Story 14: Love and Betrayal 🥀

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The moon, a celestial pearl draped across the velvet sky, painted the city in its ethereal glow. I was sitting by the window when I received Arsalan's message. I've been sitting here ever since the sun drowned in the west. From the 20th floor of my apartment, the entire city looks like a magical realm bathed in the moonlight. Today is a full moon! What a beautiful moon is up in the sky. A soft, gentle light illuminates all around.

But this moon was not the usual moon of the night to me. This is not about what I see with my eyes, but what I feel in my heart. If I told anyone this, they might think I'm crazy. Everyone knows that the full moon is the most beautiful phase of the moon from the earth. So, what's the point of saying this?

But my heart doesn't agree, and that's why I sit by the window in my room every night, waiting for the moon. Not a nature lover? No. But I am waiting! And for a full moon, like a full plate. Everyone knows that there is an eclipse once a month and a full moon once a month. So, if you don't see the moon on one night of the month, it will be there on the other nights, no matter what time it is or what shape it is in. So, what's the point of sitting there impatiently? You can see it in the evening or at midnight. But I wait for the full moon, and sometimes even the full moon is not visible to me. So? Is this the ravings of a madwoman?

I pulled my mind out of the reverie and thought about Arsalan's message again. He wrote, "I'm sorry. Can't we try again, the two of us? I don't know if you're still waiting for me, but I know you're still disappointed. I don't know how I can still hope for something from you, even though I've done what I've done. Think about it and give me an answer."

I was confused I asked myself "What should I answer? Yes, or no?" But if I ask my heart honestly, I can see that my heart still wants him.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a notification on my mobile phone. When I brought the phone up to my eyes, I saw a text from Kami:

Kami: Hey Freya! Are you up?

Freya: Yeah, just here by the window.

Kami: Same here! How are you?

Freya: I don't know Kami! Arsalan dropped me a message today.

Kami: Really? What did he say?

Freya: He's all like, "Let's start over."

Kami: Ugh. So, what do you want? What's going on in that head of yours?

Freya: I don't know. Should I open my heart to him? I am not sure.

Kami: Well, if you ask me, it's worth a shot. Lay it all out and see how it goes. But again, I am scared for you.

Freya: Let's see how it goes. I can't be a fool again.

This is my best friend Kami who sits up with me every night, even though we are sitting at different windows. Who are we waiting for?

When I was back in high school, I could only think about going to school and coming back home. I was kind of weak in math and science. I used to take help in math and science from my elder brother; he used to teach me. He was just starting his master's degree in mathematics at the time. But just before my final exams, he joined a prestigious school as a math teacher.

So, my brother got busy with his work and couldn't teach me anymore. I was worried about how I would pass the exams. And I knew I couldn't find a private tutor before the exam. At that time, my only best friend Kami came to me with help; she said, "Come to my house; I'll ask the person I study with to teach you too. He is the brother of my sister-in-law a gentleman."

One afternoon, I went to their house after school. We arrived half an hour after he came from his university. I got to know Arsalan at Kami's house. He actually lives with them. "Arsalan is the name of Kamis sister-in-law's brother". After hearing about my problem from Kami, he said, "Let me see your notebook." I handed over my school notebook and sat quietly. After looking at it for a while in a serious manner, he said, "Okay, you can also come to study and find out from her when the classes are. And one thing: I won't like it if anyone comes late to my class."

So, the preparations for the exam began. The exam came and went, and three months later, when the results came out, we learned that the two of us had done very well. After the exam results came out, we were very happy and first we went to Arsalan and showed our results. Seeing everything, he was happy and said, "Well, you have kept my standards. I am very happy."

After high school, Kami, and I both enrolled for a special course on science in the same college. The science course unfolded, intertwined with Arsalan's presence. He came to teach me at my house this time, as arranged by my father. Studies progressed well, and before I realized it, my heart had surrendered to him. Tanisha, my cousin sister, was the first to catch on to my feelings. "Have you told him how you feel?" she asked one day. Blushing, I denied it. "Don't be too shy," she advised. "Tell him soon."

I still can't forget that night, five years from now, the memory of which still shimmers like a pearl in the moonlight. That day, Arsalan came to teach me a bit later in the evening, and suddenly the lights went out—load shedding. As luck would have it, our inverter was down that day. Tanisha gave us a candle and whispered in my ear as she left, "Today is your golden opportunity, sis." After a few minutes, Arsalan said, "Let's call it off today then, since we can't study by candlelight." I said, "I think it will come back on soon. Let's go up to the terrace instead."

He suddenly became excited and said, "Let's go! Today is a full moon. You were thinking of studying astronomy today, yeah? So, we can see the craters on the moon; it won't be less than a lesson."

We went up to the terrace. While listening to the monotonous physics lesson, I realized when he went silent. I was looking intently at the moon when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see him gazing at me with deep eyes. In the moonlight, I saw an extraordinary love story in his eyes, something I had never seen before. He whispered, "I love you, Freya." His words filled my ears like the buzzing of bees, and before I could breathe, he embraced me. His lips descended upon mine. When he pulled away after a while, my whole body was filled with an incredible feeling of love.

From then on, our boat of love sailed smoothly. My best friend also knew about our love. Meanwhile, we finished our course and entered universities. Arsalan got a job and moved to Paris. I enrolled in a local university, while Kami moved to Paris as well for higher education. Three of us stayed in touch through phone calls.

But as the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. It's true. Due to the distance, somehow, Kami and Arsalan grew closer, and I moved away. When I found out, it felt like the darkness of an eclipse had descended upon my eyes. I couldn't believe that the one who had promised me his love could forget me like that. I only asked one thing to Kami after that day: "Could you bring yourself to hurt your friend like this? You knew Arsalan first; if you loved him, why didn't you tell him before? Then I wouldn't have gone this far." Of course, love doesn't sit in one place and build a house in another. But this wound broke me completely. I retreated into a corner of my room, unsure if I would ever study again. I didn't speak to Kami for a year or something.

It was a big deal that I was able to turn around after much effort. I even got a good job. Some colleagues from my work life tried to make advances, but I still haven't been able to move on. My first love still hurts in my heart.

But I don't know if my words left a mark on Kami's or Arsalan's minds. I heard that the two who got close together so quickly also drifted apart just as swiftly. Today, Arsalan's message has arrived, but that full moon still clouds my thoughts. Will that night ever return to my life? Will I be able to witness the radiance of the full moon again? I yearn for that answer. I love him, but I can't forget what he did to me. Today, I still await that full moon, but somehow, it doesn't seem as bright to my eyes anymore.

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