The Last Love

“Do you know that there’s a café in the middle of a forest? The thing is, you can meet your last love there,” Asiya said to her crying friend.

Rosh, a twenty-two-year-old girl, had just ended her four-year relationship with Wen. It turned out he had been cheating on her. It had been five months since it all happened, but Rosh was still the same — crying herself to sleep every night. Her friend Asiya had heard a rumor about a certain café where one could meet their last love for one final time. Asiya believed that Rosh needed closure, as Wen had simply disappeared without breaking up or giving any reason for his actions.

“Are you kidding me?” Rosh asked, wiping her tears.

“No, I’ve heard about it. If you want, I can go with you tomorrow. Let me help,” Asiya suggested.

Rosh stopped crying and looked into Asiya’s eyes, feeling the warmth, care, and concern.
“What would you ask him if you really met him?” Asiya asked.

Rosh fell silent, lost in deep thought. What exactly would she ask him? What did she want to hear? Would she ask why he fell out of love, why he cheated, or when it all started? She didn’t answer, and Asiya could sense her struggle. She gently tapped Rosh’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. Just think about what you want to know, and we’ll go.”

The next morning, they packed their bags and left for the café. Asiya had gotten the address from a classmate and booked a cab. The ride would take at least an hour, so they linked arms and fell asleep.

Rosh dreamed. She saw Wen standing with a woman, chatting, laughing, and smiling — a smile she had always wanted to see but had long disappeared from his face. Watching them, Rosh stood at a distance, unnoticed. Wen bent forward, brushing the woman’s hair aside, and when he leaned in towards her lips, tears streamed down Rosh’s face.

“Wake up, we’ve arrived,” the cab driver said, pulling them from sleep.

Asiya noticed the tears on Rosh’s face and wiped them away. “What happened?” she asked.

“Nothing, just a dream,” Rosh murmured.

Asiya had always been practical, never having been in a relationship or witnessed love firsthand. She kept people at arm’s length. But for Rosh, love meant everything. Life without love wasn’t life at all. Rosh had met Wen when she was eighteen. She fell for him and stayed friends for two years before Wen eventually expressed his feelings. They began dating and had two wonderful years together before darker days crept in.

The café was deep in the forest, surrounded by tall trees, chirping birds, and lush grass. When they arrived, they noticed the café had no name. The door was small, and the lights inside were bright.

Asiya opened the door, and Rosh followed. A woman at the counter greeted them.

“Welcome, Asiya and Rosh,” she said.

They both froze. “How do you know our names?” Asiya asked.

The woman smiled but didn’t answer. Instead, she gestured to the tables. “Sit wherever you like.”

Asiya held Rosh’s hand and led her to a table by the window. They sat across from each other.

“I feel nauseous,” Rosh said, clutching her chest.

“It’s okay. Take a deep breath,” Asiya reassured her.

The woman approached with a menu. “Please order something,” she said.

“Bring anything; we’re fine,” Asiya replied.

“No, look at the menu first,” the woman insisted, placing it between them.

As they scanned the menu, they were stunned:

MENU FOR LAST LOVE

• MEET YOUR LAST LOVE
• HAVE A PHONE CALL WITH YOUR LAST LOVE
• LEAVE A LETTER FOR YOUR LAST LOVE
• FORGET ABOUT YOUR LAST LOVE
• RESTART WITH YOUR LAST LOVE

Rosh looked at Asiya, and Asiya looked back at her, both wondering the same thing. Was this real? How could such a thing be possible?

The woman spoke, breaking their thoughts.
“You can choose only one item from the menu. The duration of your meeting will match the time you were happy together. For you and Wen, that’s 24 minutes, meaning you were happy for only two years.”

“What?” Rosh was shocked. “But we were together for four years!”

“That’s your perspective,” the woman said firmly. “But you were only truly happy together for two.”

Rosh was baffled. What did she truly want? Did she want to meet Wen, call him, write him a letter, forget him, or restart their relationship?

Asiya, sensing Rosh’s turmoil, gently tapped her hand.

“Rosh, think calmly. There’s no need to rush. We have time,” she assured her.
“Let’s start from the last option. Do you want to restart with Wen?”

Rosh closed her eyes and remembered the times Wen ignored her tears, dismissed her concerns, and told her to “grow up” and “focus on her future.” She opened her eyes, her face streaked with tears.

“No, I don’t want him back,” she said firmly.

Asiya exhaled in relief. “Okay. Do you want to forget about him?”

Rosh imagined a life where she had never met Wen. It seemed peaceful at first, but then her life felt empty, devoid of color or meaning.

“No, I don’t want to forget him,” she said with a sigh.

“Then what about writing him a letter?” Asiya suggested.

“Writing might be easy, but I wouldn’t be able to express myself,” Rosh replied.

“How about a phone call?”

“No, that wouldn’t help either.”

Asiya nodded. “Then it seems the only option left is to meet him for 24 minutes. Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” Rosh said, her voice steady. “I’d like to talk to him one last time.”

Asiya went to the counter. “She wants to meet him,” she told the woman.

“Very well. Wait outside. Let her handle it alone,” the woman instructed.

Asiya looked back at Rosh, gesturing that she’d be waiting outside. Rosh nodded.

Left alone, Rosh watched her memories flash before her eyes like a movie: their first meeting, their friendship, Wen’s confession, the heartbreak of her grandmother’s death, and the fights that followed. She saw the good times, the butterfly-inducing moments, and the breaking points.

The door opened, and Wen entered. Rosh’s heart pounded as he approached and sat across from her.

“Hi, Rosh,” Wen said softly.

Rosh wiped her tears and cleared her throat. “Hi,” she replied.

She no longer felt anger. Instead, she spoke from her heart.

“I’m sorry, Wen,” she began.

Wen looked surprised. “Why are you apologizing? I should be the one saying sorry.”

“No, it’s my fault. I knew you were falling out of love, but I still forced you to stay. I knew you were carrying baggage from your past relationship, and I wasn’t in a good place mentally. I won’t forget that you cheated, but I’m no longer angry. Whatever happened, happened for the best. We weren’t right for each other.”

Wen listened in silence as Rosh poured her heart out.

She stood, and Wen followed suit. They hugged for one last time, both knowing they had loved each other but were never meant to last.

Rosh walked out of the café, taking a deep breath. She turned back to find the café had vanished.

Asiya was waiting, and they embraced.

Rosh knew she would carry Wen’s love with her for a long time, but she had finally let him go.