Ishi is a 27-year-old PhD student specialising in physics. She lives in Himachal Pradesh and is pursuing her doctorate from IIT Mandi.
She was born and raised in a small village named Shyamsundarpur in West Bengal. She lived there all her childhood with her parents, siblings, and grandparents. Ishi moved to Kolkata for her graduate studies before shifting to Mandi for her PhD. She says she misses her family every time she stays away, as she holds them dearly.
“My family is extremely supportive and sweet. Every time I go home, I feel so much positive energy, and I can wholeheartedly say that my family completes me.”
Whenever she misses them, Ishi indulges in music, especially sitar, to keep her content. She also loves photography, painting, and reading books. She adds that recently, she has also developed a habit of trekking in the mountains and beautiful valleys of Himachal.
Although Ishi’s journey seems like a walk with serenity, she has to endure a few internal storms in her path when she shifted from Kolkata for her doctorate.
“Living in a hill station was new, the climate was hard to adjust to, and I started developing feelings for someone who didn’t feel the same way about me. All these and being a beginner in research, especially during the pandemic, made me sad and even more homesick.”
Right during these challenging days, Ishi came across the newsletters she received an email from her college every week regarding the importance of mental health and their subscription to YourDOST for this purpose.
Ishi decided to seek help from the experts. She found the counselors supportive and friendly, and she liked how she could instantly connect with them, even during odd hours.
Ishi explained that she had not shared her issues with her close circle, including her parents, as she didn’t want to worry them. After much hesitation about sharing her emotions and feelings, Ishi started opening up about her issues.
Ishi explains that before joining IIT Mandi, she had travelled with her father to IUCAA Pune from her hometown for her PhD entrance exam. During their long journey, they got acquainted with a group of students from Chattisgarh who were also going for the same exam. They ended up staying in the same hotel and went to places together.
After the exam, those students were also helpful with booking the train ticket. They even gave up one of their seats for Ishi’s father the entire time, as he had a spondylitis issue. Ishi elucidates being impressed by their kindness and staying in contact with them even after the journey. One of the students was very kind to Ishi and her father, and he even helped with the language barrier they faced in Pune.
“I started developing feelings for one of the students because he was very nice, gave me his contact, and insisted we stay in touch. Eventually, I cleared the entrance exam and interview and got into IIT Mandi. Even after years, I was missing him.”
Ishi says she started waiting for his texts, reading every poem he posts on social media, and being mentally committed to him. She even started learning to become fluent in Hindi to understand his poems better. She explained that she had planned even the future steps with him in mind. After more than two years since her train journey, she mustered the courage and confessed her love to the person. She recollects being overwhelmed when he expressed that he saw Ishi only as a good friend.
“He used to care for me a lot, so I was not expecting that answer. It was tough for me to face. I started feeling weak mentally and physically. I went home to take a break but fell sick and was hospitalised for two months.”
After Ishi returned to college, with the help of therapy, she tried to analyse the situation and started focusing on her studies and other hobbies to keep her grounded. She explains that the way the experts made her feel heard opened the doors for her to take the first step in moving on. She remembers feeling light and away from the heavy emotions after sharing her situation with them.
Along with validating her feelings, the counselors also helped her see reality and encouraged her to focus on herself more. Ishi also discussed her difficulty with the place and the new environment. The counselors suggested she pay attention to the beauty of nature surrounding her and guided her to blend in.
“It took me almost two years to accept the truth about him not reciprocating my feelings and move on. Spending time with nature started to heal me and allowed me to self-reflect. I could rediscover the peace I once felt in my solitude again.”
With the regained confidence, Ishi wants to thank her counselors for showing her kindness when she needed it the most and share her gratitude for listening to her entirely in every session.
She feels blessed and rates herself 5 out of 5. We are delighted with her growth and wish her all the best.
Ishi’s Warrior tips:
1.“Never give up; time will heal everything.”
2.“What worked for someone might not work for you, so trust your intuitions and feelings and follow your heart.”
3.“For good mental health, pay attention to your intrinsic thoughts and be more self-aware.”
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