C – Character Crush… or Just Confusion?

For C, I thought I would write about character crushes… but I’m confused.

I know I had a character crush.  

I just don’t remember why.

I read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell almost 10 years ago. I don’t remember the scenes, the dialogues, or even the exact reasons—but I remember that I liked Rhett Butler.Was it his personality? His confidence?  Or was I just in a phase?

At this point, I trust my past self—but also question her choices. 😄

Last year, I read There Was No One at the Bus Stop by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. The protagonist, Debashish—I kind of liked him. If you ask me why, I wouldn’t be able to point to anything specific.By societal standards, he may not even be an “ideal” character. But his longing for Trina—it felt real.

Then there is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I read it a few years ago and enjoyed it. If I read it now, maybe my perspective would change. I liked Elizabeth Bennet in the book—but had a definite crush on Mr. Darcy from the BBC series.

And then comes a Kannada novel—Sobagina Priyadarshini by Saisute. I have read it at least three times. At this point, I think I have a crush on the book itself.I love the characters, the plot, and the Priyadarshini estate. The book opens with a DDLJ-like train scene. And if you ask me why I like Abhilash, the male protagonist, I would simply say, “I just do.”There’s even a small cameo in the story—he isn’t named, just referred to as a “Jeans Veshadhari.” And somehow, I like him too.

And then I realized—characters need not always be people.

Sometimes, it’s a place, a setting, a feeling. A café, a tree, a meal, or even a simple tiffin carrier. If you’ve read the Vera Wong series, you’ll remember those stainless steel tiers—they stay with you.

These days, Japanese and Korean healing fiction have become my go-to. My current read, Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama, has this line:

“Marble Cafe is tucked away in the corner of a quiet residential neighbourhood. It’s a small place nestled behind large trees, just at the end of a row of cherry blossom trees that line the riverbank.”

And tell me honestly—don’t you fall a little in love with a place like that?

I already imagine myself there—sipping hot chocolate, reading a book. The café waiter is cute too, so that’s a bonus. 😜

Sometimes, I pick up books I’ve already read and go back to a few lines—just for the comfort of it.

And maybe that’s what this is.

Maybe it’s not really about a “crush.”

Maybe it’s about comfort.

About how these characters—or places—made me feel.  

How they stayed with me—not in detail, but in emotion.  

How they quietly made space for me, or made me feel seen.

Maybe there was never any logic to it.

And maybe… there doesn’t need to be.

I continue to find myself crushing over what comforts me, in ways I don’t quite know how to put into words.

Do you have a character crush from your reads… or are you just as confused as me? 🫣

Let me know—I promise not to share it with anyone. 😉

This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

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