The suicide of 28-year-old software engineer Sambhan Jena in the Supernova building in Noida is not just a story of family disputes, debt, or depression, as it might have seemed during the initial police investigation. Although the police considered aspects such as the family's expenses of about 40 lakh rupees for premature birth and child treatment, marital disagreements, divorce proceedings, financial pressure, and psychological stress, the true cause turns out to be the significant role of the apartment living culture prevalent in the high-rise buildings of our megacities.
People in megacities are already starting to feel lonely, and the culture of apartment living only intensifies this feeling of isolation. Sambhan's story reflects something extraordinary for modern urban India. In large cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, millions of families live in apartments where there are thousands of people around, but the circle of intimacy becomes increasingly narrow in difficult times.
House doors are closed, acquaintance with neighbors is limited, and the distance from relatives is often so great that even the smallest family problems turn into private conflicts between spouses. The Supernova building in Noida should be seen as a symbol of this changing urban culture. It positions itself as the tallest building in North India, although it may not be complete yet. The Burj Khalifa made height a symbol of the ambition of the modern megacity, but there is another side to life forming within this height.
Many studio apartments here are used as short-term accommodation options and for Airbnb, becoming an attraction center for couples. Prices in these places are about twice as high as in regular apartments. People are willing to spend large sums on such buildings for social status.
The purpose of this exposition is not to question the privacy of any individual or group. Voluntary adult relationships are not a social crime in themselves. The real issue lies in the changing urban culture, where temporary living, personal space, and anonymous relationships are rapidly displacing permanent neighborhood, family supervision, and social identity.
The culture of apartment living has certainly made life more convenient, but it has also changed the social structure of the family. Living together in large families had its drawbacks: interference in private life, control by elders, and resolution of marital disputes with the participation of older family members. This system was not always ideal; sometimes it was this social pressure that forced people to stay in relationships that caused them suffering. However, with the disappearance of this system, another crisis has arisen. Now, if serious disagreements arise between spouses, the family has little time, patience, or social structure to cope with it.
Both partners work, grew up in different cities, make their own financial decisions, and often exist in their own emotional world. When a crack appears in the relationship, the legal route quickly appears instead of dialogue. Separation or divorce are not inherently wrong, but the question is whether sufficient attempts at dialogue are made before the relationship breaks down?
There is another aspect of these changes that is discussed less. A young couple may want their parents or mother-in-law to live together, but this is impossible in our time. As prosperity grows, so do the aspirations and personal needs of the elderly. They do not want to spend their remaining lives only with their son-in-law or daughter-in-law. They need their own time, routine, and social circle.
The unwillingness of the elderly to live in small apartments in high-rise buildings has become a common reason. The open village or old city home, easy interaction with neighbors, the yard, the familiar market, and the social world built over years suddenly turn into an apartment with an elevator, closed doors, and limited space. Therefore, the distance between generations is not always a result of selfishness or neglect. Often, it is also a consequence of changing lifestyles and different needs. The problem is exacerbated when dialogue cannot be reached between the desire to live together, the need to live separately, and emotional expectations.
Today, marriage is no longer just a social bond between two people. To this is added the stress of work, mortgage, children's education and health, expectations generated by social media, career competition, and lifestyle pressure. The situation where treating a child requires spending millions of rupees can economically and morally shake any young family. In Sambhan's case, many pressures manifest simultaneously.
The most alarming thing is that in modern urban life, all criteria for success exist, but the support system in times of crisis is weak. Good job, luxurious apartment, car, smartphone, bank balance...