An incident that took place in Indira Nagar police station area of Lucknow has shocked everyone, which ruined the life of an innocent child forever. Thirteen-year-old Vivek, who came to Lucknow with his family in search of a better future, became a victim of the mobile game ‘Free Fire’. When he was found unconscious on Wednesday and doctors declared him dead on reaching the hospital, his small world got captured in the mobile screen.
Vivek’s family, who came from Sitapur, had come to live in a rented house in Parmeshwar Enclave Colony eight days ago. Vivek, who worked at a grocery shop in Takrohi area, was a hardworking person, but mobile games had become an important part of his life. His sister Chandni said with tears in her throat, “He used to work all day and play Free Fire till 10-11 pm. During this period he did not talk to anyone. If anyone stopped him, he would throw things in anger.” Now he will have to pay Rs 30,000 as maintenance to his fourth wife, the High Court has ordered.
the day everything changed
Wednesday was a holiday. Vivek was at home as usual, busy with his mobile phone. His elder sister Anju was busy with household chores. Vivek told her, “Didi, you finish your work, I will play a game.” Anju thought she would give her brother some time, but when she returned, what she saw was the biggest shock of her life. Vivek was lying unconscious on the bed, Free Fire game was still playing on his mobile screen. Anju first thought that he might have fallen asleep while playing, as he often did. She switched off the mobile phone, put it on charging and covered Vivek with a blanket. But when there was no movement for a long time, fear settled in his heart. He called his family, and they took him to Lohia Hospital. The family was shocked by what the doctors told them there. Vivek is no more in this world.
Family sadness and silence
Anju has tears in her eyes. She keeps saying, “How did I know he would sleep forever? I wish I had stopped him from playing the game.” Landlord Akash, who didn’t even know the family well, says, “They had moved in here just eight days ago. No one could have imagined that such a terrible tragedy would happen so soon.”
Body sent for postmortem
Indira Nagar police station in-charge said the body has been sent for postmortem, and the report will reveal the exact cause of death. The family has not filed a complaint yet, but the question is whether this investigation will bring back the innocent child? Will this make the society aware of the importance of protecting children from screen addiction?
A warning to every family
Vivek’s short life has now become just a painful memory. The child who used to work hard all day and live his dreams in the world of games at night, is now silent. Her laughter, her anger, her innocence – everything stopped in an instant. The family’s screams and tears remind them of how a mobile game extinguished the light in their home. This story is not just of Vivek, but of all the children lost in the glare of the screen. This is a warning to every parent, every family – save your children from this addiction in time, otherwise another sanity will be lost. Will we learn something from this innocent child’s story, or will we be forced to hear more such stories?
