Captivated by a Lie

Back in 12th grade, I was feeling bored and wanted someone to talk to. While browsing Instagram, I noticed a mutual follower for the first time—a girl whose picture immediately captivated me. Even though I wasn’t looking for a relationship, I couldn’t help but reach out to her. She replied, and we began talking. Her responses were a bit dry at first, but I quickly found myself falling for her looks. I tried to focus on getting to know her better rather than just her appearance, but I couldn’t shake how beautiful she was.

Over time, our conversations became more engaging, and I felt like we were really connecting. We talked every day, had sleep calls, played games together, and she sent me many photos. It felt unreal and wonderful. However, after a few months, I realized she had never told me her real name, which started to bother me. When I asked, she said her parents only allow her to share her name with someone she introduces to them, which felt odd to me.

One night, feeling curious and bored, I decided to look through her school’s Facebook page, wondering if she had any photos there. I found a group picture with many reactions, and as I clicked through, I discovered a profile named "Rish" with her photo. Upon further investigation, I realized Rish was quite popular, with lots of followers and photo interactions. That’s when I started doubting if I was actually talking to the person in the pictures.

I was restless and couldn’t sleep, consumed with worry. The next morning, when she woke up, I hesitated but eventually confronted her, mentioning that I had found her real name on Facebook. I asked her directly if she was really the person in the photos. At first, she said yes, but when I pressed her further, she finally confessed she was not. She had been impersonating Rish the entire time. I was devastated. Though I was hurt, I forgave her and asked her to stop impersonating others.

A month later, I had almost moved on, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful the real Rish was. I decided to reach out to her to change my impression that was tainted by the impersonator. Unfortunately, she never responded. As time passed, my impression of Rish grew from just her looks to a genuine admiration for who she is as a person. I found myself falling for her all over again, but this time for real.

Now, all I want is to talk to Rish, be friends with her, and get to know her better. I’m willing to wait and hope that one day she’ll respond.