Ecstasy... Agony...

Ecstasy... Agony...
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Highlights

LA-based photographer, Arjun Kamath, has depicted the agony that same-sex lovers endure each day of their lives in this powerful photo series

LA-based photographer, Arjun Kamath, has depicted the agony that same-sex lovers endure each day of their lives in this powerful photo series

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.

A 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 as the skeleton trees loomed large over their petite figures, they stood there undeterred. They had finally come out of the closet and 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 cute little shrubs in the forest cast their reflection on the water forming buttery silhouettes; it was still early 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 said,

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.

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 only strengthened with every passing minute.

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.

Maitreyi and Alpana were shoved back into the closet..

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's held onto each other helplessly, 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...

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