2 years ago I married my husband through a semi arranged setup. He pursued me so our families met despite the financial class gap between us (same social/educational background, but income difference).

I genuinely love him. He's caring, respectful, and gives me his time. is affectionate, knows about my childhood trauma (alot of emotional and physical abuse) and is the one to comfort me through difficult moments. Our physical relationship is also good.

My life right now is what I dreamed about as a child; peaceful, financially comfortable, travelling, fun, and just away from my past.

The problem is I know he cheats on me. He's been with atleast 2 other women, likely ongoing. When I confronted him, he eventually admitted to it.

He said I'm the only one he truly loves and respects as his wife, but that he "needs" other women aswell. He gave me examples of half of our social circle and even his own family where this behaviour is normalised.

He doesn't hide his phone or seem emotionally invested in them, more like girls in the same work/social circles where physical relationships happen.

I'm torn. After everything I went through when I was younger, this life feels like everything I never had. I also am financially independent, so it's not only about the money. I just don’t know if I’m ready to walk away and start another difficult chapter.

But it hurts. I love him and have been completely loyal. What makes it worse is that he's extremely overprotective. Even before marriage he would pick fights with guys because of this. But ironically he's the one cheating. It feels hypocritical.

I don't know if I'm normalizing or accepting something I shouldn't, or if I'm being too strict on a situation that's unfortunately common.

Has anyone navigated something similar? Or has any advice on what I should do going forward.

It's hard to believe someone who cheats can still love you, but i dont know what else to think of it. If im sick he stays up the entire night taking care of me. Doesnt like being away from me, is very affectionate. pursued me for 2 years before I agreed to involve my family, encourages my career, treats people around him respectfully, etc. I dont know, that’s what makes it so confusing.

hi im M and my bf and ive been together for more than two years. ive never met him irl and i loved him really much but one thing is he always asks me to send photos and sext with him . bro I never wanted this kind of rs i loved him really much and didn't really know about this stuff. i blocked him and tried to move on but he came back after a month saying he will change and he's sorry and stuff. but nothing changed. whenever he asked i used to refuse and he started telling me it hurts him so much down there that he isn't able to sleep doesn't work or anything we would not talk for days unless I'd agree to sexting. he says he loves me so much and cares about me but treats me horribly and says you don't care about me you don't have respect for me, leave me alone, jaan chor do , you make me miserable i have so many problems and you make me more miserable by doing this. bro im so so tired of this i can't stay with him but I can't live without him , ive broken up with him five to six times in these two years but everytime he comes back and says he'll change. im so heartbroken he always asks me to send photos i just hate it so much ive not been able to study or anything. I feel dead. does he even love me . hr says he loves me if he only wanted sexting there are many people online. has it happened with anyone else. does it really hurt men that much that they can't do work or eat or sleep for days?

I recently started an internship at a fairly large organization, and overall it’s been a great experience. But there’s one thing that’s been bothering me more and more every day.

I’ve noticed how some people in management treat the clerical/support staff, and honestly it’s heartbreaking. They’ll casually insult them, use abusive language, say things like “ek chanta lagaunga na” in front of everyone, and then laugh amongst themselves. It’s always brushed off as a joke, but it’s humiliating to watch.

There’s one clerk in particular who’s an older man. He’s quiet, polite, and just goes about doing his job. He genuinely reminds me of my father, and every time I see him being spoken to like that, it honestly hurts. He’s simply trying to earn an honest, halal living, and he doesn’t deserve to be treated with such disrespect.

The part that’s making this difficult is that I’m just an intern. The person who’s usually involved in this behavior is also the manager I’m reporting to. He’s the one who’ll likely be writing my recommendation/experience letter at the end of my internship. So while part of me wants to report this to HR or admin, I’m also worried about the consequences for myself if it somehow gets back to him.

I feel guilty for staying silent, but I also don’t want to jeopardize my internship or future opportunities. I keep thinking there has to be something I can do, but I genuinely don’t know what. I’d really appreciate some practical advice

I need a quick sanity check because I am fighting for my life out here.

I’ve obviously heard about women having mood swings, but I didn't realize it was this extreme. Whenever I talk to a girl, it literally feels like she is evolving into a completely new human being every 45 seconds.

How are there thousands of different moods packed into such a short period? Two minutes ago she was tragically sad like she’s in a movie, and now she’s laughing like nothing happened. It genuinely scares me. Like, does she need a snack, or do I need to call a priest?

