Why i took a break from coding some time ago....

Let’s start where this all began. I was at my cousin’s house, completely absorbed in a gaming session, when his father suddenly chimed in with that infamous Indian parental wisdom:

"Why are you wasting time playing games? If you’re already so good at playing, why not learn how to make them?"

It felt like he expected me to quit gaming and miraculously become a tech genius overnight. Only in an Indian home does nagging come with free life advice—and that offhand comment sparked my programming journey.

For the past six or seven years (yes, I counted), I’ve been buried in code and late‑night study sessions. I didn’t have many friends IRL—my social calendar was as empty as my bank account after a tech conference. Whenever I got a spare minute, you could bet I was either hiding behind a controller or buried in code.

School was a nightmare due to bullying, and the pressure from my parents only made it worse with their relentless (if well‑meaning) encouragement. Before college, my days ran on autopilot: nine hours of classes, two hours of tuition, then straight into the study→dinner→sleep vortex. Friendships? They were nearly non-existent. I became the poster child for social awkwardness, sacrificing my entire childhood and teenage years just to keep everyone else happy. Somewhere along the way, I began to appreciate solitude, finding comfort in being alone. Depression crept in so quietly I didn’t notice until its weight became as familiar as a heavy blanket I couldn't remember not carrying. (More on this some other day.)

During my first semester of college, I made one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever faced: I hit pause on coding—the only thing I had going for me. With the relentless academic grind frying my brain, stepping away felt like losing my safety net. It was like taking a perfectly timed Netflix break at an Indian family wedding.

Imagine someone who hadn’t had a genuine in-person conversation in two years—thanks to COVID and the pressures of JEE—suddenly being forced into natural, real-life interaction. That was me in those early college days. I even pretended to be extroverted just to avoid falling into a deep no-friend void. (Don’t ask how many conversations I managed to mess up during those first few weeks.)

During this break, I worked hard on my social skills, made some friends, and started gaming purely for fun instead of stress relief. I also discovered a new passion: capturing moments with my camera, experimenting with film direction, and developing a keen taste in movies (I know, pretty predictable, right?). Believe it or not, I now code for about four hours after college (mostly late at night, with a messed-up sleep schedule and an even worse addiction to caffeine).

Stepping away from the screen had its merits. In that break, I finally confronted the depression that had shadowed my teen years—a silent burden I had never shared, not even with my parents. The weight of those lost years slowly lifted, revealing that procrastination isn’t always a weakness; sometimes, it’s the universe’s way of urging you to pause and recharge. Who knew a single break could spark such a productive comeback? Today, I’m a completely different person than I was just a year and six months ago.

On the side, I've dabbled in social media creation. Check out my Instagram @draftsbyuday for a peek at my off‑screen life. The pictures aren’t just pretty—they serve as a reminder to relish the little moments. And if you’re curious about my introspective side, my @aeshtem page is a canvas for my creative expressions and internal monologues—thoughts that don’t always make it into conversation but deserve their own space.

I’m also planning to dive into YouTube soon, exploring new avenues to share content and connect with a wider audience.

So if you were expecting a tale of regret or an endless list of “should‑haves,” think again. Life’s been pretty good, and while my Indian parents may still nag about my “waste of time,” I’ve learned that sometimes procrastination is just the universe’s way of telling you to recharge. Cheers to taking breaks, laughing at life, and coding again—with a few extra friends to share the wins (and losses). After all, it’s all about a balanced life.

“You do it to yourself, you do
And that’s what really hurts.”
— Radiohead

Cheers,
Udaysinh