Rejected without Prejudice - my entry to the Get Published Contest

Premise of the story - Shailendra and Pooja are the poster couple of modern India. They worked in IT companies, lived in metropolitan cities, and dated a few people, before choosing each other for the long haul. Like most of India's youth, they too have major aspirations and Shailendra travels to the 'Land of Opportunities' for an MBA. But, not before making some tough choices. Pooja is apprehensive of how this relationship will change, both being separated by multiple boundaries. Shailendra is confident things will work out and they decide to give it a shot. The first few months sail by, with hopes for future togetherness. As months turn into years, the courtship bliss is taken over by the tensions of leading a dual life.  Sweet memories of their companionship make way for bitter arguments, like any other couple. But, unlike other couples, they have not met for almost 3 years, not out of choice, but out of a global paranoia of minimizing immigration. They are not even sure if they qualify to be addressed as a couple; every day is a struggle, a fight against authorities, nations, policies and norms.

This story is the heart-wrenching tale of two people in love, partitioned not by caste, religion or family norms, but by seemingly important pieces of paper. A story that pans the fate of love under tumultuous conditions; a love that is made up of human issues and not fairy tale stuff.

The reality quotient of the story – With aspirations soaring high in modern India, and numerous regulatory issues, more and more people feel the pressures of long-distance relationships. Why does it have to be a choice between aspirations and relations?  The word NRI comes with a lot of complexities, as opposed to the glamour still associated with it in our society. In urban India, it has become increasingly common for people to work and reside in a different country, with their loved ones back home. Such a story, then, mirrors the exhausting trials of simply being able to see those important people in life.

Excerpt –
 “Shail, I do believe things would be different, if I was there, right next to you. Please understand, we have been patient all along, don’t give up now!”, muttered Pooja in a desperate attempt to reclaim what she soon seemed to be losing.

But, Shailendra was so bogged down by the numerous failed attempts to put a stop to these fights they would have. Arguments over not making enough time for each other, the frustration of physically not being there for each other. It was never going to be a bed of roses, but it had now become almost impossible to pick out the thorns without pricking each other’s hearts.

Yet, Pooja exclaimed, “Please, I have to see you once!”. “What do you expect me to do, hitchhike on a ship? I cannot, I simply cannot come back right now, and I don’t have the strength to wait for the day I can”, screamed Shailendra.

If you like the snippet, and are excited to know the rest of the story, please click on the link below to vote for this story. On the link, clicking on the heart will register your vote and give me a chance to pen down the story for my protagonists.

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Endnote: This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal andHarperCollins India.