“Depression” was a foreign word to them, an American thing. In their opinion their children were immune from the hardships and injustices they had left behind in India, as if the inoculations the pediatrician had given Sudha and Rahul when they were babies guaranteed them an existence free of suffering.
In an Indian context, Depression is often not considered a real illness. It is considered an American influence. Sudha and Rahul's parents felt the same way and did not think that in America, any hardship could befall them. They had left the world of pain and hardships behind in India.
That the last two letters in her name were the first two in his, a silly thing he never mentioned to her but caused him to believe that they were bound together.
Sometimes one tends to see even small and insignificant things as a sign. Especially if one is in love, minuscule things feel very important. Sharing something so simple as two letters of her name made her feel connected to her partner and gave her the illusion or sign that they were meant to be.
She supposed that all those years of loving a person who was dishonest had taught her a few things.
This quote refers to the fact that one learns a lot by going through a tough time. Being with someone who is dishonest forces one to have high resilience and learn to deal with hardships. This also means that she had to spend a lot of time learning to cope with difficult situations.
Odd things made him love her
He continued to fall in love with strange things about her. Love is not always conventional and based on beauty or intelligence. Sometimes its the smaller things that make you realize how much you love the person. Other people may deem these things as odd, but someone who loves will always think of them as more lovable attributes.
