#MyStory: He Was Not Prince Charming But I Fell For Him!

Fairy Tales are meant for storybooks, is something I learnt quite early in life. But even then, I don’t think I ever stopped believing in them. And thank God for that! For if I had stopped I would never have created my own happy ending. He was a prince I did not see coming and for that reason I am choosing to write my story not as a usual love story but like the tale of a prince and princess, the way it was always meant to be.

Once upon a time there was a little girl. She was no less than a princess herself – kind, pure of heart, and naïve. Then came in a prince, her knight in shining armour! I mean…he had to be, right? He matched the description given in all the Mills & Boons and stories that she had read. He was tall, dark, handsome, ambitious, authoritative, strong-headed and fearless. He seemed to be a dream come true and she started imagining her life with him. A prince and his princess, it would be a perfect love story, after all, the ingredients were just right!

And the perfect story began but something felt awfully wrong. She just couldn’t wrap her head around what the problem was. He was all that she had ever dreamt of but she had never been unhappier. Everything she had loved about him started to trouble her. The female attention his good looks got started to overpower their relationship. He loved the attention and couldn’t go without it, and found himself often attracted to other women. But he couldn’t let go of the girl either, stringing her along he continued with his life. He had promised to love and protect her, but all he did was love her at his beck and call and protected her from being her real self. He shut her down every time she questioned him, expressed her emotions or opinions. She couldn’t demand anything from him – time, attention or affection. She kept taking it all in, moulding herself to fit his description of a princess.

(Guess what always help during a heartbreak though? Chocolates! Buy some for yourself here!)

Then came a boy, and mind you, he was no prince. This ordinary boy adored the little girl, even when she was down and out, at her lowest of lows. He used to watch her cry alone helplessly in the garden opposite his home every afternoon. He did not know her but looking at her soft heart become colder than the blistering winter with each passing day, made his own heart sink.

One afternoon he walked down to the garden and just sat by her and silently watched her cry. When she was done crying, she got herself together to leave and noticed this boy, just sitting there and watching her. A conversation began. And something changed. The next day the girl returned to the garden and found the boy there. Now, everyday they looked forward to when they could meet in the garden. Days passed by and conversations grew deeper. Tears changed into faint smiles. He made her realize the precious gem that she was and that her sensitivity, emotions and ambitions were enough to intimidate the manliest of men. He told her that maybe she is her own knight and she doesn’t really need saving. Everyday he’d make her believe in herself just a little bit more. Faint smiles changed into soft laughter.

He was just an ordinary boy she thought, he was nothing like the prince she thought, and she was glad that he wasn’t. He had a soft heart, a sensitive demeanour, fears that didn’t let him sleep at night and insecurities that he struggled with, yet he knew how to treat people right. That is the day she realized that the love stories she had survived on were a little outdated. You might fall for the face but you survive on the soul. She freed her mind from these chauvinistic patriarchal ideas of love – she didn’t need the tall, dark figure protecting over her. What she needed was a man who looked at her with pride and joy as she picked up her own sword. It was time to write her own story…

Once upon a time, there was an ordinary boy who met an ordinary girl. And they strived everyday to love each other better, with all their imperfections.

For more love stories check out Rupa Book of Love Stories by Ruskin Bond!

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