Harnoor Channi-Tiwary, NDTV | Updated: September 17, 2017 23:04 IST
I eat alone in restaurants. There, I've said it. Why stop there? I have watched movies alone, usually shop alone and even explored new cities alone. And loved every minute of it.
Growing up in India is a social and community affair. It is not uncommon to have grandparents staying with you or nearby, cousins and uncles and aunts too and even people you call relatives but have no idea how they are related to you. That is how we grow up and community living is ingrained in our culture. Thus, we rarely spend much time alone. Neither do we ever get a chance to do so, nor do we need to. But then you grow up, people move away, get jobs, have their own lives. You slowly realise that the 'let's catch up' becomes more of a phrase than an invitation to make a plan. There's nothing wrong in this, it is the natural progression of life. However, having grown up surrounded by people, you are suddenly uneasy at the thought of spending time alone. Sounds familiar?
Here's something a little bird once told me: The best company you can keep, is your own. If you find the secret to enjoying your own company, you will never find yourself alone. Sure, if there is a plan with other people, that is great too. But the lack of people or their time, should not be a reason that you stop doing the things you love.
Why I started dining alone I realised this around 6 years back when I decided to shift careers from marketing to freelance food writing. With a hectic full-time job, I never had time for going out with friends and family alike. But now that I was freelancing, and that my work involved going out and eating in new and exciting places, I was always asking around, constantly on the lookout for company. Until one fine day, when I decided to go dine alone. Best decision of my life.
The first time From that day hence, I have eaten hundreds of meals alone, watched films in cinema theaters alone when there wasn't anyone available as per my time convenience and discovered a way to enjoy doing pretty much everything solo. Like anything, it take a little time to adjust to it. The first time, you may feel uncomfortable just sitting there in a restaurant, nursing your drink, looking around at other diners. A few restaurants I walked into, raised a subtle eyebrow when I said table for one. It bothered me then, it doesn't now. Instead, I look back at the maitre d' and repeat, this time a little more emphatically, "Yes, table for one". I have also realised that when you eat alone, you can focus more on the food and the flavours.