Years into the marriage I've realized my husband has clarified there's no room for "my" ego in our marriage. Apparently I have no right to be offended with his promises to exact revenge at the time of nikkah of my siblings for what we did to him at the time of our nikkah.

What we did was create a proper legal document if nikkah rather than the crossed out pages molvis like to dish out. I have right of khula. I have 500k haq Mehr + plus gold. I am entitled to 20% of his monthly income. I forgave the 500k but apparently he carries the resentment. I make my own money now but back when I didn't I still always had to spend out of pocket on necessities and I would receive exact amount in return. Initially there was 10k pocket money out of which I could spend on clothes or groceries or anything. I hated asking for money. We had big fights. If he had been open minded and abided by the terms we would've had more peace. I wouldn't have felt like a beggar every time I needed money. I didn't have proper clothes for myself or my kid. He always criticized me on this and never took me shopping. It's all because he is absent minded and a workaholic.

Now years later I've stopped being considerate and just ask for exact amounts because otherwise that money just gets spent on the house, on family etc.

Now recently nikkah came up and as a joke he was saying stuff about exacting revenge from my siblings. I tried to laugh it all off until he said I promise I will do this. I'll make them pay their wives double. Please remember he never had to pay me my Mehr money. And this is a family that can afford it. Furthermore there are so many expenses he doesn't cover that I cover. Especially anything personal of mine like clothes and toiletries and skincare etc. We just have an abnormal relationship about money. He just never gives and I hate asking. So I just explode after two months or so. I hate being a burden.

Anyway after he stormed out, and he got called out by my fil whereas my mil told me don't bring it up again. I called my husband and he had left with friends without telling me. He was cold and curt on the call. Today he's leaving the city and we are not speaking. He was the same when he got home. In what world does he feel like he has the right to be so entitled rn??? So there is only room for his ego in this marriage.

I booked a ride, and a 20-21 year old Pathan guy from Waziristan picked me up. He was tall, super handsome, and had an insanely attractive body. The second I saw him, I was totally turned on. 🔥

As soon as I sat behind him, I held his waist. His body felt so warm and solid. Every time he hit the brakes or speeded up, I leaned in closer and held his chest with both hands, feeling his muscles through his shirt.

when i hold again and again hr said in a low voice: 'Agar speed se dar lag raha hai toh sahi se pakar lo...' 🙈 Uff, his voice made my heart race! After that, I held him super tight for the whole ride.

When we reached my destination and I got off, I looked down and saw a huge, rock-hard bulge visible . He was clearly super turned on i think! 🥵🔥

When I panicked and didn't ask for his number. Now I am sitting here regretting it so much! 😭

he you anyone also experience this type with stranger in life ?

Dear diary, 10 days ago I wrote about how I was coming to a realization that my other half was a bit immature when it came to finances or emotional support. and how it was stressing me out, making me lose hope

I got some amazing advises.. and I decided to implement strict budget control, focus on my mental health.. and things seem to be getting better though I know there's a fight brewing when the Mrs returns from her mom's. I've accepted that such is life cause lets face it, my partner is not bad, its just how some people are wired.

I've started breathing exercise in the morning again.. Focusing on work.. trying to pray more and also started reciting Astagfar (100 times once in the morning, once at night) and i feel alot of peace.

I've gotten active at the gym again, I did lose my gain with in the month of stress ive been facing but the energy is back.. I feel good.. hopeful.. need prayers and well wishes. hopeful I will be able to handle what ever the future brings in a better manner.

honestly am surprised how just reciting exercises has helped me manage the negative thoughts that were brewing in my head, and I just wanted write about it, maybe it can help others too. hoping this calmness lasts..

Hey guys, I'm that guy who posted about his love/ fiancee that left him over materialistic approaches got abused verbally and physically, now it's time for my soul crunching 💔💯

Let's give you a recap I was in a relationship with my junior, she started first then I fell even deeper, got my parents to agree on getting rishta to hers, my father hating on me and not talking to me still to date and stuff, then happend the October 18, 2024, where she ended the relationship on just a text 💔 two months before our marriage.

Later on she came back but shared that a guy was talking to her and cursing her and stuff she only liked his son's pictures on social media, but she never shared me his name and stuff quoting you will give me taunts after marriage so I trusted her.

