Tasnim Ahmed

All of us aren’t Indian. Seriously, stop.

Respond to texts promptly. “Sorry, I didn’t get your message” is not a valid excuse.

Refrain from passive-aggressively complaining about commuters inconveniencing you during your commute. In New York, we fight for what we what, be it space for holding on to the pole. We do not pussy-foot about.

The Silent Treatment is not a panacea for a warring couple. Bottling up the remainder of your anger and resentment only means that you will erupt again at a later date. No one likes a volcano. Don’t be a volcano.

I had also tried shaving off my unibrow but ended up cutting myself and I was too embarrassed to get it done professionally.

To the defiantly ignorant outsider, the hijab has been the representation of oppression, backwardness, poverty, misogyny, suffering.

I am startled by the number of women I come across who grasp their keys between their fingers as they walk home, ready; by the number of women I meet who jog home in heels if they must and knives in pockets.

There is so much that you will not know about the person you love; there is so much that you will not experience with them.

When, at the very sight of a smile, a quivering lip, a furrowed brow, the words “I love you” rolls to the very tip of your tongue.

I panicked and gasped for air, unable to recognize myself, unwilling to recognize myself. Why did anyone ever love oneself so poorly?

Don’t deny yourself of feeling. Friends will tell you that your ex was not worth your time and not to waste any more time on that person; they say this because it hurts them to see you hurt.

Call your landlord. He will tell you that he will drop by two days away from this date with bait and traps. Luckily, you will have lost your sanity by then.