You may think, that I’m referring to a telephonic conversation here; however, this was a conversation that happened in a bar between two unknown people. There’s a popular saying, ‘You meet the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time and place’. Something similar happened here.

It was the year 2017 when I was in Bangkok for a work tour. I was single and beyond commitments. Hence I had all the freedom to enjoy the crazy life of this beautiful and maddening city. After wrapping up my work, I decided to treat myself to a nice massage. There’s a lovely all-men spa in the city, which was my go-to place. I took the metro and made my way to the nearest station. As I entered the gate, there was a giant pair of greek men sculptures; waiting to welcome me. The perfectly chiselled body, holding the wall against their back; always fascinated me. After paying at the counter, I made my way to the locker room. Among a few awestriking physiques, I passed through to my locker. I was sure, it was going to be a good evening. The Spa was pretty full because of the theme of the day, the foam party. The central area next to the bar was covered and filled with soap lather for people to enjoy. It was indeed the first experience for me.

A while later, I saw this nimble figure, evenly wheatish complexion, all naked; dancing and making his way towards the centre of the floor. Many eyes were on him and his somehow on mine. Yes, the hormones make you take many decisions that at unthought. So we hopped and played around at different corners of the spa. To my surprise, I later got to know that the guy was Indian and that to from the same state.

Well, that was not the high point of the story. While we were checking out, we bumped into someone at the exit gate. A fair-skinned guy with perfectly combed hair, jawline shining sharp with that trimmed beard, was sitting at the cemented bench near the exit gate. I would never expect him to be an Indian. I judged him with his looks as we seemed nowhere compatible and certainly didn’t have sex in mind. My light-footed friend greeted him with a simple and I was taken aback when they started speaking in Hindi. I felt that he was a bit snobbish in the beginning but later grew my interest as we started talking and walked together out of the spa. His name was Jeet, which means Victory. We started walking towards Silom, which is a popular Gay hub in town. The other guy left with a promise to meet us in the club later that night. With amazing bars and clubs, Silom is a must-visit for queer tourists like us.

Jeet and I walked a few lanes and tried a couple of local delicacies. We were still getting acquainted. This young IT professional had visited a few countries and had plans to visit many more. To take the discussion forward we sat in a bar at Soi 2, The Telephone Bar. And there the real conversation began. We sat at the outside sittings and ordered a couple of beers. Watch some hottest guys passing by, the conversation grew interesting with each finished bottle and we lost track of time. We were supposed to hit the club after a couple of drinks but never realised how the evening rushed to midnight. With each chapter being unfolded from our lives, we empathised with each other a little more. That night, we covered the bridge from being an acquaintance to a friend.

He again taught me, never to judge a book by its cover. There was a typhoon behind that calm and smiling face, which still exists. There are things that he may never change about himself, but he will always be there to uplift and tell you, “Itna kyu sochta hain? Theek ho jayega. Chal beer peete hain.” (Why do you think so much? It will be fine. Let’s have a beer). The night ended with him devouring a big bowl of Mango and sticky rice, and a few goodbyes outside the club.

You may come across a Jeet in your life too, who you may find repulsive. But trust me, you should take that walk and share a beer; maybe you will find a real friend in them.