London-based student Utsav Batteneni, 23, went viral for sharing candid videos about grief, loneliness and life while riding his bike
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As viewers began messaging him about their own struggles, he started writing handwritten letters to strangers who reached out for support
Batteneni says the simple gesture is meant to remind people they're not alone, something he wished he had during his own difficult moments
When strangers messageUtsav Batteneniabout grief, loneliness or the struggles they're quietly carrying, he doesn't always reply with a quick comment or emoji. Sometimes, he reaches for a pen.
The 23-year-old master's student, who lives in London, has begun writing handwritten letters to people who reach out to him online — a small but deeply personal gesture he hopes reminds them they're not alone.
"Letters was something personal, it's just me," Batteneni, 23, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I know how it feels to be alone, I know how it feels to suffer without family. I understand how it feels to be battling for dreams when there is no hope left."
That understanding comes from his own life experience.
Originally from a small village in India, Batteneni grew up as an only child while his parents worked hard to support the family. Cycling became a constant in his life from a young age — and so did documenting his thoughts.
Years later, those reflections turned into candid social media videos.
In the clips — often filmed while riding his bike — Batteneni speaks openly about grief, mental health and the challenges of starting over in a new country.
Even though he had often spent time alone growing up, he says moving abroad brought a different kind of isolation.
"Being around such [an] environment and moving here having zero connections to talk to was quite depressing for me," Batteneni, who's cultivated a following of nearly 200,000 on Instagram, says.
The transition became even harder when tragedy struck, as within the span of a year, Batteneni lost three family members.
"Emotionally, I was dead," he says. "I was grieving and feeling much worse day by day, all by myself, alone in the gloomy, cold weather."
During that time, he says he struggled with depression and eventually sought help through university support services and the U.K.'s National Health Service.
He also leaned on small routines to help him cope — exercising, cycling, cooking meals he loved and pushing himself to be around other people.
"I tried everything I can to get myself out of it," he says.
When Batteneni began sharing his thoughts online, his honesty quickly resonated with viewers. Then people started reaching out with their own stories.
"Earlier, I literally had no idea how tough situations people are battling through," he says. "I get messages from people saying their just born baby passed away, and I dunno what to say in that minute to that mother. No amount of words from me can change the pain of that family there."
Other messages describe job loss, family tragedies or people feeling overwhelmed by life, and he admits, "It's just too much to handle to see these messages sometimes."
Reading them can be emotionally overwhelming.
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"I'm [an] emotionally loud person, and I cry at times looking at these," he says, adding that he sometimes needs time to recharge after absorbing so many personal stories.
Still, the messages made him realize how many people were searching for connection — so he decided to respond in a more meaningful way.
In a link shared on his social media accounts, Batteneni invited anyone who might be struggling to reach out to him.
"If you're reading this, maybe you needed to," he wrote. "I don't know who you are yet, but I know what it feels like to carry things alone."
In the message, he explained that he had come to appreciate the power of small moments of human connection while juggling his hectic everyday life.
"There were times when I didn't need advice or motivation," he wrote. "I just needed someone to sit with me in it and remind me that I wasn't alone."
So he offered to do exactly that.
"If life feels heavy, confusing, or quiet in a way that hurts, I'll write you a handwritten letter," he wrote. "Proper pen and paper. My words, written slowly, just for you."
He emphasized that the gesture comes with no expectations.
"There's nothing to buy and nothing to promote," he wrote. "This is just one person reaching out to another, the old-fashioned way."
Looking back, Batteneni believes those same emotions are why his videos resonate with so many people.
"Humans, in the end, we relate to each other through our emotions and experiences," he says.
One message from a viewer, in particular, has stayed with him.
"Someone said 'thank you for existing,' " he recalls. "And that lives in my mind rent-free."
Hearing that, he says, made him realize the impact his words could have on people he may never meet in person.
"It's mind-blowing to hear that from someone I've never met," he says. "How can a video less than 60 seconds let a person say that to me?"
For Batteneni, moments like that are what keep him sharing his story — and writing back. Because sometimes, he says, what people need most isn't advice; it's simply knowing someone else is listening.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article onPeople
