I have always had mixed feelings about the crushes I had during my adolescence. I can't decide whether they were magical or silly or just an awful waste of time. Or maybe they were all of those and so much more.

Looking back at the crippling infatuations I've had on people who barely recognised my existence, here are a few things I know now that I would have liked to tell my younger self and perhaps, you can relate to them too.

If they are rude to you, it means they like you—that's a lie.
This message has been conveyed in numerous ways in movies and books and quote catalogues so many times I have lost count, and like many others, I had once believed it as well. Sure, there are those unique snowflakes who come off as rude without ever intending to, but this was never the rule. I wish I had told myself that between sensitivity and apathy, it is the former that you deserve and an "I'd love to hear about your day," is what you should settle for instead of a snide, "No, I don't want to listen to you right now." I wish I had told myself that the moment you feel your heart crumble under the weight of another cold shoulder, do yourself a favour, pick those pieces up and leave.

Your favourite song deserves a better story.
Did you ever have that moment when you were lying on your bed, earphones plugged in, listening to your favourite song and suddenly, the lyrics started to tell a completely different story? A story that revolved entirely around your crush? You then played this song on repeat as their smiles flashed before your eyes, till one day you realised that this was only a story you had fabricated inside your head and that was all it was ever going to be. The words lost their meaning, the tune turned monotonous and that was the death of your favourite song. But you see, this song possibly deserved to be associated with something much more beautiful, like the sunrise or the sea or the evening breeze that picks up on your hair when you sit in solitude on your rooftop. Years from now, when you will have gotten over this crush, these things will still remain beautiful and the only memories your favourite song will evoke are the ones that make you happy.

Stop trying so hard to impress them!
Especially if they wear an invisible blindfold when it comes to your countless efforts to please. There are better things to do than practise cart-wheels and somersaults all day because that is what your heart does every time you look at them. There are places to be travelled, secrets of the universe waiting to be unravelled, books to be read, movies to be watched, thoughts that demand to be penned down. So many things to do than waste your precious time trying to impress those who can't spare a second for you. Stop moulding yourself to fit their personalities better. Mould yourself so that the entire world can fit into your pocket someday.

This silly crush of yours shall wane soon.
That is the beauty of crushes—they are fleeting. Cherish them while they last and if they lead to something more, that's great. But if they don't, make sure you know when to let them go.

Shreyosi Endow is a tea addict who likes to read poetry and is obsessed with plants. Send her a mail at endow1211s@gmail.com