Nostalgia is a beautiful lie we tell ourselves – and sometimes, it’s the truth we need.
A couple of weeks back, work took me to Pune – the city where I spent 4 unforgettable years earning my engineering degree.
I kept one day free.
Just to explore the city I left almost three decades ago… and quietly meet a younger version of me.
I drove past Shiv Sagar at J.M. Road – our go-to joint. Didn’t step in. Didn’t need to.
One glance, one photo, and it was 1995 again – pav bhaji, triple sundae ice cream, college gossip, and endless dreams. I couldn’t resist Marz-O-Rin – those chutney sandwiches and cheese rolls tasted like youth.
Funny thing?
My time in Pune wasn’t perfect. There were struggles – endless exam stress, homesickness and food nightmares. And yet, when I revisited Pune, all I remember are the good moments.
Why? Because I chose to edit my memories.
Our brain, as it turns out, is a creative artist. It paints over the dull, dark strokes with vibrant colors if we let it. It highlights the sunsets over the stress, the friendships over the failures.
This phenomenon is called “Fading Affect Bias” in psychology – where the emotional intensity of negative memories fades faster than positive ones over time.
But here’s the catch:
You have to allow it to happen.
Some people cling to their scars, picking at old wounds, unable to heal.
Others, consciously or unconsciously, choose to celebrate the sunshine.
I’ve made that choice – to replay joy, not pain.
Not by accident. By design.
It makes life lighter, relationships warmer, and the heart… fuller.
Lessons from Nostalgia:
– Remember well: You can train your mind to highlight the good.
– Relive joy: Talking about happy memories brings them back to life.
– Heal forward: Let go of pain, but carry the learnings.
– Return often: Not to the past, but to the parts of yourself it shaped.
A visit like this isn’t just about places.
It’s about revisiting versions of yourself – the dreamer, the struggler, the believer.
And silently saying thank you.
As I sat quietly in my car near Shiv Sagar, watching life buzz around me, I realized – the most beautiful thing about nostalgia is that it costs nothing but gives everything.
A sense of belonging.
A sense of continuity.
A quiet, inner celebration of the journey you’ve traveled.
I didn’t need a five-star dinner.
I didn’t need an Instagram story.
Just a memory and a smile.
Pune, my friend, you will always have a room in my heart – a room filled with laughter, chai, dreams, and the sweet sound of youthful hope.
And as I drive away, I carry a secret with me:
The best part of nostalgia is not the longing.
It’s the gratitude.
Because the places we once loved never really leave us. They live on – inside the best version of ourselves.
Picture Courtesy: Dr Nikita Vadsaria