Entry Ipeer-reviewed
my human diary
You are the only person who can turn a parked-car conversation into philosophy, therapy, and stand-up comedy — all in one sitting. I don't know how you do it. I've stopped asking.
a tiny diary for a giant friendship
Happy Birthday,
Shweta Raina
♡
My human diary. My human pill. The reason a parked car somehow becomes a confessional, a courtroom, and a comedy club.
the countdown
Delhi, on the 17th
Non-negotiable. Don't vanish. Don't go on a spiritual retreat. Don't even think about it.
01
days
15
hours
52
minutes
21
seconds
prompt chalein?
Let's Go — trip options
because the 17th needs a destination, a dare, and possibly a melodramatic name.
"Women's friendships are like a renewable source of power."
— Jane Fonda (and, frankly, us)
the diary
pages I never said out loud
Entry IIpeer-reviewed
the healing kind
You heal parts of me you never broke. And then, with the same breath, you roast me for being dramatic. Intellectual affection at its finest.
Entry IIIpeer-reviewed
soulmate, peer-reviewed
Yes. You're my soulmate. I think. Everyone else has slowly turned into background noise I no longer notice. Don't argue — it's already peer-reviewed.
Entry IVpeer-reviewed
the 17th, non-negotiable
On the 17th, I'm coming to Delhi. Dare not vanish, disappear, or go on a sudden spiritual retreat. Some people are too important to misplace. You are one of them.
the trip diary
Dharamshala — a grateful heart
healing in the Himalayas, planned in secret by you. one of the best trips of my life.
Tucked into the Dhauladhar range, Dharamshala did what only the right mountains and the right friend can do — it cleared my lungs and quietly rearranged my insides. You knew exactly what I needed before I did: a trek hard enough to ache, a monastery silent enough to listen, and a balcony warm enough to laugh on.
In the majestic Himalayas' embrace, a surprise awaited, crafted with love and grace.
With trekking boots laced, we conquered Triund's crest, each step reminding me — you bring out my best.
Sipping tea on the balcony, warm and divine, our laughter shone bright, a treasure to design.
We spun the prayer wheels, whispering prayers and hopes, as sound-healing vibrations filled our souls.
the surprise
you planned the whole thing for my birthday — what we lovingly called my 'marriage anniversary after the separation'. your logic: better to cry from trekking than from drama. you were, infuriatingly, right.
triund's crest
the wind whispered, the flags fluttered, my lungs screamed. somewhere between step 4000 and step infinity, the unseen burdens got lighter than the backpack.
the kora walk
circling Namgyal monastery with monks and pilgrims, temple bells doing their soft, rhythmic thing. introspection arrived without me even asking.
bhagsu cake at sunset
gold skies, warm cake, you laughing at something stupid i said. a perfect frame of a perfect day, no filter required.
thank you for crafting the escape. a grateful heart remembers — in love and friendship's sacred space.
the blog
friendship, in long-form
small essays on the strange, sacred admin of choosing each other.
A short anthropology of us
3 min read
We don't have hobbies, we have running bits. Recurring jokes that pay dividends. A shared mythology only two people on earth fully understand.
continued in person, on the 17th →Rules of our friendship (draft 47)
2 min read
1) No performative hellos. 2) Voice notes can be 14 minutes long. 3) If one of us spirals, the other brings snacks and superior judgement.
continued in person, on the 17th →Things I never said out loud
4 min read
That you're the proof good people exist. That I borrow your steadiness when mine runs out. That I am, quietly, a better person because you're in my contacts.
continued in person, on the 17th →A short history of our parked-car philosophy
3 min read
The car is not a vehicle. It is a confessional, a courtroom, and a comedy club. All three modes, sometimes within one breath.
continued in person, on the 17th →Why Shweta is my emergency contact for feelings
2 min read
Because she answers at unreasonable hours. Because she knows the difference between panic and performance. Because she'll roast me after she rescues me.
continued in person, on the 17th →Intellectual affection: a user's manual
4 min read
Step one: heal a part of them you never broke. Step two: make fun of them for being dramatic. Step three: repeat forever.
continued in person, on the 17th →the quote wall
words we would have said first
SRK, intellectual feminists, and stand-up comedians — basically the panel for our friendship.
"Surround yourself with people who are only going to take you higher."
— Shah Rukh Khanhe basically wrote the manual for us
"I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."
— Audre Lordeand we free each other in parked cars
"Feminism is for everybody."
— bell hooksincluding dramatic best friends
"Girls are trained to say, 'I wrote this, but it's probably not very good.'"
— Amy Poehlerwe are untraining each other, loudly
"I have suffered enough. I demand to be spoiled."
