Sitting in a corner of her room Riya was sobbing. The sun was shining bright outside but her heart wasn’t ready to embrace the rays of hope. Yes she had been crying for all night now. Swollen eyes and pale cheeks, her throat was felt dry and her stomach was starved for two days now.
Riya just had a break up. A break up that she hadn’t initiated but had always wanted. So what’s the big deal ? she should have been happy right? she had achieved what she exactly was expecting for past 6 months. Yes it was a terrible one. There wasn’t a single day she hadn’t cried herself to sleep for more than 6 months. Then why did she choose to be in this? Her friends thought she was a fool. For her loving him wasn’t being a fool. She was different. She believed in love more than anything. Her life revolved around him.
It was just a relation that started in the 1st year of her postgrad. Yet she would wake up cook breakfast and send him off to work everyday, wait till he was back to have dinner together. Now, in 21st century people must think what a foolish girl she was. Travelling all the way from India to Australia to achieve her dreams, what the hell was she thinking when she was putting in unnecessary efforts into someone she was just dating.
Well, I must tell you all that Riya hadn’t ever known the concept of dating. She believed in calling it a relationship with the person she loved. She wouldn’t be any different had she been married to this guy two years down the line which was a plan they agreed on. At least she wanted to.
She believed commitment is all about loving caring and being there for each other no matter what. Not being married didn’t make it any different. Isn’t it right to think that way?
Somehow the man she was in love, who also painted her dreams with rainbow colours didn’t believe the same way. Days passed, she would keep waiting and he would turn up after many hours from the promised time. She would wait for him to come home and although seldom but it would happen that he he’d return in drunk state after midnight with no call or messages referring his whereabouts. His phone would receive messages from girls she didn’t know about. It was all mysterious and when she would ask about her doubts, he would blame her for being controlling and being suspicious of him all the time.
Their close friends who claimed to be close messed it up even more. Rather than bringing them close they’d manipulate him with false beliefs about Riya. No one whatsoever told Riya about her guy cheating on her. Everyone knew it but never did they ever mention it to her. They all were responsible for her situation. Away from her family the only people she trusted were the new friends she made here. By the end she also realised that her best friend would demean her in front of other for being used by her boyfriend.
This was more than a rollercoaster for Riya. It was an experience which jolted her top to bottom and she absolutely had no idea what to do and who must she confide in for her current situation.
One morning he returned 5 am after a party at a friends place, it was the night before he promised he’d be home. She was up all night waiting for him, he had promised to take unto her for the past week of unhappiness she had been suffering.
He came back to just sleep next to her and next morning she asked where was he? his reply wasn’t true to the notification that popped up from the uber he used to return to her place. He said- I did it! I lied ! because you are controlling! It was the day she couldn’t hold on to any lies, she was furious like never before, Riya heard her heart pounding fast and her body was shivering with anger and depression of two years.
A girl who would never pick up fight with anyone, there she did it, she couldn’t hold herself but slap this person. She couldn’t hold herself or calm herself down from the lies, insults and manipulation she had been experiencing in the name of love. She was never someone who would do something like this. She didn’t justify for this to be a right thing to do but neither was she ashamed of it.
It was that day of crying just a week more probably. She thought that time would never pass. She still made it happen, she graduated with flying colours, got a job and now an year after the whole incident Riya learned to stand for herself when she isn’t comfortable with something and say a NO right then and there. Although a terrible experience but a very important lesson she had learned from the experience.
Lesson1: Loving is one thing but remember your negotiables and non-negotaialbles. Sacrifices must be made but not at the cost of the foundations you lay for existence of your own values and happiness.
Lesson 2: Friends are those who stay no matter what, a true friend will never speak ill of you. Friends can make you or break you so choose wisely!
Riya and Raj were two different people stuck together, they had different ideologies. It is true that opposites attract but it is really important that your basic ideologies match! It took time for Riya to forgive Raj but she eventually did. *no they aren’t in touch*
So what is the current situation?
Riya is still in Australia, very happy and is in love more than ever before. This time she is more aware of herself and much clear about her expectations.
Raj is engaged to someone who was best for him and is happily settled in India.