In A Temporary Matter, Jhumpa Lahiri illustrates a temporary power outage that allows Shukumar and Shoba to reconnect only to discover that they have long been disconnected from each other . Shukumar and Shoba face four states of light, which metaphorically represent four stages of their relationship. Before the power outage, they are ambiguously distant as they avoid confronting each other about their feelings. During the power outage, the couple tries to reconcile. However, once the electricity is restored, they find that they can only speak in temporary darkness. They finally wake up from their ignorance when Shoba turns on the light and reveals the goal of their secret "game." Through these stages, Shukumar and Shoba come to admit that they are not happy being together. Thus, the temporary breakdown ironically leads to the permanent end of their married life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Shukumar and Shoba's relationship is in an ambiguous stage before the blackout. They are uncertain about their feelings for each other, but they also avoid confronting that uncertainty. As they seek their own ways to resolve the trauma of stillbirth, their lifestyles change as if there is a reversal of gender roles. Shukumar becomes passive in the house while Shoba interacts with the outside world. Shukumar cannot find the motivation to complete his homework or even brush his teeth regularly. “He would lie in their bed until he got bored, staring at his side of the closet”(4), while Shoba “was already sipping her third cup of coffee, in her downtown office, where she was looking for typographical errors in school textbooks. and I marked them” (4). The contrast in their lifestyles highlights the distance that has grown between them. For months, Shukumar and Shoba pretend to live their normal lives while becoming "experts at avoiding each other in their three-bedroom house, spending as much time as possible on separate floors" (4). Shoba's busy schedule allows her to go to work before Shukumar wakes up. Similarly, Shukumar pretends to write his paper in the room prepared for their child because “it was a place Shoba avoided” (8). Before the power outage, the couple find themselves in an unresolved stage of their relationship, living an unhappy life together while trying to ignore the fact that they are disconnected. During the power outage, Shukumar and Shoba seem to be able to reconcile their love. As there is no electricity, Shukumar and Shoba have no excuse to bring their plates to each of their workshops and so must eat dinner together by candlelight. When Shoba starts the secret game, the two begin to share secrets and memories of their passionate love: “something happened while the house was dark. They were able to talk again” (19). They begin to reverse each of their life patterns; Shoba “came home earlier than usual” (14) and Shukumar finally has the motivation to go out “through the slush” (14) to buy candles to prepare their dinner. However, this reconciliation in the dark is sudden and unusual. Although he does not know Shoba's intention to play the secret game, Shukumar undoubtedly responds to the opportunity for reconciliation. He doesn't even know if he still loves Shoba, and yet he is excited about reconnecting with Shoba: “All day, Shukumar had been waiting impatiently for the lights to go out. He thought about what Shoba had said” (15). While they.