How story begins...
For years, badminton was my language. Through the whirlwind of my undergrad and Master's, the court was my escape, my joy, my silent meditation.
But when I began my Ph.D., that language fell silent. I moved to a place where the familiar thwack of a birdie smash was a rare sound, and the sport I loved felt like a distant memory. My two rackets gathered dust in my closet, a quiet relic (they are over 10 years old) from a past life. For almost a decade, that part of me lay dormant.
Then came 2025, a year that would rekindle that forgotten flame.
In June, my idol, my catalyst, my friend, Nikhil, refused to let that story be the end. He gently pulled me back to the court, a place I hadn't set foot in for almost a decade. Though his skill level was way beyond mine, he motivated me to pick up my rackets again. Once again, I found a spark on the badminton court. He didn't just hand me a racket; he handed me back a piece of myself I thought was lost.
That spark became a flame during my stay in Tennessee later in the summer. There, I was introduced to the badminton club at Middle Tennessee State University, and an unexpected, beautiful journey unfolded.
This is where I met my Coach, Niraj.
To him, I owe a debt of gratitude that is difficult to put into words. For the first time in my long, self-taught history with the sport, someone was showing me its true grammar. He saw not just what I was doing, but what I could do. Under his guidance, the chaotic movements of a lifetime began to find their purpose. For the first time, I felt I was truly learning badminton, not just playing it.
But more than that, we connected on a level that transcended the court. We discovered we had so much in common. In his passion, his drive, and his personality, I saw a reflection of myself. I always feel how amazing it is that such profound connections just happened in the most unexpected place.
This is also where I met my Tennessee Squad: Shaili, Akka (Hima), Zam, together with my Coach.
We five just clicked: we played board games at McDonald's all night, we sang loud in the car when hangout, we explored new places and new restaurants. It is a reminder that no matter how far we stray, the things we love can always find their way back to us. And it was the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with hope, friendship, and the rediscovery of joy. You guys turned my summer in Tennessee into a treasure trove of memories I'll carry forever.
The summer in 2025 was more than a return to a sport. It was a homecoming to a part of myself I had forgotten.