When it comes to relationships, people believe that there is an ideal match somewhere in the world that was made for them. Most of the time this conspiracy comes true, but only for a few. In the story The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character, Nikhil and her ex-fiance, Moushumi seemed to be the kind of couple that would have lasted forever. Unfortunately, as we continued to read the story, we realized that they weren't really meant to be. Although they seemed like a perfect puzzle piece, there were various factors that contributed to the end of their marriage. This almost perfect marriage began after the death of Nikhil's father Ashoke. After his death, Nikhil finally understood where his father was coming from and embarked on a path that followed the principles and values ​​of his Bengali culture. This path he took soon led him to meet Moushumi, who is also Bengali. Partnering with a woman who looked like her made her feel like she was reconnecting with her Indian roots. While he felt closer to his culture, he also felt that keeping his affiliation with Moushumi was the right thing to do to make him feel like he was still connected to his father. After a year of living together, Nikhil proposed to Moushumi and was soon going to get married. At first, Gogol despised his culture and tried to do everything possible to distance himself from it. The previous girls Gogol dated were never Indian. He was first attracted to American girls. The fact that they were completely different from his culture is what caught his attention. Dating someone who was not closely tied to one's culture was an unthinkable thing to do in Bengali society, so this made Gogol's reason to disobey flourish even more because for him, it was exciting. .... middle of paper.... ..being married to someone she did not love, which led her, unconsciously, to close herself off” (Lahiri). shutting themselves away like a clam completely ruined their chances of a successful marriage. If Moushumi had been more enthusiastic about trying to move her relationship forward, she probably would have. Overall, it's clear that their marriage was never meant to be. From the beginning, Gogol should have realized that he was making a mistake. I felt like he only got married because it was something new for him and it was what his father would have wanted. Considering the atrocious reputation Moushumi had with his past relationships, he should have seen his affair coming. If their relationship lied under different circumstances, I think the outcome would be. Works Cited Lahiri, Jhumpa. The namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. 1-291. Print.