Love on Display

Sofia’s words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating the room with their weight. Raj stood there, silent, his mind reeling. The room had shifted—everyone could feel it. What had started as a desperate attempt to hold onto control was now slipping through Raj’s fingers.

Oluwale shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at Gugu, who looked just as stunned. This wasn’t how they had imagined things going.

Sofia didn’t stop. “You thought you could fix everything with money, Raj. But love doesn’t work like that. Love isn’t about grand gestures or expensive gifts. It’s about knowing the other person, understanding them, listening to them. Did you ever once ask me what I actually wanted? Did you ever once try to understand me?”

Raj swallowed hard, his throat tight. “I… I thought I was making you happy.”

Sofia’s voice softened. “You were making yourself happy. You were doing all of that because it made you feel like you were the perfect boyfriend, like you were winning. But you weren’t seeing me, Raj. You were seeing the version of me that you wanted to see. And that’s not love.”

The truth of her words cut through Raj like a knife. He had spent so long trying to be the perfect partner, trying to give Sofia everything she wanted. But now, standing in front of her, he realized that he had never truly understood her.

Oluwale, who had been silent for most of the exchange, finally spoke up. “But… but he did all of that for you, Sofia. He worked hard, sacrificed…”

Sofia turned to him, her voice steady. “I know he did, Oluwale. But the problem is, he never asked if that’s what I needed. He assumed. And that’s where everything went wrong.”

Gugu nodded slowly, as if Sofia’s words were finally starting to make sense to him. “Man… that’s deep.”

Raj felt like the ground was slipping from under him. Everything he thought he knew about love, about making someone happy, was unravelling right in front of him.

Sofia’s gaze shifted to Billy, who had remained silent throughout the entire confrontation. “Billy,” she said softly. “You did the same thing.”

Billy nodded, his expression calm. “I know. I didn’t understand it back then, but I get it now. I tried to give you the life I thought you wanted, the stability, the security. But I didn’t ask what you needed. I didn’t ask what would make you feel loved.”

Sofia’s eyes softened. “It wasn’t about the money, or the stability. It was about feeling seen, feeling understood. I wasn’t looking for someone to give me things. I was looking for someone who could see me for who I really was. But neither of you ever did that.”

Billy nodded again, his expression solemn. “I learned that the hard way, Sofia. And I’m sorry.”

Raj took a deep breath, his voice shaking. “So… what did you want, Sofia? What would have made you happy?”

Sofia’s gaze softened, but there was a sadness in her eyes. “I wanted you to listen. I wanted you to understand that love isn’t about what you can buy or what you can give. It’s about being there, really being there, and seeing the other person for who they are. I needed you to understand that love is dynamic. It changes, it evolves, and it’s not something you can force with gifts or money.”

Gugu, ever the one to break the tension, blurted out, “Man, that’s exactly what Billy said before.”

Billy, looking slightly embarrassed, nodded. “Yeah, I learned that when she left me. Love has to be dynamic. It has to grow with the people in it.”

Sofia smiled sadly. “Exactly. When you fall in love with someone just because of their looks, it’s infatuation. Attraction. But true love… true love is when you see someone’s entire being, their flaws, their strengths, and you still choose them. You can’t just pick and choose the parts you like. Love needs to be a safe place, a place where you can be vulnerable and still feel accepted. It’s not about showing off. It’s about showing up.”

The room fell silent again, the weight of Sofia’s words sinking in. She had laid it all out, the truth that had been buried beneath layers of misunderstanding and misguided attempts at love.

Gugu, in typical Gugu fashion, broke the silence with a thoughtful nod. “Man… that’s some next-level stuff. Deeper than what Billy was saying earlier.”

Billy laughed softly, shaking his head. “Sofia always was smarter than me.”

Raj, still processing everything, stared at the ground. “So… there’s no such thing as love at first sight?”

Sofia looked at him, her eyes kind but firm. “No, Raj. Love at first sight is attraction. It’s infatuation. Real love, true love, happens when you see what’s beneath the surface—when you see the whole person, not just the version of them you want to see.”

Billy nodded, his voice quiet. “Yeah… beneath the surface.”

© Nil | 2024