Ranjani’s Story
Ranjani grew up in Houston, TX and is the youngest child of Hanumanth Rao and Vijayalaksmi Akula. A happy and mischievous child, Ranjani and her older brother Raghuveer certainly kept their parents’ hands full. She had a wonderful childhood spent with her extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins all over the nation. Humor was a huge part of the Akula family culture and Ranjani would spend endless hours laughing with family and friends. She has a sense of humor that is quirky and keeps you laughing. The evolution has led to a unique brand of Akula humor that exists between these siblings and most observers, including Sachin, find quite amusing.
Ranjani was a very active and artistic child. She spent much of her youth in various activities from Bharatanatyam dance to Varsity tennis to Gymnastics (just to name a few). To this day, if given the opportunity, Ranjani will never pass up the chance to beat anyone in a friendly tennis match, or effortlessly win a Salsa dance off on the dance floor.
After high school, Ranjani attended Baylor University, during the same time Sachin was also studying there. However, despite their many mutual friends, their paths did not cross until years later. After college, Ranjani landed a career at Citigroup and came to make Dallas her new home (although she will forever love Houston)! She devoted her time to a thriving career while pursing and completing a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration.
Chinmaya Mission has been vital part of her life. She continues to be active by participating in activities and leading the youth group in Dallas. This led Ranjani to find not only a deeper spirituality, but several lifelong friends, through trips and experiences that took her all over the nation. Undoubtedly, all who know Ranjani are keenly aware of her dedication to Chinmaya mission, and her Hindu faith. Keeping a healthy balance between career, spirituality, personal growth, family, and friends is a strength of Ranjani’s that she has displayed throughout her life.
Ranjani has a certain vibrant energy about her that is contagious. She can always lift someone’s spirits by bringing a smile to someone’s face and being there for someone by having a shoulder to lean on and a helpful hand. She demonstrates fierce loyalty and commitment to things she is passionate about, Sachin being one of them. I know that with Ranjani’s deep spiritual dedication she will be good wife for Sachin. I can tell that their spiritual energies are entwined and I’m excited for their lifelong journey together.
Written by Nimmy Mathew, Ranjani’s good friend
Sachin’s Story
Sachin was born in NYC in 1982 to his parents Chandra Mohan and Rashmi Gupta. The fact that he was born in NYC may come as a shock, as he epitomizes Texas in his demeanor, his dress, his hairstyle, and especially his accent. My earliest recollections of Sachin are hazy, as he always lived so far from me. When we reached middle school we bonded over our common hobby: basketball. As kids, we were extremely competitive when it came to basketball. I can’t truly speak for his competitiveness, but I wanted to destroy him on the court. And when it came to our NBA teams, we spent countless hours debating which of our horrible teams was better. Despite our childish trash talking, I always was surprised about one thing about him — his maturity. He always had his priorities straight: His brother’s, Sunil, well-being above our plans to have fun.
Flash forward to the present. Our debate spirit is still very much alive. However, we discuss things that actually matter: life and happiness. We became extremely close in our common affinity for great experiences and philosophizing. Sachin is one of the few people that I have a relationship with where I feel like I could tell him anything, with his judgment being in my best interests. His life philosophies seem to be very much in line with mine: compassion towards everyone, as you don’t know what people have been through. We’ve had numerous trips where we discussed our lives, unfiltered, and the problems we faced at the time. I admire how much he lets loose and makes fun situations out of anything. In addition, his biggest strength in my opinion is his vulnerability and lack of need to impress.
Sachin and Ranjani are a good fit for each other. He brings one of the most important characteristics to the table: being lighthearted. Now granted I don’t know Ranjani extremely well yet, but it is safe to say that Sachin is the goofier of the two. Ranjani balances out Sachin’s sometimes overly carefree attitude by bringing planning and organization to his life. I think they will complement each other well throughout their lives.
Written by Vishal Agrawal, Sachin’s Cousin