When this writer shared a story on Instagram, asking her followers if during the pandemic, they had made friends online whom they had never met, but chatted with everyday to share their worries, there was a flurry of replies. While some responded with a definitive no, others had tales of blooming friendships through different geographies and time zones to share.

Smit Master, 22, from Mumbai met his now close friend Meher, 22, from Uttar Pradesh via a study group on Telegram. “I joined the study group as I wanted some reading material. As I put up a text, she was the one who responded and that is how we began talking,” says Master. The two, who are aspiring MBA students, have been friends for eight months now and chat regularly. “Initially, we spoke with each other about books, but as our interaction grew, we started opening up to each other about our varied interests. She told me about her Instagram page where she shares her art, and I told her I like to blog about food,” he says. Soon, they were talking about the stress and worries caused due to the uncertainty around their future because of the ongoing pandemic. “The exam prep was quite stressful for both of us and having each other’s company through this time really helped us ease the 
burden,” he says.