Abhishek Ray and Chaitanya Sharma, undoubtedly, set an example when they tied the knot and declared their love for each other. The same sex couple from Kolkata gained praise for their traditionalist Hindu-Bengali wedding style when they tied the knot on 3 July 2022.
Redefining the prowess of love, the couple, in an exclusive chat with iDiva, let us in on the deets of their dreamy love story and even dreamier wedding.
A lockdown love story
Cupid did not help Abhishek and Chaitanya meet, but Facebook did. Having met online, the couple interacted for the first time during the lockdown and eventually fell in love.
The couple shares, “We met on Facebook. We were connected for a very long time, but it was only during the lockdown that we started chatting on messenger and slowly getting to know each other. Once the flights started, Chaitanya came to meet me in Kolkata after around four months of chatting and video calls.”
‘The one’ moment
Not all lies result in negative consequences; some lead to heartfelt and warm love stories.
Sharing how they realised that they are made for each other, Abhishek says, “As we got to know each other more and I also went and met his family in Gurugram, we were slowly getting assured of each other. It was during this time Chaitanya declared me as his spouse in his company health insurance. This was the time that I realised how serious he was with me and left me in no doubt that he was the one for me.”
Dreamy marriage proposal
Everyone dreams of getting proposed to at the eternal symbol of love, Taj Mahal, but Abhishek got to live it when Chaitanya popped the question on one of their trips.
Talking about their proposal story, Abhishek shares, “Chaitanya is a very observant guy and a very good listener. I talk a lot. Once I had casually told him that it was my dream to visit the Taj Mahal with my partner. Chaitanya actually arranged for a trip to the Taj Mahal and he proposed to me in front of the Taj on bent knees. I don’t think our proposal story could be any more romantic.”
Determination to declare their love
© Abhishek Ray and Chaitanya Sharma
Abhishek and Chaitanya wanted to tie the knot with all the traditionalist norms and customs of Hindu-Bengali weddings. Talking about the scepticism and fear of being ostracised, the couple opens up about their determination to declare their love to the world.
“As a queer couple, when we decided to tie the knot, we did have to overcome a lot of hurdles. And more because of the fact that we wanted to get married with all the rituals and ceremonies. From convincing family members to finding a priest who would do it, our road wasn’t smooth. Family members and close friends were scared and sceptical as to how the society would react, the fear of getting ostracised or lynched always lurked on us. But we stood strong in our stance and fought through it and got married.”
Their two cents for Indian queer couples
“Our advice to Indian queer couples is to believe in themselves and always follow their heart. When it comes to convincing the family or the society, deal with your situation wisely and don’t force yourselves. Eventually love will win and people will accept you the way you are,” says the couple.
Social and lead images credits: Abhishek Ray and Chaitanya Sharma
