogether! She also developed a certain distaste for newspapers because of our obsession of reading them while eating, much to our amusement. She did not want me to be just a bookwarm, and more importantly I wasn’t even reading my study books. She acted frustrated, but I know for sure that she was also fully behind my love for reading.
My brother himself was a kid, but for me, he was/is the most brilliant person in the world! He would have answers to all my questions and boy, did I have questions!! We would spend hours talking about everything, we still do (although the time zones/life is getting the way :/). He would tell me that there is something called gravity, and about how big the universe is and how the telephone works. And my little kid brain would be blown away. Oh what a time it was!
I also loved to paint and dance. And I have performed at many, many events, including events with audiences upto 50K! If there ever was a event, me and my father would be there. I just loved to dance, I still do. And I dare say, I am good at it! For painting, I don’t do it as frequesntly as I used to, but it is something that calms me. And who doesn’t like playing with colors?!
My brother is a poet. So naturally I had to copy him and I started writing things. I was especially good at essay writing and poems. I went on to win multiple awards for the same.
School was a breeze. I did not study much, but I read books. A lot of them. My school had a huge library and I made the most of it. Friends would often seek my reviews before borrowing a book, confident in the knowledge that I had likely already read it, and more often than not, they were right! Whether fiction, history, or autobiography, my love for reading was indiscriminate. I started studying sincerely after the 10th grade, and have never looked back. Though it might be an unpopular opinion, I love studying and I love exams! Despite my childhood assertions of wanting to become a doctor, I ultimately chose a career in computer science — a decision I cherish to this day.
I consider it to be my absolute fortune that I was born in a culturally rich country like India. I could spend hours discussing the multifaceted aspects of Indian history and culture, embracing both its virtues and flaws. My initiation into history began with the book “Raja Shivachhatrapati”. I read it at the age of nine, and it continues to hold a special place as my favorite book.
I am a practicing Hindu. My father - almost an atheist, and my mother is a devoted Hindu. I would sit beside her whenever she would do Pooja’s and learnt all the mantra’s and Aarti’s. My maternal grandfather frequently reads the Dnyaneshwari (Marathi Geeta), and even though I didn’t always grasp its full meaning, I was drawn to it. Sometimes I do have moments where I don’t believe that god exists, but I always come back to it. Again, I love to question my own faith and get a deeper understanding of what it really means. I plan on reading and understanding Geeta someday. I strongly believe Ramayana and Mahabharata are one of the greatest literature pieces to ever have been written and I urge my readers to read them at least once. Not for religious purposes, but for the love of literature. They are the absolute gems.
Through this blog, I just want to put my thoughts out there, because I have many. I am always looking forward to having conversations with people. I love talking! Please feel free to contact me about anything on this page, if it resonated with you. I look forward to it. Thanks for reading :)