"Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love, and it's an ache I still remember
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough
No, you didn't have to stoop so low"
~ Somebody I used to know
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When Mrs. Kishan saw Ishan was downstairs she pulled him to sit and have some food.
She said she was gonna feed her son even though Ishan whined that he had grown up and could eat himself.
" Maa ke liye bachhe bachhe hi rehte hai chahe vo kitne bhi bade kyu na ho jaye." She said and started feeding him.
He was eating while thinking how long it took him to get this comfortable with his own family.
'Family'- a unit having a couple and their children living together, a simple 6-lettered word that held so many emotions to Ishan, wasn't something he thought he could even have. Even though he had both his parents and a lovely sister living with him didn't mean he had all the support and warmth he sought until the last few years. The only people who he thought were his family were his grandparents.
Ishan grew up living with his grandparents in Delhi as his father worked in Italy at an MNC. Due to some reasons, Ishan couldn't move to Italy with his parents and when they could finally were able to take him with them he didn't want to since he practically spent his whole childhood with his grandparents, he was fond of them and had a great bond with his dadi specifically so he didn't want to leave them.
During his childhood he was having the time of his life. Ishan being academically bright didn't face much difficulty at school and was a social butterfly.
But one night his life turned one-eighty when his grandparents died in an accident. His parents had to rush to India with baby Nishita. Ishan,who had turned seven just a few days ago, was traumatized.
This was his first heartbreak. He couldn't move on from the fact that his grandparents are dead now, he didn't even get to say a proper goodbye. He was broken inside.
Their parents wanted to stay with him in India but couldn't due to their job. So they decided to Talk with Ishan about moving with them to Italy. They had this thought in their mind that Ishan would move with them easily but it was the opposite.
He cried and said he didn't want to go away from this place, their home where he grew up. The place was heaven to him, a lot of memories took birth there while his parents were away.
He didn't want to go away.
It took them a week to convince Ishan to move with them and told him it was the best for him. In the end, he agreed to move leaving those memories behind.
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After everything was settled Ishan was taken to Italy. Since he didn't spend much time with his parents he wasn't much close to them. He stopped talking much and remained quiet. Parents were so worried about his mental health.
He went to therapy when things got serious, he never went outside, refused to eat with them, and never talked with his parents. His mom was worried, dad was worried, they both understood that their beloved son needed some time to heal himself. They also put many little effort so they can build a beautiful relationship again.
After few years, he was back, old Ishan was back. He became a ray of sunshine again. While seeing the changes his parents were on cloud nine.
They taught him that one day everyone would leave, and he learned that they were in a better place now.
What happened next? he was healed and his relationship with his parents became strong. And he happily started a new chapter of his life again.
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His school life was not going great at the new place. He was a bit shy at school. And why he wouldn't be? Everything was new for him. New school, new faces, new environment, and even language were new to him.
Even though he was a ray of sunshine, he was the quietest kid in his classroom. He didn't know the names of his classmates even after spending almost half a year with them.
His daily routine was simple - eat, go to school, spend time with his family, sleep, and repeat.
He was lonely but not alone.
His heart wanted to be friends with everyone and have a cute love life just like an average teenager. But it was hard for him. He decided to keep his distance from others.
But things were about to change.
A new kid was admitted to his class. Of course, he was an Indian. So Mrs. Beth, his class teacher decided they would sit together and both could make good company with each other.
Yes, they made a company, and fate already had a plan for these two boys.
They were hesitant to even talk to each other but after 2 days they became friends. Ishan was happy that he was not going to spend the next 6 months in school alone. He finally found his best friend. And they made good memories in their school years.
And a new chapter in Ishan's life started when His so-called best friend confessed he liked him and wanted to be his boyfriend.
Imagine being with your best friend from 7th grade and sharing moments with each asks you out.
He proposed to Ishan in his senior high school year. Ishan was happiest when he said he liked him and wanted to be with him.
He thought he finally got everything in his life. parents' love, a best friend, and now a lover
Ishan said "Yes"
He painted his world with colors and they both were happy and spending each moment with joy and happiness. After his parents, Ishan adored his boyfriend the most.
But...
Now, their love story took a strange turn.
It finally rained black in his little world.
Why? What happened to them?
Ishan's heart was broken again by him when he said he wanted to break up and want to go his separate way.
This time without him, Ishan.
He was really serious about their relationship.
He never gave him an explanation as to why they were breaking up.
He just said " I am so sick and tired of you, you are annoying and I don't want you to be around me anymore. GOODBYE." It was his last words to him.
His heart shattered into millions of pieces upon hearing this.
He loved him a lot, he was his everything. He always thought of marrying with him. Two of them with two little kittens under the same roof. He always loved imagining himself with his sweetheart and thought about how he was gonna ask for his hand to marry him.
But now?
Things were changed, they had broken up, and his worst nightmare had come true.
They had been dating for the last 3 years.
As Each year passed by, his love for him got stronger and stronger. Ishan couldn't imagine him being away even for a few hours.
But now he was forced to spend his life without him. Why was it always him who had to go through shit every time?
His love had broken up just a week before the holidays. He wanted to visit India, his homeplace, with him and meet with his family. And wanted to spend the holidays with his partner.
Everything was ruined now.
He misses him a lot. He is in pain but has to pretend he is okay but in reality, he is not OK. He wants to scream at the top of his lungs because of how heartbroken he is now.
Was those 3 years of being together nothing to him? This question has been stressing him a lot since last week.
His love was gone, he was gone now.
He doesn't want to see him with anyone but himself.
How is he supposed to let him go? Can't he stay forever with him?
These were the thoughts, Hauting him day and night.
'THE ECHOES OF HIS LOST LOVE'
"Sometimes, it's the memories that hurt us the most, because they remind us of what we've lost."
To be continued......