Savita put down the magazine she was reading and looked out of the window,thoughtful.Such bad times,she thought with a sigh.So many people are suffering from depression and stress.She closed her eyes and tried to feel the sounds around her.She felt at peace.She sighed.She suddenly felt sure that depression would never touch her.Never.
Next day in school,she overheard the girls sitting near her bench."...I really think I am suffering from depression.I just don't feel interested in anything.Ever since my best friend and I have fought,I just haven't been myself..."
Depressed?A student of class 11th? A mere teen?
Why not?Hadn't she read that people of all age-groups suffered from depression?Oh dear!
She returned home and her mother told her to come for lunch."No mom,I don't feel like eating.I'll just go and sleep".Her mother's protests were answered with Savita's bedroom door being closed.
This continued for a week.
"Hey Savita! Why are you not joining us in basketball? Come on yaar...this is the only free-time we get!"
Savita looked up and saw her friends playing basketball,all sweaty but happy.She gave a feeble smile.
"No its okay.You carry on".
This continued for a month or two.
Savita's best friend since childhood,Asha,called her up one day."Hey sweetie! I miss you so much! Hows life going on?"
Savita felt a hollow elation at hearing her best friend's voice."Oh I miss you so much too!".She felt like laughing and crying at the same time.
Asha was saying something."You know,I haven't found a friend like you over here.Me and my dad fight everyday ever since he got transferred to this place last year.But I guess he is helpless too.Transfers are a part of the job,but seriously,I miss those times...and your squeaky laughter for which I used to tease you so much about....".
Savita didn't hear anymore of what Asha was saying.Where has her laughter gone now?Where is her smile?Oh god! Please help!
"Torque is defined as the product of the applied force and the perpendicular distance"..Vasu sir,the physics teacher,was saying.But Savita wasn't concentrating.
Where has my laughter gone?
"All right students.I have completed three units now.The syllabus for next test is covered".
Why can't I find my confidence?
"Don't read too many books,otherwise you'll get confused.Just stick to one book and follow its concepts."
Everyone is so much better and happier than me.Why?Where am I lost?
"And please think of physics as interesting.If you fear it,and don't befriend it,then you're gone"
There was loud thud in the class,and as students jerked their heads,they saw Savita lying on the floor.Unconcious.
"Savita! What happened darling? Didn't you eat your lunch?Did you hit your head somewhere?Are you having fever?Don't panic!" It was Savita's mother,panicking in the hospital,where she was brought by her friends and some teachers.The same friends who also informed Savita's mother about her condition.
"Your daughter is suffering from very low blood pressure.".The doctor in-charge informed without preamble.
Her mother was shocked."But...but..."
"Didn't she eat well for past few days?"
"She did"
"Is she suffering from depression?"
Depression? "No".
"Are you sure?" the doctor looked curiously.
"Yes,definitely."
"Oh".The doctor tore the prescriptions page and said "For now,give this medicines to her as per the prescription.If she faints again,we'll go for a scan".
"Thank you".
Outside,Savita's friends were waiting."Aunty,how is Savita now?She has been very quiet for the past few days"
Savita's mother was surprised."Why?"
The girls looked uncertain,and confirmed their uncertainty when they said "We don't know Aunty.She doesn't play basketball,doesn't concentrate in class,sits alone,doesn't talk and joke much nowadays"
"Oh" was all her mother could say."I'll see to her.Thank you so much for your help girls".
The girls smiled and went off,leaving Savita's mother alone to think about all that happened.
"Mom,I am suffering from depression?" Savita asked,a half-statement,a half-question.Sitting in her bedroom now,on a two-day leave from school,Savita still hadn't improved much.The same,sparkle-less eyes,lifeless voice,and a few occasional tears.Savita's mother sat by her daughter,gently stroking Savita's hair.
"You are not suffering from depression.You THINK you are suffering from depression".
The raised eyebrows and the wide-eyes showed Savita didn't understand."But..."
"But what? I know you read that article I showed to you,about depression.But I just wanted to convey to you that if you think you are depressed,you'd be depressed.People are just popularizing the feeling of sadness by giving a fashionable name:Depression"
"Look,I know you were a little sad when Asha went to Banglore and you are here in Mumbai.But life hasn't ended at that! God has given you an opportunity to look around and make a bigger circle of friends,other than Asha."
"And remember,you are not lost without anybody.You are always you.Everyone has good and bad things,and so do you.That does not mean you'll think you are worse than others! People will love you if you are yourself.And not pretend like someone else.Don't think your classmates don't care about you.They do.You should also be good to them.Start thinking good thoughts.Stop thinking you're depressed!"
Savita smiled,relieved.She ate a heavy-lunch,like a famished soul.
Next day in class,she gave all the wrong answers to the questions posed by Vasu sir.But she was glad that he now joked about her wrong answers and helped her personally(And also gave her extra marks in the tests!)
She played basketball,and by the end of the game,she was sweaty,tanned,but still happy.
She called up Asha and told her how much she missed her."But life goes on yaar.Do you know?I had once told you I how I hated Nisha,the girl from other section?Well I was wrong.She isn't proud as I thought.We are now friends too! Life is beautiful now...."
As she hung up,Savita suddenly thought of the article.She smiled.Her mom was right.
People are just popularizing the feeling of sadness by giving a fashionable name:Depression"
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P.S: Well the views in the above article are fully mine.Not even any side-views or rear-views.So you are welcome to point out discrepancies (specially medical ones! :P).But..hope you don't discourage :P .
P.P.S:
Hey people! I passed in my Third Semester Exams..with a GPA of 8.33! Yippeee! Now I am tension-free! :P
Congrats on the whopping GPA, Anu!!! :). And best wishes for what lies ahead.
ReplyDeleteAnd I must commend you on the story! Fine language, good prose which is still not at a loss in describing a variety of things - concepts, emotions, crisp credos etc - so hats off to you. But yeah you may want to take care of your punctuations! :)
As for discrepancies which border on the medical, I wouldn't know. But at the same time I do not quite subscribe to the view that depression "generally" is what we think it to be. I have seen cases of depression, in my own family, and have gone through a phase of depression myself even approaching a professional counsellor for short term help. But yes unless sadness is controlled at an early stage, which depends on our thought, that has chances of growing into depression. That of course is entirely my - naive - reading into the situation.
Visit my space if possible at: http://www.transient-lines.blogspot.com (sorry for the publicity! lol)
May be your so called not your original views are actually right i feel. People feel sad and extended sadness creates depression. I personally never feel sad if a person leaves me cause you are always alone and no one is really with me.
ReplyDeleteof course i do miss them but that doesnt one should be sad
ReplyDeleteANd how do you girls manage to score such high marks :-)
ReplyDeleteAnu this is a very good story :)
ReplyDeleteDepression really cause low BP and nervous disorder in an extreme stage.
And u got an awesome GPA! Congo :)
Gud luck :)
I certainly know the meaning of D E P R E S S I O N... neverthless i think better to stick alone!! long... but yeah nice one Anu....tak care!! cya aroudn
ReplyDelete