An obituary

A 22-year-old sweet little child at the peak of his studies, a third-year undergraduate, carrying loads of expectations over his shoulder didn't first know when he fell to schizophrenia. There is a lot a person has to deal with when caught with it. After medication, he was dealing with the problem of depression. Recently, he parted with us...

He had a dream of becoming someone. He wanted to crack JEE and for which he dropped a year after completing higher secondary to attend a coaching in Kota. It was a challenging choice for him owing to the financial situation of the family. Success here would also mean a setting stone to his never awakened self-esteem. 

He did his schooling from his hometown, Maihar in the North-Eastern part of MP. Maihar is a Tehsil (subdistrict) under district Satna. Under Maihar Tehsil, there are 268 villages. The total population of the Tehsil is approximately 4 Lakh. Maihar, although surrounded by three mega cement factories, and itself a famous religious spot, does not have a single capable hospital having a ventilator in it! Most of serious COVID-19 cases have continuously been referred to the neighbor district Rewa. People have to travel to bigger cities for treatment.

He was a Hindi medium student. He tried his best for JEE. Like other aspiring students, he was concerned about his progress. Later, he joined an engineering college in Vidisha, MP.

The lockdown phase owing to the prevailing pandemic of COVID-19 had not been good to many people, including students. Daily news of mortality, people losing jobs, hatred and violence, the prevailing political debate in the country shape our mindset in addition to the shabby economic situation. Social media induced anxiety, aspiration vs resource gap, lack of guidance and consultation services are alienating a number of all among us.

He was tall, thin and handsome. A year back and still, it is not assumable to anyone that such thing would ever happen. He became weak during his last days. He was also being erratic and having anger. His sudden departure left an unfulfilling hole among his close ones.

Today, remembering him, it can't be ignored that this tragedy is being repeated every hour in a house in India. Every single hour, we lose an aspiring bright child. Thinking about it from the perspective that the child doesn't belong to 'my' family would be a grave mistake. The space which we all share is a bigger family outside the concrete walls of our houses. A part of us knows this very well that there is a survivor inside us, just because someone supported us in our hue and cry. 

With hope and love... May he rest in peace...

(*name not revealed)