The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
– Robert Frost

This year, I walked for Maya.

Maya faded fast in May 2017 when he called from work and declared his decision to commit suicide. I tried my level best to save him. At that very minute, I called a suicide helpline, seeking aid, but they fell short of expectations. I called his closest friends to speak to him to make him understand, begging him to change his mind and keeping him occupied until I could personally meet him. He did come to meet me. As he walked towards me, I could see that he was dying. I hugged him with all my warmth, but soon realised it was futile. We sat at our favourite coffee shop, sipping his preferred drink, and I held his hands tightly, hoping to infuse some life into his cold body. As he recounted his story, he let out a short, mournful cry. And then I witnessed his soul leaving his body as he departed. Maya is just a body without a soul, living somehow, somewhere.

Maya, for me, was totally like what Yash Chopra portrayed in Dil to Pagal Hain; loving, caring, passionate, believing in true love, and awaiting his prince charming, who would surely turn up and take him away someday. But life had other plans—something brutal. With parental and societal pressure, he was married off to a woman outside of his desires. He has pushed the daisies up since he came out to his family. And that very day, when he walked out of that coffee shop, even my heart stopped beating. That day, Maya didn’t die, but he was convicted of manslaughter, a process that was slow and gradual.

In a patriarchal Indian society where being homosexual is a crime, many parents get their kids married off for the same reason: to maintain the family name and reputation within the community and society. What they fail to understand and realise is that this temporary arrangement will only last as long as they are alive and is destined for failure. In the process, they destroy the lives of these innocent individuals, who could have otherwise thrived. Parents, trust me, your queer kids are genuinely good human beings, despite the fact that they have been concealed from you since childhood. It is your lack of education, understanding, and empathy that pushes them into much darker circumstances. However, this will never change the essence of their humanity. They will always be who they are meant to be.

Because of the same reason, the queer community in India is outnumbered, and the guardians of our society have declared them a minuscule minority. It’s time that people from the community step out of their closets, and the allies should step in to support them. They have to be seen, to be understood. It is not a fight of an individual but a fight of a community.

This year, I walked for Maya. And from now on, I will walk for all the Mayas out there until they succeed.

For more pictures of Delhi Queer Pride 2017, click the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1801825509829937.1073741865.470820806263754&type=1&l=5b3b2f82e5