A Love That Never Was

"He fell first, she fell harder.

He whispered promises, she built dreams.

He sought comfort, she gave her soul.

He walked away, she was left with memories."

Marie was the kind of girl who turned heads wherever she went. Not just because of her beauty—though she was breathtaking, with deep, expressive eyes that held untold stories and a quiet grace that made time pause—but because of her heart. The way she loved made her unforgettable.

And Usman?

He was the only boy she had ever let in.

Their story began like any other—unexpected, as if fate had woven their lives together with invisible threads. Usman pursued her relentlessly, breaking through the walls she had built around her heart. At first, she resisted. Love was fragile, and she had never given it away before. But he was persistent, patient. He knew exactly what to say, how to make her feel special—as if she were the only person in the world who mattered. She said, our religions are different, our families will not accept this relationship.

In the quiet hours of a long-distance call, when the miles between them felt like an endless ocean, Usman’s voice resonated with unwavering determination. Amid the soft hum of a distant city and the isolation of separate lives, he declared, "No matter our religions are different, I will make it possible. My family will have no issue with our marriage. Just trust me, I love you."

He said,

“I will lay down on my knees in front of your parents and beg for your hand. I will do anything for you. I will die if I lose you. I can’t even breathe without you.”

His words, carried over the static of the connection, bridged the gap between them, turning distance into a mere number. She smiled.

They had never met in person. Their love was long-distance, kept alive through late-night calls and whispered dreams. Marie was a dedicated, ambitious university student, while Usman had stopped studying, staying home with no clear purpose. Yet, she never let that bother her. During the quiet moments of the COVID-19 lockdowns, their bond grew stronger. She would finish her online classes and give him all her time, making him feel safe, wanted, and deeply loved.

She didn’t care that he never bought her gifts. She didn’t care that he wasn’t successful yet. Her love was pure, untouched by material things. She believed in him when no one else did, pushing him to build a future together.

“You need to do something with your life,” she would tell him, her voice full of hope.

“We can’t just keep waiting. If we want to be together, we have to make it happen.”

And he listened—at least, she thought he did. Encouraged by her, he finally took a step forward and applied to study abroad. It was a dream she nurtured for him, one she believed would bring them closer. But when he left for the UK, everything began to change.

The calls became less frequent. His voice, once filled with love and reassurance, now carried a distance she couldn't bridge.

“I’m just busy,” he would say.

“You know I love you.”

But love, she realized, wasn’t just about words—it was about actions. And his actions began to betray his promises.

Back home, Marie had no shortage of admirers. Every day, proposals came her way—students, businessmen, even the son of a politician. But she rejected them all.

She was his, heart and soul. She had kept herself pure, setting boundaries not only because of her faith but because she believed that love meant loyalty.

Then, 2024 arrived, and with it, a cruel reality.

Her father was diagnosed with cancer. The fear of losing him shook her world, and with it came the pressure from her family.

“You need to think about your future,” they told her.

“We won’t always be here to protect you.”

Torn between her duty to her family and the love she had fought so hard to protect, she turned to Usman, hoping for the reassurance she desperately needed.

“I need you,” she whispered one night, her voice breaking.

“I can’t do this alone.”

But Usman was no longer the boy who once begged for her attention. His words, once sweet and full of promises, had become distant and cold.

“Just wait,” he told her.

“I need to focus on my career first.”

Wait.

She had waited for years—waiting for him to find his way, waiting for him to love her as deeply as she loved him, waiting for a future he had promised but never truly intended to give.

And then, she saw the truth.

He had never fought for her the way she had fought for him.

Flashback: When Love Was New

One night, under a sky full of stars, Usman had once whispered:

“Marie, my love, just imagine... a beautiful morning where, when I open my eyes, I see you beside me. I feel your scent in the air, your warmth in my arms. It will be like heaven. What a beautiful morning that will be! I can't wait for that day.”

“I can't see any girl in the world more beautiful than you, my love. You have such stunning almond eyes. Your lips are like rose petals. I could never admire another woman the way I admire you. I will fall for you—only you—for the rest of my life.”

But love can be a cruel illusion.

The Cold Truth

Four years later, when Marie begged Usman to take action—to stand up for their love—his words were no longer filled with passion. His voice had turned emotionless, detached.

“Marie, you know I can’t change my religion for someone else. I can’t do that to my parents.”

When she cried, pleading with him, reminding him of all he had once promised, he grew even colder.

“Who are you to question me? I have my own life now. I have my own priorities.”

That night, as she wiped away her tears, something inside her shattered. She reread the messages of a man who had once vowed he would die without her, who had painted a future so vividly with his words.

And now, when she asked him to fight for her, to choose her, all he gave were excuses.

“How could you be so sure that another man will ever touch me?” she had asked, her voice trembling.

“How could I ever love someone else the way I loved you? How could I let another man take your place?”

But there was no answer—only silence. The same silence that had been growing between them for years.

Marie had loved him fiercely, with every part of her soul. But she realized that love cannot exist where it is not cherished.

"He was the storm, she was the shelter. He took, she gave. He walked away, she stood alone. But in the end, she realized—The love she was searching for had never truly been his to give."

And so, she let him go.

Not because she stopped loving him, but because.....

TO BE CONTINUED.....