I recently moved from India to the UK in pursuit of a PhD.

As if the PhD wasn't a reason enough to make me feel lonely, me being a nerd and an introvert made it worse. London, being such a vibrant and happening city, and having no one to go out with made me sit in my room binge eating/ watching/ sleeping or occasionally go out alone to only bump into groups of friends or couples and get reminded about my loneliness all over again!

Initially, I tried joining some socials and meetup groups and went on photo walks and history tours, but I've always been the ‘nonsocial’ one in those ‘social’ events. My introverted self would just stick to a corner, awkwardly holding a glass of spirit, waiting, eyes filled with hope, for someone to come and strike up a conversation! (guess what? That never happened)

I decided that joining a group of people wasn't working, so I tried to test my luck one-on-one and got on some dating apps. Considering the past success I experienced on these apps across some major cities in India, I was hopeful something would work out. But here, in London, I hardly found any matches (even after going for paid plans in desperation), and those very few I matched with never talked. God knows why they even match in the first place if they have no intentions of making a conversation (validation?) I don't know.

That's it; that was the last nail in the coffin that shattered any bit of confidence left in me. Bottom line:

🎵 Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely I have nobody for my own I'm so lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely I have nobody for my own I am so lonely…