The Day I Chose Myself 💔

Anaya wasn’t looking for forever. She wasn’t the kind of girl who dreamed about big weddings or fairy-tale romances. All she ever wanted was something real. Honest love. Soft conversations. The kind of bond that felt like home.

That’s exactly what she thought she had with Ayaan.

They met during a college theatre rehearsal. He was charming and loud; she was quiet and observant. He teased her about her serious face. She rolled her eyes. But somewhere between rehearsals and coffee breaks, she fell. Not all at once—bit by bit. It started with the way he remembered her coffee order, the way he’d text to ask if she had eaten, the way he listened.

It was the kind of slow, steady love that felt safe.

For three years, they were inseparable. Everyone around them believed they were endgame. Her parents adored him. His friends liked her better than they liked him. They moved in together after graduation. Life felt good.

Until it didn’t.

Things didn’t break all at once. It was the little things. Missed calls. Short replies. Cancelled plans. He said work was hectic. She believed him. He said he was just tired. She gave him space. That’s the thing about love—you start making excuses for the person hurting you.

But there was one thing she never expected.

It was a rainy Tuesday evening. Anaya decided to surprise Ayaan at his apartment. She had baked his favorite banana bread, bought him a small notebook he mentioned wanting, and downloaded a movie for them to watch.

She had a key. He had given it to her six months ago with a smile and a kiss on her forehead. “This is your home too,” he had said.

She walked in quietly. The lights were dim, but she heard laughter coming from the bedroom. A woman’s voice. His voice.

Her heart didn’t race. It stopped.

She tiptoed closer, every step heavy.

And then—she saw them.

Ayaan.

And Aria.

Her best friend. The one who stood by her since school. The one who knew every secret. The one who held her hand during breakups, laughed with her over silly crushes, and knew how much Ayaan meant to her.

They didn’t even look guilty. Just startled.

Anaya stood frozen for a second that felt like an eternity.

She placed the banana bread on the table without saying a word, turned around, and left. She didn’t scream. She didn’t ask “why.” She just walked.

And that silence hurt more than any slap could.

That night, she disappeared.

She didn’t pick up anyone’s calls. She didn’t reply to texts. She left the city, shut down her Instagram, deactivated her WhatsApp, and quit her job with just an email.

No goodbyes.

People thought she had gone crazy. A few friends tried to reach out, but she had built walls too high for anyone to climb.

But she wasn’t crazy.

She was healing.

In a quiet coastal town where no one knew her name, she started over.

Anaya began writing again. She rented a small studio with peeling walls and a window that overlooked the sea. She started therapy. Journaling. Going on long walks with no destination. She worked freelance to survive. Slowly, painfully, she let herself feel everything she had buried.

Anger. Shame. Betrayal. Love. Loss.

There were nights she cried until she fell asleep. Days she couldn’t eat. But somewhere in that darkness, she found herself.

She dyed her hair. Took up boxing. Said "no" more often. Started trusting her instincts again.

And then, when she wasn’t even looking, he arrived.

She met Reyan in the most unexpected way—at a local bookstore, reaching for the same old poetry collection. Their hands touched. He smiled. She almost didn’t smile back.

But something about his calm voice, his gentle energy, his clear respect for space—it pulled her in.

He wasn’t like Ayaan. He didn’t try to charm her. He didn’t ask her to open up. He just showed up. Consistently. Slowly. Carefully.

He didn’t want to fix her.

And that’s exactly why she started to heal.

Just when Anaya started to feel safe again, just when her world began to feel steady—Ayaan returned.

He showed up at her doorstep with a confession. Not just about the cheating. But something darker. Something she never imagined.

It wasn’t over.

The past she thought she left behind?

It was just catching up.

To Be Continued...

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Part 2 drops soon—follow me to know what Ayaan's dark confession really was. It’s not what you think…

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