In the Mirror, a Peacock Dances

Zeshan Khan stared into the mirror, his eyes tracing the contours of his face – a face that had weathered due to the storms of his past. The once boyish features had matured, but the scars remained, deep into the cells of his entire being. ‘Who are you, really?!’ he sighed whispering to himself while searching for the person he once was.

He remembered the taunts, the relentless bullying that had chipped away at his confidence from his young age. “You can never be a man!” they had sneered, their words laced with cruelty. And then there was his uncle, a man who should have protected him, but instead used Zeshan’s vulnerability to satisfy his own twisted and disgusting desires. The memories of those dark nights still haunted him, a phantom pain that lingered long after the physical abuse had ended.

 Zeshan had learned to fade into the background, to hide from the world that seemed to have no place for a gentle, soft-spoken boy like him. He buried his desires for love and connection, convinced that he could never be the kind of man others expected him to be.

 Until he met Iqra Imani.

 It was during a university seminar on gender roles that Zeshan first heard Iqra’s voice – clear and unwavering as she spoke about the spectrum of asexuality and the beauty of self-acceptance. Her words resonated with him in a way he couldn’t quite explain, stirring something deep within his soul.

 Coincidentally, they met in an art gallery. One day, Zeshan saw Iqra in an art gallery while wondering through the place. Zeshan, with his lack of confidence, couldn’t master up the courage to approach her. But when Iqra saw him, she came to him with her unwavering eyes full of self-esteem, he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed. Iqra, with her sharp gaze, saw past the walls Zeshan had so carefully constructed. She saw the light in him, the poetic and gentle soul that he had hidden away.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain and finding joy in the midst of life’s challenges.”

Vivian Greene

“You have a light that you hide. Why?” she asked, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity and concern.

 Little did Zeshan know that this very moment would change up the whole world that he had created around him. After that, they started hanging with each other. Slowly, Zeshan began to open up, sharing the wounds of his past. Iqra listened without any judgment, her compassion was like a balm to his battered heart. She taught him that boundaries weren’t just about sex; they were about respecting each other’s needs, about building a relationship founded on trust and mutual understanding.

 As their bond deepened, Zeshan felt the pain of his past starting to fade. Iqra’s unwavering acceptance, her gentle encouragement, gave him the courage to embrace his true self. In her presence, he blossomed like a flower after a long winter, his vulnerability is no longer a weakness but a strength to be cherished.

One day, Iqra unveiled a painting that took Zeshan’s breath away. It was a portrait of him, his body adorned in vibrant, swirling colors, his arms spread wide in a graceful dance. “You are like the male peacock, you are so natural” Iqra explained, her voice soft and reverent. “Beautiful, gentle, and deserving of admiration.”

Tears sprang to Zeshan’s eyes as he realized the profound truth in her words. He had spent his life being told he was not enough, but here was someone who saw him, truly saw him, and found him to be a work of art.

In the warmth of their affection, Zeshan and Iqra built a love that transcended the physical. Their intimacy was a slow, tender dance, a celebration of the trust and understanding they had painstakingly cultivated. Zeshan’s patience, his respect for Iqra’s boundaries, became the cornerstone of their relationship, a testament to the power of love that sees and accepts the whole person.

 Now, as Zeshan stood before the mirror, he saw not the broken boy who he once was, but a man who had been healed by the grace of true love. He saw a peacock, dancing in the colors of his own truth, proud and beautiful in his uniqueness. And in that moment, he heard a humming coming from the kitchen as Iqra was brewing some tea. Leaving the mirror behind, Zeshan walked towards Iqra while swelling his heart with gratitude. When she looked at him and smiled, it took his breath away.

He reached for her and kissed her gently, saying, ‘Happy Anniversary, my love.’ Iqra smiled, ‘Happy Anniversary, honey.’ At that moment he knew that despite the pain of his past, he had found his way to something extraordinary – he had found himself.