Moving on from Love – Unrequited love and destiny
“Why…? Wasn’t this, the most important thing you wanted from life? What is making you step back and think again? What changed your mind? You always wanted her. Why you are confused now…” I had so many questions that needed answers.
I was thrilled when Roy told me that Anusha accepted his proposal. Finally, after 8 years of long wait, she accepted him and wanted him in her life. She was the only one that Roy ever wanted in life. He loved her and did everything to convince her and bring in his life.
Anusha and Roy are my college friends. Anusha was a lovely lady. She was the kind of girl that every heart wanted. Her smile was so beautiful and powerful that nobody could say no to her.
When Roy told me for the first time that he loved her, I was really happy and amazed. I was extremely excited to see them together.
Roy was a normal-looking boy with a beautiful heart. He was kind to everyone and always followed the rules. He was not as charming as Anusha when it came to looks but was chivalrous and had a great sense of humor, that every girl wanted.
“So when are you going to tell her about your heart”, I pinched him. “Are you mad, look at me and look at her. I am so fat and she is so beautiful. There is no match and I know she won’t accept me. She wants a handsome hunk and I am not the one…” He laughed but I could see the pain in his eyes.
“Are you mad, looks are superficial, and can be improved with time, you can lose weight if you want, but nobody can replace your heart. You are the person with a beautiful heart and she will be lucky to have you in her life…” I consoled my friend.
“Boys like me are meant to be friend-zoned. I know where I stand and where she stands so there is no point in taking it further. I am not going to tell her and neither are you..” Roy grinned but his eyes spoke everything.
You can’t suppress your love for someone no matter how hard you try. If that person is around you actions speak all. The same thing happened between Roy and Anusha.
Roy took a lot of care of Anusha. He used to make notes for her, always preferred her choices when we ordered lunch and always made sure that she was no trouble……….. all his actions signaled Anusha about his peculiar feelings for her.
“I don’t understand why Roy is behaving like this.” Anusha looked frustrated. “Why? What happened?” I was also seeing things but I wanted to know her heart.
“He behaves like a strange person. Why is he giving me so much importance? He is taking care of me like I am a small girl and can’t take care of myself. It’s irritating.” Anusha fumed.
“Why irritating, he is being nice to you so enjoy the benefits.” I winked. “Shut up! I don’t want him to make me feel good. I am happy the way I am. Tell him to stop doing these things because my words will definitely hurt him” Anusha was in no mood to stop.
“He likes you”, though Roy warned me not to tell her this thing, I couldn’t stop myself. Both were my good friends and I wanted to see them happy.
“Is he mad…? How can he feel like this? I never gave him any such signal. Look at him and look at me. There is no comparison” Anusha said sarcastically.
“That is mean of you. I am sorry I told you this thing. Yeah, there is no comparison between you two. His heart is gold and your words prove what you are. I am glad he didn’t tell you about his feelings. He surely deserves better.” I couldn’t control my anger and felt bad for my friend.
“Niya please stop, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I know you love us both and will always want good for us. But I don’t feel the same way he does and it freaks me out when he treats me like a princess. I hope you understand.” She tried to pacify her statement.
“Ok, I will talk to Roy. But he is a nice guy and loves you a lot. At least give him one chance and try to know him. You might change your mind.” I tried to favor my friend.
“No, I know myself, I will break his heart. So we shouldn’t give it a start. Please tell him to stop behaving like this.” Anusha looked adamant.
“Ok, I will convey your msg,” I said despondently.
“What! When! How did she find out that? I never told her anything….” Roy looked confused when I told her about Anusha.
“You must have heard about the sixth sense of a woman. Yeah, it works, and in such cases, it becomes more active. So you better stop treating her like a princess. Things are not going to work here, in fact, it will spoil everything.” I suggested.
“I know, but I have no control over my emotions. Now if she knows, I am going to discuss this thing directly with her. If she won’t accept it, I will never come on her way.” Roy said thoughtfully.
Roy told Anusha about his feelings and she clearly refused it. She didn’t see any future with him and asked him to never come up with that again if he really wanted to have a friendship with her.
He was petrified, tormented by his own emotions and I was helpless because nothing was in my hand. For the first time I saw my friend crying but I couldn’t do anything.
SHORT STORY- UNREQUITED LOVE AND DESTINY
Soon time passed and we completed our college. We joined different companies and got busy with our work. I was in regular touch with Roy. He told me he was still in touch with Anusha and also about the guy she met at work. He looked sad because he still loved her.
Two years passed away but we didn’t get an opportunity to meet. I was really happy when Roy told me he got a job in my city and soon he will be meeting me. I was excited to meet my friend.
“What the hell…! How did you do this?” He was not the same fat Roy now. His personality showed how much effort he put into improving himself. “My God you look handsome. I thought all pics of Facebook were deceptive.” I laughed.
“What do you mean,’ You look handsome’? I was handsome earlier as well. I will punch your face and all your teeth will be dancing on the floor if you will say that again.” Roy said laughingly.
He looked really happy and handsome at the same time. I wished that Anusha had ignored his looks and accepted his heart. Things would have been very different.
“What! You and Anusha are talking to each other. I mean! you two are dating…! When did it happen… Why haven’t you told me………………….. I am so so so…. happy……. “I said joyfully. I was delighted when Roy told me that he and Anusha had developed a relationship that was more than friendship.
“Calm down girl, stay connected to the ground. No, we are not dating. We are just having a regular chat on the phone and I think that she likes me too. But I am not sure about it. She hasn’t used any words to express her feelings. So I am still skeptical.” Ryan tried to look serious but his eyes were twinkling.
