The Limbo Lesson

 Darkness enveloped Rahul as he sat on his hostel bed, the weight of failure crushing his spirit. The report card in his trembling hands bore a single, damning word: "Failed." As if the universe hadn't finished tormenting him, his phone buzzed with a message from his girlfriend. Her words, cold and final, severed their relationship.

Tears blurred his vision as a tidal wave of despair washed over him. With shaking hands, he reached into his bag, retrieving a bottle of sleeping pills and whiskey – harbingers of an escape he desperately craved.

The pills slid down his throat, chased by burning gulps of alcohol. As consciousness began to slip away, a detached part of Rahul's mind registered the foam forming around his mouth. Then, merciful oblivion claimed him.

Awareness returned slowly, like wading through thick fog. Rahul's eyes fluttered open, taking in unfamiliar, vaguely unpleasant surroundings. Confusion replaced the numbness.

"Am I in heaven?" he mumbled.

A female voice, rich and authoritative, answered simply: "No!"

Bewildered, Rahul pressed on. "Then where am I?"

"Land of nowhere!" the voice replied cryptically.

Indignation flared within him. "Oh! Why? I've been a good boy but was troubled by everyone around me. I deserve to go to heaven!"

The voice remained unmoved. "That's not how it works, son!"

Frustration bubbled up, and Rahul muttered to himself, "What the hell, man!" Raising his voice, anger edging his words, he demanded, "How do I get out of this shithole?"

The response was unexpectedly direct. "You have to go back to your world and learn to deal with your problems. Heaven is not meant for weak people who run away from life!"

Rahul bristled at the implication. "I am not weak! Why the hell would I kill myself if I knew how to deal with all these problems?"

"That's right!" the voice agreed, surprising him. "But you could have asked for help."

"Help!" Rahul scoffed. "Are you serious? Everybody down there is a bloody moron!"

The voice softened, taking on an almost maternal tone. "No, son. Help is always given to those who genuinely seek it. There are a lot of people in your network who could have helped you in sorting out your mess. But you never listened to them with an open mind."

Rahul's defenses crumbled, leaving only bitterness. "Right! It's all my fault now!"

"It's not your fault," the voice corrected gently, "but your limitation. And life is all about learning to overcome our limitations. Go back and don't resist those who truly wish to help you. Take care, son!"

Rahul's eyes snapped open, his body convulsing as he violently expelled the pills from his system. Gasping for air, he found himself back in his hostel room, the taste of whiskey and regret bitter on his tongue.

As his racing heart slowed, the echo of the mysterious voice lingered. Had it all been a hallucination? A near-death experience? Whatever it was, Rahul felt a shift within himself. The problems that had driven him to such desperation still loomed, but now he saw them differently – not as insurmountable obstacles, but as challenges to overcome.

With trembling fingers, he reached for his phone. It was time to make a call – not to end things, but to ask for help. As the line connected, Rahul took a deep breath. This time, he was ready to listen.