... and one fine day, the rapture came to an end. The air smelled of death, depression hovered like a cloud, self-worth vanished before I knew it, and life, it became an enemy. Forever. The circumstances left me reeling, and it became harder to accept, that he left, to never come back again. The betrayal, the anger, and the grief - the more I wanted to move past them, the more I got dragged under. My life, as though it wasn't marked by distress any less, became more of a burden on my flimsy shoulders. Wouldn't have been wrong to call myself a dupe of a whimpering life, with no scope of betterment. Thus and so. Perhaps, the most difficult thing in this world is to accept that you and your partner are no more on the same page. That this relationship, with 'eternal' lettered all over it, is over. For good, for bad, who's to judge? Letting go of a relationship is like making yourself believe that the world you have been dwelling in all this while, never existed. Your partner no more wants the same things, doesn't love you anymore, or the worst, never loved you at all. But to let go of it, even if the relationship meant the world to you, is something you need to deal with. It wouldn't come alone - with it will come the ability to move on in life, to better your world, to fall in love again. With someone else. With someone better. Perhaps, with yourself too. How to Let Go of a Past Relationship A long-term relationship that was meant to be forever, suddenly pulls the rug out from under your feet when you realize that your partner picked someone else over you. You hold your tears back just to find out that your partner's belongings are nowhere around. The simplest of instances hit onto your sanity when smiles that you shared with them make you cry like a baby, and tears that you shed make you gleam. Your place is deserted. But how to deal with a broken heart? You're not a superhero who doesn't feel pain. Nor can you be forgetful or ignorant. Realize, You're Through the Hardest Part. After an eternity of struggle and strife, the good thing about life is that, you're through the worst part of the relationship - the break-up. The separation. The turmoil. A long haul of misery is a thing of the past, and now, you have to emerge as a stronger human being, distract yourself, keep busy, and most of all, face the reality. Escapism may have been a solution to dwell in the past, where you may convince yourself for staying there as it is. You believe that the memoirs are the only way of life. But then, the more they surface, the harder it will be for you to let go. The correct way, and perhaps, the only way of letting go of a past relationship is to go up after hitting the ground. Realize, You Need to Break-up Too. You know, one of the most difficult things to do after a relationship has ended is to get yourself to believe that you're alone, and that you need to get over the silliest of excuses to get your partner back. It'll simply amaze you to find yourself at your ex's place, to return a book that belonged to them or a T-shirt that they haven't worn for the last year. Reason? You'll come up with the stupidest of excuses to get them back, even if it means temporarily. You'll call them, for the last time, but it happens to be the seventeenth time you've decided. But you see, the hardest but the only rule that will work here is breaking contact. Your ex is there on your Skype or Google Talk's list - delete them. Their name is on your Blackberry Messenger's list - chuck it out. You have their phone number - remove it. Break all contact with them, and give yourself time, to imagine, live, and believe in a life without your partner. Realize, Rediscovering Yourself Can Help. A broken relationship leaves scars behind. Leaves you with an inability to never trust again, and most importantly, makes you forget yourself totally. The past was painful. But it's your call whether or not to make the future bright. Hence, to let go of a relationship that ended brutally, make a positive change in your life. Face your fears, and tell yourself 'this would never happen again'. Ring those friends that were once neglected. Party with them till dawn breaks. Fall in love again, or simply, enjoy being single. You know, nothing will give you more pleasure than to go to all those places again, which you stopped going to, all the while you were in the relationship. Doing things you always wanted to will help you emerge as an independent, happier person. Nurture your relation with your friends and family - you once gave up on them because you had someone else. There is no other solution to the pain than to find yourself again, find the real you. Once you learn how to move on, and let go of a past relationship, you'll emerge as someone with a sorted life, and most importantly, a lighter and brighter life. Don't be ashamed to cry your heart out - letting go of a bad relationship is therapeutic in itself. You'll cry, you'll cry more, you'll scream, and in the end, you'll feel better. Hard-hitting as it may sound, you know it's over. It's just waiting for you to accept it. But once you do, good things will be round the corner, and whatever happens, will happen for the better. And what makes me reaffirm all this? Been there, done that.