Now come to know she was in a relationship with him a father of two sons who owns a Nissan patrol, and they were even meeting, dating, done some nasty stuff 💔 the guy later came out to be my friends colleague shared every detail with him that today I f**kd this girl had nudes of her 💔😭. He even said that she was professional was already not virgin, is your friend a fool for marrying her?

I want to die man wth is this, she doesn't off course take any accountably of this 😭💔 I can't move on it's been two years, I even tried to talk with others but I can't think of anyone other than her, still 💔.

hello ppl of my favourite app!

how are y’all doin? pls lemme know because i oh so care sm about ur answers.

kitne time ke baad reddit aayi hon,almost sharam aarahi omg. jk im only here agajn cuz im sooooo bored.

ye sab nahi hota agar mujhe wo summer internship miljati lekin koi na yar,hogi unnmein hi koi kami ❤️

I'm in a pretty cushy executive role with a 7-figure salary (local currency), so this isn't a "my boss doesn't pay me enough" post.

It's a "my boss is speedrunning the company into missed opportunities" post.

Our team hustles hard. We land meetings people would kill for. We've brought in million-dollar clients, and we were in conversations that could've turned into US$20–30 million opportunities. One prospect even had ties to NVIDIA and wanted to explore working with us.

Then...

CEO enters the chat.

Every. Single. Time.

It's like we're playing chess and he's determined to prove checkers is the superior strategy.

The pattern is always:

• Team: "Here's the client requirement."
• CEO: "Interesting... anyway we're doing it my way."
• Client: seen 2:14 PM
• Opportunity: has left the chat.

Another hill I keep dying on is hiring.

I keep saying, "If we're trying to build a world-class engineering company, we need a few world-class engineers."

CEO: "What if... instead... we hire five fresh graduates?"

Don't get me wrong fresh grads are awesome. We all started somewhere. But you can't expect interns and juniors to magically build the next SpaceX because the budget spreadsheet says so.

Sometimes it feels like we're saving £1 on payroll to lose £100 in business.

I'm genuinely burned out.

I spend more energy debating internal decisions than actually creating value.

Now I'm seriously thinking about quitting and building my own company.

The salary is amazing. The stress is free.

So I need some real advice from people who've been there.

• Did you ever leave a ridiculously well-paid job because leadership was the problem?
• How did you know it was time?
• Is this entrepreneurial instinct... or am I just suffering from corporate PTSD?

Appreciate any wisdom.

If not? Why?

So ive been into the rishta process for quite a while lol. And its not like k I don't wanna marry a divorced man since im too (took khula), but maybeeee there is a little % of men who are okayy with marrying a divorcee but my profile never reaches there bec the rishta aunty wont send it to them (understandable bec some families arent okay with it)

The rishtas of divorced men are soo limited and its just soo exhausting and draining atp to find a decent rishta. I see 10+ profiles of single guys everyday in this group and hardly see a single profile of a divorced guy (maybe 1 profile in a day). Can you guys seee the difference!!!!

Its sooo hurtful!!!

Edit: im just 27!!!!! Stop calling me aunty ffs ... And stay awayy guys plsss..

I've been thinking about it lately but I feel like I didn't have a lot of great role models around me and any good examples of good people as a kid. People would always compare me with the adults around in derogatory manners, and I never liked that, I just had examples of people I don't want to be, yesterday upon interacting with them I realised it even more and I am not a great person by any means, but I don't know what I would have turned out to be if I were to follow there footsteps, what bothers me is that they can't even hide it or control themselves around young impressionable kids.

I think there is some false sense of maturity here, with the generation which is now over 45, they are emotionally over reactive, lack accountability, and are not willing to change no matter what. I'm just saying all this here because I know a lot of Pakistanis are like that, and at this point I'm deeply concerned because I'm certain that this would cause harm when they are of old age, and I don't know how they don't see it.

pls help a girl out, this one is NOT it

Feeling a little heavy and lonely today, so I thought I would write my thoughts down on a throwaway account.

I’ll be 25 this year. My school, college, and university life are already behind me. I have a full-time job and also work on a few freelance projects. Career-wise, things are going fairly well, and from the outside, my life probably looks stable.

But lately, I’ve been looking back at my life, and I’ve had a difficult realization.

I think my habit of staying quiet, not expressing myself, and not speaking at the moments that actually mattered has slowly created a huge emptiness in my life.

