Between Two Worlds

Life as a Telugu Teenage Girl in a Globalizing India

🤍🌊🐚🐋

“hello readers”

“Modern Girl” or Just… Confused?

Let me paint you a picture.

It’s 8 AM in my house in hyderabad. Amma is yelling from the kitchen, “Idli ready!” I’m brushing my hair, scrolling through my playlist , while ChatGPT is helping me write my science project (don’t tell my teacher). Meanwhile, in the background, Telugu news is playing, warning us about the rising temperatures.

I’m 15. I dream in English, argue in Telugu, and live somewhere in between.

My Playlist Has Range. So Does My Life.

This morning, I woke up to Pushpa Pushpa blasting from a neighbor’s house, but I was already humming “Ankoon se batana”. Later, I made my way to school, reciting physics formulas on the bus .

When Aunties Ask, “What Will You Become?”

There’s this awkward moment at every family gathering.

An aunty I barely know leans forward, smiles sweetly, and asks:
“ Will you become doctor or engineer”
I smile back: