I remember reading Chetan Bhagat’s book “2 States” at my aunt’s house, and then finishing the novel while in the washroom. I had a nasty habit of reading books in the washroom really frequently at the time. The book was a page-turner, filled with stereotypes and flashy romance scenes, and a fast plot that kept you glued. If I was to critically review it, I would give it a low-rating, but it was one of those books that once you finished, and realized was based on his own story, was pretty awesome. I found it cool that he could take something so personal: a marriage and the tale of how it came to be, and convert it into such a filmy story. At the time, I remember thinking it would be perfect on the big screen (it came, but was ok-ok/sad), and also wondering if these kind of stories were true. I was, and am, a romantic who believes in love, so it blew my brains out that this was an origin story.
I witnessed a two States thing happen last night. A confluence and conglomeration of two cultures that could not be farther from each other if they tried. A celebration of two individuals from different parts of the same country, and a merger of families. Oh, it was incredible. Naturally, our energy levels for activities were distinct, but my word was it an enjoyable event. To think of the cultural variations would be an essay in itself, but to reflect on the fact that all everyone was committed to was ensuring that everyone had an enjoyable time? That’s a sentence. It was joyful and wonderful and everything an engagement function should be.
I was horrified to be in an attire different to everyone else at the engagement: everyone wore Indian formals/casuals and I ended up in Western formals with shoes to boot. My confusion was set aside when I realized my get-up matched perfectly with the aesthetic of the interiors and that my formal shoes kept me agile enough to run around where a need arose.
Tejas Rao 