Maya woke up in her Los Angeles apartment, the emptiness of the space mirroring the hollowness in her chest. Her suitcase sat half-open in the corner, a reminder of the trip she had abruptly ended. The thought of returning to work or pretending everything was fine felt impossible. The betrayal she had uncovered in Toronto lingered, a constant weight pressing down on her.
The next morning, seeking some form of solace, Maya decided to visit her parents in downtown LA. It had been weeks since she last saw them, and she wasn’t sure how she would explain her sudden appearance, but she knew she needed to talk to someone who wouldn’t judge her.
Her parents, Raj and Priya, were surprised to see her at their doorstep. “Maya?” Priya exclaimed, her face lighting up as she pulled her daughter into a warm embrace. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on vacation with Alex!”
Maya forced a weak smile and stepped inside, setting her bag down in the hallway. “I was,” she said quietly. “But things didn’t go as planned.”
Her father, Raj, who had been reading a newspaper at the kitchen table, looked up, his brow furrowed. “Did something happen?”
Maya hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. “Everything happened,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “Alex… he was cheating on me. With Sarah.”
Her mother gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Sarah? Your best friend? That can’t be true.”
“It is,” Maya said bitterly. “I saw the proof. The texts, the pictures… everything.” She sank into the couch, her hands trembling as she recounted the story. “I thought she was like a sister to me. I trusted her with everything, and she betrayed me. They both did.”
Priya sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, Maya… I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how much that must hurt.”
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Raj, however, remained quiet, his face unreadable. After a moment, he set down his newspaper and cleared his throat. “So what now?” he asked, his tone neutral.
“I don’t know,” Maya admitted. “I ended it with Alex. I came back here. But now… now I feel like my life is just… pointless.” Her voice cracked again, and tears welled in her eyes. “I thought I’d found someone who loved me, someone I could build a future with. And now… I don’t even know why I’m still trying.”
“Maya, don’t say that,” Priya said quickly, her voice full of concern.
But Raj, his expression darkening, leaned forward. “So you think your life is over because some man and your friend let you down?”
Maya looked up sharply, anger flashing in her eyes. “It’s not just that, Dad. It’s everything. I’ve been trying so hard to hold myself together, to make something of my life. And every time I think I’m getting somewhere, it all falls apart. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of pretending I’m okay when I’m not. Sometimes I feel like my life isn’t even worth living anymore.”
Raj’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, silence filled the room. Then he spoke, his voice steady but firm. “Maya, let me tell you something. All people have two lives to live. The second begins when you realize you have only one.”
Maya stared at him, her eyes narrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Raj continued, “that you have one life, Maya. Just one. And it’s up to you to make the most of it. Yes, people will hurt you. Yes, life will knock you down. But giving up? That’s not living. You only live once, Maya. I trust you won’t waste it wallowing in the mistakes of others. You’ll find the right person for you, someone who won’t betray your trust. But that can only happen if you don’t give up.”
Maya let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “We only live to die, Dad. That’s all life is. We struggle, we hurt, and then we die.”
Raj’s gaze softened, but his voice was unwavering as he replied, “We don’t know how to live until we die, Maya. When you face death, when you truly confront the fragility of life, that’s when you learn what living is. It’s not about avoiding pain or betrayal. It’s about finding meaning despite it.”
His words hung in the air, heavy and unshakable. Maya looked away, tears streaming silently down her face. She didn’t know how to respond. Part of her wanted to argue, to lash out and reject his optimism. But another part of her, deep down, knew he was right.
Priya reached for Maya’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Your father’s right, Maya. Life isn’t easy, but it’s worth living. And we’re here for you, no matter what.”
For the rest of the afternoon, they talked, their conversation swinging between lighthearted stories and deeper reflections. Maya found herself opening up more than she expected, sharing not only her heartbreak but also the guilt and confusion that had been weighing on her.
By the time she left her parents’ house that evening, she felt a small glimmer of hope. It wasn’t much, and it certainly didn’t erase the pain of what she had been through. But it was enough to remind her that she wasn’t alone, that she still had people who cared for her and believed in her.
As she drove back to her apartment, Raj’s words echoed in her mind. We don’t know how to live until we die. She didn’t fully understand what they meant yet, but she decided she was willing to try.
To be continued...