Time, I learned, had its own rhythm. One moment could feel like a heartbeat, and the next could feel like forever. From June 2023, when our game of teasing began, to July 2025, when my dream met real life in a sudden way, my time with Bela had been full of laughter, secrets, and feelings we didn't say.

My school stress still followed me like a cloud. It was always there, a quiet reminder that the world outside our messages didn't stop for our daydreams. Bela, on the other hand, had passed her exams and was now calm. But even from a distance, her presence was powerful.

We kept up our little dance, our talks filled with humor and things we secretly wanted to say. I learned more about her small habits, the way she laughed at things no one else would, and the parts of her mind she showed only to me. She learned about my small routines and the quiet battles I faced. Our conversations became a special world just for us.

But there were also hints of a truth I didn't want to see. One night, she sent a message, comparing me to someone else. "You're so careful, Kartik," she wrote, "so loyal... unlike him. He doesn't truly care. But maybe... no one notices the loyal ones, except me." Her words felt like both a flower and a thorn. She was joking, but a part of her was real, and it made my heart beat faster. She judged people and made choices, and I couldn't control that.

The tension grew on a video call in July 2025. It seemed like a normal call, but the air was heavy. Bela’s face appeared, looking beautiful in the soft light of her room. And then... I saw him. Next to her on the screen was Moksh, my closest cousin.

My world seemed to shake. My heart felt tight. How could this be? The girl I had talked to for so long was now with him, smiling next to him in a way that felt too simple and easy.

She spoke, her voice both teasing and honest. "See, Kartik," she began, "Moksh is reliable, strong... he gets me in ways you don't. And you... you have been sweet, but maybe too loyal for someone like me."

It felt like the ground had vanished. I wanted to yell or ask why, but no words came out. I just stared at the screen, my heart fighting my mind. But then, a strange calm came over me. This was the truth of her world now.

The call ended, leaving a loud silence. Then, I understood. For years, I had walked in her shadows and laughed in her light, holding on to a dream of what we were. But now I saw the truth: I couldn't make her love me. I couldn't change reality. All I could do was move on and keep my honor.

In the days that followed, I felt her absence in a new way. The village parties, which used to be full of fun, now felt like places to avoid her. Bela and Moksh would look at each other, but when I was around, their faces would become a little sad, their laughs a little empty. It wasn't about revenge; it was just how things had changed.

I walked the streets of Bhopal, thinking about the magical world we had made. I pictured rivers that whispered secrets and winds that carried laughter. That dream of our world was still there, even as real life pushed its way in.

I knew that love, like magic, cannot be forced. It cannot change time, distance, or a person's choice. It lives in moments, in small sparks, in shared laughter, and in the pain of missing someone. Bela had been a big part of my story, and even if she was now on a different path, I carried the lessons and the beauty of our time together.

There was one last piece of the fantasy: I knew that even in her new life with Moksh, the memory of our moments—the teasing, the flirting, the hidden glances, the secret messages—would still exist, like a hidden garden. And I? I moved forward into my own story, without jealousy, made stronger by the truth, ready for new adventures, new laughter, and new, unexpected magic in the days to come.

It was a sad goodbye that also felt like a new start. In that gentle balance, I found my peace.