Prachi sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone as the sun set outside her window. The warm glow of her screen illuminated her face, revealing her furrowed brow. “How can everyone be so perfect?” she thought, watching her friends post pictures of their lavish vacations, new clothes, and seemingly happy families. With each scroll, her heart sank a little more.
“Wow, look at Naina! She’s in Europe again,” Prachi muttered to herself, feeling a twinge of jealousy. “And Ronit just bought a brand new car? Why can’t I have that kind of life?”
Her own life felt dull in comparison. She worked at a local call centre, earning just enough to support her parents and herself. The little joys she once found in her simple life seemed to fade every time she looked at her friends’ glamorous posts.
One evening, while attending a friend’s wedding, Prachi felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety. As she mingled with guests, she overheard a group gossiping. “Did you see Prachi’s recent post? So basic!” one of them sneered, and laughter followed. Prachi’s heart dropped. Suddenly, she felt all eyes on her, and the weight of judgment hung heavy in the air.
Embarrassed, Prachi decided to leave early. As she stepped outside, she noticed a commotion near the entrance. A crowd had gathered, and she pushed her way through to see what was happening. To her shock, she found a young boy, no older than ten, lying on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. He had fallen off his bicycle and was crying in agony.
“Get an ambulance!” someone shouted, but panic filled the air, and no one seemed to know what to do. Prachi’s heart raced, but something inside her clicked. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Rushing forward, she knelt beside the boy, trying to comfort him. “Hey, you’re going to be okay. Just breathe,” she said, gently holding his hand. The boy looked up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes, and for a moment, the world outside faded away. She was no longer consumed by her own insecurities or the judgments of others.
As people rallied around to help, Prachi kept talking to the boy, assuring him that help was on the way. When the ambulance arrived, she held his hand until he was safely lifted onto the stretcher. The boy’s mother, who had been crying, thanked Prachi profusely. “You were so brave,” she said, tears of relief streaming down her face.
That moment struck Prachi like a lightning bolt. Here she was, worrying about her social media image while a child needed her help. The realization hit her hard—her happiness had been tied to fleeting moments online, while real life unfolded right in front of her, full of raw emotions and genuine connections.
As she left the wedding, Prachi felt a newfound sense of clarity. The weight of judgment and comparison started to lift. She returned home, her mind racing with thoughts. She decided to take a break from social media, realizing she had been using it to measure her worth based on how others lived.
The next day, instead of scrolling through her friends’ posts, she visited the local orphanage. She spent her time helping the children with their studies and playing games. With every smile and laugh shared, she felt more fulfilled than any number of likes could provide.
Weeks later, Prachi logged into her social media account not to scroll but to post something different. She shared a picture of the children from the orphanage, their faces lit up with joy. “Life is about real connections and experiences. Let’s celebrate each other instead of judging,” she wrote.
As she hit “post,” Prachi smiled. She had finally set her
happiness free, and in doing so, she discovered the richness of her own life.