According to WHO, one in every 20 Indians is depressed. And we pretend it doesn’t exist when in actuality it does and is eating up half of us like a muddy swamp, where the weed just keeps growing and growing until it consumes everything.
People just plain kill the protagonist of their own story in the middle of their own nail-biting plot twists because they’re too scared to act. And not everyone goes to the extent of gathering all their might and power, by putting a period in the middle of their story– killing themselves. This means, that each time you step out the door, you obliviously walk past hundreds who’re battling it out with themselves every night. They’d be walking around with the widest grin on their faces- made of plaster, while their flesh would be rotting to smithereens under. They like the same movie characters and laugh like hyenas, at the same jokes, just like you. But every morning, they wake up and feel disgusted, and sometimes, for no reason at all. Sometimes they drag themselves to the commode in the middle of the night and shove two fingers down their throats. And try to puke out all that darkness within. There are times when there is a sweltering burn in the chest that just wouldn’t go and the heart feels heavier than usual and they can’t speak because they’re too exhausted.
Imagine you’re Truman Burbank from the Truman Show and your entire life is being recorded. Starting from when you pooped your pants as a toddler, up until now, when you’re walking around, watching your life fall apart, and the entire world is watching your every move while you have no concept that it even exists. Tell me, are you proud of everything you’ve done? Do you think the audience would be sitting in their living rooms, both their palms shut, praying for you while they watch you walk around like a cold corpse, scared and confused, on their flickering television sets? Or do you feel you’d never be their favourite character because of all the abominable things you’ve done to other people? I hope it’s the former, if not, I hope you do not shut your eyes even for a second until you get them on their toes, screaming their tears out and cheering for you as your greatest fans.
This is your story. Make it big.
So, what’s killing our generation? Apathy.
Until next time,
Written by - Sai Sriya.
Edited by – Kidher Rahman