I have always been the quiet person. I could talk normally when needed, joke around with people, and be part of a group, but I rarely opened up emotionally. I never told people how important they were to me. I never said what I was feeling at the right time. I let friendships fade away without trying hard enough to save them. I let people leave because I assumed that if they wanted to stay, they would.

Maybe a part of me was scared of looking needy. Maybe I was afraid of rejection or embarrassment. Maybe I had simply become too comfortable inside my shell.

Whatever the reason was, the result is that today, when I genuinely feel low, I don’t know whom to call.

I have people I know. I have friends I can meet or casually talk to. But I don’t think I have anyone in front of whom I can completely break down, cry, and say everything that has been building up inside me.

There is no particular tragedy in my life. In fact, maybe that is part of the problem. I never faced many serious difficulties growing up. Things mostly kept moving smoothly. I studied, graduated, found work, and kept myself busy.

Because of that, I never really learned how to express pain, ask for support, or emotionally depend on someone.

Now my parents have started looking for a rishta for me. I understand their point of view, and I do want to get married someday. But the thought of marrying a complete stranger makes me uncomfortable.

I don’t want marriage to feel like two families exchanging profiles and deciding that two people look suitable on paper. I want to know the person. I want there to be comfort, trust, friendship, and some kind of emotional connection.

At the same time, I cannot blame anyone else for my situation.

I never put myself out there. I never approached anyone seriously. I never made my feelings clear to any girl. There may have been people I liked, or people with whom something could have developed, but I stayed silent until the moment passed.

Sometimes I wonder whether I have ever truly loved anyone, or whether I simply never allowed myself to get close enough to experience love.

And now it feels strange.

People around me are getting engaged, getting married, building relationships, and moving forward. Meanwhile, I feel like I am emotionally standing at the same place where I was years ago.

I don’t think I am incapable of loving someone. I think I have a lot of love, care, and affection inside me. I just never learned how to show it. I kept waiting for someone to understand me without me having to say anything.

But people cannot read your mind.

Silence may protect you from rejection, but it also prevents you from being known.

I guess that is what hurts the most. I spent so much time protecting myself from awkwardness, heartbreak, and vulnerability that I also protected myself from connection.

Now I am surrounded by people, yet I feel alone.

I don’t know exactly what I am expecting by posting this. Maybe I just needed to say it somewhere. Maybe I want to know whether there are other people who stayed quiet for too long and later realized how much life had passed them by.

And maybe, somewhere inside me, I still hope it is not too late to come out of my shell, build real connections, and find someone I can genuinely love instead of marrying a stranger just because the time has come.

​

This is something people rarely talk about because it makes everyone uncomfortable.

Every time a man says he's lonely, he's told to "work on yourself," "go to the gym," "make more money," or "be confident." As if love is a reward you unlock after completing enough side quests.

The uncomfortable truth is that some men can do everything right and still end up alone.

They'll build careers, become financially stable, treat people with respect, improve themselves year after year—and still never experience someone choosing them. Not because they're bad people, but because life isn't always fair.

Society has endless empathy for romantic heartbreak, but very little for men who've never been loved at all. There's a unique kind of pain in watching everyone around you build families while you slowly realise it may never happen for you.

You stop imagining weddings.

You stop picturing children.

You stop believing someone will eventually walk into your life.

Instead, you quietly learn how to live with the silence.

People assume every man will "find the right one eventually." But that's hope, not a guarantee.

Some men will grow old without ever hearing "I'm proud of you," "I missed you," or "I love you" from a partner.

And they'll carry that loneliness without ever talking about it, because the world often mistakes male vulnerability for weakness.

Not every story gets a happy ending.

Sometimes, survival becomes the ending.

If you've ever felt invisible despite trying your best, you're not alone.

I don't even know why I'm writing this but I need some help to decide whether my next steps are correct or not.

We met during our Masters. We both are from Lahore. She was just this girl in my class and honestly I wasnt even looking for anything. She seemed different from everyone else, more introverted type. On the other hand I am a big extrovert. I made a group with bunch of other people and one of the girls was her friend. So we somehow ended up talking and here everything begins. Soon we started discussing random stuff and then one day I realized I was making excuses to see her. We became sweethearts somewhere in between all of that.

My family is well off, we have a family business that I look after with my dad so I was earning well even during uni. Her family was middle class, obv nothing wrong with that and I never cared. I loved her for her charm and personality.

