Hello stranger,

I'm a 20-year-old foreign student who came to Russia to study. I live all alone here and study biochemical engineering. I'm feeling very heavy today and I don't know who to tell, so I'm trying to lighten my feelings through this bottle.

This story began about four months ago when I met a Russian boy named Matvei at a cafe. Coincidentally, we both ordered the last remaining coffee, which we shared in half. From there, we became friends. He was very eager to talk to me. Exactly 15 days later, we met again at the same cafe. We sat at the same table, and I foolishly told him about myself, my country, and that I live alone in a hostel here.

After some time, my exams came and I got busy, but after they were over, we resumed our conversations on social media. He told me everything about himself, and I noticed that his house was literally halfway between my institute and my hostel. Gradually, I began to develop feelings for him. I didn't know if I was gay, but I was starting to like him a lot. Matvei also began to show a deep, almost obsessive, passion for me. He would constantly find excuses to be around me, and a distinct intensity and possessiveness for me was clearly visible in his eyes.

Then, on the day of Maslenitsa, a traditional Russian festival, we met at a fair. He looked very handsome that day, and my feelings for him deepened, but I controlled myself. It was at that fair that everything changed. There, a Russian woman secretly called me and warned me to stay away from Matvei. It didn't end there; someone even complained to the hostel. My hostel in-charge called me and asked me directly if I was going to join any of Matvei's gangs. Hearing this blew my mind. I discovered he was involved in some dangerous and illegal activities.

I came here from a humble background, not a wealthy student. To protect my future, I blocked him from social media that very day with a heavy heart. I was surviving alone in this unfamiliar country, and Matvei was the only person I connected with. Losing him made me cry every night. When he found me three days later, he sensed something was wrong, but I completely ignored him.

But Matvei's obsession wasn't going to be easily relinquished. My departure turned his obsession into a terrifying obsession. He somehow managed to get my number from the hostel staff room, where students' numbers are posted for parcels. Now he calls me constantly and stalks me. This intense obsession has now become a threat; he feels I've played with his emotions or put obstacles in his way, even though I've done nothing of the sort. I am completely fed up with his dangerous stubbornness, his obsession and his mental stress and am terribly scared about what he will do next.