“Sapphy, wake up, darling. It’s 10 in the morning,” lovingly called out Sapphy’s mother, Iffat.
“Just five more minutes. It’s Sunday after all.” Sapphy replied sheepishly from under the sheets.
“No more of this five-minute business. Auntie Sheela has joined us for breakfast. Come on, get up and greet her.” Iffat insisted.
Iffat had prepared a scrumptious Sunday brunch for Sheela and the family to enjoy.
Reluctantly, Sapphy joined everyone at the table after brushing her teeth.
“Iffy, I have some juicy gossip to share,” Sheela said with a smirk.
“Is that so? I had a feeling your visit came with an agenda. Why else would you drop by unannounced? Tell me what’s cooking?” Iffat replied, intrigued.
“You know Danish, right?”
Sapphy’s eyes lit up at the mention of Danish.
“Danish, the boy from Block F. Chowdary’s son?”
“Yes, exactly! Danish Chowdary.”
Danish was no ordinary boy to Sapphy. He was 8-year-old Sapphy’s first crush. Even though he was 10 years older than her, the age gap didn’t matter one bit to her. After all, Saif Ali Khan is also 10 years older than Kareena Kapoor. Little Sapphy had already imagined getting married to Danish one day. Danish was smart, good-looking, and exceptionally charismatic. It was impossible for a normal being to escape unscathed from Danish’s charm.
When Sapphy was 6 years old, she was flying kites with her friends from the neighbourhood. Her father had bought her a beautiful kite in her favourite teal blue colour. Her kite had been airborne for less than 10 minutes when one of the older boys in the neighbourhood cut its string. The kite fell and landed in a tall tree nearby, but the tree was too tall for children to climb and retrieve the kite. Sapphy’s tears flowed freely, and after a while, her friends started teasing her about being a cry-baby. Amid the tears and sniffles, Sapphy noticed a tall and handsome figure walking up to her.
“Hello, I am Danish. What’s your name?”
“Sapphy” Sapphy mumbled softly.
“Would you stop crying and smile if I gifted you this yellow kite?” Danish extended a yellow kite towards Sapphy.
“No, I don’t want a kite. I want to make a kite fly higher than everyone else’s.“
“Now that’s something we can achieve. How about I help you fly this kite high in the sky?”
For the next half hour, Danish flew the kite alongside Sapphy, ensuring their kite soared higher than all the others in the sky. Sapphy found her hero, and fortunately for her, he was excellent at flying kites.
“Sapphy, Sapphy”
Sapphy returned to reality after a gentle nudge from Auntie Sheela.
“Darling, why don’t you go to your room and play?” Auntie Sheela suggested.
“I don’t want to! I want to finish my breakfast; I am hungry.” Sapphy replied, a bit annoyed.
“Fine then. Put on your headphones and listen to some music while your mom and I talk. It’s adult business, so don’t pay attention to us.”
Sapphy put on her headphones, but she had no intention of listening to any music. She was eager to hear the gossip about Danish.
“Danish, what a bright and handsome boy. It’s such a fall from grace. Who would have anticipated that he would turn out like this?” Auntie Sheela remarked.
“Turn out like what? What did he do?” Iffat questioned.
“He didn’t do anything. He is…. he is…gay. Last night he came out to his parents. They had a loud argument. The neighbour overheard the entire conversation, and now this news is spreading like wildfire throughout the entire housing complex.”
“Whatever he is, is none of our business. But I do feel bad for the parents. Poor things, Danish is an only child, and that too such a bright boy. All their dreams for him must have come down crashing.” Iffat said in a sombre tone.
“Of course, they are devastated. I feel there is still hope. The gay business is just a phase. If the Chowdarys pray diligently and seek medical help, Danish will eventually recover.”
“Yes, let’s hope that he gets better and escapes this illusion,” Iffat said hopefully.
“I must leave now. I’ve left my kids at home, and now more than ever, we must keep an eye on our children. They can easily get caught up in all this nonsense,” Auntie Sheela said as she got up to leave.
Sapphy listened intently to the entire conversation between Sheela and Iffat, but she couldn’t make sense of any of it. Danish is gay, which is not normal according to her mum and Auntie Sheela. Is he sick? Why would this result in an argument with parents? And most importantly, what does it mean to be gay?
“Amma, what does it mean to be gay?” Sapphy asked Iffat.
“Sapphy! Why were you eavesdropping? That conversation was beyond your age, so not a word more about it. Understood?” Iffat asked angrily.
“Okay, fine. I’ll just ask someone else. I need to know,” Sapphy replied confidently.
“Sapphy, please don’t go asking people about this. This is tricky business; you might offend people.”
“Why is being gay is offensive?” Sapphy looked puzzled.
“Being gay is not offensive. It’s just not the norm. A gay person is attracted to the same gender, unlike heterosexual folks like Appa and I who are attracted to the opposite gender. Danish would fall in love with a boy, not a girl”
“Amma, isn’t love the best gift from god? Wouldn’t the love that Danish feels be a gift as well? How’s that love any different from what Appa and you experience?”
“It is different in the eyes of the society, Sapphy. And this difference can make life difficult for a child in society and therefore, it upsets parents when their child turns out to be gay.” Iffat explained patiently.
“Amma, didn’t you say that a task being difficult doesn’t make it wrong? Often, difficult tasks are the true test of one’s character,” Sapphy wondered.
“Yes, Sapphy. Being gay is not wrong, but the path ahead for a gay person will be tough. No parent wishes that their child leads a tough life.”
“Danish may face many obstacles now, but who else will he turn to in tough times if not his parents?“
Iffat sighed, not knowing how to answer Sapphy’s innocent question.
That evening, while playing with her friends, Sapphy noticed Danish walking home. He looked normal, although a bit tired and sad, but he was still the same charming and handsome Danish as always.
Sapphy ran to Danish.
“Oh hello, Sapphy! Playing with your friends, huh?” Danish asked, his tone lacking enthusiasm.
Sapphy didn’t respond.
“How about I get you your favourite ice cream, and in return, you give me that million-dollar smile of yours?”
“I don’t want ice cream,” Sapphy finally replied.
Danish’s expression grew serious. Danish wondered if the latest gossip about him had reached little Sapphy as well.
“I will show you my million-dollar smile if you promise to return it with one of yours. Deal?” Sapphy replied excitedly.
Danish smiled, feeling the relief that comes from witnessing a beautiful sunrise after a long, difficult night, and honouring her end of the bargain, Sapphy flashed her toothy smile.
