College was supposed to be a time of new experiences and freedom, but for Shan, it felt like another battleground. Between the endless lectures and assignments, he fought to keep his sanity intact. Nights were spent awake, his thoughts consumed by Muthuu and the life he longed for—a life that seemed just out of reach.
His friends, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside him, continued to drag him into their escapades. Late-night beach parties, sneaking into old buildings, and pulling pranks on their professors became their routine. Shan joined in, but the laughter and excitement felt increasingly hollow.
One night, after a particularly chaotic party, Shan found himself alone on the beach. The moonlight cast a silvery glow on the crashing waves, but to him, it all seemed shrouded in darkness. The sound of the ocean was soothing, but it did little to calm the storm inside him.
Desperate for a connection, Shan pulled out his phone and dialed Muthuu’s number. Hearing her voice always provided a momentary escape from his troubled thoughts.
“Shan?” Muthuu’s voice was gentle, tinged with concern. “It’s late. Are you okay?”
“I just needed to hear you,” Shan said, his voice barely audible. He closed his eyes, envisioning her beside him, her hand in his.
“What’s wrong?” Muthuu’s voice was steady but filled with empathy. She could sense the sadness that lay beneath his words.
Shan hesitated, struggling to articulate his feelings. “I’m just tired, Muthuu. Tired of everything. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”
Muthuu’s heart ached as she listened to his pain. She wished she could be there with him, to offer more than just words of comfort. “You don’t have to do this alone, Shan. I’m here with you, always.”
Shan’s throat tightened, and he struggled to keep his emotions in check. “I know,” he whispered. “But sometimes it feels like everything is falling apart.”
The distance between them felt immense, and Muthuu longed to close that gap. She wished she could be there to hold him, to reassure him that things would eventually get better. “We’ll get through this, Shan. Together. I love you.”
Her words were like a lifeline, pulling him back from the edge of despair. Shan took a deep breath, allowing her love and support to soothe his troubled mind. “I love you too, Muthuu. More than anything.”
He sat there for a long while, the waves crashing rhythmically against the shore, each sound a reminder of the life he yearned to build with Muthuu. The connection they shared, even over the phone, was a beacon of hope in the darkness.
Shan’s friends were starting to notice his detachment, but he brushed off their concerns with practiced ease. They saw him as the same fun-loving guy, but inside, Shan was struggling to maintain the façade. Each forced laugh and half-hearted joke was a reminder of the life he was trying to escape and the reality he could not avoid.
Despite the temporary relief he found in Muthuu’s voice, the pressure of living a double life weighed heavily on him. He felt caught between the expectations of his father and the love he had for Muthuu, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the charade.
One afternoon, while walking across campus, Shan was approached by Ravi, one of his closest friends. Ravi’s usual playful demeanor was replaced with a more serious tone. “Hey, Shan. You’ve seemed off lately. Everything okay?”
Shan forced a smile, trying to keep the conversation light. “Just a bit tired, Ravi. Lots of stuff going on, you know?”
Ravi studied him for a moment, clearly unconvinced. “If you need to talk, I’m here. You don’t have to go through things alone, you know?”
Shan nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. He appreciated Ravi’s concern but wasn’t ready to open up about the depths of his struggle. “Thanks, Ravi. I’ll keep that in mind.”
As Shan continued his day, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped. His interactions with friends, family, and even Muthuu were colored by the burden he carried. He felt like he was walking a tightrope, trying to balance his love for Muthuu with the oppressive expectations of his father.
In moments of solitude, he found solace in writing. He would pen down his thoughts and feelings, using his journal as a way to cope with the emotions he couldn’t share with anyone else. Each entry was a raw expression of his fears, hopes, and dreams—a testament to the internal battle he faced every day.
One evening, after another long day of pretending, Shan sat alone in his room, his journal open in front of him. He wrote:
*“Sometimes it feels like I’m living in a world that doesn’t understand me. I want so badly to break free from these expectations, but every step I take feels like a step further away from the life I want. I miss Muthuu more than words can say. She’s the only one who truly gets me, who makes me feel like I’m not alone. But even with her love and support, the weight of my family’s expectations is almost too much to bear. I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this charade. I hope, somehow, I can find a way to make everything work—to find a balance between my love for her and the life my father has planned for me. Until then, I’ll hold onto the hope that things will get better, that there will come a time when I can be honest about who I am and what I want.”*
Shan closed his journal and sat in silence, the weight of his words heavy in the stillness of his room. The path ahead was uncertain, but he clung to the hope that with Muthuu by his side, he could navigate the challenges and find a way to reconcile his two worlds. For now, her love was the light that guided him through the darkness, and he hoped that one day, he would find the strength to live authentically and openly, without fear or regret.
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Eternal Echo Of Love
Teen Fiction"Echoes of Our Love" tells the moving story of Shan and Muthuu, whose deep bond faces numerous trials from family opposition and personal challenges. Set in Sri Lanka, their journey from childhood friends to soulmates explores the strength of true l...
