Interpreter of Maladies, Symbols of Love - Essay Example

The house triggers memories of the life they had together. It is a story of remembered and lost love. Shukumar and Shoba have taken to living separate lives in their own home. “He and Shoba had become experts at avoiding each other in their three bedroom house.” (Lahiri 1999, p7) This thought makes Shukumar remember how it was before. He used to look forward to the weekends, when they simply spent time together. They would look into each other’s eyes and reach for each other, before they went to sleep.

Their home started as a place where the couple spent time together and loved each other. They were expecting to start a family there. As Shukumar is preparing the evening meal he remembers the time Shoba would take care of the cooking. “The pantry was always stocked with extra bottles of olive and corn oil.” (Lahiri 1999, p9) He thought about how Shoba would always go to the market to make sure they had enough food in their home. Boxes and jars of food filled the room to the point they thought grandchildren would enjoy the treats waiting there.

When friends would come by she would cook grand meals that seemed like she was cooking the entire day. Now Shukumar did the cooking. He used recipes that Shoba had, with hand written notes stating the date the couple shared the meal. Shoba, at one time, nurtured her home with food and friends. She made sure that there was more than enough. During this time the neighborhood is experiencing scheduled blackouts. The dynamic of their relationship changes as they share secrets in the dark. “Something happened when the house was dark.

” (Lahiri 1999, p23) They started to talk, after months of virtual silence. They open themselves up to each other, eventually confessing their biggest secrets. Shoba plans to move into her own apartment. Shukumar confesses that he held their son, something she didn’t get to do. He promised that he would never tell her because of his love for her, but the last few days show that he