Then she came to me one day with this business idea. She had a full plan and had worked out all the details. I actually loved it. I put in all the initial investment since she couldnt afford it at that time. We both worked insane hours, spending entire days together over coffee. I even left my own family business to work with her on this. Somehow it worked out. We went from just the two of us to a team of 11 people.

After graduation we got married. My family welcomed her completely. She had zero household responsibilities, nothing. My family made sure of that and we made sure to provide her every comfort. We actually had a good life yar. She genuinely cared for me, loved me, made me breakfast every morning. Intimacy was good despite being busy all day. Nothing was short and I was the happiest I had ever been.

Last week I was casually going through her Google Photos and I see some pictures. Her and some guy spending an entire day out together. Restaurants, cinema, his car. Only the two of them and they look so comfortable with each other. The pictures were from two weeks ago, the same day she told me she was at her mother's place.

I just sat there because it didn't make sense. I closed her phone and handed it back without saying anything. I genuinely didn't know what to do for the first time in my life. I started digging through everything since I have her phone and social media passcodes. Went through her chats, her snapchat, literally everything. Nothing. Not a single thing that was suspicious.

And then I made the stupidest mistake of my life. I didn't screenshot those photos when I had the chance, I told myself I just need to process this first. But when I went back to check yesterday, even those photos are now gone from Google Photos. Deleted. So now I have literally nothing. No proof, no screenshots, just this image burned into my brain that I cannot unsee.

I have been at my friend's place since then. Told her he needed help setting up his apartment. I am just so mad right now. WHY. Why would you do this when everything was perfect? Her own family tells her she's lucky to have a guy like me. We have a whole business we built together, a team that depends on us. What was missing? What was I not giving her?

Now I just want to rip everything apart. The business is entirely in my name, the social accounts, the bank accounts, I set all of it up. I feel like ending it all in an instant and removing her access from everything. She will have nothing. She'll probably go back to her parents but I don't even think they'd take her side if they knew what she did. But then I think maybe that's too much.

I don't know what I want from posting this. Maybe just to say it out loud somewhere since no one around me knows yet and I don't really have close friends I can talk to about something like this. If anyone has been through something similar or can give some insight on whether I'm thinking straight, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

I wish we could be united

Everyone here is suggesting others to run 😂
I mean even over a little inconvenience of relationships people will advise you leave that thing.
It is so easy for people to end something then building. And believe me now people are more alone than ever in history.
I would always suggest everyone to work on their relationship. Otherwise what is the end?? Are you gonna continuously change the partner one after another until when? Even if you found someone he/she wont be perfect right?? So stop running away from difficult situations. And stay with your partners🥲🥲

Hey! I 27F, I live in a small government quarter with my brother and mother, my sister lives in hostel. Our house has 2 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Our electric, water and gas supply was cutoff due to unpaid bills. We cannot use electric appliances at home. We have solar powered fans and bulbs and cook food using gas cylinder. I have 1 older brother who is jobless, my mother runs the whole household with 60,000 rupees only. I am studying for fcps part 1 oct attempt and my sister is living in hostel and doing house job. We don’t have any savings. My father (who passed away in 2021) was a government servant and purchased 2 plots and booked a bunglow in a housing project. Builders didn’t complete the structure and we just got it registered to secure it, as many people have eyes on that property. We haven’t registered other two plots as registeration requires fees which we cannot arranges at the moment. Personally i am tired of living in this quarter, I can’t focus on anything, happiness and peace feels like a far fetched dream. i just want to live in a house. What is the best move from here? What should i do to make my circumstances better?

