Hi Risha – I know you are still in the throws of this as it recently happened. I feel you need to do some meditation. I feel you need to make concerted efforts to distract your mind right now and perhaps find some inner peace this way. What happened has happened and there is no changing it. You only have the present and the future. Asking questions like “what if” or “do you think I did the right thing” will not change the situation. What’s done is done. It’s a harsh reality for someone going through heartbreak – I completely get this – but you need to take small steps in moving forward and put your own self-interests first. As someone who went through this, I will tell you that you need to think about who you want to be in one year, five years and ten years and then journal about how you plan to get there. Don’t focus on him and what is done. Focus on the future and the promise of all it can be.

There are a number of websites where I’ve read similar stories from hundreds of women who’ve been left for an arranged marriage. It’s a “thing”. While each story is unique, there is always a common thread that runs through the stories. Reading these and reflecting on this really helped me in my own situation because it made me realize that this wasn’t about ME. It wasn’t about me not being pretty enough or smart enough or nice enough. It was about something much bigger – a culture where this is the standard and a man who wasn’t true with his intentions towards me. Once I realized this, I focused on HIS lack of character and his deceitful nature and I decided that I was way too good for him. I deserve honesty and love. So do you. 

If you want links to these websites, I can provide them. It may be illuminating to read similar stories and realize you aren’t alone in the world regarding this situation.