The year is 2015, but thanks to the regressive Article 377, homosexual sex is still criminalized in India. Yeah, go figure. One of the many ways to tackle such regressive laws is to highlight it through art, and thanks to the efforts of photographer Arjun Kamath and his team, the world can see another brilliant piece of work that addresses the struggles of the people who are trying to come out. What you’re about to see, has been aptly titled -‘Coming out.’
It’s a free world.
Maitreyi opened the door for the first time… The unending fog hung in the air like a suffocating sheath, blanketing the land with its ghostly glow.
The cold wind blew bitterly, chilling Alpana to the marrow, as she opened the creaky closet door. The overhead dark clouds blotted out the orange sun from time to time, throwing the little patch of forest into an inky blackness. Flashes of lighting in the distance made the already nervous Alpana not want to step out…
The twigs crunched under Alpana’s feet as she stumbled out of the closet; Maitreyi’s calm presence gave her the hope that the forest was a safe place. As the two girls trudged ahead, the winds of the forest howled and roared, blowing a bitter chill past the endless line of dying trees…
The wildlife held it’s breath as Alpana embraced Maitreyi; the girls had been in love for the longest time ever. And although the skeleton trees loomed large over their petite figures, they stood there undeterred. They had finally come out of the closet and now there was no looking back…
As Maitreyi and Alpana grew comfortable in each others arms, the glowing sun started to reveal itself through the perilous clouds.
The love between Maitreyi and Alpana overflowed and changed the mood of the forest. The mischevious sun peeped through the clouds and washed the forest with a golden glow as the girls trudged forward. The tree’s soft whispers against the wind was like a gentle lullaby, comforting them along the way…
An atmosphere of calmness and peace pervaded, and the beauty was quietly stunning. The soft green grass under their feet stretched to the horizon and the song of the river was gentle. Alpana and Maitreyi had left the closet behind and stepped into a new world. The sky above them stretched as far as the eye could see in a dome of cocktail-blue, punched with fluffy clouds. They walked hand in hand, observing the squeaking swallows as they chased whirring dragonflies in a dance of life and death. The golden sun had evaporated the fear in their hearts and filled it with hope…
The cute little shrubs of the forest cast their reflection on the water forming buttery silhouettes; it was still early in the morning and the music of the birds floated in the air. Tiny fishes broke the surface of the water causing the water ripples to glimmer in the Sun’s reflection. The girls smiled in their newfound comfort and decided to play a game of hide and seek…
Alpana whispered, “Now I can do whatever I want.” Maitreyi smiled and said, “I’ve never stopped you.”
The forest turned to pale copper as the rays of the sun pulled itself across the horizon and slid in between the grey clouds. Alpana tightened the knot one final time. “Good luck, Mai” she whispered…
The greys began to fade, as liquid gold crept up from leaf to limb. Maitreyi and Alpana had never been happier…
Maitreyi surrendered to the miraculous beat of her feet against the rocks that littered her path. Her laughter, breathless and sporadic, was an even cadence that mingled fluently with the morning chorus of the birds. Sweat beaded her forehead, causing her hair to cling to it as her throat ached for more air. The delicious rush of wind past her face thrilled her as she ran around the forest trying to catch Alpana. And as the canopy overhead thickened, her steps grew muffled because of the leaves that blanketed the forest floor; the ground no longer cold beneath her soles…
Suddenly during the game, Maitreyi collapsed to the ground as she felt the pain as strong as a hundred daggers sinking into her feet. Squirming with anguish, she sat on the damp grass, clutching her feet. Her eyes were watery with the sheer pain and her breathing came out in sharp, shallow rasps. Sweat dripped down the side of her face and covered her foreheard in a thin sheen. A nasty thorn had penetrated her leg and she was in great pain…
Seeing Maitreyi in pain caused Alpana’s chest to swell with melancholy. However, Alpana willed herself to comfort Maitreyi and pull the thorn out of her flesh. She tried to ignore the ringing in her ears, the heat coming from her cheeks as she felt the need to cry and yell at herself; it was her idea to play hide and seek after all. The small punctures in Alpana’s heart slowly filled with dread, knowing that she didn’t have long before she completely lost it. She sucked in a breath and held it there. She had to be strong. For Maitreyi. For her.
Maitreyi’s thumb caressed Alpana’s earlobe softly, her fingers supporting the back of her head as she leant in firmly, yet seductively, placing her lips over Alpana’s nose. Ragged breathing and dancing heartbeats brought a fiery heat to the cold forest air. “It’s not your fault…” whispered Maitreyi.
Parivala, very much like Maitreyi and Alpana had found freedom in the very same forest a few days ago. So when she saw the girls embrace each other, her heart was overcome with joy. She observed them from a distance and was glad that they had come out…
Parivala blessed the girls and walked away…
It was a new day and the glimmer of hope strengthened with every passing minute.
Maitreyi and Alpana’s joyful laughter echoed through the forest… But somewhere in the distances, maybe miles away, maybe just a few feet, they heard something moving. Once, twice. Something heavier dropped, crashed into the rubble, echoed off the trees. Then silence again…
The Rakshasas of the forest had heard Maitreyi and Alpana’s laughter…
The only love that was allowed was between man and woman…
Maitreyi and Alpana would pay for their sins…
Maitreyi and Alpana were dragged through the forest mercilessly… Their biggest sin was that they had loved each other, and not a man.
The love that brought them together, was the love that tore them apart…
Maitreyi and Alpana were shoved back into the closet…
Nobody heard them screaming, nobody wiped their tears. Maitreyi clutched Alpana’s hand tightly as the doors closed on them…
Silence hung in the air like a bereaved soul as Maitreyi and Alpana embraced each other one last time…
Plumes of black smoke filled the closet and the searing heat slowly made it difficult to breathe; Maitreyi and Alpana held onto each other, their nails almost digging into each others flesh. All the wonderful moments that they spent together flashed before their eyes as the closet erupted into flames…
God wept a silent rain as Parivala screamed and cried… but it was too late. She sobbed as she sank to her knees, not caring for the damp mud that dirtied her dress; she had blessed the girls a few days ago and now they were gone.
Credits:
Production-Design – Nishitha Karumbaiah Make-up – Sonia Keer Dhawan Costume-Design and Styling – Amritha Rajavelu Creative-coordinator – Arvind Maitreyi – Sarah Harish Alpana – Shraddha Srinath Parivala – Arvind Story, Photography and Creative-Direction – Arjun Kamath
You can check out more of Arjun Kamath’s work on his Facebook page .