The death of 24-year-old Sahaja Reddy Udumala in a house fire in Albany, New York, has left shock, disbelief and a trail of memories for her friends and family thousands of kilometres away in Hyderabad, who knew her as a bright, friendly girl from Ramanthapur.
The young Master’s student in Cyber Security, who had moved to the U.S. just over an year ago, succumbed to severe burn injuries after the blaze on December 4.
For Sahaja’s childhood friend Elizabeth, someone who knew her more than 15 years ago, long before her dreams took her across the world, the grief carries an unbearable layer of regret. The two had reconnected just two weeks ago, when Sahaja sent her an unexpected Instagram request, years after they had drifted apart over a misunderstanding.
“I accepted it immediately,” she says. “I even asked my brother if I should message her. I decided I would text her on Christmas; that day was always special for us and the perfect time to start afresh. I imagined her sending me her new number… I imagined how we would finally speak and share life updates,” she pauses, fighting tears. “Now I keep thinking… I should have just texted her. That regret is killing me.”
Ms. Elizabeth, who grew up with Sahaja in the bylanes of Ramanthapur, says sleep has escaped her ever since the news broke. The two studied in St Joseph’s School in Habsiguda.
“I have known her since I was in Class 4; she was in Class 2 then. She was a sister to me. Even though she was my junior, we were always together – we sang in school prayers, danced at Christmas programmes, taught children in Sunday school, played after school… we were inseparable. Every corner here holds a memory,” she said, her voice trembling.
Their friendship was stitched together through small rituals — sharing lunch in a favourite corner, spending Saturdays in church lessons, practising music and choreography for the grand Christmas celebrations at St Joseph’s School in King Koti. “We practised for hours, forgetting everything else, because we wanted our performance to be perfect. Those memories are so fresh in my mind,” she said.
A minor misunderstanding slowly created distance, but affection never truly left. About two years later, they saw each other again at a school food festival. “She hugged me very tightly… tears fell from her eyes,” Ms. Elizabeth recalls. “But after that, we lost touch once more.”
Life moved on. Sahaja’s family shifted to Jeedimetla. She later left for Albany to pursue her Master’s. As per her professional profile, she has joined as a volunteer cybersecurity analyst for Saayam, a non-profit organisation just six months ago in July 2025.
When Ms. Elizabeth saw the news of the fire, she instinctively put her phone away. “I didn’t want to see anything. I just felt numb,” she says. “I wish I had at least one picture of us as kids… we didn’t have phones then. After all those beautiful memories, to see her charred body now is so painful.”
As Sahaja’s family prepares for her final journey home, Elizabeth is still trying to comprehend the loss of the friend who once clung to her during Sunday school classes. “If I had just video-called her once, at least I would have seen her face before,” she whispers.
A fundraiser has been launched by Sahaja’s cousin, Rathna Gopu, to help cover funeral and memorial expenses, repatriation arrangements, family support and costs arising from the tragic accident. Ms. Gopu said Sahaja sustained burns to nearly 90% of her body.
“She struggled immensely, fighting with all the strength she had. Despite all medical efforts, her condition continued to worsen, and she ultimately experienced complete organ failure, leading to her passing this morning,” Ms. Gopu said
So far, over $109,000 have been raised through donations out of the total amount of $120,000.
The Albany Police Department said in a statement that officers and firefighters rushed to the house fire on the morning of December 4. By the time they arrived, the home was already fully engulfed in flames, and several people were still trapped inside.
Emergency crews managed to locate four adults and pull them out. They were given immediate medical care at the scene before being taken to hospital with severe injuries, and two of them were later shifted to a specialised burn centre for further treatment.
Published – December 07, 2025 11:47 am IST
