When You Know the Word Trust but Don’t Have It in Others.
A story about trust and learning to move on
As years pass by, our attitude and behavior change. We are not the same as we used to be. Our beliefs, thoughts, and decisions change, and so does our life. It is said that life is the best teacher, and it teaches us in its own way. There is no way to escape from the learnings of life.
This is the story of Mayra, a 25 year old woman who lost her will to live due to a recent heartbreak. She had been in a relationship with her college friend, Rehan, for five years.
One day, as Mayra was watching TV, Rehan called.
“Hi, Mayra. I need to tell you something important and urgent.”
“Yes, what happened? Is everything fine?” she asked.
“I want to end this relationship,” Rehan said bluntly.
Mayra was stunned. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, but I just want to end it,” he replied and hung up.
Mayra stared at her phone in disbelief. She was emotional and gave her whole heart in love. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to reach him, but he didn’t answer. Realizing it was truly over, her dreams of a future with him shattered.
Just like other girls, she had imagined herself in a red lehenga, dancing at her wedding, and enjoying future with him. But life didn’t give her that chance. Everything was broken.
She stopped going out after this incident, working from home and eating only once a day. This routine continued for two weeks until her mom came to visit. Mayra lived away from her parents because of her job.
Her mom was shocked to see her condition—dark circles under her eyes, red and puffy eyes, wearing a loose t-shirt, and the spark in her eyes completely gone. Her mom forced her to come out with her, and they went to a café.
Her mom ordered some snacks. There Mayra saw her ex-boyfriend with her close friend, talking loudly. She thought they must have become friends, so she ignored them. But then she saw them hugging and him kissing her forehead, which she found strange. She didn’t say anything but couldn’t stop the thoughts from invading her mind. She drank her coffee and went home.
The next day, she saw a social media post from her close friend, announcing her engagement to Rehan with the caption, “Finally found the best one.”
Mayra looked at the post and felt as if someone was trying to take her heart away. She threw the phone away and went to her favorite place, her garden.
She sat on the grass, looked at the sky and started thinking about the past. This was her first breakup, her first love. She remembered how happy she was when he had proposed to her.
She remembered past incidents where people broke her trust—friends who were jealous and betrayed her, a cousin who deceived her mom for property, and her sister’s heartbreak due to her husband’s affair.
She decided something in her life.she said to herself
“See, when I start talking to people, I get attached to them quickly. Then I start trusting them, and when they do something, it hurts. So why not stop talking to people and stop making any friendships?”
As Months passed,
Mayra became less emotional and kind-hearted. She distanced herself from people, just saying hi and never making new friends or talking to old ones. She thought people came into her life only for their benefit, and once it was fulfilled, they leave.
One day, she went to her cousin's wedding because her mom forced her to come. There, she met a distant relative who was easy to talk to. He noticed her behavior and asked her mom what was wrong. Her mom explained her past, and he understood. Being a doctor, he knew how to handle patients.
He approached her and said, “Mayra, that’s how life is. Because of a few people, you can’t categorize the whole world as bad. Because of some bad incidents, you can’t say your past was the worst. Because something bad might happen, you can’t stop living. Because some people will leave, you can’t stop making friends.
It’s like you stop driving because you fear you might meet with an accident. It’s like you stop trying because you think you will fail. Understand that in life, no matter how cautious you are, you can’t escape its teachings. When the same thing happens repeatedly, it’s life trying to teach you something, and it will continue until you learn.
Life was trying to teach you that when you trust people, you think they will never leave and you want them forever. But when they don’t stay, you feel that people just leave you. You need to understand that some people come and go, while others stay forever.
Because of some people, you have distanced yourself from those who are really waiting for you to talk and spend time with them.
For example, look at your mom. Doesn’t she wait every day to have a chat with you like before, but you stopped doing that. What did your mother do? Why are you punishing yourself and your loved ones for things they didn’t do?
Making new friends is your choice, trusting them is your choice, and staying is their choice, which you can’t force. Learn to let go of some things and don’t be harsh on yourself. You are human too, so show your emotions.
Next time you trust somebody, just know that they can leave, and learn the lessons life is teaching you.
Mayra, moved by his words, responded, "You’ve opened my eyes. I’ll try. It’s difficult, but I’ll try. Thank you.”
Moral of the story
Some things are beyond our control. Just because something bad happens once doesn’t mean you’re unlucky or deserving of it. Learn to let go and move forward.
Author’s Note:
I have written this story to highlight that sometimes things are not as we think, and some people are truly good. After experiencing a significant incident in my life, I became introverted and shut myself off from others, dealing with my feelings alone. That phase was difficult, but slowly, with the support and understanding of my family, I began to trust again. This story is a reflection of that journey and the resilience it takes to rediscover trust.
Thank you for reading.