The Orbit Blog
Stories on friendship, and making plans that happen.
Warm, honest writing about staying close to the people you love - and turning good intentions into real plans.
How to Plan a Weekend With Friends in Bengaluru (and Actually Go)
Friday's "plans for the weekend?" dies by Saturday noon. Decide by Wednesday, pick one anchor, and go with whoever says yes.
Read the storyLonely in a Big City in Your 20s? Why It Happens and What Helps
A crowded metro and nobody who would notice. Why loneliness peaks in your twenties, what helps, and where to find support in India.
Read the storyHow to Maintain a Long-Distance Friendship Without Texting Every Day
The good-morning texts became a chore. What actually keeps a friend in another city close, and how often you really need to talk.
Read the storyWhy Do We Only See Our Cousins at Weddings?
Every summer together, then ten minutes at the mehendi. Why cousins drift, and how to see them without waiting for the next wedding.
Read the storyHow to Stay Connected With Family When You Live Away From Home
Have you eaten, is it raining, when are you coming. How to turn the Sunday call into a real conversation, and stay close in between.
Read the storyHow Do You Ask a Friend to Pay You Back Without Ruining the Friendship?
"Will send tonight" was three weeks ago. When to ask, the exact message to send, and what to do if they still do not pay.
Read the storyWhy “We Should Catch Up” Never Actually Happens
Everyone means it and almost nobody schedules it. The sentence has no owner, no day and no person whose turn it is - and that, not indifference, is why the plan never happens.
Read the storyHow to Split Trip Expenses With Friends in India Without It Getting Awkward
The homestay went on one card and nobody wants to bring it up. How to agree the budget, log as you go and settle up cleanly.
Read the storyWhy Does Our Friend Group Never Make Plans?
Four hundred messages and no plan. Why the group chat stalls every weekend, and the three small rules that get a date picked.
Read the storyHow Do You Make Friends in a New City After Moving for Work?
Moved for a job and the weekends are empty? Friendship takes hours, not luck. Where to find repeat faces in Bengaluru, and how to follow up.
Read the storyHow Do You Stay Close to School Friends After Moving Cities?
The school group went quiet when everyone moved. How to keep it alive between visits, and make the Diwali meetup actually happen.
Read the storyWhy Adult Friendships Fade as We Grow Up
Life stages, distance, and busyness pull us apart - but drifting is not the end. A tender look at why adult friendships fade, and gentle, practical ways to stay close.
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