http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asYdYD9-YGk

Dear Sepia Mutiny,

You’ve been a pal. No, seriously, you’re the best yaar a Pakistani-American girl could conjure. That’s why I dedicate Kishore Kumar’s soundtrack, “Chalte, Chalte” to you. The lyrics, “Kabhi alvida na kahna” translate to, “Never say goodbye.” SM, you challenged me. You educated me. You delighted me. You enraged me. And so, I thank you. All of you.

Thank you, Amardeep, my fellow Philadelphian. When I first stumbled across Sepia Mutiny years ago, yours were the first posts I followed closely.  I still go back and reference your eloquent, lyrical writings on music, authors and more. And as I go forward, I hope to keep your last post in mind. Especially this line: “[T]here really is value in spelling out an idea or a perspective at some length, and then giving readers as much space as they want or need to discuss it with you.” Longform writing, ftw!

Thank you A N N A, for welcoming me into the bunker. Your sharp editing eye has saved many a post of mine. Your uncompromising  fierceness continues to inspire.

Thank you, Nila, my Bollywood baaji. You always took the time to help me refine my writing. And I have lost track of the number of times you sent me post ideas.

Thank you, Abhi. Your editorial leadership and support kept me writing throughout grad school. And I don’t regret a single moment I spent blogging instead of briefing.

Thank you, Ennis. You are the best link curator I have ever met. Tweeting with you was a delight. Thank you for always having my back.

Thank you, Sugi. You sent me to NYC to meet Shah Rukh Khan. And you introduced me to the Asian American Writers Workshop. Someday, I will get you to autograph my copy of your book.  Thank you for encouraging me to write about #tinyfabkidney. I remember you saying, “That story will someday be on Good Morning America.” And sure enough. It was.

Thank you to all the past contributors, especially Manish, Vinod, Preston, Siddhartha, Saheli and Neha. You created an online space where I finally felt at home.

Thank you Chaitain and Kunjan. You both devoted hours of your time to helping us diva writers share our content. You let us call/text/email you at all hours of the night for technical support. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Thank you, Cicatrix. Working with you at MTV Desi was a dream come true.

Thank you, Taz. You introduced me to 99% of the music I listen to today.

Thank you, Amitava. I am thrilled you joined us on this mutiny-toned journey. Kya baat hai!

Thank you Razib, Vivek, Lakshmi and Pavani. Your enthusiasm for SM was contagious.

Thank you all of our contributors, for their hard work behind the scenes. So many did so much that remains hidden.

Thank you to all our supporters. Everyone who shared our articles on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Everyone who contributed to our discussions. Everyone who sent us messages of support.

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with me.

Thank you, Sepia Mutiny. You changed my life.  You gave me a voice. Thank you for giving me a space to write about what I wanted to write about. Thank you for letting me rant. And rant. And rant. Until we meet again.

Mutinously Yours,

PG

P.S. Let’s end this shindig with a little Bollywood, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atqaq_WjsXU