Delete, not block: Bushra Ansari’s guide to dealing with loved ones who ghost you

Hold onto your smartphones, folks, because Bushra Ansari, the seasoned actor and reigning queen of sass, has dropped some serious digital wisdom. In her latest YouTube mini-vlog, titled Delete With Love, she serves a piping hot dose of realness, revealing her secret to dealing with loved ones who ghost her in the digital realm.

In a world where blue ticks reign supreme and ‘seen’ receipts can slice through your heart like a master chef dicing onions, Ansari kicked off her video with a no-holds-barred acknowledgment of the painfully obvious — ghosting someone in the digital era is about as subtle as a Taylor Swift song at a heavy metal concert. But here’s where Ansari takes the cake — instead of shrugging off the snubs, she believes in a three-strike policy. If you ignore her calls or messages thrice, consider yourself ‘deleted’.

Yep, she’ll delete your number quicker than you can say “girl, what?” because according to Ansari, if your so-called friends are giving you the cold shoulder, they might as well be shouting “you’re not important!” from the rooftops. So, she hits ‘delete’ with all the love and finesse of Deadpool crashing a superhero party. And if you’re thinking of pulling the old “but I was busy!” card, think again, because Ansari is a busy woman herself, and she’s not about to play second fiddle to your Netflix binge.

“If your friends do this to you, they don’t deem you important,” she said, rather calmly in her vlog. “For such friends, I hit delete without complaint. People also make fun of me for doing so. But I tell them it’s because they didn’t reply to or attend three of my calls or messages. Three, because they could be busy at first, asleep at second, have a problem at third, but even after that if they don’t get back to me, I go like, no! I am not important to them. Because if they’re busy, I’m busy too.”

Ansari didn’t mention ‘blocking’ anyone, though, because she understands the hustle and bustle of modern life — the distractions, the drama, the Instagram rabbit holes. She’s also a firm believer in not holding grudges, so instead, she prevents herself from constantly bothering a person who clearly doesn’t want to be bothered by deleting their number. It’s not all doom and gloom in Ansari-land.

“I know young people have a lot of distractions, personal problems, social media pressure — they have a lot going on. So I don’t hold it against them. I tell them that I deleted their number, I didn’t delete them from my life. I love these kids. But it’s the same as someone knocking on your house door and you not opening it for them. No need to mind, just be on your way. Don’t insist.”

Ansari isn’t just about digital discipline. She’s also a master of comedic relief, serving up laughs faster than you can say “viral TikTok trend.” From poking fun at unexpected calls from old school friends to comparing digital avoidance to being left out in the cold, she’s got a quip for every occasion.

“I also hate it when some school friend from the 70s calls me out of nowhere and goes like, ‘haan Bushra, pehchana’. I know there are people who wait for my messages, my calls, who genuinely love me. But I don’t believe in bothering anyone.”

So, the next time you find yourself on the receiving end of Ansari’s digital sass, just remember: it’s nothing personal, it’s just Ansari living her best life, one delete at a time.