Manaswita Sachdeva-Quitting is never an option
Manaswita Sachdeva says, “In 2018, I got a chance to move to Mumbai to pursue higher studies. Ever since I watched ‘Wake up Sid’ in 2009, I had fallen in love with Mumbai. I remember my Dad asking me with concern lacing his words, “Will you be able to stay alone?”.
With utmost honesty, I told him that it would be difficult, but I wanted to go, and there I was hunting for apartments, and it was more difficult than it seemed.
Overly expensive flats, smaller than my room, I knew I’d have to adjust a lot. I remember falling sick with a viral fever with no one to look after me. One and a half months in Mumbai, and I was already feeling homesick.
With a five days holiday approaching, I booked my flight tickets back home, feeling restless. When I came back home, I explained my concerns to my family, and my Dad told me, “You can’t run away from what life brings your way, whether you like it or not you have to deal with it.”
With his advice, I decided to return to Mumbai. Within the next 12 hours, I received a phone call that turned my world upside down. I still remember that sudden 2 am call and 3 hours of loneliness at the airport. My father had just passed away due to a heart attack. I could not believe it, and I was shaking and taken aback. Half an hour ago, he talked to me and wished me a good night. I learned the sheer unpredictability of life that day.
I returned to Mumbai a week later and felt like I was stuck in some kind of time loop. My condition kept worsening as the month went by, and I don’t think I could have survived my time in XIC if it wasn’t for my friend Afreen ever since I have learned to be more patient with people and be calm. I have never been expressive with my emotions.
When a relationship breaks, you still hope that you might reconcile with them one day, but death crushes all your hopes and leaves you with a void inside you. It’s been two years, but those haunting memories are still fresh, but life goes on. One thing that Mumbai taught me is that quitting is never an option, and you have to keep moving forward.”