#GoodNews: Time in quarantine inspired this Mumbai couple to tie the knot
We’d initially connected with Cynthia Lewis and her partner Rahul Richard for Yahoo’s #MyHomeMyStyle – a home interiors series that looks at how people are rediscovering their space in lockdown. However, our correspondence revealed that the quarantine period helped the couple’s decision to get married. At a time when the lockdown has strained many a relationship, this is refreshingly good news.
The couple has known each other since their teens and started dating about six years ago after reconnecting at their school’s centenary celebrations. Late last year, they moved into a 1BHK rental in Mumbai. While this sort of shift tests most relationships, there were no major surprises here. The only issue, recalls Cynthia, was the relocation of the capacious pink couch that takes centre stage in the home. “The front door had to be taken off its hinges to get it in, after it had been carried up seven flights of stairs. There's still a lot of tension about how we're going to get it back out,” she says in jest.
Since then, they have settled into their cocoon that’s layered in vibrant colours, plants and photographs. They’ve relished their time together these past few months; gardening, cooking, gaming, chatting. “It was like a honeymoon; a bubble we couldn't even have dreamed of,” smiles Cynthia.
While marriage has always been on the cards for the duo, the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic reaffirmed this. “[We realised] if we have each other, we're fine. And we just knew for sure that this was what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives,” she says.
Their wedding preps so far have included registering for a court marriage in August; self-quarantining two weeks before the date, so it's safe for Cynthia’s mother to attend; and hoping for clear skies to facilitate a few photo ops on the day. Neither fancies a lavish wedding, but says that it feels a bit strange to have just three other people to celebrate this milestone in their lives. “We're still getting the full intensity of making this choice as adults, having those moments with our friends and families over the phone or text. But it would be great to get some hugs too, soon,” she says, adding that there will be a party sometime in the future.
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