Suicide is a topic none of us have been remain untouched of! So often we come across newspaper articles of students having committed suicide because they could not score high in exams or lovers committing suicide because their families were against their alliance or brides/grooms committing suicide due to relationship problems or money problems and so on. And every time, our collective hearts break because every human life is precious and to see it all go out before it time in such a cruel way is really sad. Every one of us, who has a soul and humanity inside, cries out and thinks what can we do to stop it. It is such a vast topic and that is why I am happy I read the novel The Story of a Suicide by Sriram Ayer! This novel is accessible for free and I believe it is a must read!
The main characters in the novel are Hari, Mani, Charu and Sam who are all college students at prestigious KIT college and bound together by bonds of friendship, intimacy, trust and the story shows us how this converts into miscommunication, breakup, jealousy, misunderstanding, revenge leading to a web of lies, backstabbing, stalking and ultimate of course suicide! The way the story is written is a complete page-turner and it is impossible to not finish it in one reading! While Hari and Mani are grappling with issues of sexual abuse, sexual identity and passion, Sam and Charu are grappling with gender issues, power complex and online stalking/cyberbullying. Their relationships are expressed in such a way that it forces all of us to look within us.
Do we not make homosexuals feel dirty?
Do we not raise our boys and girls differently, telling the boys that they can do anything while telling the girls that they should shut up and listen?
Do we not twist our loved ones' words to suit our own agenda when we are angry with them?
Don't the youngsters of today indulge in stalking and bullying each other online?
Do we not force our youngsters to follow the footsteps we have chosen for them, be an engineer or doctor whether they want to or not?
Do we not ignore the pleas of children who might be victims of sexual abuse by saying 'you must have dreamed it'?
These are issues that plague each and every household, yet we somehow have become experts in ignoring them. This novel brings them out in a simple language that forces us to introspect and change. I especially relate to the character of Hari, who despite having been through a huge incident in life, is a believer in non-violence, extremely kind and looking for love. He tries to see the best in everyone even though in the very childhood, he had to go through the worst pain imaginable. He tries to be the best son, best friend, best partner for as long as he can but keeps getting backstabbed by those he trusts. I feel his pain has been brought out in the liveliest way by Sriram Ayer. I can see many youngsters like him around, yearning for meaning, trying to make the best of circumstances, getting disappointed by society yet moving on, not being able to give words to the pain within.
I also love the illustrations by Ghana which aptly describe the demons hiding inside every suicidal person.
I believe that the best thing this novel has done is taken a glimpse of our young world today and put some classic situations inside that are relatable to all. The language they speak, the time they spend on social media, the way they connect with each other, the way they yearn for freedom has all been fantastically put down. It also makes us think about suicide as a means of getting out. When the going gets tough, there are always people who will think that suicide will make everything right. It is not their fault, rather it is the fault of us, the society who have burdened them with so much pressure that they cannot cope with it. We need to buckle up so that no more precious lives are lost to this menace. A few tips that come to mind are-
- Embrace every moment of life, let everything come and go, meditate, relax, be close to friends and families, share your deepest fears with someone and don't let it all overwhelm you.
- Have hobbies like traveling, photography, dancing etc. to keep mind off the depressing turn of events in life when they happen.
- Stay away from alcohol, drugs and bad company who may push you in the nadir or depression and suicidal thoughts.
- Social media bullying must stop, we must not indulge in spreading rumors or gossip about anyone because it is mean, inhumane and we do not know how the other person might react. Let us nip the demon in the bud.
- The stigma related to mental health issues must stop. Must applaud actors like Deepika Padukone who had the courage to come forward with her depression issues, while the most of society says that it is just 'pagalpan'. Having depression or getting suicidal thoughts can be normal and cured with the help of psychiatrists. Let us treat it as just another condition like fever instead of making these people feel worse and take the drastic step of suicide!
So I recommend The Story of A Suicide as a must read book for everyone, let this become a movement for a better society!
Source of Pictures : 1-http://www.storyofasuicide.com/
2-http://allianceforsuicideprevention.org/about-suicide/
3- http://www.journeywithjudith.com/?tag=hope
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