“I grew up in Triplicane, where the streets are alive from sunrise to sunset, filled with laughter, temple bells, the smell of agarbathi, and the sound of life unfolding in a hundred ways at once. It’s a place where cows casually stroll through traffic, where the filter coffee is always strong, and where every street corner feels like home.

Growing up there shaped me more than I realised. The simplicity of the people, the kindness of neighbours, and the rhythm of everyday life taught me what it means to stay grounded. Triplicane gave me roots, strong, steady, and full of gratitude.

Then came 2021, the year that changed everything. I was affected by COVID and ended up in the hospital for nearly a month, most of it on a ventilator. Those days felt endless. When you’re lying there, unsure of what tomorrow holds, every breath becomes a prayer. It truly felt like my second life, a chance to start again.

What saved me wasn’t just medicine; it was kindness. The doctors who didn’t give up, the nurses who offered comfort through exhaustion, the friends and family who prayed endlessly, and even strangers who reached out with words of hope, they all gave me something to hold on to. That experience changed how I see everything. I learned that humanity, in its purest form, still exists. Since then, life has felt slower, kinder, and much more meaningful.

Today, I find joy in the smallest things, the sound of temple bells from Parthasarathy, the chaos of evening markets, or the peace that comes from watching the sunset at Marina with a roasted corn in hand.

Chennai, to me, isn’t just home, it’s a heartbeat. It’s the hot pongal at Rayar Mess that tastes like comfort, the endless conversations over coffee, the gentle warmth of strangers who treat you like family.

Every time I walk through these streets, I’m reminded that life gave me another chance, and there’s no better place to live it fully than here, in the heart of Madras.”