"Fail!" How could this happen!
Bitan stared at the examination result on his phone.
Deep inside, he knew this was coming.
But he also knew one person who would never expect it.
His father.
Bitan was a 20-year-old engineering student studying at one of India's reputed universities.
Back in his village in Maldah, everyone knew him as "the brilliant boy."
His parents had sacrificed almost everything to send him to college.
His father often told neighbours with quiet pride,
"My son will become an engineer."
The excitement of college life had faded.
Classes became harder. Competition became tougher.
Assignments piled up. He stopped attending lectures regularly.
Sleep became irregular.
He spent long nights scrolling through his phone.
Sometimes he skipped meals.
Sometimes he ate junk food for days.
His grades began to fall.
At first, he thought it was temporary.
Then he stopped checking his results altogether.
Some of his hostel friends smoked ganja.
"Relax," they said.
"Everyone does it."
At first, Bitan refused.
Then one evening he tried it.
Soon it became occasional.
He kept telling himself he was in control.
But deep inside, he knew he wasn't.
The hardest part was not the failed examination.
It was the silence.
He could not tell his parents.
They lived hundreds of kilometres away.
His mother would worry.
His father would be heartbroken.
So every time they called, he smiled.
"I'm doing well."
"I'm just busy."
"I'll call you later."
Nobody around him realised that Bitan was slowly losing confidence, motivation and hope.
Like thousands of young people, he was not weak.
He was struggling.
Sometimes the first signs are subtle.
Poor sleep.
Poor concentration.
Academic decline.
Stress.
Loneliness.
Substance use.
Loss of motivation.
Many students do not need criticism.
They need someone who will listen without judgement, understand the whole picture and guide them towards the right next step.
Sometimes, asking for help is not a sign of failure. It is the beginning of recovery.
This is where a caring conversation can change a life.
This is where Sydney Doctor Clinic's Education & Awareness Programme aims to make a difference.
Sydney Doctor Clinic, Kolkata provides science-based care for mental health. Our team includes a family doctor, psychologist and psychiatrists. We believe many mental health problems can be recognised early and managed effectively through compassionate listening, healthy lifestyle modification and medical treatment when clinically indicated.
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