Friends, I need to confess something today:
I’ve become obsessed with his every little trait —
His random acts of kindness, those long lashes,
His charming personality, his chivalry.
The way he says the word, “photography”.
I have fallen in love with him madly.
Can't concentrate on anything,
I keep writing on and on about him,
as my brain keeps diverging back to him.

But there’s a huge hindrance. Our faiths are different.
I am a Hindu and he is a Muslim.
Now what? Do I have permission to go through with it?
Do our religious scriptures allow me to act on it?
No? Why not? Can someone tell me after all,
Why is loving him such a big sin?
Why must I suppress my feelings
when it’s merely a matter of public perception,
Just because both communities hate each other
due to sheer manipulation.

Yes, our cultures would be remarkably stark,
Our traditions and worldviews would be miles apart!
But we could chart our own interesting journey,
With both families coming together and
gelling in with each letter gladly.
We would celebrate double the number of festivities.
Revel in a wealth of irresistible sweets and delicacies.
We would take so much pride in breaking down
the barriers of religious stereotypes.

We would borrow philosophies from both beliefs,
On how to live life meaningfully.
We would become a stronger unit
embracing acceptance and adaptability.
Our differences would constantly humble us,
Our children would grow up to speak various languages,
and appreciate diversity,
They would have a rich heritage to draw from,
shaping them to form a multifaceted identity.

Could we be a couple unlike any other?
A couple that indicates,
that religion is a construct we’ve made,
that love and faith don’t need to align?
What we stand for is more than divine.
And it’s not like the world hasn’t seen
cases like these working out successfully,
Two people following separate deities,
loving each other vicariously,
growing together in harmony.

But then I turn back and stay mum
when I visualize how much emotional tension
it will bring to our communities.
I would always be concerned about our safety,
especially given the political unrest in our country.
We’ve all heard stories of parents abandoning their children,
witnessed families involved in honor killings,
or seen uncles and aunts distancing
themselves from their kinship.
Honestly, is there any end to this?

So I decide to not confess my feelings to him.
I force myself to stop dreaming about him.
Pretend like I don’t stare at the black mole on his chin
Act like I don’t care. Ugh! it’s so unfair.
Like a prisoner, I feel trapped and deterred.
It triggers me to see love through a monochromatic filter.
Do our Gods preach to choose “family over love”,
instead of “family and love”?

Am I a quitter for choosing peace?
Would the guilt of being a coward ever cease?
Would putting an end to this eat me alive?
Don’t we deserve a chance to thrive,
Instead of merely surviving, barely alive?
They constantly tell me that I did the right thing.
Just like that, I let the people who think that way win.
But how the hell do I fucking stop myself from
falling head over heels for him?