My name is @ruhirandhawa, and I am from the beautiful city of Chandigarh, India. In January 2019, I got a job opportunity working part-time in a restaurant; following a trip back home to India. At the time, I was in a toxic long-distance relationship of four years. I was emotionally drained and depressed. I had lost hair, weight, confidence, and nearly everything.
Nehemiah was an international student from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and worked in the same restaurant. He occasionally would give me rides home. We became good friends and would hang out from time to time.
I was fascinated by how much our cultures were different yet similar. I also did not know that Bollywood movies were so famous where Nehemiah grew up. He had watched SRKs movies dubbed in french almost a thousand times. I also found solace in talking to Nehemiah, and venting to him was my first step towards mental growth. He changed the way I used to think, made me believe in myself, and helped me see the world in a very different way.
I finally found the courage to stand up against all the emotional abuse and ended things with my ex. Side note, Nehemiah and I never thought about each other more than friends. He respected my space. With a new sense of mental freedom, I still doubted ending my four-year relationship. I was worried about what people would think of me. No matter what, Nehemiah was always there.
We started spending more time together, and in April 2019, we expressed our feelings for each other.
Today, we have been living together for 2.5 years and are planning on getting married. I want to spend the rest of my life with the guy who keeps me sane. I have told my parents about Nehemiah, but they are in typical “what will people say” mode. I am sure they’ll come around, and everything will be normal again.