Why I’ll Never Trust My Cousin with My Phone Again

Family gatherings in our house are always a mix of chaos, food, and questionable jokes. It’s a time when every relative feels it’s their birthright to ask you about your studies, future plans, and why you aren’t married yet. But this time, something happened that made me realize one very important lesson: never, and I mean never, trust your cousin with your phone.

It all started last Sunday when we had a family lunch at my grandmother’s house. The entire family was there — uncles, aunties, cousins, and even that one weird neighbor who always shows up uninvited. After stuffing myself with biryani and kheer, I was lazily scrolling through memes and Cristiano Ronaldo highlights on my phone. Life was good.

Enter my cousin — let’s call him Ali. Now, Ali is the kind of person who thinks he’s a stand-up comedian. He believes his practical jokes are hilarious, but in reality, they’re the kind of things that make you question your life choices. I should have known better when he sat next to me with that evil grin on his face.

“Hey, can I borrow your phone for a minute? I need to check something,” he asked innocently.

Now, in a moment of weakness (and because I was too full to move), I handed him my phone. Little did I know, in those five minutes, Ali was about to turn my life into a living comedy show.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with notifications. I casually picked it up, and that’s when I saw it. My WhatsApp status had been changed. Not to something simple or funny, but to this:

"Looking for a wife. Serious proposals only. Contact ASAP."

I froze. I blinked. I blinked again. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. But no — there it was, clear as day for all my contacts to see. And when I say all, I mean everyone — family, friends, teachers, and unfortunately, a few ex-classmates too.

Before I could even react, my phone started blowing up. Seven missed calls from aunties who apparently had been waiting for this golden opportunity. Two marriage proposals from distant relatives I barely knew. And one message from my mother that simply said, “We’ll talk when you get home.”

In the corner of the room, Ali was laughing like a madman. He thought it was the funniest thing in the world. The rest of the cousins joined in, while I sat there contemplating whether I should change my identity and move to another country.

The drama didn’t end there. At dinner, every aunty kept giving me weird looks. One of them even whispered, “Beta, achi larki mil jaye to bata dena.” My father, who doesn’t even use WhatsApp, somehow found out too. He just shook his head and muttered something about today’s youth being hopeless.

That night, while trying to undo the damage, I changed my WhatsApp status back to something normal. But the jokes and messages kept coming for days. Even my old school friend texted, “Bro, didn’t know you were getting married. Send me wedding invites!”

Ali, of course, claimed it was “just a harmless joke.” Harmless? Tell that to my poor heart that nearly stopped beating when my phone didn’t stop ringing.

This little incident taught me a valuable lesson: Never leave your phone unattended around family, especially if you have a cousin like Ali. They might look innocent, but deep down, they’re planning their next prank.

Now, every time there’s a family gathering, I keep my phone in my pocket like it’s a treasure. And if Ali so much as glances at it, I give him a death stare. Better safe than sorry.

Moral of the story?
Trust is good. But password protection is better.