46-year-old, Aarav Appukuttan, who was born as Bindu, is getting married to 22-year-old Sukanyeah Krishnan, who was born as Chandu in September this year. Deccan Chronicle reports that the two met by chance at a Mumbai hospital where both underwent gender reassignment procedure. Sukanyeah was there for her first appointment. “We are India’s first complete transgender couple, and we are happy,” Sukanyeah admitted, adding that she is super excited that their friends and family members are finally behind them. It all began with their common medical experiences and their motherland which they discovered during the three-hour-long wait for the doctor. Sukanyeah, an IT freelancer, was speaking on the phone at the Mumbai clinic in Malayalam when Aarav, who is a tour manager in West Asia, overheard parts of the conversation. They both got talking and realised that they had so much in common. They exchanged their phone numbers and slowly a bond of friendship and understanding grew. Their goal is now to help others like them. They plan to start an organisation to help people undergo sex-change surgeries in order to live a better life, both physically & emotionally. Besides this, they are planning to start counselling programmes for parents of transgenders. This is a huge step, nay leap for transgenders in India. Aarav was 13-years-old, had long hair and would sit next to the girls in his class but he would get disheartened by his attraction towards them. He revealed his dilemma to his mother who took him to a doctor. The doctor asked Aarav to wait for a few more years before opting for treatment, as such problems were likely to happen at the beginning of puberty, owing to hormonal imbalances. His identity disorder became severe when he lost his mother. He knew that he now had to look after his siblings before he could focus on his own problems. “I used to hate my body and wanted to cut it sometimes. But, I had to restrain myself and keep my feelings in check for 45 years. I always behaved like everything was normal,” he admitted in a report by Hindustan Times. Sukanyeah also experienced an identity disorder during her childhood. Her mother took her to a doctor, who started her on male hormone therapy immediately. “With the therapy, my facial and body structure changed. I started developing muscles, my shoulders became broader, and I lost a lot of hair on my head,” she confessed adding that no one understood her pain. In fact, she fainted owing to the pressure during her Class 10 board exams and had to quit school. Dr Sanjay Pandey from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri, who operated on the couple revealed that those who have (Gender Identity Disorder) GID are just as normal and competent as we are. “The only difference is that they feel trapped in the body of a gender they do not want to be. This is psychologically and emotionally tough,” he said, adding that the gender reassignment surgery costs between Rs 18 lakh to Rs 19 lakh in places like Thailand, where it is popular. In India, It costs between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Many congratulations to this brave couple who listened to their inner voice and acted in accordance with what they truly felt, both in body and spirit. This news is sure to inspire and motivate all transgenders who are struggling with gender identity. We need more such courageous souls who can teach all of us a thing or two about being authentic and staying true to their being, no matter what the obstacles.
