Sanjay Singh- Indo-Guyanese ancestry; Sanjay Singh is James Masterson's best friend and right hand man, whom dates Rani Bukhari steadily over the course of his youth. He is considered a "chill, laid-back kind of dude", and since he is extremely rational and straightforward, he usually can't be bothered to join in some of his friends' wilder adventures. He seems to be the most stoic, cynical, apathetic, and deadpan kid in his school, having a more abrasive personality than the rest of them and a deeper-than-average voice. He also appears to be more logical and mature than some of his peers, typically being the one to call them out on their ignorance. Sanjay generally prefers to be left alone, harboring very few but simple interests, although it was written on a whiteboard that beyond James, he mostly cares about his Guinea pig Stripes and his girlfriend Rani. He is implied to have bad behavior and is referred to as "the biggest trouble-maker" in his class by James and his extended friend group. He has a habit of flipping people off, sometimes to express irritation, anger, or disdain towards them, and other times as a reflex. He also has notable leadership skills, as he is the leader of a "gang" who is social rivals with Connor Tran's, although he is shown to be quite eager to help others at times. Despite his apathy, Sanjay is far from heartless, and this is especially shown in his interaction with animals, which Rani first noticed when he saved a falling bird nest. He also shows a rather mischievous side, frequently putting on the face of a cute, innocent boy in order to trick his opponents into letting their guards down, which he uses to compensate for his weak stature.
He is a very selfless person who is often willing to do anything for his friends, being described as someone who doesn't care if he dies, but would be upset if someone cried over his grave. Additionally, he cares very little about his appearance, and generally allows other people like his grandmother to pick out his clothes for him, even if they look absolutely ridiculous. James speculates that he often goes along with what others say, instead of doing what he wants to do, and thinks it's sad that he doesn't have any personal desires. His personality undergoes a change when Bryce Van Hoff enters his life and he witnesses him bullying his friends, causing a horrified Sanjay to yell for him to stop it, noting later that he'd never screamed that loudly in his life. A recurring insecurity of his throughout his life is his fear of being used, believing that the people who protect him only do so because there's something in it for them. He is presented to be one of the most humble and mellow among his peers however, while also being supportive of them and having their back. Sanjay is meticulous yet artsy, and passionate yet stoic, causing him to be seen as a "quiet wild card" a passive approach to school, friendship, and just about anything except music. Despite being considered popular and attractive, he is insecure and gets nervous occasionally, although he is committed when it comes to his music and plans to major in it in college. He comes from a traditional Hindu background, but sometimes disobeys the rules his parents set on him, particularly when it comes to dating girls outside of his religion. Even so, he loves his family very much, especially his little sister Alli, whom he is quick to defend both at school and at home.
When the Asian girls at school began to draw Yaoi art of James and Sanjay, rumors of a homosexual relationship between the two sparked. Although the two attempted to dispel it, things got way out of hand, and he soon became the first person to validate James abilities, but he accidentally turned their "breakup" plan into a well-performed lampoon of Sanjay as a "manipulative cheater". He and Rani ultimately get together and become an official couple when Sanjay's mother told him that he would love him regardless of who he dated. He is also shown trying to comfort his paranoid classmate Zeke Hutchins and attempting to convince him that they would not be attacked by North Korea, although he is unsuccessful. Sanjay uses his strong musical ability to perform as song for his school titled "Put it Down" to persuade everyone against the perils of texting while driving. He mentions that he has been playing the violin since he was 6 years old and appears to come to life during performances, causing him to refer to the instrument as his "best friend". He has since picked up playing the electric guitar and performs as the frontman to a garage band known as "The Studz" alongside a few other boys. He openly admits that he used to get high in order to process things better or get some creative inspiration for his songwriting. Sanjay is also shown to be a decent fighter, which has led him to participate as a member of his high school's wrestling team. He is also very skilled when it comes to playing video games and is considered to be unconquerable when it comes to playing World of Warcraft on the internet. He sometimes joins a few kids from his community in LARPING and has a hidden love for sci-fi and fantasy, although the clubs activities often feature a medieval setting.
He loves to feed his pet Guinea pig corn chips as well and claims that playing the flute for him makes him seem a bit calmer and often eases him into sleep. Raised in a Hindu household, Sanjay claims to pray five times a day, but he does not take his religion seriously, as he takes drugs, drinks, partakes in premarital sex and eats beef. He was originally rejected by Rani simply due to the fact that he was of Indian descent and she preferred to marry a man for love rather that due to the social pressures of her family. She genuinely begins to fall in love with him however due to his kindness towards her, and the two begin to realize that they have a lot of common ground. They attend their prom together and are seen in a limousine with a couple of other people, eating a nice dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called Lo Scoglio's. Sanjay's family owns a small restaurant in Valley Stream, where they serve traditional dishes from his culture including butter chicken and samosa. He is a good student but has a hard time socializing with people, causing him to spend a lot of time in his bedroom either studying or reading science books. He has an amateur interest in astronomy and likes to stargaze in his spare time, which leads him to research factoids about space for fun. His favorite show is Dragon Ball Z, and he also likes to watch documentaries on Netflix and considers them to be interesting. Sanjay has shown keen abilities in producing addictive cable access TV shows, such as a web series titled "Close-up Animals With a Wide Angle Lens". He most recently revealed that he thought himself to be the ancient Incan key to stopping the attack of the guinea pigs, although his friends took it as a joke.
He is shown to be quite fond of drinking coffee and makes it a habit to order a dark roast every morning while driving to school. He admits that he rarely hangs out with the other boys by himself, as he is only seen with them when the rest of James' clique is there. Sanjay wears braces and is described as having coarse, extremely curly black hair that he keeps short and trimmed, a medium brown complexion, and rounded dark brown eyes, along with an average, somewhat stocky build. His parents met and fell in love while studying at Queen's University in Ontario before choosing to briefly settle down in Orange, New Jersey once his father received a job offer in the US. He comes from a rich multicultural background and enjoys eating his mother's spicy curry and homemade potato dosas, as well his paternal grandfather's Guyanese pepperpot, feeling an equally strong connection to his Indo-Caribbean side from Guyana. He has lived in Valley Stream since he was in kindergarten and is often shown helping his younger sister with her algebra homework in his spare time. Sanjay genuinely appreciates his friendship with James and treats him almost as if her were his brother, causing the two to have planned to go on a European tour together as soon as they graduate. The two are roommates for some time during their early 20s, and he serves as the best man in his friend's wedding to a young woman named Shelby Doyle. After ending a long-running relationship with Rani, and being involved in a bus accident that injured him and many of his friends, he falls into another dark period, where she is diagnosed with depression and attempts suicide. He slowly begins getting his life back together and focuses on his music before going to college in California and studying to become an Audio Sound Engineer. ISTP 9w8
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What's in a Name?
CasualeThese are the lives and stories of a series of young people and their experiences as they mature and evolve in the outskirts of Valley Stream, Long Island. Although each comes from a distinctive background and place in life, they learn about the fab...
