Success story inked on arm, he’s inspiration for addicts

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 25

He remained in jail, attempted suicide at home, fought with his family, his wife and daughter left him, all because of drugs. At one point, Pankaj Mahajan (31) had lost everything. One can get a peep into his life’s journey by looking closely at his tattooed arm.

Things have changed for Pankaj. He successfully kicked the habit and is now trying to help others through his “Freedom from drugs” group.

Pankaj has got inked his journey from “death to life” on his arm. It tells how he got hooked to drugs after graduation, spent time in jail, abandoned by his family members and then he got out of drugs and formed a group on July 14, 2017. The date too is inked on his arm. At the end of the tattoo, a man is seen coming out of chains.

Pankaj, who hails from Gurdaspur, was in the city for a few days ago for an awareness programme. Talking to The Tribune, Pankaj said, “I have experienced hell. There was not a single vein left in my body where I had not injected drugs. I could see death.”

He said, “It is my friend with whose help I got second life. He was an addict too. But he managed to shun the habit before me. He told me, ‘Nasha karke tu zaroor marega, par nasha chadd ke shayad jee javen (If you take drugs, you will surely die soon, but if you shun it, you might get a second chance)’. That was the time when I decided to not do it anymore.”

“I still remember the day when after 20 long days of suffering physically, I finally managed to quit drugs. I celebrate July 14 as my birthday now, the day when I formed the group also,” he said.

“I ask the parents of addicts to give me three months. During this time, I make sure that the addicts forget everything about drugs. I take them to gym early in the morning and then I have a talk with them on personal issues. I just want them to know that there is someone who can listen to them. Also, with great will power, they can achieve anything,” Pankaj said.