by Sheba Arifullah

When you’re #perpetuallysingle, any single guy is suggested as a potential mate. When you make any guy friends, they ultimately come into the crosshairs as a “potential.” I usually ignore them, but one that is constantly suggested, is my best guy friend, and brother from another mother, Umar.

We’ve joked about it, because we hear it from either side (his friends, as well as mine, as well as family members!) However, I will put those ships ("ship" is short for relationship; I spend too much time online) to rest: it will NEVER happen, and we’re perfectly okay with it! I like that if I’m having guy trouble, I can ask for his unbiased advice. This goes for him as well! We’ve joked so many times that when we finally do find someone, we will have to sit them down and explain our geekiness to our partners, to prepare them for what is yet to come (an endless barrage of marathons, discussions about comic books, and more).

We’re just like siblings, and I’m not talking about the creepy Lannister or Targaryen kind, but the normal kind of siblings!

I know I can count on him if I need anything, and he is my main source for anything nerdy or geeky! Neither of us have considered each other as a potential, and that’s okay! I like our geeky friendship; it has enriched me and I would not have it any other way. I know that people may still ask about it, and I’m not upset when they bring it up, it just makes me laugh. I mean, I really do not think that anyone could handle that much geekiness in one area! I’m pretty sure most of our friends roll their eyes when we start going off on random geeky tangents. We have laughed about how if we were together, we would never get invited to anything, because people would say, “Oh no, not those two! Do we HAVE to invite those two?” Not because they hated us, but because we would randomly start geeking out over something, and would then become so incomprehensible. They would eventually have to give up trying to understand, because we would be so far gone!

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with my friend, it’s just that for whatever reason, we have not (and have never been) interested in each other at all.

I’m pretty sure we’ve defied some kind of weird law of science or nature, but we don’t really question it. All I know, is that our friendship works, and there is no way that I would (or could) consider changing it. It legit actually creeps me out just thinking about it! Again, not because there’s something wrong with him, it’s just that the thought of it is absurd to me!

What I’ve learned from our friendship, and the many years that we’ve been friends, is that sometimes, though two people may (on paper) seem like they’re perfect for each other, they are not.

I guess, in a way, this helps when I do meet guys who I may find interesting, but if they are not interested, I don’t take it to heart. I figure, if I’m friends with a guy, and we’ve never been interested in each other, then I can understand why someone may not be interested in me. I shouldn’t take it personally, because they’re just not interested, simple as that. Which is perfectly fine, because the same goes when I’m not interested in someone.

Long story short, (why did you have to read this article if I summed it all up in the end anyway?) I will not marry Umar. I know, I know, we’d be “perfect” for each other, but it’s not going to happen, so might as well learn to accept it. Besides, I’m still waiting for Tom Hiddleston (or Idris Elba, or Johnny Depp, or Orlando Bloom) to convert! Until then, I think I’ll just remain #perpetuallysingle just a little bit longer.