Bharatpur (Rajasthan): Gender was not the only thing synonymous between erstwhile Meera Kuntal and Rajasthan's Kabaddi player Kalpana. They both loved Kabaddi too. Meera had several Kabaddi tricks up in her sleeves which drew Kalpana to her. Three years ago, they were already close enough to fall in love.
Meera went under the knife. Out came Aarav. Kalpana was there for Aarav sex change procedures began in 2019 and were complete by February 2022. Kalpana and Aarav (who too has played in national level cricket and hockey tourneys) tied the knot on November 4 with blessings from both families.
Meera was the youngest of the four daughters of Veeri Singh. Singh says now he has a son and three of his daughters have a brother. Meera wanted to undergo gender reassignment surgery. We supported her in the process. Now, my daughters tie 'rakhi' to Meera-turned-Aarav, treating him as their brother. His nephews and niece call him 'uncle', Singh adds
"I was unaware of my condition. I yearned to be a male. I once met a psychiatrist who told me that my condition is clinically defined as 'gender dysphoria'. Then, I began looking for solutions. My friends and the internet helped me find the medical procedures to help me undergo gender reassignment," says Aarav.
"Here I am now married to my girl," Aarav adds, recalling his journey, amid fighting the wedding fatigue. Meera(read Aarav) always used to dress like a boy even during her childhood. And she will prefer to play with the boys. Meera always thought she had male characteristics and applied for gender reassignment in 2019 with the support from both the families, who seem progressive.
"I loved him from the beginning even before his sex change surgery. I would have married him even if he had not undergone the surgery. I went along with him for the surgery (which happened at a hospital in Delhi)," says Kalpana, a promising Kabaddi player from Nagla Moti village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district where Meera worked as a PT teacher in the government Secondary School.
According to Kalpana, both the families were accommodative of their relationship and the progressive gender change surgery. "We have the blessings of both the families," says Kalpana, who will leave for Dubai in January to participate in the overseas Women's Kabaddi League, where she will put to use the tricks Aarav had already taught her.
