A Temporary Matter

           The first short story book I picked up from the library was “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri. It was a Pulitzer Prize winner and I had always been aware of this book, but I never picked it up until recently. The story, "A Temporary Matter", is about a husband and wife who are emotionally distant from each other. Their house gets a series of power cuts over a few days. The wife, Shoba, suggests that they play a game during the outages, in which they take turns confessing something about themselves. When they play the game, they revisit their past and share some happy memories, like the time Shukumar (the husband) forgot to tip the waiter because he was distracting by the thought that he wanted to marry Shoba. They also remember some bad memories like the delivery of their stillborn baby. When the power cuts end, Shoba confesses that she wants to move out and separate and Shukumar realizes that this final confession was the reason Shoba started the game in the first place.
          This story made me feel such a wide range of emotions. I can only imagine how it must feel to reconnect with someone only to realize that they aren’t reciprocating your feelings. I thought that this story was very nuanced because it made me think and feel, two very important aspects of a powerful short story. For example, the couple used birthday candles during the power cuts, which was ironic when they were telling the story of their stillborn child.
           The characters in this story were complex but relatable. Shoba was once a woman who was full of life. She also paid great attention to detail and was very responsible. However, after the unfortunate incident with the baby, she changed a great deal. She became someone who was disorganized and would work even after she came home. Shukumar is pursuing the graduate degree although he is in his thirties. It is apparent that he feels apathetic towards his studies as well as his relationship with his wife. It was hard to like Shukumar’s character, but I sympathized with him towards the end of the book.
            I definitely recommend this story to anyone who is looking for writing that will hit home and make them feel things. I think that sad stories, like sad music, is cathartic in a way and even though it makes us feel sad or depressed while reading it, a feeling of satisfaction stays with us afterwards.