“I have a surprise for you”.

These were the exact words that turned a regular day into a nightmare.

In March 2026, a young man called his mother home with this chilling sentence. But, she had no idea that what awaited her wasn’t a surprise but a tragedy way beyond her imagination. Her daughter, Himshikha, was lying lifeless while her son, Hardik, was at the center of this incident.

This is not just a story of crime. It is a story of silence, emotional collapse and a system that failed to notice.

A Crime that was way more than just violence:

Hardik, a 25 year old former engineer, brutally killed his twin sister, Himshikha inside their home.

The crime wasn’t just momentary, but it was intense, repeated and deeply personal. Reports revealed around 40-84 stab wounds in several body parts, reflecting not just anger but a complete mental and emotional breakdown.

But, here the real question isn’t really “what happened?”

It is essentially “what led to it?”

Psychologically, when individuals lose structure in life (such as a job or routine), they often seek emotional substitutes. In Hardik’s case, that substitute became an online relationship.

Emotional Dependency and the Collapse of Identity:

At the core of this case lies a concept that is often ignored but deeply powerful-emotional dependency.

In Hardik’s case, the online relationship appears to have evolved beyond normal attachment. If sources are true, he had marriage plans as well. It became his primary emotional support system, especially at a time when he was already experiencing a lack of direction after leaving his job. With limited social interaction and increasing isolation, this single connection likely filled multiple psychological gaps—companionship, validation, purpose and identity.

This is where the situation becomes critical.

When a person’s emotional world is built around one individual, the relationship transforms into what psychologists call an “identity anchor.” It begins to define how they see themselves and their future. The loss of such a relationship, therefore, is not experienced as a simple breakup, but it feels like a loss of self.

This can trigger a chain reaction:

• A sudden feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness
• Intense fear of abandonment
• Difficulty in accepting the reality
• A desperate need to assign blame

Without healthy coping mechanisms, the mind struggles to process this emotional shock. Instead of healing, it seeks an outlet. In many cases, this outlet is internal, which leads to depression or self-harm. But in extreme situations, like this one, the distress can turn outward, manifesting as anger and aggression toward others.

Another important factor is the illusion of stability in digital relationships. Online interactions often lack the depth, accountability and real-world grounding of physical relationships. Yet, emotionally, they can feel equally, if not more, intense. This creates a dangerous imbalance: high emotional investment in a structurally fragile connection.

When such a connection breaks, the fall is abrupt and destabilising. Therefore, emotional dependency is not just about attachment, but it is about losing emotional independence. And when independence is lost, even a single emotional setback can feel catastrophic.

This case, in many ways, illustrates how unchecked emotional dependency, combined with isolation and lack of support, can push an individual toward psychological extremes.

The Psychology of Blame and Distorted Thinking:

One of the most dangerous shifts in a distressed mind is the transition from pain to blame. Pain, when processed healthily, leads to healing. But when it is suppressed or misunderstood, it often seeks an external target.

In emotionally overwhelmed states, the brain looks for a reason that includes someone or something to hold responsible. This is not always logical; it is emotional. The mind simplifies complex feelings into a single narrative: “This happened because of them.”

In this case, family members, especially those who offered advice or resistance, became symbolic obstacles in Hardik’s mind. Concern may have felt like control. Guidance may have felt like interference. This is known as cognitive distortion, where perception no longer aligns with reality. The individual is not reacting to facts, but to their interpretation of those facts.

What makes this dangerous is that once blame is fixed, emotions like anger, resentment, and frustration begin to justify themselves. The person no longer questions their reaction, but they begin to believe it is deserved.

The Breaking Point:

Every individual has a psychological threshold, i.e. a limit to how much emotional stress they can handle. When that limit is crossed, rational thinking begins to weaken. In normal situations, emotions are regulated by reasoning. We pause, reflect and control our actions. But in extreme emotional overload, this balance collapses. The emotional brain takes over, and impulse replaces judgment.

This is often referred to as emotional flooding, which is a state where feelings are so intense that they override logical thinking.

At this point:

• Small triggers feel overwhelming
• Reactions become disproportionate
• Control over actions weakens significantly

The violence seen in this case reflects not just anger, but a complete loss of internal control. It was not a calculated act but an uncontrolled release of accumulated emotional pressure. Understanding this does not excuse the act. But it helps explain how a human mind can reach such extremes.

The Silence around Mental Health:

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of this case is not what happened, but what did not happen. There were no interventions. No visible attempts at professional help. No structured conversations around emotional well-being.

In many households, mental health struggles are still minimised. Changes in behaviour are often dismissed as phases, mood swings, or temporary stress. The idea of seeking psychological help is avoided due to stigma, denial or lack of awareness. But emotional distress does not resolve itself simply with time. When ignored, it deepens.

This silence creates a dangerous gap where individuals suffer internally while appearing externally normal. And by the time the distress becomes visible, it is often too late.

Humanising the Tragedy:

It is easy to read such cases as shocking news and move on. But behind every headline are real people, real relationships and real emotions. A sister who trusted her brother. A mother who never imagined such a moment. A young man who, at some point, was not violent but became so.

This is what makes the case deeply unsettling. It reminds us that extreme actions do not always come from inherently “evil” individuals, but sometimes from unaddressed emotional suffering that spirals out of control.

Recognising this human aspect is important, not to sympathise with the act, but to understand the urgency of prevention.

The Cost of Ignoring Inner Battles:

The Hardik-Himshikha case forces us to confront a difficult reality - emotional struggles, when ignored, do not remain harmless. They evolve, intensify, and sometimes take destructive forms.

We often focus on visible success - education, careers, achievements. But emotional resilience, self-awareness, and mental well-being are just as critical.

Perhaps the real lesson is this:

We need to start taking inner battles as seriously as outer ones. Because not every crisis announces itself loudly. Some grow quietly until they can no longer be contained.

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