By TW: "I was in 12th when dad told me about his dream to send me abroad to study. I was so excited, but life had other plans.
Shortly after, dad fell ill– one of his kidneys had failed and he'd need dialysis. We thought it was a one time thing, so we weren't too worried. But, dad was on dialysis for 2 years and suddenly one day, he had a heart attack and passed away. I was shocked. How could this happen? He was getting better… the surgery would've happened soon. At home, mom couldn't stop crying and my brother was full of questions. He has autism, and didn't understand where dad was. It was only after the last rites that I asked mom, 'Now what?' She just said, 'We'll figure something out.' Truth is, it took me 3 years to figure it out. After dad's death, we struggled financially– most of our savings went in his treatment. Our extended family grew distant and my friends stopped talking to me as I got into a relationship with a guy from another religion. I couldn't perform well in college either. With everything falling apart, my mental health took a hit and I sank into depression. So when my then boyfriend insisted on physical intimacy, I said ‘no’ because it didn’t feel right– he was furious. We fought constantly, until I reached my breaking point– I slit my wrist on my way home from college. I fainted; a stranger took me to the doctor. When I woke up, I was in so much pain. It was a wake up call for me to make a change. So I began therapy and was put on medication. My therapist recommended doing things that I liked and as a kid, I loved the beach. So one day, I sat there from morning to night and just cried. I let it all out, and asked myself, 'How long was I going to do this to myself? To mom and bhai?' I finally decided to call off the relationship. Mom really helped– she took me on a trip to Vrindavan where I meditated, read books, and realized it was time to move beyond my past. When we got back, I was ready to piece my life together– first college, then internship and work. Last year, I graduated and began working as a lawyer. Alongside, I traded stocks. Within a year, I’d saved enough to take just a little bit of Dad’s insurance money and give UK another shot. So I applied to a law college and guess what, I got in! I know I'm 5 years too late, but it's a start to fulfilling dad's dream; our dream. So just know this– you can lose your way in life, we all have... but there’s always a way back to finding yourself. You just have to believe.” Roland. Toronto.
