A Temporary Matter

Lahiri’s story encapsulates how loss can fracture a relationship if grief is not shared and experienced together. Shoba and Shukumar do not overtly grieve the loss of their baby, and they cope in different ways. Shoba restricts her attention to work and forfeits interest in her home life with Shukumar. In turn, Shukumar withdraws into the home and is unable to complete his graduate work. Although the couple does not talk about their grief, their subsequent loss of marital love shares space with neglected houseplants and the slow, creeping fracturing of their own identities.

In the decades since this story was written, mental health awareness has increased significantly, but Lahiri realistically depicts the lingering depression that comes with traumatic loss. The structure of the story allows Lahiri to explore Shoba and Shukumar’s six-month period of grief in a nonlinear fashion, capturing the way in which time seems to work awkwardly and uncomfortably after a tragic loss. The husband and wife’s confessions each bring to life moments from the past that they never addressed. These lingering truths reveal the disconnect between Shoba and Shukumar and suggest that the couple is unable to move forward unless they confront their trauma together.