That day, my mood was completely ruined.
And not just for one reason, but two.
First, because I didn’t get to watch KGF Chapter 2 a movie I had been waiting for with so much excitement. I had dreamed of watching the first day, first-show, but thanks to this sudden “Rishta” meeting, that dream slipped away just like that. My brother went to the theatre without me, and I swear, in that moment, I felt like I hated him. It wasn’t his fault, I knew that… but still. I was annoyed, disappointed, and a little heartbroken.
Second, and more importantly the boy.
Yes, that boy.
The one whose Instagram I had stalked. The one who looked so smart and handsome online. The one I had secretly started imagining in my life. When I met him in person… he looked completely different.
Clean-shaven.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByy3lrvfOR
Hair trimmed down.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRTRTS1MVl
Beard gone.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6657PQCHkt
Just like that, the version of him I had in my head vanished.
I won’t lie I felt cheated by reality.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkX56TtX3sj
This was not the face I had been staring at on Instagram. This was not the guy who had confused me just days before. Somehow, without that little bit of beard, that hairstyle, that look — he didn’t seem like the same person. It felt like I was meeting a stranger. And the worst part? I didn’t like him anymore.
14th April that was the date we met. And to this day, I think of it as one of the most awkward and disappointing days of my life.
After the meeting, we returned home.
My parents, my aunty they were all smiles. They said he was polite, decent, well-mannered.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85HtTDtQQG
“Good boy,” they said. “Family is nice.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl93iW7foN6
They were impressed.
But me?
I felt nothing.
No spark. No connection. No excitement. Just discomfort.
I tried to distract myself, but later that evening, curiosity got the better of me again. I opened his Instagram — one more time.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTk6KGPwuD
Just to see.
But in my distraction, I accidentally viewed his story.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9k0Oodv4A
My heart stopped for a second.
Because not long after that, I got a notification 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLiu3fqHjc
“Milind has sent you a follow request.”
That’s when I knew.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu5aBOvwzo
I messed up.
I sat there, staring at the screen, completely confused. Should I accept it? Should I ignore it? Would accepting it mean I was interested? Would rejecting it be rude?
I immediately messaged my best friend, like always.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIQcz65XRQ
Her reply came fast and firm:72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7yhpoZcNY
“Don’t accept it. You both aren’t even in a relationship yet.”
She was right. We weren’t dating. We hadn’t spoken. We hadn’t even exchanged proper eye contact that day.
So, I did what made sense.
I let the request sit there unaccepted.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKdUemijoL
No reply. No reaction. Just silence.
That night, my head was full of noise, but my heart was quiet.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhqxT9oHbf
Confused. Detached. And just a little sad.
Sometimes, things look perfect from far away.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5H9EIgcj5H
And then reality shows up without filters, without angles and changes everything.
