Straight Pride

Imagine a world where being straight was a taboo. Where #PrideMonth was for those who loved the opposite gender, and loving a boy as a girl was something to hide. This is a fictitious letter; not quite a love letter, but a confession nonetheless.

Varun,

My parents are anxious for me to have a relationship. Being a girl, I need to have a wife before I become too old for marriage. It is the orthodox way. I have five years before I reach the deadline, and I don't even have a girlfriend. You know that; I don't do relationships.

My mothers stay on my tail to find a girl for myself, settle down before I become a shame to my family. I see my friends, frolicking around in cafés, holding hands and smiling. Their eyes filled with indescribable joy, but I can't help but feel a bit jealous.

I want to feel like that. But in a world like ours, I am afraid I won't fit in. It should be easy, straightforward. Grow up, accomplish everything you want, and fall in love. Love. It's a word so imprinted in our minds, as the picture of two boys or two girls being so content with each other. It's almost biased, but it is not love's fault, is it?

It's ours. It's our fault to create a biased image of love.

I rarely find movies that revolve around straight people. A boy and a girl falling in love. Imagine if there was a world that accepted heterosexual people just as much as the others.

I can't describe the smile that's plastered on my face right now.

Last night, in a conversation with my mother, she told me to find a girl for myself; again. She wants me to find love, and I don't blame her for that. She doesn't think that I may not want to find a girl, and it's the way society has trained us to look at love. Out of the blue, probably because of the Straight-Pride Month, she uttered a sentence that left me wide-eyed.

"I hope you don't like boys. If you did, though, I would support you completely!"

Before I accidentally reveal myself to you, you need to know that you have been my best friend for years, and I don't want anything to corrupt our friendship. You are probably into boys, like any other male, and I would promptly back off if that's the case.

So, yes, Varun. My mother hit the nail right on its head. I do like boys.

I like you, to be more specific.

Now that I have gotten that out of my system, I really, really hope you are not disgusted by me. I know that you're all for Pride, but it's different when your female best friend likes your male self. You're probably gay, and I'll stay away if you think I am no good for you, but I needed to get this out.

After all this, I wish we can still be friends.

Yours, Ayesha