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We broke up because of cultural differences

Love isn’t always a dreamy fairytale and I learned it the hard way. Growing up with expectations of meeting someone whom I would spend my life with didn’t age well. Love isn’t only the bond of hearts but also families, societies, and cultures. I hailed from West Bengal and he was from North India and even if our love was great, it wasn’t too strong to battle the cultural differences of the two lands.



I met Sahil when I was transferred to Gurgaon for a project. I first saw him when I was at a bar celebrating with my colleagues. He was charming and laughed every time someone around him told a joke. And as we caught each other’s eyes, we simply smiled and I was left in a trance. After visiting the bar a few more times, we finally got each other a drink and discovered that the bar was the go-to place for both of us. What a delight!

As days went by, we started chatting over WhatsApp, and then it slowly turned to social media. Every time he told me how enamored he was with my beauty, I kept falling for him a little bit. He surely had a way with his words. "It wouldn’t hurt to date him", is what I thought. I had a year and a half more to stay in Gurgaon and I could make the most out of it. Who knows we could even be more! With that hope, I confessed to liking him, and to my delight, he liked me too. And we hit it off pretty well. We went on dates, gave each other gifts, and even had the best takeaway food while binge-watching series.

One day, I got a call from my mother asking my opinion on a few suitors. I was shell-shocked but quickly realized that my marriageable age was approaching. And suddenly, I felt as if the fantasy I was living in shattered ruthlessly. I was in love with Sahil and here my parents had already started looking for suitors. My parents were strict and conservative, and very much against the idea of marrying someone outside my society and culture. And considering Sahil was from North India, they would never agree.

Sahil and I had a strong relationship ongoing but we couldn’t have a future together. After countless discussions with him, I approached my parents with the idea and what I received was a big, fat "NO." I knew it. They would never agree. Sahil was extremely hurt. We loved each other, and I felt like I was at home when with him. Despite such strong feelings for each other, my parents didn’t agree. And later, I got to know his parents disagreed as well. We both knew the truth. With such huge cultural differences, we would never be able to lead a happy married life.

Love isn’t the only thing in a relationship. And when it turns to marriage, society, culture, and background are other very important aspects that keep a marriage strong. Sahil and I parted ways as I returned to my home with a heavy heart.

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