A Slice of Life Story

Amir and Shalini walked past a crowded bus stop talking about some life issues. Shalini was lost in conversation and missed noticing a car that crossed her way; Amir pulled Shalini's arm and pulled her into him to protect her. Instantly, butterflies started fluttering in Shalini's gut. However, Amir scolded her to watch out. She just put her head down and walked a little away from Amir. Shalini knew Amir was much younger than her and was forbidden from thinking more than a friend, so she didn't express her feelings to him. Also, she didn't want to complicate things between them. She wanted him to be in her life for longer, so she decided to keep him as an everlasting friend. Fundamentally, Shalini is super old school in her values and romanticizes too much about the idea of love. The bane of modern socializing is too chaotic for her.

 

Amir is typically a cusp between Millennials and Gen Z. He has no restriction to openly discuss taboo topics or to develop intimacy in interim relationships and friendships. He complicates everything beyond understanding. Shalini and Amir are like the north and south poles in their ways of looking at life. But somehow, Shalini got attracted to him so much that she couldn't explain or find a reason why he made her gut flutter and raised her heartbeat. According to Shalini, Amir is mature, gentlemanly, warm, and kind-hearted. She was unfathomably in love with him beyond time and space, so she decided to keep him closer throughout her life as her emotional support. Though Shalini got fidgety and overwhelmed at Amir's proximity, she maintained the friendship prudently platonic for more than 5 years. 

 

Amir never noticed how Shalini felt about him, or at the least, she thought so. As an early Millennial, her expressions are too subtle to fathom by Gen Z's understanding. Though Amir acted mature beyond his age, he ignored or didn't notice her weakness for him. They both walked hand-in-hand even after moving away almost 2500 km distance. They saved each other with their friendship through the terrible time of the pandemic. 

 

Shalini's life was packed with her parents' responsibilities and health issues, as she was the sole breadwinner of her family. She used Amir's calls as a coping mechanism to escape from her chaotic reality. He mentioned in their conversations that he was dating girls. She kept telling him that she wanted him to fall in love head over heels with a girl and happily married to her. However, he didn't talk much about his dating life or relationships. He was sensitive enough not to put her through his problems, as she was already dealing with a lot. In fact, she didn't have the mental space to worry about him or his relationship status; however, she felt cared for and happy whenever he called her. She felt Amir was her saving grace when she lost both her parents to the massacre of Covid 19. His calls were her guiding fireflies inside the never-ending dark tunnel. After a tsunami of losses and sorrows washed her away, she desperately needed a warm hug and a promise of friendship from him.

 

Truthfully, Amir was sexually attracted to men. He has been trying to tell Shalini in hints from the beginning of their friendship. As she was old school, homosexuality is a concept, or an idea known only through movies. Hence, she didn't pick up his hints, and he stopped trying after a point. Meanwhile, Amir was actively dating guys and somehow found a partner in his hometown. Over time, Amir learned about Shalini very well. Though she comes across as a cool person who knows about everything that happens with Gen Z youth in society, she is super old school and upholds traditional values. So, Amir kept his sexuality a secret from her for almost 5 years. Of course, it's his choice whether to tell her or not. As Amir moved in and started a live-in relationship with his partner, he felt emotionally suffocated to keep hiding it from his close friend. So, he decided to blatantly reveal it to her: he invited her to their home, introduced his boyfriend to her, and told her they were in a live-in relationship. He knew that it startled her, but he also knew that she wouldn't judge or leave him as they had come a long way in their friendship.

 

Everything seems easy, relatable, and practical when it appears on a screen or on pages. But to synthesize the real-life truth and experiences against one's traditional values, ingrained ideologies of the community practice and social limitations startles any human being. Shalini was too vulnerable at the time and was totally agitated. When she encountered Amir with a guy, she went on an emotional roller coaster - shocked, betrayed, frustrated, and angry. She cried for two nights stealthily and didn't know to process the idea of her close friend being homosexual. However. she never uttered a word or expressed any emotion but warmth and love around both Amir and his partner. Shalini was not ignorant about the LGBTQIA+ community and the Pride movement! In fact, she loves movies like Brokeback Mountains, Danish Girl, The Imitation Game, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She is a fan of the relationship between Ellen and Portia. She couldn't understand why she was angry when she knew that Amir was with a guy. Shalini didn't clearly understand whether it was her disappointment, as she had feelings for him, or it was her first encounter with a real-life homosexual person. 

 

Shalini returned from her trip with a heavy heart and choking emotions. For almost a week, she was in total depression and wasn't speaking a word. But Amir kept video calling her with his partner daily, and he made sure that she is not left out. He shows reiterates to her that she is an important person in his life no matter whomever he dates or lives with. Even his partner makes her feel included. Somehow after a month or so, Shalini doesn't care about Amir's sexuality or relationship. Now, she feels closer to him and like a part of their family. They both discussed their fights and happy moments with her. Even today, his calls are her only emotional support system. She used to think that she knew Amir as her heartbeat. However, he is full of mystery and has been sharing stories of his private life a lot more than in the past 5 years. Their friendship is steadily growing stronger. Indeed, she keeps evolving every day to accept people the way they are without prejudices and stereotypical thoughts. In the end, all that matters is love above all!