A Gay Man Sat Beside Me, but I Didn’t Like What He Was Doing

Sh*t happens!

My last visit to Kerala, India, in March 2020, was an eventful one. But not all events were pleasant. There were a few awkward moments that led me to believe the phrase — sh*t happens!

I saw dolphins and plastics surfing together in the Vembanad Lake in Fort Kochi. My newly met friend left the bus without even saying ‘goodbye’ to me. I had to walk nearly 10 kilometers through the roads of Munnar, finding no vehicle in the heavy downpour.

But that’s okay. That’s what we call experiences. All the unexpected things remain in the head when you go back to your 9 to 5 life. All these things make you smile.

For the record, I prefer traveling solo because it leads me to diverse experiences that I likely to miss when I am in a group or with friends. I will talk about it later, in another post maybe.

Anyway, my 11-day solo trip to Kerala gave me a few unprecedented experiences. But the most shocking incident was to encounter a gay man whose behavior was not appropriate at all.

What did he do?

I was visiting from Thekkady to Kumarakom, intending to visit the Kumarakom Bird sanctuary and Kerala Backwaters. I am a nature-lover, and birds are my beloved ones.

After reaching Kottayam, I took another bus to go to Kumarakom. It was the middle part of the day, but the sun was not there to shine. Instead, a gentle breeze was flowing around making the environment much more enjoyable. As the bus has no window-shields, I chose a seat beside the window to make the best out of this serene atmosphere.

A few moments later, an elderly person sat beside me with a bag in his lap. He smiled at me, and I did the same.

In Kerala, very few people speak English or Hindi as they prefer their official language Malayalam. That is why sometimes it gets quite troublesome to communicate with them. In that case, a smile from any of them means — welcome to the city. And when you did the same in return, it means — thank you. Kerala is full of loving people.

Kottayam to Kumarakom is a 30-minute ride. I was enjoying the breeze and beauty of the surroundings, peeping through the window. The bus was moving gently dissecting the wet-lands on its way. I was watching the coconut trees standing on the sides of the narrow canals where a few cranes spreading wings to have flights toward the sky.

After a few minutes, the driver turned the music on, and some Malayalam songs caught my attention. The melodies synced well with the environment. I loved it so much that I started humming the songs, though the meaning of them was unknown to me.

At one point, my fellow passenger got off the bus on a stoppage replacing another one in his seat. The new one was a middle-aged man with gray hair and a pair of spectacles.

The journey resumed, and I was enjoying the road as before. But this enjoyment ended when I felt a touch on the left side of my body.

I took a look and saw his elbow touching my arms. He was busy browsing his smartphone. I thought he was feeling discomfort sitting there. So, without telling him anything, I turned more close to the window so that he could get enough space to sit comfortably.

A few moments later, I was touched again, and then again.

To my surprise, I noticed that he was doing it continuously with deliberate efforts. At this point, I was a bit irritated. I turned my neck around and — holly shit! — I saw the man trying to show me his naked photos on the mobile-screen.

What the fu*k!

I never experienced awkward moments like this before.

What should I do? — I thought to myself — Should I shout or slap on his face without any word? I have a reputation for being ill-tempered. But this is not my country — no one will understand what I would say to him? So, why make a scene?

I controlled my anger. Moreover, I was a little terrified too. I felt so vulnerable that I changed the seat immediately without any confrontation. The man was still looking at me frequently.

He was indeed a pervert.

Anyway, after a few minutes, I got off the bus in a stoppage way before my destination. I preferred to walk rather continuing my journey with that pervert.

This incident shocked me to the core. Even when I got off the bus, I was watching if I was being followed or not. When the bus left with that ugly piece of sh*t — I was finally relieved.

You know what! That was the beginning of a series of bad lucks on that day. I found the Bird Sanctuary just closed due to Covid-19 precaution. And to make the situation worse — hotels were not taking reservations from any foreigners. I struggled a lot on that day.

That was he*k of a day.

Final comment

I have tremendous respect for all LGBT people and the choices they make until it hurts others. If any of them have the mean mentality like the person I met, I would sincerely tell him/ her — please, stop hunting on the roads. Don’t be a pervert.

Be respectful of others’ choices. They will respect you in return.

Have a wonderful life!

If you are a single person struggling deep down, you may read the following article to realize what you’ve got.