A romantic and intimate sexual relationship without any commitments – this is how the Oxford Dictionary defines the term “situationship.” There’s no flood of promises, yet there is romance. There are no future plans, but frequent, casual encounters. There’s no emotional connection, but “casual sex” exists. Overall, it’s an undefined, ambiguous relationship.
And it was precisely this kind of bond that tied the lives of young woman Pratiksha Sharma, whose body was found in a rented apartment on Friday, and Ashutosh Kaushik, now a suspect in her alleged kill.
“situationship.” — Yes, this is exactly the word Ashutosh, an employee at a private bank, used before the police. He even admitted openly to journalists– yes, he and Pratiksha were in a situationship. It was not a relationship, not dating, not even live-in. They were not partners. They weren’t married, so the question of extramarital affairs doesn’t arise. Their bond was simply a situationship, which, as per the Oxford Dictionary’s definition, involves romance and a connection based on regular or irregular sexual interactions.
What a complicated situation!
However, neither Pratiksha Sharma, a beautiful and brilliant young woman, nor Ashutosh Kaushik, a promising young man, had been forced into this relationship due to any circumstances. There was no situational obligation in their bond, as the literal meaning of “situationship” might suggest.
They had simply drifted into it, following the flow of time.
Though the globally renowned Oxford Dictionary included the term “situationship” in 2023, Pratiksha and Ashutosh had probably been in this undefined, commitment-less bond even before the term gained popularity. Perhaps, it’s from such relationships as theirs – whether Pratiksha and Ashutosh or some Robert and Mary – that Oxford or Collins drew the concept of this term.
Now, Ashutosh’s confession has left the police baffled, and the journalists speechless. Everyone is now pondering – is such an undefined, ambiguous relationship even possible in a state like Assam, in a semi-modern city like Guwahati? A city where even today, revealing a live-in partnership can make it nearly impossible to find a rented house, could it really accommodate situationships?
Once upon a time, extramarital affairs were considered a major issue. Even today, videos of such relationships get millions of views from curious social media users in Assam. Viral videos and audio recordings of runaway brides involved in affairs still dominate social media.
Fifteen to twenty years ago, even dating was a taboo word. Today, even blind dating has become common in the city. Sugar daddy and sugar baby relationships, involving the exchange of gifts for sexual intimacy, have also become a natural occurrence. A newly independent, attractive teenager who posts “single” as her social media status casually sends a message to a wealthy older man on Messenger–“Would you like to be my sugar daddy? I’m ready to be your sugar baby.”
Such relationships continue unabated in the city, where sex is exchanged for gifts provided by sugar daddies. But that a situationship could exist so openly was something beyond the imagination of Guwahati’s smart police force.
It seems almost unbelievable – even to experienced journalists, who have tracked countless relationships throughout their careers. Perhaps Guwahati’s police force isn’t yet smart enough to handle such complex relationships like situationships. Even seasoned journalists who’ve encountered numerous types of bonds in their careers had likely never come across a relationship as intricate as a situationship.
Though the police and journalists are bewildered, relationships continue to evolve in their own way. In situationships, there may be no promises or commitments, but romance and physical intimacy are present, and it was within this loop that Pratiksha and Ashutosh found themselves entangled.
Although complex, this type of relationship is said to be highly intriguing.