I vividly remember my 6th grade crush like it was yesterday. It was the first time I had ever felt that way about someone, and it was really strange but good feeling. She was the most beautiful, cute girl I had ever seen.
It all began when I changed schools in 6th grade and got placed in a new school. Back then, I was an extremely shy kid who never talked to girls. I still recall the first time I spoke to a girl classmate in 10th grade - it was over WhatsApp when she needed help from me.
I was in 6th grade. It was wintertime, and there was a school event happening. That's when I first noticed her. She was wearing a beautiful school sweater and an adorable skirt. I was mesmerized by her beauty and couldn't stop thinking about her. She was from a different section, and we never interacted. I didn't even know her name at that time. I asked a friend who had studied with her since nursery, but he gave me her sister's name by mistake. For an entire month, I thought that was her real name and would tell my friends about her using that name. But after a month, I found out her actual name was different. I was so surprised that I had been thinking of her sister's name instead!
Whenever there was a break or lunchtime, I would roam around the grounds and her classroom, just to catch a glimpse of her. It was the most awesome moment of my life. I thought about talking to her one day, but as a shy kid, I never mustered the courage.
From childhood, I was really into technology. I used to build cool websites in the school's computer lab. Since she was in a different section, we had different lab timings. So, what I would do is find her computer and sit there, building websites, hoping she would see them and be impressed. But I don't know if she ever really cared about those things or not. Still, I did it all for her.
Every year, we had our sports meet for 4-5 days, where we were divided into four houses. I always wanted her to be in my house so that I could talk to her. But she was always in a different house. I used to go to her house's area, pretending to meet friends there, but the real reason was to see her. All these little things continued until 10th grade. I never had the courage to actually talk to her. I was just happy seeing her from a distance.
Time passed so quickly that nearly 5 years went by without me ever talking to her. I just admired her from afar.
After 10th grade, she left the school, and I never saw her again. I still think about her sometimes and wonder what could have been if I had just talked to her. But I guess some crushes are meant to stay just that - a crush.
The story takes an interesting turn though. Even after she left school, I searched for her on every social media platform, but I couldn't find her anywhere.
In 11th grade, when I started preparing for engineering entrance exams, I kind of forgot about her for a while. But one day, I randomly stumbled upon her Instagram profile. Without a second thought, I texted her, but never got a reply because that account had been inactive for so long.
Time passed, and now, in my second year of college, I somehow found her active Instagram account just two days ago. This time, something magical happened - I texted her a long paragraph telling her the whole story about how I had a crush on her, how I had been searching for her for so long but couldn't find her, and how overjoyed I finally was to connect with her.
I was ecstatic! I eagerly waited for 2 days, refreshing that Instagram chat frequently, hoping to get a reply. I was so excited since I had no work due to being on bed rest from a health issue. I literally refreshed and opened Instagram more than 100+ times over those 2 days.
After two days, I finally got her reply: Hey, Fine. I was really happy to see it, and we chatted a little about what she was doing now. I admitted to having a huge crush on her but never having the courage to talk to her back then. She said she had no idea, which surprised me. I told her yeah, I never had the guts to talk to her at that time.
But then, I don't know what happened - she blocked me without saying anything else! Wrong. Dead wrong. Not only did she not respond further, but she straight up blocked me on Instagram! I was crushed. My dreams of reconnecting with my 6th grade school crush, dashed with a single click. What could I have possibly said that was so objectionable?
As an adult now, I realize randomly messaging someone I hadn't spoken to in over a decade about a childhood crush was...a bit creepy and uncomfortable. But I was just innocently reminiscing! At least, that's what I tell myself to cope with the sting of rejection.
While my 6th grade self is shattered, I can now look back and laugh at the oblivious awkwardness of youth. Crushes come and go, but those cringeworthy memories live on forever.
However, I'm happy that I finally talked to her and got everything off my chest. I'm happy I got her reply. I'm happy I got to know she's in a relationship and that she's happy and doing well in life.
This was the story of my 6th grade crush. A rollercoaster of emotions, but I wouldn't change a thing. It taught me a lot about love, loss, and the importance of taking chances. Who knows, maybe our paths will cross again someday. But until then, I'll cherish the memories.
I'm writing this to tell you, if you have a crush on someone, just go and talk to them. You never know what can happen - you may get a reply, or you may not. But at least you'll have the satisfaction of letting your feelings be known, even if you face rejection.
Signing off with love ❤️
const author = {
name: 'Alok Gupta'
status: 'Single',
memories: 'Cherished',
lessons: 'Learned',
};