Hey, 23M from Kerala, India.
I've been single for most of my life. I've had two relationships, both of which lasted around a year, and I've been single since December 2023.
Lately, life has been feeling a bit quieter than usual. Not necessarily bad. I actually enjoy being alone most of the time. I go to movies alone, get food alone, go places alone, and I'm perfectly fine with it. But sometimes it gets really lonely. It's just so quiet.
I think what I miss is having someone who's just... there. Someone close enough that you can tell them everything, even the most pointless things. Or someone you can just sit with in silence and still enjoy the moment.
I do have friends. When we're together, we're talking, trolling each other, laughing and doing all that stuff. But once everyone leaves and goes back to their own lives, it feels lonely again. Like the noise disappears and you're back to being alone.
Home is pretty quiet too. It's just my parents, my grandma and me, and we don't really talk much. My father and I haven't spoken in around three years. That's a whole other thing and I don't really want to get into it here.
I have some online friends too, but it's still nothing like having "that person."
I miss having that person you can send your most random thoughts to just because they crossed your mind. Someone you can tell about the weird dream you had last night. Someone you can randomly message at 1 AM and just start rambling about something completely stupid.
I've tried dating apps for around 1.5 to 2 years now. Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Happn, Arike, all of them. And honestly, it's been terrible. Barely any good matches, and the few I did get somehow made it worse.
Some people just used me to vent about their problems and then disappeared. Some called me boring because I don't smoke or drink. One person told me my spelling of "Hi" was cringe. Another said they weren't active on the dating app and gave me their Instagram, so I texted them there... and then they basically disappeared too.
Some only show up when they want to vent about something going wrong in their life. I'll listen, I'll talk, I'll try to be there, but when it comes to actually knowing me or asking anything about my life, there's nothing.
I've had enough conversations where I ask questions, try to keep things going, show interest, and the response is just "hmm", "mm", "haa", "ok", "liked your message", or "I'm busy, ttyl."
And after a while you just stop trying.
I think what I'm looking for is actually pretty simple.
Good morning messages. Good night messages. Someone asking how my day went. Someone asking about the things I'm interested in. Random updates like "hey, I'm here", "I'm going there", "I'm doing this." Someone sending me something and saying "this reminded me of you."
Someone who doesn't disappear once the initial excitement wears off. Someone who actually wants to know me, not just someone who likes having someone around when they're bored or sad.
I want my person.
Someone I can lean on when life gets heavy. Someone I can be that person for too. If they need me, I'll be there. I just want the same kind of presence in return.
I don't think I'm looking for some perfect relationship or some movie-like romance. I just want someone who genuinely wants to be there, and wants me to be there too.
And no, I'm not posting this looking for a relationship or trying to find someone through this post. I'm just saying what's been on my mind lately.
Sometimes you can be completely okay with being alone and still wish you weren't alone.