The office was very lively today as everyone was congratulating Ravi on his promotion. As I put my bag on my chair to take out my laptop, Ravi suddenly popped up in front of me.
*"Hey, won't you congratulate me on my promotion?"* He grinned, placing his hand on my shoulder like he always did.
He was always like this—friendly, charming, impossible to dislike. Sweet-talking his way into everyone's hearts, as if he had no enemies in the world. And I? I was just another person caught in his orbit, helpless against his warmth.
I *liked* him. More than I should have.
But did he feel the same?
Whenever he needed help, he came to me first. When he was stressed, I was the one he vented to. His smiles lingered a little longer when they were directed at me, his touches a little more deliberate. It made me feel... *special*. Like maybe, just maybe, I meant something more.
But then someone would ask, *"Ravi, do you like someone?"* And he'd laugh it off. *"No, not really."*
And my hope would crumble all over again.
*"Hey, where are you lost? Won't you congratulate me?"* He shook me lightly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
*"Oh... congratulations,"* I said, forcing a smile.
It wasn't that I was jealous of his success. It was that his promotion meant he was leaving—moving to a different branch, a different city. And if I didn't say something now, I might never get the chance.
The evening celebration was in full swing—music, laughter, the clinking of glasses. Ravi was at the center of it all, glowing under the attention. I watched him from a distance, my chest tight with words I'd never spoken.
*I should tell him.*
But what if he rejected me? What if I ruined everything?
Yet... what if I never got another chance?
My fingers curled around my drink, my pulse racing. Before I could overthink it, I walked up to him.
*"Ravi. Can we talk? Outside?"*
His smile softened. *"Sure."*
We stepped onto the quiet balcony, the cool night air a stark contrast to the warmth inside. My hands trembled.
*Just say it.*
*"I... need to tell you something before you leave."*
He waited, patient as always.
I took a shaky breath. *"I never meant to fall for you. It just... happened."* My voice was barely above a whisper. *"You were just my friend, my colleague. But then I started noticing things—the way you get excited about little things, how you always check in on people when they're quiet, how you trust me more than anyone else. And somewhere along the way... I started hoping."*
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
Ravi's expression shifted—surprise, then regret. *"I... I didn't know."*
*Of course he didn't.*
*"You're important to me,"* he said carefully. *"But... not like that. I'm sorry."*
The words stung, but I had expected them. Fate had never been on my side.
I swallowed hard, nodding. *"It's okay. I just... needed you to know."*
He reached out, hesitated, then squeezed my shoulder—just like always. *"You're my best friend. That won't change."*
I managed a small smile. "I know. And I don't regret it. Falling for you, I mean."
Because even if he didn't love me back, loving him had made me happier than I'd ever admit.
As we walked back inside, the party still alive around us, I realized something—
Some loves weren't meant to be.
But that didn't make them any less real.