Photogrpher: Nityapriya Chadha, In frame: Prerna Arora, Location: Pearl Academy

Alone, Not Lonely!

Choosing solitude means embracing quiet moments of self-discovery. It’s not isolation but freedom from external expectations, a chance to listen to your thoughts and find comfort in your own company.

By Nityapriya Chadha

Solitude, to be clear, is not a synonym for loneliness. There is a thin line between the two, and that line is choice.

When you choose to introspect, it becomes a pause, a chance to listen to your thoughts without interruption. 

It is an escape, not from the world but from the need to perform for it. A space where the mind is free to wander, create, and simply exist. But when solitude is no longer a choice, it loses its sense of liberation and turns into loneliness. As though the world around you is constantly moving and you are stuck on the outside, looking in. And that changes everything.

“I used to think eating alone in public was the ultimate sign of a boring life,” confesses Sanya Gandhi, a 19-year-old student pursuing English Hons. from Graphic Era University, Dehradun. “Now, it’s my favorite part of the week. No fake small talk, no forced laughter. Just me, my food, and my thoughts.”

Silence, though intimidating at first, can be deeply restorative. It can often feel unsettling and scary which is why it’s easier to distract yourself than to sit with your thoughts. We’ve become experts at filling every moment with something, anything, except ourselves. The thing is, people don’t know what to do with silence. Our generation treats it like a weird, unwanted guest- something to cover up, escape from, or talk over.

“We’ve become so used to external validation that the idea of just existing without an audience feels unnatural,” says Yash Gupta, a 20-year-old student from Bangalore, studying at Christ University. “I used to post everything online. Where I was, who I was with, what I was eating. Then one day, I stopped. No one noticed. That’s when I realised half my life was just for show.”

Solitude is often seen as a chance to “find yourself,” but maybe it’s less about searching, and more about reconnecting with the person, who’s always been there.

Manya Dhawan, a 23-year-old writer based in Mumbai, discovered herself through journaling. “I was terrified to be alone with my thoughts, but then I started journaling, just writing whatever came to mind. It was messy, it was raw, but it was real. And that’s when I realised, the most interesting stories I have to tell are the ones that are so ordinary, and mundane.”

Not all moments are the same. Some feel weightless, like a solo walk with music playing in the background. Others feel heavy, like staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m., lost in thought. One must learn to embrace both. 

So, when the silence comes, let it sit beside you like an old friend you’re still reconciling with. Just exist in it. Because if you can’t be at peace with yourself in the quiet, you’ll spend your whole life running from the one person you can’t escape – you.