Strangers, when searched in a dictionary, means “a person with whom one has no personal acquaintances” or “a newcomer in a place”. Thus, carrying no importance in our lives or can they? What will you call a person who in spite of being unknown, comes so much closer that it starts affecting you?

I am a career oriented, focused girl with some goals to achieve. I am also in a relationship but never let it dominate on me. Everyone has some dark past. I too had. Somehow hurt by some really close ones that I just gave up all expectations from people.Devoid of feelings and emotions. Though, I was always careful not to hurt anyone and always tried to make others happy and comfortable.

A few months back, in an event, I met a stranger. I don’t know what I saw in him, but in only 3 hours he touched my heart. His voice soothed me so much that an urge rose in my heart to talk more with him, to listen more from him. I wanted to share my thoughts with him and wanted to spend some moments with him. In short, I wanted him as my friend.

We shared our numbers with each other and started to exchange messages. One day, unexpectedly in a drunken state, I ended up confessing some portion of my past. As a gentleman, he guided me to overcome my grief and boost me up to forget things and move ahead. This gesture gave rise to some feelings in me which I tried suppressing till now, due to my past. I never allowed people to come closer to me so that they can’t have the authority to hurt me.

Weeks passed, months passed. Now, I felt like confessing to him every time that I like sharing things with him and taking his opinions. I understand everything that he used to explain me about certain relationships, but I always pretend to be unfamiliar with things. I too had past. Come on .... Nobody is immature. Many a time, I wanted to invite him for an outing to spend some time together. He always behaved in a courteous manner that made him alluring. I used to feel “me” while chatting with him without using any filters; ego and attitude.

As we conversed more, I started finding him little pompous as he used to think very highly of himself for being courteous to ladies and his nature towards them.

Also, I found him to be very secretive as he seldom uses to talk about himself and his life in front of anyone. I sensed that there could be some dark past in his life too which could have made him so carefree.

I wanted to know more about him, to understand him more because I wanted to be his companion. I wanted to create my importance in his life but I wasn't able to do that. I wasn't able to guess if he has any feeling towards me if he too has any expectations.

In my heart, I knew that I was doing wrong, but even then I was seeking a relationship with him. I needed him. Despite my tight schedule, I used to find time in the evening just to talk to him.

All this was going on in my life when, for some weeks, I got stuck with some office work. I wasn't able to contact him. During this time, he never tried to contact me and also stopped replying to my messages. But why? What was the reason?

Maybe he felt like he is coming between me and my relationship with my boyfriend.

I was a straightforward, mature girl that and if he would have talked to me, I would have understood his reasons for going away and might have also supported him for his decision. We were friends, right? I felt hurt “Again”, but practically, it was right. I deserve it. Someone has said it right, "Better to hurt me with the truth rather than impress me with the lie”. I don’t blame him for hurting me. I, somewhere, was losing my focus from my career but all thanx to that stranger, that now I, have started hating men more than ever and my belief in any relationship has also faded.

‘Man', you are again a “Stranger”. And thanks to your maturity and attitude, I have become more bold, stiffer and more strong. I am happy within myself. I was proud of me and I will always be proud of me that at least I am true to myself…….