Hi, I am Rohan Varma; I am the kind of student a few people admired. Always with a book in hand, average in academics, and carrying the hopes of my family. My father always told me, “You are destined to be the greatest. We have sacrificed so much for you. You must lift our family next.” I had some academic achievements and failures, but behind those achievements lay an unseen burden.
The fear of an uncertain future, the weight of my family’s debts, and loneliness made me suffer every day. My friends would use me when they needed me and then throw me away like waste. To reduce my loneliness, I started scrolling social media for long hours, which gave me temporary happiness. That scrolling soon turned into addiction.
I had no one to share my feelings and problems with, no one to reduce my stress. Anxiety and depression slowly built around me. I was unable to apply for PG due to my low scores in entrance exams, as I was weak in Quants. I carried a silent burden in my heart.
One evening, while preparing for my final semester exams, I felt something strange in my body. I thought it was due to long hours of study, so I decided to sleep and wake up early to study again. But after some hours, I woke up in a hospital. Everyone around me had sad faces. Then, I saw my own body lying motionless.
The doctor spoke to my roommates and said that I had died. The cause of death, as written in the report, was “Heart attack due to depression and stress.”
The news spread like wildfire. My parents were devastated, but my friends still didn’t care. Teachers spoke about my small achievements, but no one had ever noticed the silent burden I was carrying.
Was it my fault that I should have spoken to someone voluntarily to resolve my problems? Or should others have recognized my struggles?
“If you have a problem, meet a wise person, speak to them, and resolve it. If you find someone suffering from loneliness, depression, or anxiety, be their friend, motivate them, and help them see their worth. And lastly, discipline yourself.”
Don’t waste your one life as I did by overthinking problems. Leave your burdens to God—He will take care of them. You have only one life, so live it to the fullest.