My Friend's Heartbreak Taught Me That Men Will Always Be Men...

The age-old adage goes, "Men are always men." But let me clarify, it's not a sweeping generalization, but rather a reflection on the complexities of men understanding the profound love of a woman.

This story centres around my dear friend, Karthika (name changed), who once shared every fragment of her life with me. Our paths converged during our post-graduation days, and it was then that Karthika found herself captivated by a young man named Raju (name changed).

Karthika's heart was secretly tethered to Raju, whom she admired from afar, her gaze never wavering.

Every day, she longed for an opportunity to speak with him. It was a fateful day when one of our classmates finally introduced us to Raju.

Karthika was elated and soon started conversing with him regularly. However, the confounding conundrum was that Karthika never revealed her affection for him, as he was perpetually surrounded by friends, leaving her to speculate whether he was involved with any of them.

Time flowed like a river, and our post-graduation days ended as we all went our separate ways. Fortunately, Karthika was accepted into the same university for her PhD, but memories of Raju continued to haunt her. She yearned for his return.

Two years into her Ph.D., fate intervened, and Raju secured a seat at the same university. Karthika was overjoyed and eagerly anticipated the chance to reconnect.

As they reunited, their meetings became frequent, and their conversations spanned hours. Then, the unexpected happened. Raju urgently expressed his affection for Karthika and proposed to her, confessing his feelings that had remained concealed.

Karthika's joy knew no bounds; she accepted his proposal without hesitation, her heart alight with happiness.

Their relationship deepened, and two years later, Karthika broached the topic of marriage, asking Raju about the promises he had made. To her astonishment, Raju's demeanour took an abrupt turn. He adamantly declared that he had no intentions of marrying her, that he had merely sought a physical relationship.

Shocked by his revelation, Karthika, driven by love, attempted to convince him and suggested waiting until he found stable employment.

Raju, unyielding in his stance, cited familial objections, insisting that his parents would never accept their union.

Each time Karthika inquired about their future, Raju conjured feeble excuses to evade the subject. Despite his betrayal, Karthika's love remained unwavering, and she resolved not to marry anyone else.

In retrospect, I cannot help but reflect upon the adage, "Men are always men." Our society has endowed men with privileges that, at times, they wield thoughtlessly, disregarding the emotional toll on women. It appears that men often take their positions for granted, convinced that they can act with impunity, while women bear the brunt of their decisions.

But, in my view, it is not my dear friend who was deceived; it is Raju who demonstrated foolishness and a failure to grasp the true essence of love.

YOUR STORY

BAKKAR. CHAI. SUTTA

LET'S FACE IT