TeenSages

We see, we judge, but do we ever know what actually happens behind the scene. Mental health is an important aspect of a healthy person; yet it is hidden, not talked about.  To bring light to this topic, I sat down with two people.  One of which is going through depression and self harm while the other has been through it (The speakers will be connoted in italics and bold respectively. One is fourteen and the other fifteen.) I asked them various questions relating to this taboo and how they coped with it. Let’s take a look at their take on this topic and how it is being dealt with.   Q. This society, it’s full of stigma, people do not want to talk about mental health and it’s considered shameful.  In a society like this, how is to cope through the same? “It’s hard. It’s definitely hard, to be constantly hiding such a big part of yourself every time you converse, every time you meet someone. I have to shield myself and hide, cower inside mysel...

Is this a purple flower? No, it is a cluster of seven leaves of the Saptaparni tree. We have a large picture window at home. We are on third floor and the bough of the tree dominates our view. And it is green nowadays because of the monsoon. So, why have I coloured my leaves purple? “Things are not exactly the way they seem”, is what Raie aunty always says. “All leaves and the grass are not green, wood is not brown, the sky is not blue.” She told me. “Each object has all colours. It is just that one dominates them all. She talks about “seeing”. We are often together because I started school with her son and she is now a good friend of my mother’s and drops in home often. I have started taking art classes with her on the weekends.  There are always streaks of red and orange on a green leaf, or blue and purple patches on an earthen pot, when she is with me, but whenever I sit down to draw without her, no matter how much I squint or try to move my head I cannot...

Durga Puja is my favourite festival. I, being half a Bengali, love the atmosphere and the crowd. It feels so surreal being in the midst of all those dressed up people. I am always amazed at how many people manage to make it there because I can only describe that amount of people as an ocean of humanity. They linger about till past midnight but many true Bengalis stay on there through the night. I live in Chitaranjan Park, the hub of all action at that time. Bengalis from all over the world gather on the first day and on the visarjan when Durga ma goes back into the Ganga. They take clay and straw from the banks of Ganga and build giant durga mathas. When they do the visarjan, all the clay and straw would have returned back to where it came from. One of the best parts of the Durga Puja are the pandals. Every year they create a better pandal than the previous. Last year my favourite pandal was a straw hut based design; only a colossal version of it. It was as big...

So I’m in grade 9 now, and well yes! I’m surrounded by cute, caring high school couples and besties, and partners in crime, and chai buddies and - oh you get the point, right? This all looks jolly and stuff, but really, what’s beneath it all?  We only like to befriend people who’re funny, nice, cute, sweet and, though we hate to admit this, somewhat pretty and good looking. Have we not heard these phrases before? ‘Well, at least your hair looks good’ ‘Lol, puberty’s failed him- look at all those pimples’ ‘She cut her flesh, that weirdo- such an attention seeker!’ ‘You’re lucky to be anorexic’ ‘Well, I’ve got a pretty pair of jeans but they won’t fit you’ ‘You’re not - you shouldn’t lose weight’ They may sound like a joke to others and the speaker itself, but it leaves a deep impact on the listener. They either choose to ignore it and move on to see the ‘bright side’ of people’s remarks, or they just get stuck to these comments and think about it day and night, or they are to...

You are just you, That is truer than true, There is no one, I tell you,  Who is truer than you.  You will always be you; No matter what you do; However hard you try, It will come back to you.  Staying up till late at night, Just to look cool; But they are others competing too, In the small world of school.  God has just given us life; How to live it is our own choice; No matter what the others say, Listen only to your inner voice.  Shreya  

There was once a man. His friend and he wanted to visit his old dying Granddad. So they set off on a journey. When they got off the train at the village’s local train station you wonder which direction u have to go to reach your granddads house. You pause your journey to ask a random stranger for some direction. “What way is to Mr. Granddad’s house please?” you ask the random stranger. “Some 4000 km straight and then take a left.” He nonchalantly nods while telling you. You are beyond baffled. How is that possible? “I am sure you are mistaken kind sir…he lives in this village. Are you sure it’s that way?” you ask the kind, random stranger. “Well yeah. You are in the village, but the direction you are going in you will have to map the whole world before reaching his place however if u turn back it’s only 2 km straight and then take a right. Now chop chop I don’t have the whole day. Move your lazy bellies out of my way.” Not so kind after all you think. It’s funny how i...

At a young age, my experiences of going out of my house to play with my friends created a stereotype in my head that street dogs are dangerous and they bite, though I did not know the reason for the dogs biting. I could not even bear my grandmother’s dog licking me because it seemed to me like he had bitten me.  As I got older, I met different people with pet dogs in their homes; I became comfortable with them. Then my best friend rescued a pup. I visited him often and watched how he took care of her. Soon I was able to pet her, have fun with her even holding her up close to my face. I did not know then that one year later, I would be adopting one of her pups.  As I started getting comfortable with dogs, one autumn, I noticed that dogs in my colony have started a spate of attacks. Unable to bear it, I eventually asked my mom the reason for these frequent attacks. The answer I got was  “Dogs bite mostly when they are on ‘heat’, for they are very energetic at...