Not for Long Stories

Of the stories in Interpreter of Maladies , "A Temporary Matter" touched on a matter that I think many of us have wondered, worried about, or even experienced before: what happens when the romance and love fades from a relationship. The strained relationship between Shukumar and Shoba is made apparent to the reader by the second page, and it seemed fairly apparent that the story would end with either them separating or patching things up. But for me, the care and detail that went into the story made it feel almost real. Shukumar's situation isn't only completely possible, it's a common fear many people have about marriage. He feels that he knows his wife so well: her habits, interests, pet peeves, favorite songs, the list goes on. Yet in the end, he doesn't understand her enough. He didn't pick up on the intent behind her game when the lights went out. He didn't understand that she wanted to leave, and she didn't have the heart to tell him she was ...