I looked up at the sky. Tonight, it was clear, and I could see the stars gleaming—a starlit sky, beautiful. They seemed so near to each other, and the whole sight was as if they were together. But I knew they were as far from one another and as lonely as I was, standing alone on my balcony in the middle of the night with no sleep in my eyes. I was lonely.

In that blissful moment of solitude, where I would find my true self, I found myself lonely. This was not the first time I had felt it, nor was it a lingering feeling. Sometimes, I felt completely empty of everything and lonely, even while surrounded by friends or family. It was during these times that I pondered upon what I had achieved and what I had set out for. All that I had—was it something or everything that I wanted? I was not able to figure it out. Often, I felt lost and confused about what was expected of me. Friends and family catch-ups were always a comparison.

I was lonely. I saw a few guys on the street walking, probably trying to reach a place called home to rest for the night until work called them back with an identity around their necks, no different than me. We see, understand, realize, and appreciate—all these are so individual, they are all for oneself. We can express, but no one can feel the same. I looked up at the sky once again. The stars reminded me of the beauty of each star as they stayed alone, gleaming in the universal darkness, burning themselves for eternity.

Suddenly, a shout from inside the house confirmed that it was time for me to stop star gazing. I stepped inside and closed the sliding windows to retire for the night. A sudden feeling of loneliness made me uncomfortable. But the truth is, we are all lonely sometimes, more and sometimes less, and maybe destined to be so, caught between our ego and greed.

Lonely.