Fateful Encounter

Boy meets a Girl

The universe has a wicked sense of humor, doesn't it? One minute you're humming along to your commute playlist, perfectly content in your singlehood bubble, and next thing you know, bam! Cupid smacks you with a love arrow shaped like your dream person's quirky laugh. That's how it hit me with her, like a rogue meteor shower aimed directly at my heart. Suddenly, coffee dates morphed into existential conversations at 3 AM, and her favorite band became the soundtrack to every beat of my pulse. And the craziest part? It doesn't feel crazy at all. It feels like coming home after a lifetime of getting lost. So, buckle up, my cosmically-matched love, because this story's just getting started...

Let's get to the start, shall we? On the 5th of October, I met her and had a conversation with her for the first time. It was a really chilly night with a slight drizzle, and what unfolded that night is nothing short of a miracle. If someone asked me whether 'fate' exists and does it play a role in our lives before that night, then my answer would have been straight no. I found it dumb. Fate, destiny, miracles are all these superficial words which just too good to be true. Honestly I didn't even have any reason to believe in all that but then she came along without any kind of warning and just snuck in with every possible reason which I ever needed to have my faith in these superficial terms. I was sitting in my room with lights off in a corner looking at my phone, checking the group chat I recently joined. I was surrounded by the comforting darkness as I scrolled through the group chat, seeking solace in the virtual exchange of words. The weight of the tough day lingered, pressing on my shoulders. Closing my eyes, I let out a deep breath, desperately wanting to escape the reality that had burdened me. In that dimly lit corner, my phone became a temporary refuge, offering a brief respite from the challenges that seemed insurmountable. I began interacting in the group chat and just wanted to get involved with people to get rid of this loneliness I possessed. That group comprised of me, her, one girl who became our mutual friend (and served as a bridge between us to get those feelings out), and various NPCs. The night was going well, I was distracted enough to not think about the day I had experienced. I had added her in the group chat a while okay but she was yet to accept the request and come online but as fate would have it she joined the chat right when I was about to leave. However, for some reason, I changed my mind. Her username read 'Venus' which I later discovered was an alias. As she entered the chat, I welcomed her and asked, 'How are you doing, Venus?', she replied quickly 'Not very good.'. To this everyone in the group chat began asking her, 'What's wrong? Are you okay?'. She replied 'No. I am not. I am having a really bad panic attack'. Everyone began giving her suggestions of some kind or another but they were of no use and she just asked everyone to not give it much attention as she revealed, 'This isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't go away easily'. Saying that she averted the topic swiftly and stopped responding in the chat.

Everyone in the chat then went back to the usual chatter, as if nothing had happened. I wasn't sure how I felt witnessing this unfold. I couldn't bear to let someone suffer alone through something like that without offering help, even if that person was a stranger. I went and texted her personally, asking how she is now. I sent her a message saying, 'You didn't want to share stuff related to your depression and panic attacks on gc so would you like to share it here I am really concerned after the panic attack stuff' I'm not the kind of person to text strangers upfront, but this time was my exception. She responded back after 5 minutes, 'Yeah, man. I mean, I didn't say anything because it doesn't help me. I can share it, but it doesn't relieve me as the main cause of my issues is all within my house.' 'Well, if you don't feel like sharing it, you shouldn't. I won't force you, but if you ever want to talk, I am here,' I replied. To this, she said, 'I will, but right now, my hands are trembling like crazy.' I asked her if it was because of the panic attacks. 'Yeah, I am triggered really badly,' she confirmed. I then suggested her to put her hands in warm water to calm the nerves hence stopping the shaking. 'I did that, and as a result, I am able to type now.' she replied. 'Let me think of what else can help you' I said and started surfing around Google to see all the best alternatives I could find to help her, most of them were straight bull shit or something which was not possible to do in the state she was in, but I was able to find a few handful good remedies to help her. One by one I started suggesting her various remedies I found online, they consisted of very basic things like taking deep breaths up to count of 5 and releasing in a rhythm and focus on breathing, to more therapeutical things like imagining your happy place and the environment you'd wanna be in, to normal methods like soaking a towel in warm water and wiping your body slowly with it. They all helped in calming her down slowly and steadily; she was better than before. I began thinking to myself, 'What in the world happened to her? How can someone hurt a pure soul like hers? What kind of family does she have to end up in this condition?'