Two States

And the Space Life Creates Between Them

A wedding that was supposed to be simple.

A train journey that almost wasn't.

And what happens when two cultures discover they're more alike than different.

🕦 12 Min read

In India, weddings are a big thing. People plan them for years.

Conversations begin early, guest lists grow quietly, and expectations build around scale, spectacle, and celebration.

We had been together for a while-comfortable, steady, clear.

By the time we decided to get married, the wedding itself felt more like a formality. Something to tick off rather than a life-altering event.

We were perfectly happy with a small affair. Something simple.

Almost a non-event, at least in our minds.

In hindsight, that assumption alone should have warned us.

I'm from Kanpur, in North India. H is from Bangalore, in the Southern India. At the time, these differences still felt pronounced..

A toddler walked into the room, looked at me confidently, and called me Dada.

Apparently, I had been a grandfather for five years without being informed.

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The wedding hadn't started.

The pandits hadn't met.

The dosas hadn't started diplomacy.

And the police were still blissfully unaware.

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