“Do you ever think love is selfish?”
Oliver's inquiry hung in the quiet of the park, where the leaves of autumn covered the ground. Claire sat next to him on the bench, knees up.
She tilted her head to one side. "Selfish? How?"
He took out a dry leaf and crumbled it in his fingers as he talked.
"Because we never just LOVE. We want it back. We want to be chosen again, the way we've chosen them. And when they can't" he dropped the leaf from his hand, "—it hurts like we've been stolen from for something we were never guaranteed."
Claire's eyes softened. "That's human though, isn't it? Wanting to be wanted?"
"Yeah but isn't it strange? We use love, but there's this hidden expectation stitched into it. Like, I'll give you everything, and secretly hope, expect—you'll give back the SAME."
She folded her hands together, quiet.
He went on, softer now.
"Maybe that's why unrequited love HURTS so bad. Because it makes you see that the most selfless thing you thought you had wasn't as selfless as you thought. You were seeking return on investment. And now you're left with all this love and nowhere to put it."
Claire blinked away the sting in her eyes. "So what do we do then? Give up loving?"
Oliver let it out, watching it vanish into the cold air.
"No, I believe we simply learn to tolerate the PAIN. Because the thing is, loving someone with no guarantee they'll love you back isn't weakness—it's the most vulnerable thing we'll ever do."
Claire squeezed his hand hard, both of them holding onto the unspoken truth:
Sometimes love doesn't come back to you.
And yet, they loved anyway.
About the Creator
Komal
I write poems and stories that hit the feels.
When I’m not lost in my own plots, I’m either daydreaming about the next big idea or just winging life with a grin.
𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕟 𝕀𝕄ℙ𝔸ℂ𝕋
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Center Stage with Gina C.
*** I'm keen to republish the interviews I did for my series with Vocal creators. It's been a few years and I thought it might be nice to revisit these wonderful conversations. I'll be releasing them one at a time for a few weeks/months.
By Heather Hubler5 days ago in Interview
Comments (17)
Oh. My. Word. KOMAL!!! This is unerringly on point! Absolutely ADORE this one! Sistah-Kween YES! And YES again! 💛🤍💛
Unrequited love - is painful. You really did an excellent word putting it into words.
Him dropping the leaf was the perfect dramatic effect. (I haven't forgotten about you, it's crazy how much there is to read. And how much of life there is to keep up with) But it's true though. We always want it back. Claire raised an interesting question. It's a beautiful thing to be vulnerable. Oliver is wise. I love the intimacy between them in this calm and loving conversation. The connection was palpable. 👌🏾👏🏾🤗❤️
Woww!! Standing ovation! So much wisdom!
So true Komal!
We all love wanted. But we need discipline. We don't have to eye people already in relations. I feel so.
That is a powerful message and question - how to handle unrequited love?
Very insightful and true. You cannot allow unrequited love to change who you are, but be the love you hope to find.
Deeply true and real to life. Our vulnerability perhaps makes us stronger - although the pain, at times, is almost unbearable. Thank you, dear friend
So painful, unrequited love is. 😢 And yet we hold out hope..."it's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved it all." ❤️ Gorgeous photo too- 😍 Great job ! So tell us more about Oliver and Claire... is he in love with her, and scared to express it in case she doesn't feel the same? Asking for a friend...
Writing something well thought out and emotionally resonant is hard to do, great job!
Really nice cerebral take on love
This is such a thought-provoking! This is what makes us human.
Beautiful, as always, Komal ❤️
Awww my hearts felt these words. Amazing stuff @Komal
Aww this is beautiful. I've never thought of love as being selfish. I've definitely felt unrequited love before, but it never stops me loving again.
Yes, it is vulnerable, Komal. And it is also a great strength! Thoughtfully written, my friend.