A Letter for Indians

Newsletter #13

Note: This was a letter I sent out as my newsletter to all my subscribers on the April 30, 2021.

Hello!

This month has been something else. Especially if you’re living here in India. Over the last few weeks, at the back of my mind I kept thinking what should I recommend in my newsletter? Is there something I can help take the load off? Is there something that can help people grieve? Is there anything in my repertoire of stories, books, music or art that can help?

I had many ideas, none felt suitable, none felt respectful enough with all the death and suffering…

So, here, today, I’m not sharing any recommendations. Let’s just talk. We’re back in a similar position as last year, if worse. It’s gonna wear down on us. It’s wearing me down, and I’m one of those who likes to stay indoors, just so I can write and read my life away.

Have I been reading? Yes—The Amazing Spider-Man comics. They give me immense peace. Spider-Man has always been about a guy who wants to do the right thing. He’s the most relatable character I’ve ever come across. I feel like that today. I want to do the right thing, I want to help, and yet, I feel overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. The way India has been brought down to its knees because of the people in power, it burns me up from inside. How could we have let this happen? I don’t know. It’s been a cycle of being moved to tears by the end of the night, all I have within me is smouldering coals through the mornings and an empty hollowness through the day I don’t know what to do with. Yet, I’m one of the lucky ones. Whose family is safe. I am safe. At home. With meals, and even ice cream.

I didn’t think we’d ever reach a space in time when humanity will need to be taught what it means to care. But here we are. It sucks. But then, I look at the people out there, who are doing the work, who are teaching the rest of them what it looks like to care. It fills me with hope.

This constant seesaw between the bubbling of hope and crushing despair is what’s taxing us, slowly. It’s finding a way into the epicentre of our hearts and minds, crawling into our dreams. We can vaccinate ourselves, save ourselves from the deadly diseases, but an even deadlier one borrows into our soul. Hate. Apathy. And a general disregard for life. How do we fight it?

The answer is as difficult as it is simple: Together. Maybe it’s the comic books I’ve been reading, but the answer to most problems for superheroes is this: Don’t fight alone. You have friends. You have a family. We fight together. That’s why I’m writing this to you. Reach out to your friends. Reach out to your families. Ask them how they are doing. Remind them they are not alone. In this fight, we are all together.

Allow me to start. How are you? Are you really fine? Do you want to talk? Vent? Scream? Drop me a reply. This is a safe space, I promise. I’m not sure how fast I’ll be able to respond, but I write. That’s what I do. I promise to write back to you.

Stay masked. Stay safe. I’m sending you the tightest of virtual hugs.

Love,
Akshay

(It feels wrong to be adding this here, but I don’t know how else to end this.) If you enjoyed what you’ve read, you can subscribe for the Free Monthly Newsletter here.