Love doesn't always break your heart loudly.
Sometimes, it happens in the quietest way possible.
Like a normal day.
A normal conversation.
A normal smile.
And suddenly… everything feels different.
---
That day started like any other.
Aryan messaged me in the morning, asking about something random. I don't even remember what it was.
But I remember how happy it made me.
It's funny how little things become big when feelings are involved.
The whole day felt lighter.
Until evening came.
---
I saw him across the campus.
He was laughing.
But not with me.
With her.
I had seen her before. She was pretty, confident, the type of girl people naturally notice.
And Aryan…
looked different with her.
Happier.
Closer.
The kind of smile you don't give just anyone.
---
I stood there, pretending to scroll through my phone.
But my eyes kept going back to them.
She playfully hit his arm.
He laughed.
And without thinking…
he held her hand.
Just casually.
Naturally.
Like it was normal.
Like it belonged there.
---
And in that moment, something inside me went quiet.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just… quiet.
Like my heart finally understood something my mind had been avoiding.
He was never mine.
Not even a little.
---
I smiled when he later came to talk to me.
Joked normally.
Listened to him tell stories about his day.
Even about her.
And I nodded like a good friend.
But inside, something hurt in a way I couldn't explain.
Because how do you complain
about losing something
that was never yours?
---
That night, I cried.
Not loudly.
Just silently.
Staring at the ceiling.
Wondering how someone could become so important in your life…
without ever realizing it.
And still, the worst part?
Even after knowing the truth…
I still waited for his messages.
Still smiled when his name popped up.
Still chose him.
Even when he didn't choose me.
---
Because love doesn't end
just because reality appears.
Sometimes…
it stays.
Even when it shouldn't.