If you've spent any time on Instagram recently, chances are you've come across Delhi creator Nishi Singh, better known as Table for One Delhi. Her now-viral videos often begin with the lines: "I went to a bar alone in Delhi and someone asked if I'd been stood up." Through reels documenting her solo visits to cafés, bars and restaurants across Delhi, Singh has turned solo dining into a conversation.
Her account has attracted thousands of viewers. It suggests that the idea of spending time alone is becoming less unusual—and perhaps aspirational. Across Delhi, more and more people are taking themselves out for coffee, watching films alone, and wandering through neighbourhoods without company. What was once seen as awkward—or even lonely—is increasingly being embraced as independence, convenience and a way to reconnect with oneself.
When Rohit, a government servant, moved from Pune to Delhi in 2023 for work, he found himself living alone for the first time. "Initially I was afraid to be alone," he says, "but later I adjusted. Now I enjoy it".
For Bhavana Tanwar, an environmental and social development professional, moving to Delhi meant learning to enjoy her own company. With no familiar faces around, she had little choice but to eat out, visit cafés and navigate the city on her own. "I had no choice. I had to do things on my own," she recalls. "Slowly I realised it's nothing. You just have to go and order."
What began as necessity gradually became comfort. Rohit says solitude has allowed him to pursue hobbies without worrying about being judged or seeking validation. "It made me more confident and more focused," he says.
Coordination fatigue
For others, however, spending time alone started with frustration. Four years ago, media professional Princy Yadav spent weeks trying to coordinate plans with friends to watch a film she had been waiting months to see. Every plan fell through. "The movie was almost out of theatres,” she says. “The plan got cancelled ten to fifteen times. I decided that from then onwards, I’m not going to wait for anyone."
Standing outside the theatre by herself, she hesitated before buying the ticket. "I kept asking myself, 'Is it okay to watch a movie alone? What will people say?'" She eventually bought the ticket and has not looked back since.
Her experience reflects a familiar reality of adulthood: demanding jobs, relocations and conflicting schedules often make it harder than ever to find time that suits everyone. "Everyone's schedules changed," says public relations professional Simar Preet. "Someone moved away, someone worked night shifts, someone got home late. I realised that if I kept waiting for everyone, I'd stop doing the things I already loved."
Public relations professional Grusha Khanna agrees. "If there's a movie I want to watch or a café I want to visit, I'll simply go by myself," she says. "I don't believe meaningful experiences should depend on someone else's availability or interests."
Part of the appeal lies in spontaneity—no planning, no negotiating and no waiting for everyone's schedules to align. Creative producer, Karan Kothari, says his idea of enjoyment has rarely matched that of his friends. "When I travel, I don't want to rush from one place to another. I like sitting in cottages, reading, slowing down and enjoying where I am." Travelling with others, he says, often means compromise. "Not a lot of people would want to climb a waterfall with you," he laughs.
For Yadav, solo travel has become the ultimate expression of that independence. "I don't want to be a tourist; I want to be a traveller," she says. "A traveller dives deep into a place."
Travelling alone has made her more confident, she says. Once too shy to ask strangers for directions, she now enjoys striking up conversations, reading about local history and spending hours by lakes or waterfalls without worrying whether someone else is getting bored. She points out that freedom is not without limits. "For girls, solo travel is empowering," she says, "but there are still experiences I avoid because India is not entirely safe."
A city explored alone
Solo outings—once considered awkward, even pitiable—are slowly becoming the norm. For Tanwar, solitude often means taking long morning walks through neighbourhoods she discovers along the way. "Sometimes there's no intention," she says. "I'll take a random route and just explore. Usually I listen to music. Sometimes I just absorb what's around me. These walks are my time."
For Khanna, spending time alone has always felt natural. “It gives me a sense of safety, freedom and authenticity," she says. Even after marriage, she makes it a point to set aside time for herself every month. “These moments help me reconnect with myself without feeling the need to perform or please anyone."
Self-discovery
For many, solitude has become more about understanding themselves. Sakshi Agrawal, entrepreneur and a single mother in her early forties, says learning to live independently during her MBA years changed the way she viewed her own company. "It means reclaiming my peace, connecting with myself and listening to my own thoughts," she says. "You become your own support system."
Preet says solitude gives her something increasingly rare in everyday life: clarity. "I'm an overthinker," she says. "Sitting with a cup of coffee and my thoughts helps me process things much better."
Yadav perhaps captures the transformation most vividly. "Spending time alone gives you a lot of space and time to know about yourself,” she says. “It’s a self-awakening experience. In front of people, you behave in a particular way. But who are you when you’re alone?"
Behind the rise of solo experiences lies a larger mindset change. Simar believes social media has played a role in normalising that shift. "Sometimes you see someone going to a café alone or travelling solo, and it gives you the confidence to think, 'If they can do it, why can't I?'"
In a city which believes in maintaining networks and connections, solitude is no longer something you need to explain. A table for one is becoming less a sign of loneliness than a proof of your own company being just as fulfilling for you.
This article is written by Adithi Reena Ajith