Latitudes of Longing

by Shubhangi Swarup

The life of an equal couple in the latitudes of longing and the longitudes of trepidation has hitherto been a rare, undocumented phenomenon—like a whale giving birth in Antarctica or white elephants mating in south Asia.

Both Girija Prasad and Chanda Devi are quick to realize that the phrase ‘falling in love’ is a euphemism. Romance isn’t as straightforward as diving into cool waters on a hot afternoon, nor is it instinctive like learning to walk. It’s not a treasure trove of superlatives like Sanskrit poetry or the ‘sweet sorrow’ the Romantics spoke of. The struggle of an equal couple isn’t just the subject of ethnography. It is multi-disciplinary. Intimacy and distance operate like the tide—high during the day, peaking at mealtimes. The moon is a cup of tea, it pulls them to the zenith of their interaction. The nights are parched. Unconquered land separates their beds.