What does live in mean in today’s India? Is it just opportunism? Is it just all about sex sans responsibilities of marriage? Tamal and Jhiri, the protagonists of this story, thought otherwise. They were two couples in a live-in relationship. In the city of Hyderabad and away from their state and family these two Bongs from Kolkata have found support and companionship in each other. They have completed their nine months of live-in. Just when life was looking like a smooth sailing love story, a storm enters in their lives as Jhiri finds out that she is pregnant, despite taking all necessary precautions. The story is about their choices and their fight against all odds and all sharp turns of events in the only hope that they will continue to live their lives together.
What makes this story “Real”:
In India live-in is now a common scenario. Many young people have chosen this to know each other better and to get a feel of marital responsibilities. It often happens that despite all precautions and plannings, unforeseen events test the resolve of these couples. Some dares to face them head on and together prove their faith in the relationship and some take the easy way out. Tamal and Jhiri took the first option to show how important they are for each other. Their journey also strengthen the bond that is love. The basis of the story, the pain and the emotions depicted here are real. Such things have happened and are happening to people around us. These journeys are never simple or easy, inhibitions and fear of the unforeseen haunts the lovers, and yet they move on, because moving ahead is life and moving ahead together is love.
Extract:
The neatly typed block letters on the report were unmistakable. You can notice them at once – POSITIVE. The eight-letter word is like a declaration. It is unquestionable and matter of fact. It is a confirmation of Jhiri’s worst fear.
“Shit!”
The expression came out of her mouth quite spontaneously, without thinking. In fact she can’t think. Just then she felt a much known touch on her shoulder. A very dear and very comforting touch. She looked at Tamal’s eyes, as his hands embraced her more tightly.
“It’s okay.” He was calm and yet firm. “But we’re not married, Tamal.” Jhiri could only mumble those words under her breath. No, she was not crying. She was strong enough to manage herself like she did in this foreign city till she met Tamal, her love, her life, and her biggest support. But this is different.
‘How could this have happened?’ Her mind was running fast and was trying to scan each and every past event to fathom what fateful night or day or moment sowed the seed of this so called “positive” news. What an irony, she thought, failing to see any positivity in this situation.
This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.
Note: I have followed the new rules and Yashodhara Lal’s suggestions while writing and editing the post.
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Emotions and emotions and... 