Life is Dukkha.

The term "Dukkha" refers to human suffering, due to our desire for things we can't obtain or that are transient.




Hatisha felt the phone buzz against her chest. She darted a hand into the pocket and checked the screen, grimacing as the new message icon sent flickers of light through her pupils. Her temples started throbbing as the adrenaline flowed into her veins, whipping her heart to a quicker pace.

"Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! It's finally here!"

She unlocked the phone and rushed to the e-mail app. Her pupils slalomed down the pile of unread messages until she found the one marked with the name of the city's top management company. Her thumb froze for a second above the screen.

"What if I didn't—No! I must keep positive. This is your dream, Hat. Believe in it! It's all you've been wishing for!" she said, forcing her finger down.

Your interview and credentials are excellent, but we are sorry to inform you that your application has not been accepted.

She grasped the phone, feeling her nails carve the plastic screen. After all those efforts, sleepless nights, excellent grades and years spent slaving internship after internship, all in the hope of catching the right eye.

She threw the phone away and heard it crash against something. She walked towards the wall, spying a photo on the floor. Her family stared at her beyond a web of cracked glass.

"You all thought I could do it. I am so sorry."

She knew they had all paid a lot for her studies. All, except for her mother. Her mother never thought she could fulfill her dreams. And she had hated her for it. She had wished to prove her wrong with all her heart.

Wishes breed suffering, my dear. We suffer because we do not get what we want. We suffer because we get what we do not want. And also, we fear to lose what we have, as I dreaded the day I would lose you to the big city.

She clutched the photo to her chest.

"Mommy, I wish you were here—"