Part-1 She Was My Beginning, But Never My Ending

From the moment they were in 7th standard, Daniel had loved Aaradhya—quietly, deeply, hopelessly. Every smile she gave, every time she looked back at him in class, made his heart skip. But he never told her.

Then came 9th standard—and with it, the pandemic.

Life moved online. Zoom calls replaced classrooms, and loneliness crept in. But one day, after a virtual class, Aaradhya stayed back.

“Daniel,” she said nervously on the screen, “I like you.”

It felt like a dream. The girl he’d loved for years… finally saw him. They talked every day—laughing, sharing dreams, planning for when the world reopened.

But once it did, everything changed.

They joined the same computer class. That’s where Aaradhya met Faizan—smart, confident, charismatic. Daniel saw her slowly slipping away—smiling more at Faizan, texting less, avoiding calls.

Then, came the message:
“I don’t feel the same anymore.”

She didn’t explain.

She didn’t need to.

Aaradhya and Faizan became something new.
Daniel was left behind, with nothing but memories—and a love that never got its forever.

He tried to move on.

But he couldn’t.

While everyone grew up, Daniel stayed stuck in that moment. He became quieter. Lost. A ghost in a world that moved on. He never loved another girl. Not because no one else came—but because his heart refused to open again.

Years passed.

They were all adults now. Life had changed. And one day, Daniel received a wedding invitation.

Aaradhya was getting married.

To Faizan.

He almost didn’t go. But something inside him—maybe closure, maybe pride, maybe just love—made him attend.

He stood at the back, dressed in black, heart heavy, eyes hollow.

Then came the reception.

The mic on the stage was passed to people for speeches, blessings, jokes. And somehow—it landed in Daniel’s hands.

He stood there for a moment, holding the mic, staring at the happy couple. His voice shook as he spoke.

“People say love is eternal… that it never changes.
They say if it’s true, it finds its way back.
In movies, love always wins in the end.
But no one tells you what happens when it doesn’t.
No one warns you about the nights you cry alone,
or how you carry someone in your heart even when they’ve let go of yours.
Real love doesn’t always mean a happy ending.
Sometimes… it just means letting go—with your heart still holding on.”

He tried to smile. His lips barely moved.

And then—the mic slipped from his hand.

He stumbled once.

Flashback:

A rainy evening. His phone buzzes.
Aaradhya: “I don’t feel the same anymore.”

Cut to him sitting alone in his room, light off, staring at their old chats. His fingers hovering over “Hi,” but never pressing send.

Another memory—her voice on the Zoom call:

“I like you, Daniel.”
His eyes lighting up like they had never before.

A moment at the computer class—Aaradhya laughing with Faizan.
Daniel, standing at the back, watching quietly, feeling himself disappear.

Back to the present:

His body gave out.

He collapsed on the stage.

Gasps filled the hall. The music stopped. The lights flickered.

And as everything faded, one final thought echoed in Daniel’s mind:

"She was my beginning… but never my ending."

The end.

Written by Kingson