In the age of texting and DMing, it comes as a surprise that some from the younger generation are still happy to wait for the postman to ring their doorbell and deliver a hand-written letter. To them, the joy of writing and receiving letters remains unparalleled. On World Letter Writing Day today, a few Delhiites share how in this digital age, they pick up their pens to forge connections with their loved ones and often, with their own selves.
Kunwali Bora, a student of Indraprastha College for Women, feels handwritten letters are much more “intimate and personal” than texting. Bora, who uses the pen name Kuwoli, says, “Handwritten letters retain sender’s essence. Penmanship needs effort, and the fact that someone is willing to make that effort to write to me is a privilege. The best way for me to honour this intimacy is to respond with letters.”
For Diksha Bhargava, a graduate from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, letters are not just a thoughtful medium of communication, but also a form of art. This is why she loves adding personal touches to each handwritten note. “I try to make them look as aesthetically pleasing as I can by adding doodles or quotes, using bright colours, fragrances, or decorating them with dried flowers,” she shares.
Inspired by love letters his grandparents wrote to one other, Harkeerat Singh, a student of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, picked up letter writing himself. “In my childhood, I got to read letters that my grandfather wrote for my grandmother when she was his fiancé. Ever since, I have been writing letters on behalf of my mumma to my papa. And now, I even write to my friends. It makes them feel so special, so it’s worth all the effort,” he says.
Letters hold the power to forge connections. And some, like Dolby Gautam, a student of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, use the medium to connect with their own selves. Gautam, who has been writing letters to herself since she was 10, says, “For me, it was a way to process my emotions as I was bullied in school. So, I wanted to let myself know that I am there for myself. Today, I can go back to those letters, and whenever I do, I smile at the realisation of how far I have come.”
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