"I am polyamorous.” A simple response to a question about my ‘status’ has created much disturbances, albeit whispered. Once a not-so-young gent on a date scuttled away leaving his bill for two white wines on me! But that was a lesser evil considering the other upheavals included murmurs about nymphomania and warnings regarding occultpractising Bengali women turning men into sheep via the Kamakhya route.
Yes, it hasn’t been easy living as a polyamorous woman but then, when has love ever been painless—mono, triangular or poly! To those who keep asking me whether I miss the speculative insurance of a single partner and their undying loyalty, on good days, I say that love and life give only hope and never guarantees. On bad days, I remind them of all the cheaters caught late and the dead gone early, taking with them all promises of togetherness. The polyamorous me on any given day feels as lonely or loved as any other person—the difference being that we are more realistic about loneliness as an experience of life than those who believe in one-true-love Qayamat se Qayamat Tak-type popular storytelling.
This story is from the August 11, 2023 edition of Outlook.
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This story is from the August 11, 2023 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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