To the person who shared their story here 3 days ago you made me feel less alone.

Hey, I don’t know if this will ever reach you, but your post from three days ago really struck a chord with me. The comments were locked, so I couldn’t say this there, but something about your words made me feel like I wasn’t the only one carrying this kind of weight.

In my case, the roles were kind of reversed I’m the doctor guy who got left behind, and she was the lawyer.

I’m usually a silent lurker here, rarely commenting, never posting. But after reading your story, I felt like maybe it’s time I shared mine too. I’ve been carrying this alone for a while now.

Right now, I’m preparing for the NEET PG exam scheduled for August 3rd. It’s been an exhausting journey. Coming from a traditional family in Malabar, and being in my late twenties, there’s constant pressure to settle down. But I’ve never been a fan of the arranged marriage setup where you talk for five minutes and suddenly you’re engaged. It just never felt right.

About a month ago, I met a girl here on Reddit. She’s a lawyer on a career break, and coincidentally, both our families shared similar backgrounds and values. We started chatting casually. Slowly, conversations about marriage came up what it would be like if we ended up together. We even imagined a wedding in our heads.

At that point, I was isolating myself, living alone in a 1BHK house, studying 16 hours a day, barely stepping out, drowning in books and notes. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until she came into my life. It felt like someone threw me a lifeline.

Our talks shifted from marriage to friendship. I opened up to her about everything my anxiety, my strained relationship with my family, my burnout. She listened. She gave practical advice. And for the first time in a long while, I felt a little lighter.

We became best friends, sharing the tiny moments of our day. But what I failed to see was that while I was opening up, she was never quite as open with me. And I realized it too late.

I fell for her. Classic, right? I ruined what we had by confessing. She didn’t feel the same. What hurt most wasn’t that she didn’t love me back but when she admitted that our conversations, which meant the world to me, were just a distraction for her own struggles. It felt like everything I cherished had no meaning for her.

Still, I didn’t want to lose her. I told her to forget what I said I could just be her best friend. All I asked was that she didn’t leave. She agreed.

But things changed. Replies slowed. Conversations felt one sided. It was as if she was hanging around out of sympathy until my exam was over. It was tough for me, an introvert with social anxiety, while she was the complete opposite. Because of her, though, I started therapy with a senior psychiatrist at my hospital. I began stepping out of my shell, taking up night duties to stay productive.

But somewhere along the way, we lost the spark.

Eventually, I took a break. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I told her we should reconnect after my exam maybe with some space, things could get back to how they were. What we shared was never physical it was emotional intimacy, at least for me.

It’s been over two weeks now. She sent a couple of kind messages wishing me luck and even promised she’d be there waiting after my exam. But now, her profile picture’s gone. I don’t see her online anymore. No blocks, but it feels like she’s slowly disappearing. I even tried reaching out through LinkedIn and Facebook. No response.

And now, I’m scared. Scared that she’ll never reconnect. That maybe she was just meant to be a temporary chapter in my life. Maybe she came into my life for a reason to help me through this rough patch.

There’s also something I never told her. Years ago, I lost someone I deeply loved. My ex. For the longest time, I told people we broke up, while inside my head, I pretended she was still alive. I couldn’t accept reality. Even now, a decade later, I’m terrified of falling in love because I fear I’ll lose them too.

With less than a month left for my exam, I honestly don’t even know where my mind is. But when I saw your post, it made me feel less alone. Like someone out there gets it.

You’re brave, you know. Not everyone has the courage to come here and open up like you did. But you did. And I just wanted to say I’m proud of you.