By Aman Alam
He has a degree,
it sits on the shelf gathering dust,
something they told him would unlock doors.
His parents had big dreams,
sold their land, their jewelry,
put everything into his future.
They believed,
and so did he.
He studied hard,
burned the midnight oil,
topped his class.
Teachers said he’d go far.
But now, it’s been months,
maybe years,
since he’s left that classroom,
and the job market is a string of disappointments.
Job fairs, interviews, waiting rooms.
Each time, it's the same—
a door shut quietly,
a nod from the suited man,
"We’ll let you know,"
but they never do.
He learns the truth, spoken in hushed tones:
You need favours,
you need money,
you need things they never taught in school.
Without that,
your degree is just a piece of paper
fluttering in the wind.
Day after day, he watches the world move.
People pass by in suits, cars,
they look like the future he was promised.
But he’s not part of it.
He’s stuck,
in the cracks between his dreams and reality
no one prepared him for.
The calls stop coming,
his father’s voice is quieter now,
his mother doesn’t ask about interviews anymore.
They’ve run out of things to sell,
run out of stories to tell the neighbours.
He feels like a failure,
but it’s not his fault,
still, it feels like it is.
One evening, as the sun sets,
he walks to the edge of the bridge.
The river below is quiet,
more peaceful than his mind.
The weight of all he couldn’t do
pulls him down,
the promises he couldn’t keep
drag him under.
In the morning, they’ll find his body,
but no one will mention the empty job postings,
the bribes he couldn’t pay,
the promises that led nowhere.
They’ll talk about him as if he gave up,
as if the struggle was all in his head.
But he didn’t quit—
he was crushed,
under a weight too heavy to carry alone.
And his parents,
they will sit in silence,
wondering where they went wrong,
not knowing
he was lost long before he fell.
Aman Alam is an English major at Jadavpur University, with a deep love for literature and a knack for thoughtful conversations. He’s always lost in a good book, writing poetry, or dreaming up ideas for his next big project. Along with his love for words, he’s equally obsessed with cricket and never misses a chance to debate life’s big questions over a cup of chai. Known for his laid-back style and sharp humour, Aman has mastered the art of doing everything at the last minute – yet still manages to pull it off with charm.
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