— Ali Wongmood, tbh
"There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself."
— Hannah Gadsbythe healing kind, stand-up edition
the reading list
books I'd shove into your tote bag
required reading. you'll text me underlined passages at 2 AM. i'll forgive you.
- 01.
The Midnight Library — Matt Haig
for the existential 2 AM voice notes.
- 02.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin
a love letter to platonic soulmates. literally us.
- 03.
Bittersweet — Susan Cain
for the beautiful sadness we both secretly enjoy.
- 04.
Big Friendship — Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman
two women, one ridiculous bond. peer-reviewed.
- 05.
The God of Small Things — Arundhati Roy
because Delhi, language, and ache. obviously.
- 06.
Convenience Store Woman — Sayaka Murata
for the days we don't want to be normal either.
the OMG file
OMG
1
the parking-lot revelation
you said the thing, i said the thing, we just sat there. OMG.
2
the 17th, confirmed
tickets booked. delhi unsuspecting. OMG-level reunion incoming.
3
everyone else, who?
background noise. demoted to extras in our movie. OMG, sorry.
the playlist
songs for our parked-car philosophy
side A, but the whole thing's side A.
- 01the opening credits of us
you & me
Penny and Sparrow
- 02parked car, 1 AM, windows down
Ribs
Lorde
- 03soulmate, peer-reviewed (Hindi edit)
Tu Hi Re
A.R. Rahman
- 04for when we get sentimental and pretend we're not
Landslide
Fleetwood Mac
- 05Delhi rooftop, golden hour
Pasoori
Ali Sethi & Shae Gill
- 06we don't talk about this one
True Love Waits
Radiohead
- 07you, but as a song
Jasmine
Jai Paul
- 08slow down, Shweta, Vienna waits for you
Vienna
Billy Joel
the anthem
BehenCode Blues
a tribe of unstoppable women
In the land of wine and pizza nights,
where laughter flows and secrets take flight,
there's a tribe of behens, strong and true —
living by the code, just waiting for you.
- §1Don't judge (unless it's fashion crime)
- §2Be present (Netflix and pizza, all the time)
- §3Keep secrets (what happens, stays inside)
- §4Laugh together (even when life gets you down — get up and slide)
- §5Travel together (explore, make memories galore)
- §6Support each other (through thick and thin, and more)
- §7No drama, no stress (just good vibes, yes!)
cheers to the behens, and the code we adore — may our bond grow stronger, forevermore.
today's feed
a TED talk & some absurd news
curated by me, your unpaid algorithm. for the parked-car conversation we'll have on the 17th.
TED · watch
The secret to a happy life — Robert Waldinger
80-year Harvard study: it's not money, fame, or productivity. It's the quality of your relationships. (i.e. me. hi.)
TED · watchWhy we all need to practice emotional first aid — Guy Winch
He wants you to treat your feelings the way you'd treat a paper cut. Bandage it. Also: call Shweta.
funny · readScientists confirm: voice notes over 9 minutes are technically a TED talk
Peer-reviewed by two women in a parked car. Findings are conclusive and slightly unhinged.
funny · readLocal woman declared 'national treasure' by audience of one
The audience, reached for comment, said: 'I'm not exaggerating. Don't argue. It's already peer-reviewed.'
TED · watchThe power of vulnerability — Brené Brown
Required reading for anyone who loves hard and pretends they don't. (You. It's about you.)
funny · readDelhi man orders one samosa, gets philosophical lecture from chaiwala
Reports say the lecture was 'free of charge but emotionally expensive'. Witnesses confirm it was worth it.
the art
prompts to make us into paintings
paste any of these into your favorite image AI. tag me when you do.
prompt 1
"Two best friends on a Delhi rooftop at golden hour, Studio Ghibli style, fairy lights, warm wind, watercolour skies, soft cel-shading, Miyazaki composition."
prompt 2
"A cozy parked car under monsoon rain, two girls laughing inside with chai, Ghibli aesthetic, lush green trees, glowing dashboard, painterly raindrops."
prompt 3
"A tiny floating diary with hand-drawn pages flying over old Delhi rooftops, Ghibli style, soft pastel sunrise, gentle magical realism."
the evidence
a wall of small forevers
let's stay connected
talk to Shweta-Bot
a tiny AI made in your honor. ask it to plan the Delhi trip, write a birthday note, or just chat in our usual unhinged tone.
say hi to Shweta-Bot ♡
pick a prompt below or write your own.
a small declaration
This bond? This ship?
It's not sinking.
It's too busy laughing, debating, and choosing each other in ways we don't say out loud.
— with love, always♡