Life really does take the most unexpected turns
A long time ago, I came to this beautiful country with a simple plan, to stay in the U.S. for about a year, finish my short term assignment, and head back home. That was the plan.
I landed in the Northeast in the middle of winter, and after the initial foreign-country-rush wore off, the loneliness quietly set in over the next few months.
Around that time, the desi blogosphere (Orkut era) was in it’s initial stage. I stumbled into it and found myself following some amazing people, who in a strange way, felt familiar and comforting. Few of them I still follow, even after all these years.
Two of those personalities, in particular, had a deep influence on me. I didn’t know them personally, but in that very desi “apna sa lagta hai” way, there was a quiet parasocial connection. One was @patrix99.bsky.social , and the other was Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis.bsky.social)
Somewhere along the way, months turned into years, and years turned into decades. Life moved on. The bachelor got married, and then came a daughter, who grew up and had a best friend. And now, here we are in 2026.
After all the chaos and stress of college applications, my daughter is heading to a college where Gaurav Sabnis teaches. And her best friend? She’s going to a college where Patrix works.
If someone had told me this years ago, I would have probably laughed it off. But I guess that’s life. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai, reality really is stranger than fiction. 😊
