'Abused' by American Foster Mom, Woman Searches for Birth Family in Lucknow

After her American foster mother died, Mahogany found out she was adopted and now wants to know more.

Over 23 years later, Mahogany has returned to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh where she's running from pillar to post, trying to find her identity, roots, and any connection to her biological family in the city.

"I was given the name Rakhi at birth, said 26-year-old Mahogany who found out about her real name only a few years ago," she said.

Back in 2002, railway officials found her abandoned at the Charbagh Railway Station and sent her to an orphanage called Lilavati Munsi Bal Greh.

Speaking to The Quint, Mahogany said, "I was adopted by a US woman in America. I was taken there in 2002. I was taught to reject my culture and I didn't know anything about my history. She didn't tell me where I was adopted from or anything about it."

'I Was Abandoned at Charbagh Railway Station'

Mahogany said that her foster mother, Carolin, died when she was 19 years old. It was only after Carolin's death did she got to know about the orphanage that she was adopted from via records and paperwork at her apartment.

After researching for the past five to six years in America, she decided to come to Lucknow to dig up more information.

First, Mahogany went to the orphanage but was told that there were no records and that she could find them at the Uttar Pradesh Council for Child Welfare. At the Council's office, Mahogany was able to see her case files but could not record them.

She also went to the Charbagh railway station but found that they don't have any records from the past five years. The local police is not helping me unless I get the US government's permission, she said.

"I tried to call the US embassy here, they didn't want to help either. I contacted some lawyers, but that didn't go anywhere, so I'm reaching out to the media to spread my message [...] so that maybe, a family relative, or a friend of the family or even a neighbour that knew me could try to track down where I come from."

Mahogany told The Quint

Since the past 18 days, Mahogany has been staying at an Airbnb accommodation with her best friend who has accompanied her. With the help of a local driver, Mahogany has been going around the city.

She also said that she has come to India for 30 days and is yet to find any success. If it does not work out, I will make another trip, she added.

"The only thing I know is that my name was Rakhi. I was told that they found the name on me, it was pinned to my clothing or something," Mahogany said.