Harshee's Lit Lounge

Home is where I always love to come back.
A place that makes me comfortable
A place where I share my happiness and sorrows with my loved ones
My home defines who I am—Vibha Batra.

Home is a familiar space with my touches of my likes & dislikes, the warmth of loved ones, a place where I can be free to be totally myself, and the most peaceful/relaxing place with my loved ones around. It is a place where I want to be—not being forced to be—Pratik Batra.

Have you ever tried to describe what home feels like—not just where it is, but what it really feels like? It’s a bit tricky, isn’t it?

For the longest time, I thought home was just a place. A house, an address, maybe even a room I could call my own. I’d always hear my parents say, “Ghar aa kar accha lag raha hai,” every time we came back from a holiday. I never really understood it before. But the more life I’ve lived, the more I’ve realized… home is so much more than that.

Out of curiosity, I asked some of my family and close friends what home means to them. And reading their answers—raw, honest, and heartfelt—something clicked. Each person saw it a little differently, and somehow, hearing their perspectives helped me understand my own even more. It reminded me that while home may look different for everyone, the feeling behind it? That’s something we all share.

One answer that stayed with me was from Illina, who said:

“Home for me is not the four walls that surround my being but the people that I hold dear. Home for me is a person, a person that loves me unconditionally and without whom I would cease to exist.”

And just like that, I found myself nodding. Because she’s right—home is about love, about ease, about being fully yourself without fear. It’s not the building. It’s the energy inside it. It’s the people who make space for all your shades—your joy, your sorrow, your loudness, your quietness.

Then came Kakoli’s words, and they hit even deeper:

“To me, home is where I don’t feel the need to lessen myself—lessen my love, lessen myself to keep myself. Home is where I don’t have to earn myself. Home is where I’m laughed with rather than laughed at. Home is where I don’t have to learn silence like a language I should have known. Home is where I’m not fed breadcrumbs, calling it a meal.”

That made me pause. Because haven’t we all, at some point, tried to shrink ourselves just to fit into someone else’s idea of love or belonging? But true home doesn’t ask us to do that. It holds space. It lets us expand.

I think back to the house I grew up in. It wasn’t perfect, not fancy—but it had heart. The smell of something baking in the kitchen. The sound of my family talking over each other at dinner. The cozy corner where I curled up with a book for hours. That was home.

And maybe you have memories like that too—small, ordinary moments that somehow became sacred.

But here’s the thing: life changes. We move, we grow, and we sometimes leave behind the places—and even people—we once called home. When that happens, it can feel like we’ve lost our anchor. I’ve felt that too. But what surprised me was how home kept showing up in new places.

In the new house where I saw my father’s dream of owning a bungalow finally come true. In long walks, in warm hugs, in coffee-scented mornings. Slowly, I realized: home isn’t tied to one location. It’s wherever you feel safe, seen, and completely yourself.

And sometimes? Home is in you.

It’s in the way you care for yourself. The little routines you build. The comfort you give yourself when no one else is around. It’s the playlist you always return to. The scent of a candle that reminds you of someone you love. The quiet joy of being alone—but not lonely.

Because home isn’t always a place—it’s a feeling.

And I think that’s it, really. Home isn’t perfect. But it’s honest. It’s where you don’t have to pretend. Where you can be soft, loud, broken, silly, healing—and still be loved.

So if you’re still searching for your home, I hope you remember this:

It may not always look how you expected. But when you feel seen, when you can laugh freely, and when you stop trying to earn the right to simply exist—you’re closer than you think.

And when you finally find it, I hope it feels like peace wrapped in a warm blanket.

Here are some other variations of what home is to my friends 💌

“Home isn’t just a place. It’s where you feel belonged, respected, and understood. It’s where your presence matters and your silence is heard. It’s where you can be yourself—without being judged.”

Zaid Pankhania.

“Home for me is my comfort zone, where I can be myself—including all the crazy versions of myself—without being judged. It’s to love and be loved unconditionally. It’s where nothing is ever plain boring, but always like a Bollywood movie—full of drama. And lastly, it’s the place where I can express myself, knowing my ‘home’ will always be there for me.”

Ananya Kundra.

“something i can go walk anytime and feel a weight has been lifted off of me.
i can be my true self where i dont have to hide my feelings
some place i yearn to go back to each night.”

Murtuza Jamali.

“Where you can be comfortable and vulnerable without being judged, where you feel safe and at peace.”

Uzair Mulla.