The Oatmeal Cookie Peace Offering
I was perched on a wooden stool next to the kitchen island, gobbling a stack of waffles, eager to not miss the train for school. As soon as I was done, I placed the syrup-covered plate in the empty sink, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and headed for the door. “Wait, wait!” I threw […]
Read MoreDancing With the Bollywood Stars
In the 4th grade, I attended a Bollywood dance class for the first time. My mom had signed me up, and the goal was for me to do something outside of my school and home life. “Physical activity is good for you! It’s good to have outside activities,” she would say. To my surprise, class […]
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No Chance for Goodbye
Guilt. This was the emotion I felt when I read my brother’s text: Tayabo has passed. I quickly shut off my phone, staring into the blackness of the screen, my face distorted in the reflection as the gears in my head stopped turning. A small ringing noise was the only thing I could hear until my […]
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Choosing Myself
In 17 years, I’ve had to move more than 10 times throughout New York City. In 3rd grade, I attended five different schools. As a child, I never understood why my family moved around like a military family, but now I know some of the reasons. When my twin brother and I were born, my […]
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