Dhruv, a 16-year-old teenager, while scrolling through his Instagram, got an idea that he should make a dating profile, not for him but his father, Abhi Raj. Raj is a 43-year-old single father who had stopped looking for a partner a while ago and decided to focus his life and energy on his only son. Raj knew that raising a child alone is not easy without any formal support structure. He wasn’t quite sure how a person would adjust to the fact that he had a teenage son.
Moreover, he didn’t want to upheaval the life of his son as he knew teen years are challenging both for the parent as well as the child. Raj has not talked to his family in the last 19 years, and Dhruv had never met his grandparents, uncles or aunts. But that didn’t mean his definition of family was limited to his father only. In fact, he had uncles, aunts and grandparents whom Raj had met over the years and who have stayed in his life. His relationship with them was are not bound by blood but by love.
Dhruv had then decided that he would make a profile for his father, though he wanted his father to find the love of his life. His ulterior motive was to get his father off his back. He thought if his father had someone, he would stop bothering him with his studies or career decisions. It’s not that they had a strife relationship. Raj had decided to raise his child in a manner that would allow Dhruv to develop his own point of view, instead of imposing his understanding of the world on him. They have a unique relationship where Dhruv could share his feelings with his father that would often be swept under the carpet by other parents.
Dhruv knew nothing about how to proceed in his mission, so he decided to download one of the most popular dating app, Tinder. He logged in with his father’s name and uploaded a gorgeous image according to him that would invite many likes. He filled the various columns asking for his age, profession, hobbies and interests. He was swiping profiles left and right, hoping to match with a few profiles that he could later show to his father.
As he was charting the love life of his father, the doorbell rang. He rushed towards the door knowing that his father would have arrived from his office. He was smiling and blushing, which his father noticed and asked him about. He cleverly dogged the question by changing the topic of conversation.
Dhruv knew that if he brought the idea of dating to his father, he would reject it straight away. So he decided to plant the idea in his father’s mind and then reveal his master plan. During dinner, Dhruv initiated the conversation on relationships, dating and love. Raj thought his son was in love with a girl or a boy, or he wanted to introduce his first love to him. He couldn’t imagine in his wildest dream what his son was up to. Dhruv asked his father why he has stopped meeting new people.
This question resurfaced painful memories for Raj; he remembered how he was trapped in an abusive relationship where the other person made him believe that his life was worthless. Sensing his father’s silence, Dhruv knew what his father was thinking, and what he said afterwards made Raj realise his son had grown as an empathetic person.
Dhruv said, “Papa, we cannot let our past drive our present, we cannot let our fears restrain us from taking risks and do things we love, but are too afraid to do.” Yielding to Dhruv’s argument, Raj said he would start meeting new people. Dhruv thought it was the right time to tell his father he had taken the first step on his behalf. He told him he had made a dating profile. Upon realising his son’s deeds, Raj was scandalised and snubbed his idea by saying that he was too old for a millennial approach. When Dhruv insisted, Raj told him he would give some thought to his idea and after finishing their dinner, both of them went to their bedrooms.
As Raj was stepping into his room, he saw a notification on his mobile. Somebody had messaged him on Tinder. He didn’t realise when Dhruv had installed it on his phone before dinner, as he was quite sure his father would give in to his idea. He opened the app and saw the message, “Good Evening, Savant. Would you guide me through the labyrinth of relationship?”
Raj was impressed with the choice of words in the message and read the name of the person. It said Mudassar Mir. His profile described him as a 27- year-old who works at an IT firm. They both shared a common interest in international movies and television shows. However, Mir was a wanderlust, while Raj liked to stay indoors.
Raj replied by saying, “You don’t need anyone; only thoughtful contemplation would unravel the enigma of desire.” They started talking, and Raj was enjoying his conversation with Mir. It was effortless. It was moving in its own direction like a summer breeze. The two talked about their professions, hobbies and interests. When Raj told Mir about how his love for gardening is therapeutic for him and has a kitchen garden, Mir joked and said, “Don’t hoard the bounty of the earth. Share it with me and invite me for lunch.” They laughed.
The two haven’t met each other, yet Mir felt safe and seen by Raj, enough to be vulnerable with him. Mir shared his story of coming out to his parents. He told Raj he was frightened about his devout Muslim parents’ reaction to his sexuality. He tried hiding a part of his life from the people he loved the most in the world.
But to Mir’s surprise, his parents understood their son’s reality. It took some time for them to truly come around and accept his sexuality. As Mir put it, “When you come out of the closet, you force your parents into one.” Though sitting far away from each other, Mir and Raj shared a moment, a moment after which they were no longer strangers.