Saya cinta kamu, Anushka.

Sa… saachi, mamma.

“I love you” in Indonesian. My mom, Rani Joshi — whom I call mamma — has always found ways to show me love. Whether it is making food that I did not even realize I was craving or telling me she loves me in different languages before I could even speak, her love is always constant, always present.

Since I was young, my mamma has taken on countless roles to ensure my happiness. She is like Devi — a Hindu goddess with many hands — each one always busy, always doing something for me. She has been my caretaker, protector, biggest cheerleader and, at times, even my toughest critic, all with the sole purpose of shaping me into the best version of myself.

From the moment she found out she was pregnant, she sacrificed everything for me. She gave up a successful career, countless academic achievements and even an MBA, just to focus on me. It was not a choice made out of necessity but one made out of love.

To support me financially, my mother started an at-home daycare, pushing through exhaustion and pain while chasing after 3-year-olds — just so I could be happy. She endured sleepless nights, never letting me see her struggle, ensuring I only saw a world full of warmth and security.

Through every high and low, my guardian angel, my Devi, has been by my side. Whether it is watching “MasterChef” with me every night, offering words of encouragement before an exam or finding creative solutions when I feel stuck, she is my constant source of light. Her adorable laughter alone can brighten any situation, no matter how tough.

It is the little things — the ones I sometimes fail to notice — that have shaped me into who I am today, like how she wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning to make my lunch, knowing I easily fall sick when I eat outside food or how she instinctively knows when something is bothering me, even when I say I am fine.

My mamma is a strong woman. Her tough love and sacrifices have shaped me into the person I am today. She is the Devi of my life — not one placed on a shrine or worshipped daily, yet deserving of all the recognition in the world.

Saachi, mamma.

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