The Story Of Us

CHAPTER 18: I Still Love You, Always and Forever.

It had been 18 long months since I last caught sight of her since her melodious voice graced my ears. And yet, even now, an ache persists within me, an undeniable yearning. For some inexplicable reason, my love for her remains steadfast, unwavering, as potent as it has always been.

In the depths of my mind, each passing day ought to breed resentment, intensifying my animosity towards her for whatever transgressions she committed against me. But hatred eludes me, slipping through my fingers like fine sand. It is an emotion I cannot summon, nor do I think I ever could, even if I desired to.

Rather, it is the pain, the agony she inflicted upon me that I abhor, laying the blame squarely upon my own shoulders for permitting her to cause such anguish. Yet, despite it all, my affection for her refuses to fade, an unyielding flame that defies logic. Perhaps, in its unyielding constancy, this is what they call true love.

Try as I might, the image of her face slips through the sieve of my memory, fragments of recollection fading like whispers in the wind. Her features, her chosen attire, and the cadence of her voice—all of it exists now as mere fragments, fragile fragments I struggle to preserve. It seems that with each passing day, I am losing her, gradually erasing her from the canvas of my mind.

Yet, amidst this gradual forgetting, I find solace in the remnants of our happiness, the cherished moments we once shared. Those memories, steadfast and resolute, refuse to be eclipsed by the shadows that now haunt us. I still recall every nuance of her being—the way her smile could brighten even the gloomiest of days, the melodious sound of her laughter, the delicate contours of her lovely face, the way her cheeks would flush with the barest hint of embarrassment. I remember the peace that settled over her countenance upon glimpsing me, the warmth of her embrace that tethered me to the present, and the tender timbre of her voice greeting me in the morning. It is the totality of her presence, the amalgamation of friendship and love, that clings to my spirit like an unyielding specter.

Letting go proves arduous, for she has gifted me with an abundance of memories to treasure. From the first light of dawn to the embrace of twilight, my thoughts, actions, words, and very essence revolve around the profound impact she has made upon my soul. It is in this ceaseless orbit that I recognize a profound truth: people may forget the words spoken and the deeds done, but they will never forget the emotions forged in their hearts and how the other person made them feel. And so it is, with a heavy heart, that I realize I shall never be able to relinquish the impressions she left upon me, no matter how fleeting our "relationship" may have been.

She bestowed upon me a wealth of memories, an abundance of experiences that carried weight far beyond their transient nature. It was no trifling matter, no mere passing whimsy, but a collection of moments that would inevitably shape the person I would become. Those memories would serve as guideposts, illuminating the path toward self-improvement and informing my interactions with the souls who would traverse my life henceforth. They would also serve as a solemn reminder, cautioning me against placing my trust so readily, guarding against forging deep attachments, for in the end, "PEOPLE ALWAYS LEAVE".

It was a truth learned through bitter lessons, as the gradual erosion of bonds, friendships, and feelings shattered my world into a million jagged fragments that defied reassembly. Such is the existence of certain individuals, I have come to know, who possess the power to dismantle you, leaving behind a wasteland of emotions, hollowness, and a pervasive skepticism towards the trustworthiness of others. In the aftermath of their destructive wake, one must be prepared to navigate the tumultuous waters of their own feelings, to confront the abyss of emptiness and rebuild trust unaided, for no one could ever truly comprehend the emotional roller coaster that had defined my existence. It was a solitary journey, paved with the shards of shattered expectations and the echoes of abandoned promises.