Vadodara: These transgender brides married the love of their life

(This story originally appeared in Times Of India on May 17, 2019)

Vadodara: They met and fell in love. But there was no way that the families of these two men and society would accept their relationships with their lovers.

But Keyur Chauhan from Vadodara and Sanjay Rathwa from Bodeli were firm and successfully convinced their families to tie the nuptial knots with their lovers - Reena and Payal - both of whom are transgender.

They got married at a special ceremony held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on March 31. But they had not come out about their marriage until now.

The event was a baby step in bringing transgenders into the mainstream and become a point of discussion amongst the LGBTQ community. However few were aware that there were two couples from Vadodara.

Chauhan (20), who drives a rickshaw said he met Payal during a trip to Savli with friends. “My family objected when we decided to get married, but things have settled down now. Everyone knows about our reality and we are not hiding anything,” he said.

They fell in love at a circus in Bodeli

Keyur Chauhan’s spouse Payal (21) said she was concerned about their relationship before the marriage and also afraid. “But I am happy now. I never expected that this could happen. His (Chauhan’s) mother even speaks to me,” Payal said.

The story of Rathwa (30), who runs a tea and refreshment outlet in Bodeli, is straight out of a Bollywood movie. His life partner Reena said Rathwa had come to a circus in Bodeli where she was assisting a magician and then given a dance performance. “He liked me and kept coming again and again. A common friend introduced us and then our relationship blossomed,” Reena said.

He discussed with his parents about getting married. “They were worried about societal pressures, but I convinced them. She still works in Vadodara and travels for work. Every two-three days, she comes to Bodeli to spend time with me,” he said.

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