As many of us are excited about celebrating Rakshabandhan, this brave sister is going to miss her brother. He was not only her best friend but also an idol & her life.
When Rashi lost her brother to suicide, he was only 18 years old. Recalling the trauma and emptiness that she and her family were struggling with, Rashi shared with The Logical Indian,
“It was around 8:45 pm when the bell rang. I was in my room. I could vaguely hear my dad as he rushed out of the house. Confused, I called him. After a few seconds, he picked up and I realized that he was sobbing. I’d never seen my dad cry.
And then, he said something that will haunt me forever – “Raghav is gone.”
As they say, people may leave us but their memories are with us forever. Sharing the memories about her brother Raghav, Rashi mentioned:
“My brother, Raghav was the kind of person who knew when to slow down in life and live – truly live a moment, not just with his eyes but his soul.
Be it a sunset, the night sky, a butterfly or a rainbow, he would give due credit to these little things we often take for granted.
I don’t know, maybe he somehow knew his days here were numbered so he wanted to take in every detail, embrace it.
He was a nature enthusiast, people who knew him would agree. Often, I would find him out in the balcony looking up at the sky.
“Sunsets give me hope” he used to say. “why?” I’d ask, a little confused.“Because they are a testament that nothing truly lasts, be it good days or bad.
So if you’ve had a bad day, the sun shall take it away as it sets and it’ll rise again tomorrow, giving you a fresh chance at life and I think there’s hope in that.” His words have stayed with me.”
Losing someone special is never easy. It brings not only unexpected emotions but sometimes also takes away your hope to live.
And when something similar happened to Rashi, this brave sister found her life purpose in Raghav’s story. She wants to make sure no sister ever loses a brother to mental illness.
“My brother passed away on 6th January, 2019. We lost him to suicide.
In a matter of seconds, he was gone. Just like that. Till today we don’t know what happened and what led to the situation that pushed him to take such an extreme step.
In his last days, he seemed a little restless and depressed and never let it show. He never said anything to us, how would we know?
He was my best friend and my idol. I get restless when I think of a life without him, but here I am living. The months that followed were the hardest. I was suffering from crippling anxiety, insomnia, and grief all at once.
There came a time when I wanted to give up. I had lost all hope.
That’s when a voice suddenly spoke to me. It was Raghav. He reminded me of Sunsets. He had other plans for me. Over time, I realised how we never talk about mental health issues and suicide.
We’re losing so many lives to this. I finally realized what I wanted to work towards for the rest of my life – advocating for mental health.”
This story is not only hers. There are thousands of families who lose a brother, sister, father, mother, or friend to mental illness in our country.
Also Read: ‘Convince Yourself I Was Murdered’: Schoolgirl’s ‘Suicide Note’ For Parents Who Thought Her Depression Wasn’t Real
And at IFORHER, we are celebrating her courage and dedication to build a safe space for anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts. Recently, during her research work, when Rashi uncovered the disturbing truth that most of the suicide helpline numbers do not work in India, she made sure she acts rather than staying quiet.
“I dialed around 15 numbers but most of the calls went unanswered, some numbers were switched off. Only three responded.”
So she has launched a petition on Change.org asking the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to launch a national helpline number for suicide prevention in India. Her petition received 2 Lakh+ signatures!
Recalling how she misses her brother and her guardian angel, she shared:
“I don’t know if God has a plan for me but I believe that Raghav does. He’s watching over me and guiding me every step of the way. I couldn’t save him but if I can save a single life through him and his story, that would be enough.
He’s taught me this – Life will get too much for you sometimes, you will have days that are truly crappy. There will be at least two bad days for a good one because that’s life. It’s not a bed of roses but it’ll get better.
Whatever you’re dealing with, it’s real. You’re not crazy, you’re not overreacting, you’re not paranoid and most importantly, you’re not alone! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You just have to reach out.”
We wish Rashi all the best for her great initiative and hope more and more people will come forward to discuss mental health.
At IFORHER, with the help of our dedicated community members, we are not only breaking the stigma around mental health but also helping women, mothers, wives, and children to seek the required community support.
If you are an EXPERT, who can support women and kids struggling with mental health, then we request you to connect with us. Because together we can make a difference.