Fearing societal backlash, Meghna, who identifies as transgender, had initially turned down Basudeb’s proposal. The two had just become friends on Facebook, when Basu asked for something that she had never imagined. But as fate would have it, she tied the knot with Basu in accordance with Hindu rituals in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
It was not an easy journey for Basudeb, whose first marriage ended in a disarray. With two kids from his first marriage to take care of, he was only looking for someone to take care of his now shattered family of three. Following series of negotiations, Basu finally managed to convince his parents. It was now time for him to re approach Meghna’s family, who then consented to the matrimonial union.
For Meghna, the idea of a marital union seemed like a distant dream. It was Basu’s proposal that helped her revisit thoughts that she would visit only in the dark. But, what would others say? she must have thought to herself. Her fears grew heavy, and she tendered a polite ‘no’. Basu remained undeterred and now the two have been married.
Meghna now has has a special message for everyone. She says that those like her often face discrimination at multiple levels. She wants everyone to recognise that she too is a human being, with a fire in her soul. A fire that is equally passionate about life. A fire that she hopes would keep her going.
