Islington Diary

Chapter 2

It was December, my birth month when it all began. He started following me on Instagram, liking my stories, and then texted a simple "Hi."

Him: Hi.

Me: Hi.

Him: How have you been? It's been so long since I saw you at Brit.

(Brit is our college hangout spot where students gather, mini concerts happen, and there's a café.)

Me: I'm in my third year now, so all my classes are in the morning. By 10, I'm already gone from college. That's why you haven't seen me.

Him: I used to notice you in college back then. You were so charming, especially with your red hair.

Me: Oh, really? I no longer have red hair, and I'm not the same girl you remember.

Him: Can we meet? Don't get me wrong. It just a casual meeting. Don't think anything. He added furthermore.

Me: Okay, sure. Let's meet on December 28th then. 

Him: Okay, waiting patiently with a smiley emote.

Me: Okay. See yeah then with the same smiley emote.

Little did I know that responding to that "Hi" would profoundly impact my mental health. But again, this wasn't just any greeting—it was from a boy who had caught my eye a year earlier.

(**********Flashback *********)

I still vividly remember the first time I saw him. It was late November 2022, during my second year of BSc Computing. I was in one of my favourite spots on campus, where the winter sun kissed the surroundings just right. Students often gathered there for what my best friend and I called mini-concerts—impromptu performances that added a vibrant vibe to the place.

On that particular day, he stood out: introverted, shy, yet captivating as he hummed the lyrics of "Chitta Vitra." I couldn't take my eyes off him; he seemed to fit my ideal type perfectly. I even recorded a video and shared it on my Instagram story.

Later that night, I found out his name from a senior and managed to find his Instagram profile. However, my excitement was short-lived when I discovered he was already in a relationship—a fact clearly displayed in his bio. That was the end of my crushing era.
And it was the end. Never from that day, has my mind ever wondered to him.

(*****In Present*****)

A year passed, and in December, I received a message from him on Instagram. He greeted me with a simple "Hi," and unknowingly, that message marked the beginning of a new chapter filled with love, compassion, devotion, lies, heartbreak, and betrayal.