Humans are creatures driven by emotions and not logic. But it is necessary to add a bit of rationality in our approach to life. AIDS is a fatal disease that has gripped almost all the countries in the world. But its dire consequences stiffen with people acting irrationally and mistreating people inflicted with HIV. Mary Whitehouse said, “AIDS is a judgment we have brought upon ourselves”. And it is we, the people of this world, who by joining hands and by emitting acts of humaneness can make this world a better place to live.

Setting up an example for rest of the world and putting their traumatic experiences behind, a HIV positive couple in Pune will tie the knot during the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1 and make a new beginning.

“I got married in the year 1998 and at that time I was living with my in-laws in Kolhapur. My husband fell seriously ill after three years of our marriage. He was shifted to Mumbai for treatment and it was found that he was suffering from AIDS,” said Sunita Kumari. Sunita’s husband breathed his last in the year 2002 after passing on the disease to her.

“We had a son in the year 2000. And I thank God for he tested negative. But after my husband passed away, I had to suffer a lot at my mother-in-law’s hands. Finally, when things became intolerable, I decided to leave my in-law’s place and shift to Pune with my son,” recounts Sunita.

Once in Pune, she began working with different NGOs in the city. She also worked as a counselor for TB patients. Sunita met her prospective husband Vijay Jadhav at a matrimonial camp for AIDS patients held on August 1 early this year.

“Earlier I was working as a security guard in Mumbai. I got married in the year 1998. Sadly, my wife tested HIV+ when she got pregnant. She delivered a baby girl and thankfully, she was negative. My wife then died after a couple of years,” said Jadhav. What followed was acute misery for Jadhav. He lost his job; his in-laws turned him away and even prevented him from meeting his daughter. Disheartened, he also decided to come to Pune in search of a new life.

“My in-laws blamed me and held be responsible for my wife’s death and they didn’t even allow me to meet my daughter. Only I can understand how it feels to stay away from someone you love the most. But life is a journey. I decided to live a life of dignity and started working for a private security agency in Pune. The company is progressive enough to employ me after knowing my health status,” said Jadhav.

After battling against odds, the couple now seeks to start a new life together, giving each other the much-needed support.

-  Siddhartha Laik