Unwarranted Expectation

Two decades back they had met each other at college. Within no time, they became the closest of friends. She liked his humor and his general attitude towards life. “Everything seems so simple for him. He never cribbed anything about life. He took each day as it comes.” she signed.  She was very aloof, extremely diligent and studious. Her seriousness towards life and her dedication to whatever things she awed him. “Within that diffident, reticent girl lives another fun-loving woman. “he thought.

They left college, got busy with their respective lives. Like any relationship, they had their share of ups and downs. But every time they got back together within no time. They were not regularly in touch, however, whenever they talked, they could start from wherever they left previously.

He met the girl of his dreams and decided to take his relationship to the next level.  She came to know about it through another friend of theirs. She felt miserable. She thought “Why didn’t he tell me? It’s an important decision in his life and all the while during our conversations, he kept it hidden from me.” She expressed her displeasure to him. He said “I was about to say to you. It was not intentional.”  That was all she needed, no other explanations or arguments after that.

Days passed, years passed. She frequented him and his family whenever possible. The warmth they shared, transpired to his family as well. More good things happened to his life. In some instances, she came to know about them through their friends or through his wife. She wondered “Why didn’t he tell me? Does he even value me?” She confronted him but he had reasons for everything. He had no issues with her, whatsoever. 

There came a day when his hard work was recognized by his fraternity. The news was broken to her by his wife. Instead of being happy for success, she got upset and dialed his wife. She told her “Why is that I am always the last person to know about him.” Before his wife could answer her, she hung up. After a while, when everything had settled, she thought “What did I just do? I feel ashamed of myself. How can I face her? She always has been the peacemaker. Also, he has been consistently inconsistent. I should have just accepted him the way he is. Sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectation!”  She texted his wife an apology.