FOREVER TOGETHER -- The Couple That Showed Inseparable Bond

I was constantly worried about the way he looked at me every time I passed by. Back then, I was in the 10th grade. My life wasn’t as simple as other kids'. Since childhood, I had been an introvert and rarely talked much. I didn’t have a good relationship with my parents; in fact, I didn’t like them, or maybe it was just a typical teenage phase. For teenagers, parents are often seen as enemies. I had a best friend, a girl, and we had been friends for about 11 years. We were the most popular duo in school, sharing a beautiful bond. We often made jokes about the boys who ogled at us on the road. I would stay over at her place for days, and she would do the same at mine. Our relationship was like that of sisters. This friendship was the backdrop for the beginning of my love story. Her house had a veranda that opened onto a road, with a cloth shop directly across from it. Several boys worked at that shop, and some would stare at us, hoping we’d talk to them someday. We found their attention amusing and laughed at their foolishness. But there was one boy whose eyes conveyed a different message—they said, "I am yours." At first, I didn’t reciprocate those feelings, but as time passed, I began to develop them. We would exchange glances and smiles on the road, and like anyone experiencing butterflies for someone, it felt special. Even though we were strangers, we soon developed an unspoken connection. He seemed older than me, and I lacked the courage to say anything to him. Besides, he had a lower social status, which made him hesitant to approach me as well. In India, status is everything. We spent more than six or seven months just looking at and smiling at each other, never acting on our feelings. Then came the month of my pre-board exams for class 10. I remember clearly the night before my Physics exam on January 23, 2021. I spent four hours searching for him on social media. Because of my strict parents, I didn’t have any social media accounts, so I created a fake one just for this purpose. Without knowing his name, I struggled to find him. Finally, I discovered his f*******: account through the name of the shop where he worked. Despite finding him, I was too afraid to message him, fearing what he might think or who he really was. Four more months passed. I finished my board exams with good marks and spent my time looking at his photos, hoping that one day I would be his. Up until then, everything seemed normal. But then, everything changed.