“You are saying you guys are talking to each other whole night almost every day and still you are not sure about your feelings. I will punch you hard and you will know the truth.” I was happy for my friend.
We spent the whole day together, enjoying good food, then a movie, then ice cream…. cherished all the moments we shared in college, and parted away with a happy note.
Also Read- SHORT STORY- THE BROKEN TRUST
We started meeting almost every weekend, and we had a great time together. Love brings a lot of positive changes in you. Roy was more playful now and was always in a good mood.
“Why are looking so sad today, what happened? You had a fight with Anusha?” I asked Roy. Roy was really quiet today. It was clear his mind was somewhere else. He was not enjoying himself like he used to do.
“Anusha and I have been talking on the phone for almost two years recently. Yesterday I proposed to her but she didn’t accept my proposal saying her parents would never accept our relationship because of the caste issue. She said she has mixed feelings, she is not ready to take it further..she is not sure about her feelings……………………………” Roy said in desolation.
“What! That lady is talking to you for almost two years. She still needs time to know you. Now that is strange. Why was she playing with your emotions if she wasn’t sure about her feelings.” I was annoyed with Anusha.
“I don’t know, she told me once that she loved me too. I don’t know what went wrong. Why is she behaving like this? Why is she hurting me like this? I have changed a lot to make myself suitable for her and she is saying she is not sure about me. Why did she do this to me.” I saw tears in Roy’s eyes.
Roy and Anusha were still in touch. Roy was still trying hard to convince Anusha. He loved her and wanted her in his life. It was shocking to me when Roy told me that Anusha was dating someone else and wanted to marry him. He looked really sad and lost all his hopes.
After that, he got busy with his work and gave his 100% to reach a better position at his job. He constructively used his heartbreak and became a different person. He never loved anyone else but her. I could easily feel that whenever I had a conversation with him. She was always there with him in his thoughts.
Today when he told me that Anusha wanted to marry him too, I was on cloud nine. “Wow! That’s great. Party……………… ” I said deliriously but his face was blank. I didn’t see any joy on his face.
“I don’t know, whether I want her or not. I waited so long for her… for this moment…. and now when she is here, ready to accept me in her life, I am skeptical. Why am I feeling like this I don’t know. I never loved anyone but her. Why is this happening to me….” I saw a lot of stress on Roy’s face.
Anusha was the only girl in his life. He loved her. Eight years back when she rejected him, he was tormented. For a few months, he was not the real Roy the one who was always playful and happy. He was sad and dejected.
It took him a lot of time to absorb his feelings and adjust to the changing environment but never lost hope. When Roy and Anusha started talking to each other he was really happy. Things were happening the way he wanted. Joy was with Roy all the time.
Then again she refused his proposal giving excuses that her parents won’t accept their relationship without even trying. Her second rejection broke him hard. He lost himself. I never saw my friend in that situation and hated Anusha for bringing him there.
If you can’t love someone, you have no right to give him hope. Yes, indeed, you can’t force yourself to love someone. This feeling is peculiar and special. But you should have control over your actions so that the next person is not getting the wrong indications.
Anusha was always confused. She always judged Roy and never cared about his feelings. She used to talk to him whenever she wanted but didn’t let him do the same. She used to hurt him using harsh words and that used to annoy Roy a lot.
When Anusha told him that she was in love with someone else, he lost all his hope. For 6 years he was with her. They had an on-and-off relationship but he never left hope. He always treated like a princess and wanted to take care of her forever.
But things always don’t go the way you want. He was petrified by the revelation and again lost himself. It took him more than a year to absorb the fact that she was with someone else. His heart broke three times before it got numb.
Now Anusha wanted to be with him and he couldn’t feel the joy. She told him, that she never understood his love and always missed him though she was with someone else. ‘Nobody can take care of me and love me as you do’. These were her words.
She apologized many times but Roy couldn’t accept her because he couldn’t feel the same for her again. She was the love of his life for eight years and now he was over her. His fragile heart couldn’t get the courage to bring her again into his life.
When Anusha told him that she wanted to marry him, he realized he didn’t want her anymore. His heart was free he was ready to accept the new change that life had to offer.
Time went by, and eventually, Roy met someone else—a gentle woman who appreciated his heart, his laughter, and his loyalty. They married, and the love he poured into his family became a constant anchor, grounding him.
I remember the day he called to tell me he would be a father. His voice held a soft and deep joy, a kind of fulfillment that was no longer dependent on anyone’s acceptance or rejection. When he showed me a picture of his newborn daughter, his gaze softened in a way I’d never seen before. She was his pride, his heart, his happiness.
Also Read- SHORT STORY- THE LOVE FROM THE PAST
Anusha and I lost touch over the years, but recently, I heard she remained unmarried. Sometimes, she reached out to Roy, expressing regret over her past decisions. She confessed that she hadn’t understood the depth of his love, admitting she now missed his presence more than ever, realizing no one else had treated her with such genuine care. “Nobody loves me like you did,” she once texted him. “And nobody can take care of me as you did.”
Roy read the message in silence. He was grateful for her honesty, and in his mind, he finally forgave her. But once so vibrant, that old flower of love had withered, replaced by the bloom of new memories and fresh chapters with his family. He understood now that loving someone was about giving without expecting—and that his past love, while beautiful, had already given him everything it could.
“In the journey of healing from unrequited love, we often find that moving on from love is where true happiness begins, guided by paths of destiny we never planned.”
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