Flirting with a Pakistani

When presented with a long list of enriching life experiences, one tends to forget most of them, it seems.

This particular, short-lived scenario occurred when I was a wee (nay, chubby) lad of twelve or so and living in Coolangatta Australia.
Her name was Sameera, she was in my class. I could tell that she was an Asian immigrant, Lebanese, Iranian. Something like that.

It wasn't until she called me out of class one day and asked me about my Indian-ness that I realized that she was a Pakistani.

"Can you speak the language properly?" She asked me.
"Kya, tum nahi bol sakti? (What, you don't speak it?)" I replied playfully in Hindi, which is more or less identical to Urdu.
"No I can. I just don't like to do it."
"Uh. Ok." Thats weird.

And so the conversation lasted for a few minutes. Having a pretty girl call me over to talk to her was a big deal then. Correction- It is a big deal.

Oh did I mention she had brothers in school?
Four of them?
All older than me? The oldest being about twice my size?

I had assumed that our conversation would be kept more or less private... until the next day,when her eldest brother picked me out of a crowd and held me in a terrifying bear hug as he marched me through the school.

Point one. That guy, eight years ago, was probably bigger than I am now.
Point two. All of Sameera's brothers were delinquents (relatively speaking), and I'd actually been mistaken for one of them at one point...
("DAMN YOU ANWAR!!! HOW DARE YOU THROW A WATER BALLOON AT MRS MOPPET!!"
"Whats an An-Wah?"
"DON'T ACT DUMB WITH ME ANWAAR!!!!"
"I'm not Anwaar. My name in Anjishnu. I'm your school's Science topper. (aka I'm A Nerd)."
"GAAAAH YOU LIE!!!"
I'm not too sure how this situation ended. Maybe someone vouched for my identity. Maybe I walked off with a dismissive sigh at the teacher's ignorant racism. )
Point Three. I was damn scared of them.

Sure, we Indians are never taught to 'hate' Pakistanis. Our history texts mostly refer to Partition as a tragedy marred with meaningless violence that all humane people should have tried to avoid- which shattered homes and split families and turned brother against brother.

But with the Kargil War and a plethora of Pakistani terrorist attacks happening every year, one couldn't help be scared.

Sameera's brother gave a long talk about how us South Asians need to stick up for each other and shyt and not take crap from the teachers.

I was quivering throughout the ordeal.

I don't think I ever spoke to her outside of class again.