In the short story 'A Temporary Matter', Jhumpa Lahiri reveals how Shukamar is afraid to face his problems and Shoba doesn't like to talk about the baby. Shukamar can't really relate to Shoba. He can't because he never actually went to India and Shoba did. They both try to isolate themselves so they don't have to face their problems. In the short story they slowly separate, there is already a feeling of separation, but it gets worse. This causes them to be moved. At the end of the story, they are no longer together. Due to the way Shukamar and Shoba deal with their problems, their relationship is separated. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay These are issues presented by the author. Shoba and Shukamar barely spend time together. Shukamar even said, “These days, Shoba was always there the moment Shukamar woke up” (Lahiri 4). They barely see each other and when they do, they try to break up. They don’t even celebrate, “Shoba and Shukamar had not celebrated Christmas that year” (Lahiri 2). The reason they are like this is because they can't get over this problem with their baby. Shoba tries to avoid it completely “and partly because it was a place Shoba avoided” (Lahiri 8). While Shukamar just wants to forget about the baby completely by removing all baby items, he also stops caring about things like brushing his teeth. Another problem with their relationship is that they keep things secret and lie. Shukamar even said, “He had held him until a nurse knocked and took him away, and promised himself that that day he would never tell Shoba” (Lahiri 22). The only thing about it is that he told Shoba. So because of their secret and how they isolate themselves, it ended their relationship..