It began like just another evening. I got out of work late, and at around 10-10:30 pm, headed out to a popular pub in Delhi’s Aurobindo market with three of my friends.

I was at the same pub earlier that week, and it is largely a safe space. As an openly queer man, safe and unsafe is something I am more than mindful of. Even though I try not to, a lot of times I end up rethinking my outfit based on where I am headed. That day none of these concerns were on top of mind.

After a few drinks and some socialising, we got pretty bored of the place and my friends and I decided to head back home.