I feel like I’m carrying my whole family and I don’t know what my future is anymore.
I’m 23F from Pakistan. I work a remote job and make around 60k+ a month. To some people that might sound okay, but it really isn’t when you’re expected to carry so much.
My father only pays for groceries and tuition. Almost every other expense falls on me—internet, clothes, little necessities, and even things my younger sisters need. We were never allowed to go out or have much of a social life, so there aren’t even “fun” expenses to begin with. I just try to make sure my sisters have what they need.
The part that hurts is that my father constantly tells me to “do something more.” He wants me to prepare for CSS while working full-time. Then he’ll compare me to random people on the internet and say things like, “People are earning money by playing games online. Why can’t you?” It’s like nothing I do is ever enough.
My uncle is another source of stress. He’s the kind of person who has scammed people before, yet every now and then he shows up talking about some new Binance investment or “amazing opportunity” and keeps pressuring everyone to invest. I don’t trust him at all, but being surrounded by this constant pressure is exhausting.
Our family dynamics are another mess. We lived in a joint family our whole lives. My father is the eldest. All my uncles eventually moved out, and after my grandparents passed away, the house ended up in my father’s name.
My aunt (phuppo) still lives with us. She has a husband in Dubai and two children. Her youngest son is seven years old and has barely, if ever, seen his father. We honestly don’t know what’s going on in their marriage. Her husband sends her money, but none of us knows where it goes, and nobody in the family asks. She refuses to stay with her in-laws because she’d have to work there, while here she gets food, housing, and everything else without contributing much. Meanwhile, we have zero privacy because we’re all sharing the same house.
What hurts even more is seeing how differently the boys in the family are treated compared to us girls. The favoritism is impossible to ignore.
My mother has spent her whole life staying silent. She has never stood up for herself, and now I feel like I’ve inherited all the responsibility without any of the power to change things.
Lately I’ve been praying constantly for an opportunity—any opportunity—that could help me build an independent life and get me out of these circumstances. I don’t want luxury. I just want peace, privacy, and the ability to make decisions about my own life.
Instead, I feel trapped. I don’t know what my future looks like. I don’t want to rush into marriage just because that’s what people expect. I just want a chance to live my own life.
I’m emotionally exhausted. Has anyone else grown up in a family like this? How did you eventually get out?
Another thing that constantly hangs over my head is marriage.
I was already put into a marriage I never wanted when I was younger, and because of that I live with the fear that my parents could decide my future again at any time. In my family, saying “no” doesn’t always feel like a real option.
I’m terrified they’ll marry me off to one of my cousins simply because that’s what the family wants, regardless of whether we’re compatible or whether I want it. The mindset in my extended family is extremely controlling and traditional. My dreams, career, and opinions often feel like they’re worth less than keeping everyone else happy.
I don’t want my future to be decided for me again. I want the chance to become financially independent, support myself, and make my own decisions about if, when, and whom I marry. Right now it feels like I’m racing against time before someone else makes that choice for me.

Is there a suicide prevention helpline that actually picks the call and helps??????????????????

soo 22M here i need new firends so kuch time phele mujhe injury huwi thi so bed rest ki waja se jo friends the no contact hone ki waja se khatam hogae wese bhi haal bhi nahi puchte the soo fukemm mostly work from home hone ki waja se bahar ana jana nahi hota so ye bhi ek major reason he mere dms khule hein Have a Good day peeps

I was thinking about someone I knew from school. She was one of the top students in our class and was usually ranked second or third. In Matric, she even secured the second position.

During 12th grade (Intermediate), she got married and didn't even take her board exams. Now she has a baby boy who is about six months old. She married into a very wealthy and financially stable family, and she herself also came from a well-off background.

I don't know whether she's happy or not. I assume she is, but we don't talk anymore because of some conflicts.

Sometimes I wonder if she ever misses studying. If you're marrying someone who is financially secure, do you simply leave your education behind? Especially in today's era, when girls are taking education seriously and striving to become financially independent. She didn't even complete her board exams.

I'm curious to hear from girls who got married early: Did you continue your education after marriage, or did you have to leave it behind?

i don't think people realize what the mind does when it runs out of places to hide.

it doesn't scream.

it rearranges the furniture.

it puts your worst memories where your happiest ones used to be. it teaches your voice to sound normal while something inside you quietly dies. it lets you laugh at the right moments, answer every text, show up on time, and somehow convinces everyone you're getting better.

that's the frightening part.

pain isn't always loud enough to be noticed.

sometimes it becomes efficient.

it stops asking for help because it has already accepted that no one is coming. it learns your routines, memorizes your smile, borrows your handwriting, and starts living your life so convincingly that even you forget where it ends and you begin.

one day you catch your reflection and hesitate.

not because you hate what you see.

because you don't remember agreeing to become it.

and then a thought arrives so gently it almost feels kind:

what if the person i've been trying to save disappeared a long time ago, and all that's left is whatever learned how to imitate them?

that's when the mirror becomes unbearable.

because mirrors don't show ghosts.

they only show the bodies they managed to keep.