When Should You Break Up With a Friend ? . .

Ending relationships can be just as messy (if not more so) than ending romantic ones — but sometimes that necessary . .

Trigger warning: This story briefly mentions suicidal ideation.

The winter approaching time of 2021, I met new friend . Our paths first crossed at a 5 day orientation before and discussions service project we’d be completing. Instantly, she stood out from everyone else in the room.

Leah spoke slowly and intentionally, and bore a pensive expression as she listened to others. She also possessed an air of mystery, like someone made of stone, to which one had to chisel to reach the center. We bonded quickly over our shared South Asian ancestry, affinity for travel, introversion, and love of reading.

Throughout the summer, we hung out frequently. In the initial loneliness of moving to a new city, She became a much-needed companion for me.

“I should warn you about something,” she said the first time we met, a sly smirk spreading across her face. “I don’t do small talk.”

Where have you been all my life?

I thought.

Over the next couple of months, a bond blossomed between us. We went to escape rooms and nightclubs and even a vegan Thanksgiving potluck. I found myself laughing more, feeling a sisterly connection that I hadn’t experienced with someone new in a long time. Our conversations often veered into the philosophical and existential. Leah had a deep yearning to understand the human psyche; to delve into the uncomfortable. She had big dreams of changing the world.

I was used to people beating around the bush; of sugarcoating to protect my feelings. But she didn’t shy away from calling me out.

“You know, you don’t have to be so positive all the time,” she said to me once in my living room, her thick brows furrowing.

I was taken aback. “I guess it’s all I’ve ever learned,” I replied, my face growing warm with shame.

“Being positive in inappropriate situations can seem dismissive, you know,” she said with a shrug. “Sometimes it’s okay to just say, ‘That hotes’ Because many things in life do.

JaiHind.. 🇮🇳 JaiBharat..