New Delhi: Indian-American gay couple, Amit Shah and Aditya Madiraju, who took the internet by storm by their grand Hindu wedding in New Jersey in 2019, are expecting their first child due in May.
According to People Magazine, the couple has come a long way learning about the nitty-gritties of having a biological child, from understanding the differences between surrogates, egg donors and gestational carriers, to deciding which of the partners would be part of their family’s growth and knowing that having a baby is far more expensive in reality for a same-sex couple than heterosexual parents, it has been a learning curve for them.
“We are hoping us having a baby normalises it even more, that it doesn’t matter if you’re a same-sex couple, you can just lead the life you want,” Madiraju told People.
“Only five or six people know right now. I think culturally — as many other cultures also do — you don't want to jinx something. You just kind of keep it under wraps and just wait and be patient,” the couple said.
Aditya also said that from the very first date, they had discussed about having a child and starting a family was always on the cards.
“The funny part is that the concept of marriage and kids was something we discussed on our very first date. Usually, that’s a red flag where people are like, ‘Okay, bye,’ but I think we stayed together because of that discussion,” Aditya told People.
The couple also spoke about their inexperience on the matter. Like any other couple, they were completely unaware as to what to do, how much it would cost, what the process is and how long it would take.
“It took about a year until we felt comfortable enough to move forward and really start making decisions. However, once things were in motion, there were still many things to learn,” Amit said. "We won't be gay parents, we'll just be parents," Aditya added.
The couple had their grand wedding, twinning outfits, as per Hindu traditions in 2019.
Celebrating their third wedding anniversary, Aditya wrote on Instagram, “I had a dream and it came true. Now I cherish and hold on to it with love. And I thank the universe everyday that he made you for me @amit_aatma.”
“If someone told me that a Telugu boy from New Delhi would marry a Gujarati American from New Jersey I would have learnt to make Dhokla sooner. Thank you for putting up with my drama and thank you for making me a part of your dreams and goals. Cheers to 3 years. Ps – It will happen! Let’s have FAITH,” he added.