Rest In Peace, Sushant Singh Rajput

A few hours ago, I got to know that Sushant Singh Rajput, one of the most promising actors in Bollywood had committed suicide. He was believed to be severely depressed. This news comes hot on the heels of his ex-manager’s death, also by suicide. 2020 is turning out be to an absolute nightmare. When is it going to end? Will it ever end? The slew of bad news that this year keeps throwing at us.

I hope he’s in a better place. But he has left an entire nation in sorrow. I still can’t believe that he is no more. The first time I heard about the news of his passing, I was shell-shocked. Even now, I am struggling to come to terms with it. Yet another beautiful soul, lost to the clutches of depression. May his soul rest in peace. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. May they have the strength to cope up with this terrible loss.

Mental health remains to be a topic that evokes much stigma and judgment, especially in India. But the truth is that mental well-being is as important as, or maybe even more important than physical well-being. We never truly know what goes on inside another person’s head. We may never know the demons and internal conflicts that they have to face every day. Depression is not something that you can just snap out of. It’s not something that can be overcome easily. Compassion, support, and care are what such victims require. Judging them and alienating them is not the way to handle them. It’s high time we recognize depression for the silent killer that it is.

Oh Depression, you terrible, horrible affliction, how many more lives will you consume?

Open letter #1: Don’t let go

© 2020 Shweta Suresh. All rights reserved.