It was a regular day at college. Simran Luthra had a few lectures to attend. Suddenly her phone rang. "Simran, I'm at the metro station. The train arrives in exactly a minute and I am going to jump," said the voice on the other end. It was a friend of hers. Let us call him Rahul*. She could hear him sob and at the same time, she sensed the determination in his voice. He was ready to bid adieu to the world.
Simran didn't have a second to waste. She left everything, skipped the lectures and rushed to the station while talking to her friend. She had to save his life at any cost. Why you ask? Because this is what this
21-year-old psychology student from Ambedkar University does. Her counselling has saved at least 13 people from committing suicide. And this is just a regular day in her life.
In the 45-minute-long ride to the metro station, she tactfully engaged him in a conversation. "He sat down on a bench and the train left. I breathed a sigh of relief," says Simran. A few other trains came and left and Rahul didn't notice. All that he wanted at that moment was a shoulder to lean on and a friend to whom he could talk. Ten sessions counseling sessions later, Rahul is back to life completely.
Let us talk about Simran now. At 21, this MA Psychology student in Ambedkar University is an anchor, actor, RJ, psychologist and an entrepreneur who runs Talk Happy Therapy, a startup that encourages people to talk and helps them solve emotional troubles. Someone who's been counseling people for the past three years, she'd managed to bring 13 people back to life.
Of all the cases she handled, Rahul's is the one that still brings chills to her. "Just imagine. What if I hadn't attended that call? He'd have gone. The police would come looking for me. Things would have been so different. It isn't an easy thing. But what is the purpose of my life if I'm not of any use to anyone?" asks Simran.
Sometimes people would walk away from her sessions. "People would ask me why do I stop them from death when that is all they want. They say that I'm not trustworthy," she says.
Despite all this, she continues to a life saver. "When someone comes to you saying that they have a problem, give them your time. Listen to them. Maybe that's all they need," she says, reminding everyone that they are amazing and life is beautiful.
So where does Simran get her dose of positivity from? "From all the beautiful people around me like you," she says. "I connect to my clients easily. I know their problems and most of them are of my age. Just a thank you is enough to brighten up my day," Simran signs off.
