The journey of these thirty-three years is not just an advancement of dates on the calendar, but a collection of moments where your strength outshone the challenging circumstances thrown at you. As April 3rd approaches, I find myself looking back at the staring bundle of 1993 and marvelling at the woman who has become the anchor of the family. We so badly wanted to break the jinx of no daughters in the family for generations (many even used to say we were cursed family). Not only God fulfilled that wish but what an amazing gift was bestowed upon us. Life was never the same thereafter and it got soaring higher and higher and getting better and better every day. We celebrate you everyday, but a bit more on 3rd April for THE BIGGEST GIIFT we have received.
The Significance of Year 33: This birthday marks your completion of 33 year, called the Jesus Year. It is a milestone that symbolizes a turning point—a time of coming into one’s full power, purpose, and self-actualization. For you, this couldn’t be more fitting. You are entering this year not just with age, but with a refined soul and a clarity of mission that most spend a lifetime searching for. It is a year of rebirth and immense impact, and watching you step into this new chapter fills me with a sense of divine timing.
The Power of Self-Belief: From Biotech to MSW: One of your most defining traits has always been an unshaken belief in your own path, even when it meant taking the road less travelled. We watched with admiration as you made the bold, soul-led decision to pivot from your background in Biotechnology to formally pursue a Master’s in Social Work (MSW).
It wasn’t the easiest transition, but your conviction never wavered. You recognized that while science could explain life, your heart was calling you to serve it. That leap of faith, trusting your instincts over convention, is a testament to your courage. You navigated this change with a quiet, steely confidence, proving that your internal compass is guided by purpose rather than just a career path.
The Silent Language of Love: As I look through my albums, there is a specific set of pictures that always stops my heart, the ones where we are lovingly looking into each other’s eyes. In those frames, no words are needed. Your eyes reflect a deep-rooted respect and an old-soul understanding that goes beyond the typical father-daughter bond.
When I look at you, I see my greatest achievement; when you look at me, I feel seen, understood, and anchored. Those captured glances are a testament to the magnetic feature of the relationship, a bond of pure, unspoken trust that has only strengthened as you’ve grown into this remarkable woman.
A Heart for the World: Your humaneness is not a garment you put on; it is the fabric of who you are. We have watched with immense pride as your social service inclination turned into a lifelong mission. You are our Seva Warrior.
Whether it was the countless hours spent with underprivileged children or the way you stepped up supporting me during the pandemic, managing logistics, food, and emotional support for others while the rest of the world stayed behind closed doors, you proved that your heart has no boundaries. You’ve always understood that spiritual elevation comes from the joy of giving selflessly, and you have touched thousands of lives with that magnetic feature of your kindness. As I keep telling a lot of them quite often (if I remember it right, I have also written about this earlier), If someone cannot accept that this is a beautiful world, one has to see it through your eyes to realize that it is true.
The Grace of a Mother: The most beautiful chapter of your humaneness has been written in the way you care for Anay. While the world sees your professional pursuits, we see the quiet, profound sacrifices you make every day as a mother to Anay. While ordering fancy food for all others, you stuck to your bland, but healthy curry leaves powder rice with ghee with same palak as the side dish. Your passion and personal preferences have been gracefully subordinated to ensure his emotional well-being remains the priority. We have seen you sideline your own hobbies, your rest, and your “me-time” to be the constant, steady presence he needs.
Seeing you with our grandson, Anay the little one who has become the sun around which our entire family rotates, is a masterclass in love. I still recall the moments just before his arrival; even in your own pain and anticipation, you were the one comforting me. That is the essence of Divya: putting the peace of others above your own. Watching you raise him with such tenderness and wisdom makes me realize that your capacity to love has only deepened with time.
Every hour that your job allows is poured back into him. You have mastered the delicate, often exhausting balance of being a dedicated professional while ensuring you never miss a beat in his life. Whether it’s staying up late to finish work, so your afternoons are his, or setting aside your own desires to nurture his growth, your motherhood is a masterclass in selflessness. You aren’t just available to him, you are fully present, making him the sun around which your world revolves.
The Ultimate Sister and Anchor: Your heart for service probably began at home without anyone realising, in your role as a sister. We often smile remembering how you took it upon yourself to discipline Vishnu when you were both small, you were his first teacher and his fiercest protector. Today, that bond has matured into something beautiful.
Even with him studying for his Masters abroad, you remain his “go-to person.” Despite the distance and your own heavy responsibilities, you are the anchor he reaches for when things get tough. You guide him with the same wisdom and firmness you showed as a child, proving that a sister’s love is the ultimate safety net.
More Than a Daughter
You have long since crossed the bridge from being a daughter to being my closest friend and my most trusted advisor. You are frail but healthy in appearance, yet you possess the strongest shoulders I know. You have taught me more about resilience than any book ever could. There is an infectious perfume of happiness that follows you, a bubbly energy that masks a profound depth of soul. You learned to take life’s punches on the chin, meeting every challenge head-on before moving forward. Whether the world recognized your efforts or stayed silent, my love and pride would never have wavered.
But seeing glory finally come your way is the ultimate icing on the cake, a moment that brought a father to tears of joy that words simply cannot explain.
A Promise for the Future: On this 33rd birthday, I want you to know that your journey is my greatest source of swollen pride. If I were given a thousand lifetimes, I would choose to be your father in every single one of them. You are the Apple of my Eye and the light that ensures our home never knows darkness. On this day, as you complete your thirty-third year, I pray that Divine light always guides your steps, illuminating the path as you continue your noble journey of service. I pray for your unwavering health, that your body remains as strong as your spirit, and your mind as calm as a deep ocean. May prosperity flow into your life in every form not just in material abundance, but in the richness of peace, the warmth of laughter, and the continued joy that Anay brings to your heart (and everyone else’s). May you always have the courage to follow your own truth, the strength to be the pillar for those who lean on you, and the wisdom to know how much you are truly loved. May your life be a perennial spring of happiness, and may you be blessed with the long life to see your dreams, and those of your children (hain! Did I make it a plural?), blossom into reality.
Stay exactly as you are—unwavering in your beliefs, boundless in your compassion, and forever our Chirpy and Blissed Di. Our world is a better, more humane place because you decided to grace it thirty-three years ago.
Happy Birthday, Di (Akhila to the world),
Your best chapters are just beginning.
PS: Someone said, “People born in 1993 are part of the Millennial generation (specifically the younger half) and are hitting that sweet spot where back pain starts becoming a legitimate personality trait.”