Gaurav Yada

Ask them out

Dear Arjun,

Congratulations on surviving your first month of university. Few more to go now. Here's some, perhaps 'cliché' advice for you.

For a long time, I repressed a lot of my sexuality. Mostly out of fear. Sometimes out of confusion.

I spent three years at university, surrounded by people, but I never asked anyone out. Instead, I'd say things like, "Do you want to grab a coffee?" Leaving it vague, never showing my true intentions.

Being vague isn't good. First, it's dishonest. If I'm attracted to someone, and I don't make that clear, I'm not being truthful. And while it's scary, hiding it is still a form of lying. And lying, for all sorts of reasons, is bad.

Second, I was getting in my own way. I was too afraid to say, "I think you're beautiful. I'd love to take you out on a date." That felt too vulnerable, too risky. Rejection from that person would hurt too much. So, I'd spiral into overthinking and anxiety, coming up with reasons why they'd say no or why we wouldn't work as a couple.

People sometimes ask me if I have any regrets. I say no. Regrets don't help. They just make you feel worse. But I do have mistakes I don't want to repeat.

One of those is not asking people out when I wanted to. Not telling them how I felt.

So dear brother, ask them out. What happens next is out of your hands.