Rising from the Shadows by Kamala Hegde

This poetry book was not written from comfort. It was written from survival—from a childhood that shaped me, from  love that broke me , and from grief that did not ask permission. It was written from the nights when I did not know if I would ever feel whole again. I did not rise because I was fearless; I rose because I had to. These poems are not polished versions of pain—they are what remained  after I stopped pretending .

If you see yourself here,  stay . If something in you stirs,  listen . This is not a story of being rescued; it is a story of choosing to live.  I am still here.  And if you are reading this—so are you