Hope and Disappointment

The story is about a group of 11 girls who have been friends with one another for as long as they could remember. On August 5, 2019 when India revoked Kashmir’s autonomy, an unprecedented curfew and a communications lockdown forced the closure all schools in the region. When the situation improved after eight months and schools were expected to open, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The children were unable to take online classes because of the sloppy Internet restricted due to ‘security’ reasons. The prolonged isolation, according to psychiatrists, has morphed into a mental health crisis for Kashmir’s young generation. This story focuses on how the reopening of schools after almost 18 months is helping these girls deal with psychological and emotional problems they developed over the past one and a half years. A few girls in this group have been under proper psychiatric help for depression, anxiety and other conditions. With schools opening and youngsters meeting their friends, the past experiences are likely to be overshadowed by new memories which in turn can prove to be immensely beneficial in mitigating the symptoms. Prayers, sports and group activities have also been found greatly helpful.