Introduction:
"Am I cursed?... Why is it always me?"
PAIN IS MY LOVE
A boy, probably in his late teens or early twenties, stood before a massive gate—the entrance to a college. The morning was bright and sunny, yet the wind carried a biting chill, much like the coldness in his eyes. Faint dark circles framed his face, a face burdened with unanswered questions.
He stood by the roadside, motionless, as vehicles sped past and gusts of wind brushed against his skin. Before him loomed the towering metal gate—a modern version of a castle's entrance. Taking a slow breath, he muttered under his breath,
"What all I had to go through to reach here..."
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SCARY SCAR MEMORY:
The boy's name was Anvish, eighteen years old—standing at the start of his college life. But unlike most teenagers, joy wasn't something he carried. His past clung to him like a shadow, never letting him breathe freely.
He stared at the huge gate, lost in thought.
"I've been really unlucky in life..." he whispered.
"At fourteen, I lost my father in a car accident... and as if that wasn't enough, a year later, my mother too—taken away by cancer."
He let out a bitter, small laugh.
"After that, I ended up living with my family's friends. They were kind enough to adopt me... funny, isn't it? I was adopted by the parents of the girl I had a crush on."
A faint smile appeared as he remembered her.
"She was short, pretty, and beautiful. Her name... 'Preethi'. It still lingers in my mind like a scent that never fades."
"We were close—best friends. She never knew how I felt about her. We used to spend hours at the park near her house, sometimes even bunking classes just to climb that tall, huge tree we called 'The Big Bully.'"
His smile faded.
"Once, her father caught us red-handed bunking. We got into so much trouble back then. It's funny thinking about it now... she always stood by me, always believed in me."
His eyes darkened.
"But... she's no more."
"She died... with my father... in that same accident. My father went to pick her up from school that day."
Anvish's voice trembled.
"Everyone says I was lucky not to be there... but I call it a curse."