Weeks 7&8: Frogs, Flowers, and Farewells
It started with frogs. And ended with a cat.
In between, there was a lecture, a minuscule crash-out, 57 pages of research, and a lot of food.
At the beginning of Week 7, I attended a lecture on success by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, the Director General of ICRISAT. It was the kind of talk that doesn’t come with bullet points or big promises, but instead arrives straightforwardly, told through characters like Sukhiram and Dukhiram; two frogs who saw the world in completely different ways. Sukhiram was the optimist. He looked around and always found a way forward. Dukhiram, by contrast, was trapped by his own negativity. Where Sukhiram leapt, Dukhiram stalled.
The story made everyone smile, but it wasn’t really a joke. Dr. Pathak’s point was clear: without a certain openness of mind, without the willingness to believe that something good is still possible, there can be no movement, no growth, no success.
That message stayed with me throughout the week as I worked to finalize my research paper for submission to ICRISAT. 2 months of writing and fieldwork, interviews, transcriptions, and notes finally came together. The report became a 57-page document split into three main parts: crop diversification and Bt cotton, dairy and livestock systems, and nutrition and national policies. Each part came with its own challenges. I spent long hours reviewing data, verifying charts, and checking for mistakes. I even stayed overtime the day of my submission until 7. The office? Dead silent, but that silence reminded me how close I was to the finish line. It was melancholic in a way.
Some sections came together quickly, especially when I could clearly remember the faces and voices of the people I met in Aurepalle. Others took more time. I wanted the report to be clear, accurate, and honest. Not just for my own learning, but out of respect for the people who had shared their time and stories with me.
Then, midweek, something unexpected happened.
A ceremonial lecture was being held for Dr. M.L. Jat, who had just been announced as the new Director General of ICAR. One hour before the event, my supervisor told me I’d be presenting flowers. I barely had time to change. My friend Laalithya had been given the job of bringing the gift. As she went to pick it up from the seat next to her, the tray with the bouquet slipped and crashed with a loud metallic bong.
Everyone turned. She says nobody saw, but I felt all eyes on us.
I looked at her. She looked at me. And we both nearly lost it. We’re the kind of friends who don’t need words to start laughing, just one glance is enough.
Somehow, we pulled it together. I walked the bouquet up and handed them to Dr. Jat. It was a short moment, but one I won’t forget. He had once been a student here at ICRISAT, and now stood as one of the most influential figures in Indian agriculture. The full-circle feeling was real.
That day, I also got to meet Deputy Director General Dr. Stanford Blade and had a short exchange with Dr. Pathak. Seeing all these people in one room reminded me how powerful this place is; not just as a research center, but as a community that connects past and present, scientists and students, India and the world.
Week 8 came quietly. The main writing was done, but I spent the week reviewing everything again. Adjusting tables, formatting charts, cleaning up citations, editing pictures, and double-checking figures. I wanted it to be right. I didn’t want to just submit a report. I wanted it to be something I could stand by.
And during all this, something small happened that meant a lot.
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Since nearly the beginning of my time here, I’d been feeding a little campus cat I named Blindy. He has cloudy eyes and walks cautiously. For weeks, he wouldn’t let me get close. I’d leave food, and he’d only come once I walked away. But this week, I brought him some fish, sat nearby, and waited.
This time, he came to me.
He sniffed my hand, slightly rubbed against it, and stayed close. Later that day, he followed me as I walked back. Not right next to me, just close enough to say, “I see you.”
It was small. But it made me happy, we had become friends.
As I’m finishing this internship, I realize that it is one of the hardest moments I have faced. Leaving behind the people who made every day memorable, the friends who made long hours feel shorter, and a place that pushed me to grow feels really difficult. Somewhere in this vast world, I found a place for myself outside of “home”. I placed a pin on the globe and marked Hyderabad as another home. The memories I made and the experiences I had here could not have happened anywhere else. ICRISAT gave me more than a project. It gave me something I will carry with me always.
To my supervisor, Dr. Padmaja Ravula — thank you. Thank you for your guidance, your trust, and your support throughout this internship. You gave me space to learn, but also reminded me why this work matters.
To ICRISAT — thank you for opening your doors. For every conversation, every lecture, every chance to observe, question, and understand something more deeply than before.
This paper is one small step. But I hope it contributes something. Toward better understanding, toward equity, toward better policies.
And when I think back to this summer, I’ll remember Sukhiram and his hopeful leap.
I’ll remember the bong of the flower tray.
And I’ll remember Blindy, waiting by the stairs.
This place gave me a lot. I won’t forget it. I will be back!
