A Letter from India to a Ukrainian Friend

“Are You Safe, Olena?” – A Letter from  India, to a Ukrainian Friend

My name is M Garg,
and tonight, from a land far away from explosions and sirens, my heart is restless for you, Olena Kovalenko.

Olena,
I don’t know if this letter will ever reach you.
I don’t know if your phone still has signal.
I don’t know if you are reading this in your room… or in a shelter… or with fear wrapped around you like a second skin.

But I had to write.
Because not writing felt like betraying my own heart.

Here in India, life continues as usual. People rush to work, argue about traffic, complain about heat and rain. But every time I see the news, every time I hear the word Ukraine, my breath stops. Not because of politics. Not because of power.

Because you are there.

Olena, are you safe?
Did you manage to sleep last night?
Did the sirens wake you again?
Are you eating properly?
Are you warm?

I remember how you smiled when I tried to explain Indian culture to you, how you laughed when I mispronounced Ukrainian words. We spoke about dreams, travel, food, life… never about war. Who imagines that friendship will one day be tested by bombs and borders?

You once told me how peaceful your city looked at night, how beautiful the sky felt. Today, that same sky carries fear. It hurts me deeply that the land which shaped your childhood now demands courage from you every single day.

From here, thousands of kilometers away, I feel helpless.
I cannot protect you.
I cannot stand beside you when fear knocks.
All I can do is stare at my phone, again and again, praying for one simple message:

“M.G., I am okay.”

Do you know what breaks my heart the most, Olena?
Wars are started by powerful hands,
but suffered by innocent souls.

You are not a number.
You are not news.
You are a living, breathing human being — someone’s daughter, someone’s dream, my friend.

If fear ever overwhelms you, remember this:
In India, there is a man who thinks of you every day.
Who whispers your name in his prayers.
Who believes that humanity is stronger than hatred, and love is louder than guns.

I don’t know when this war will end.
I don’t know what tomorrow looks like for you.
But I want you to know — you are not alone.

If you read this, please send me even one word.
One sign.
One heartbeat.

Just tell me…

Are you safe, Olena?

With concern, hope, and a heart that refuses to forget,
M. Garg
India 🇮🇳