Ayushi and Shreya were best friends, both in their mid-twenties and working in the same office in Mumbai. They had grown close over the years, often sharing lunch, discussing their dreams, and supporting each other through life’s ups and downs. But despite their close bond, they were very different when it came to their views on happiness.
Ayushi always believed that her happiness depended on others. Whether it was the praise of her parents, her boss’s approval, or the love of her fiancé, she thought her joy came from how others treated her. She was constantly anxious—if her fiancé didn’t call, she’d spend hours overthinking, or if her boss wasn’t pleased with her work, it ruined her entire day. Ayushi’s mood seemed to be controlled by the people around her, and she often wondered why happiness always seemed so hard to hold onto.
Shreya, on the other hand, was different. She was calm, collected, and believed that happiness had to come from within. Though she had a steady job and a supportive family, she never let external situations dictate how she felt. “If I rely on others for happiness, I’ll always be chasing it,” Shreya would often say. Ayushi would nod, but secretly she wished she could be like Shreya, who seemed unshaken by life’s ups and downs.
Then came the day Ayushi’s life turned upside down.
She had been engaged for six months to a man her family adored. The wedding preparations had already started—the invitations were about to be sent, and everyone was excited. But one evening, just a few months before the wedding, Ayushi’s fiancé called off the engagement, saying he wasn’t ready for marriage. Ayushi was devastated. It wasn’t just the shock of the breakup, but the weight of her family’s expectations, the public embarrassment, and the sudden loss of her future plans.
Ayushi’s world crumbled. She couldn’t focus at work, avoided her friends and family, and cried herself to sleep every night. She felt like her life had no meaning without the marriage she had been planning. No amount of support from her loved ones seemed to help.
Meanwhile, Shreya was facing her own disappointment—she had been working hard for a promotion that, at the last minute, was given to someone else. While it was a setback, Shreya handled it with grace. Instead of falling into self-pity, she spent time reflecting on her work, resetting her goals, and reminding herself that her value wasn’t determined by a job title. She had learned to find strength from within.
Seeing Shreya handle her disappointment so calmly made Ayushi rethink her own situation. One evening, after days of avoiding everyone, Ayushi finally spoke to Shreya.
“How do you stay so strong, Shreya?” Ayushi asked, her voice filled with pain. “How do you keep going when things fall apart?”
Shreya smiled gently, placing her hand on Ayushi’s. “It’s not about what happens to us, Ayushi. It’s about how we handle it inside. You can’t control people or situations, but you can control how you react. If your happiness depends on others, you’ll always feel like this. But if you can find peace within yourself, no one can take it away.”
Ayushi was quiet, absorbing her friend’s words. Slowly, she began to see things differently. Over the next few weeks, with Shreya’s support, Ayushi made small but meaningful changes. She started journaling, practicing mindfulness, and most importantly, learning to find happiness in herself, rather than in others.
The journey was slow, and there were hard days, but Ayushi
was finally on the path to reclaiming her life. She realized that true
happiness wasn’t something others could give her—it was something she had to
find within herself. She was reclaiming her life, one step at a time.