There were yet a lot of things that I didn't know about my family. Everyone has a little bit of family drama dosed into their life but to the point of having it hidden from you must have been quite a bunch of issues going on.

I'm Indian by blood but my mom, dad, brother and I moved out to Cairo when I was only about four years old. I never studied in India, and only visited during the summer vacations. Growing up outside of India, and having gone to international schools all my life, a little bit of the American-culture rubbed off on me. Or so people say.

In India, the traditions are so much more conservative on what girls can or can't do. But I was raised up in a pretty loose atmosphere, and my parents had never been that strict on me (which I am so thankful for).

Most of the normal Indian parents typically lead their children in the direction of focusing on their education. Not that it's a bad thing, that's great. But the schooling system in India is so very strenuous and places so much stress on the students which is completely unnecessary in my view.

Children are also grown up in a way that most 'fear' their parents out of their obedience. But I didn't have that...which only pushed me into being a little more inquisitve from my side.

Because of the fact that I'd been going to American schools my whole life, I'd grown up in a more relaxed environment. My grades still mattered to me, mind you. Academically, I'd say I'm brilliant (not to boast). And socially, friends had come and gone.

Family life? Still a big question mark.

Author guidance for This work

Release is sweet...but this one will bring back hard memories that have imprinted themselves as the deepest scars in my heart. And it hurts everytime I touch them again. But just maybe this once, it might be worth it.

updated Feb 4 by Trish