Denial: Ahaan

“Have you ever thought about how temporary everything is?” this guy asks me as we sit on a rock, side by side. Our trek troupe has just granted itself the privilege of a ten minute break.
“Huh?” I reply. Barring the fact that his name is Ahaan, I know nothing about this colleague of mine, and he’s already talking philosophy to me.
“Like, one moment this person is all you’ve ever wanted, and then, bam! You’re all alone. And miserable. And lonely,” he continues.
“I know. Sucks big time.” I lie. I don’t know. No serious relationship, no break-up experience.
“So you broke up?” I assume he has. I decide to take the conversation forward with this stranger because he is kind of cute.
“Nah,” he answers. “Big fight. She stomps out declaring it’s over. But, it isn’t.”
“But she did say it’s over, didn’t she?” I reason.
“It can’t be over. It’s meant to last forever,” he cries.
Strange. He knows it. The people in our trek troupe know it. Even I know it. But I don’t get why he’s denying it. She has dumped him, and that’s the only truth. I don’t get why he isn’t accepting it. I mean, yes he’s hurt. But he should rant. He should tell me how she killed their relationship, how she was the villain. He should even cry, if he needs to. But why deny? What’s the point in eagerly waiting for the Sun to rise in the west, when you know it won’t? Things won’t change just because you hope they will. Life doesn’t work like that.
It also steers me even farther away from the matters of the heart. I’ve always feared getting into a relationship because I fear being sad. I’m scared of a situation in which I’m sullen just because a boy doesn’t want to date me anymore. I don’t want to give my freedom away so easily, and I certainly don’t want some boy to be the factor on which my happiness is based on.
A whistle marks the end of the break, and we jump back on the path. I lead the way, and Ahaan follows. “Why don’t you try to convince her?” I ask.
“I tried. I did. But she won’t listen. She won’t reply to my messages. She won’t pick up my calls. She just doesn’t want to talk.”
“So why do you?” I honestly wonder. What’s the point in running behind someone who won’t even turn behind?
“Because I know this is just a phase. This won’t last. But our love will,” he answered. He seemed so convinced, and I wondered what it is about love that makes you so deluded? How does it help you hold on to hope, even when your ship is sinking? How does it force you to let go of your rational thoughts and makes you so misled? How does it build this mirage of hope around you? How does love compel you to deny the truth?