It was a beautiful winter evening when she sat at the balcony sipping on the hot coffee. With the fragrance of flowers in the air and the sun ready to set, the pink-blue hues created a magical aura. But Shanaya is still lost somewhere. Deeply thinking about unknown things, she was way far from reality. Her hot beverage was turning to be a chilled cup of coffee with the essence lost. 

Her bright eyes and lips that smiled always were dull today. To be honest, even she does not remember the time she felt this low previously. A cheerful, live at heart girl who used to pump in positivity wherever she went is stuck at an unknown dark place. Drops of tear rolled down her cheeks unknowingly, which caught the attention of her best friend, guide, and roommate, Parul. 

“What happened to you? Why are there tears in your eyes?” Parul asked, breaking the awkward silence. She gazed at Shanaya, looking for an answer which she might already know. Yes, last weekend’s evening, which was supposed to be a dream night, turned into a nightmare for her. The person she loved with all her heart and wished to spend her entire life has drifted apart. The reason is still unknown.

“Are you listening to me, Shanaya?” Parul questioned once again. She was not expecting any response this time as well. Yet she felt to try and continued, “ See, I know that time is not right. But how long you are going to be upset. Things happen for a reason. You still think your happiness lies with someone else.” 

Finally, after a long silence of a couple of days and lifeless living, Shanaya raised her eyes. It seemed she was ready to answer. It felt like she had cleared her thoughts. The itch, the pain was still there, but she was now ready; Parul hoped to look at her face. A long deep sigh followed the answer she was lurking for.

“Parul, I know you want me to be happy. I know you want me to leave the past and move ahead.” Shanaya said with a heavy heart. 

With eyes full of tears, she added, “You are right, I know. I just needed my time to understand and adjust. Years of togetherness and love, which I felt to stay forever, ended in a snap, and yes, that hurt me. I needed time to take off my mind and process.” 

Shanaya was serious this time. She was no sadder, but her eyes sparkled with confidence to start afresh. She gazed at the last beam of the sunlight, and a sweet smile spread over her lips. She looked at her friend and said, “Nothing is permanent in this temporary world, and unfortunately, I forgot this. My mistake was I lurked my happiness in others and forgot to see what made me happy. Even when I saw this coming, closing eyes to reality felt easier.”

Parul was amazed to hear this. Shanaya has been through heartbreak twice but always disagreed to accept that the relationship was never worth it. A mix of feelings gushed immediately. She got up with a new determination which felt warm and comforting. Parul was happy to know that Shanaya had finally realized her mistake and found happiness. 

Shanaya has finally found the missing piece.

It was no other but herself. Her happiness lies with herself and not with others.