---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They had always fitted together like…"
description: "\"“They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her into the solidness of him, the solitarine..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg"
---

#  They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved…

![“They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her into the solidness of him, the solitariness of her into the gathering of him, the strangeness of her into the straightforwardness of him, the insouciance of her into the restraint of him…” quote by Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg)

> ““They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her into the solidness of him, the solitariness of her into the gathering of him, the strangeness of her into the straightforwardness of him, the insouciance of her into the restraint of him. The quietness of her into the quietness of him.””

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote depicts two lovers whose contrasting traits interlock, forming a complementary whole despite their differences.

**In simple terms:** Opposite qualities can fit together.

Key Takeaway

Embrace differences to create harmony.

Themes

love complementarity relationships identity balance

Mood

intimate reflective

Type

literary romantic

When to use this quote

- marriage
- friendship
- creative collaborations
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

interdependence dualism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do opposing traits strengthen a partnership?
- What challenges arise when differences are too stark?

A Different Perspective

Such perfect fit may be idealized and ignore personal growth needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pieces-of-an-unsolved-and/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I like pieces that are cool and simple. I try to wear really cute things, but they just don't suit me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trunfio/i-like-pieces-that-are-cool-and-simple-i-try-to-wear-really-cute/)

[Nicole Trunfio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trunfio/)

> [“Her pictures were like pieces of a dream. Ivan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-applegate/her-pictures-were-like-pieces-of-a-dream-ivan/)

[Katherine Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-applegate/)

> [“Complicated. And yet—simple. They were like two pieces of a failed star, drawn together by a shared history and a memory of illicit kisses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cinda-williams-chima/complicated-and-yet-simple-they-were-like-two-pieces-of-a-failed-star/)

[Cinda Williams Chima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cinda-williams-chima/)

> [Hugs aren't like pieces of pie. Plenty of hugs to go around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/hugs-aren-t-like-pieces-of-pie-plenty-of-hugs-to-go-around/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [We fit together so well...it's like pieces of a puzzle, the way your hand fits the curve of my hip and the way my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/we-fit-together-so-well-it-s-like-pieces-of-a-puzzle-the-way-your/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [I like pieces that have everyday appeal and can be worn anywhere!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/i-like-pieces-that-have-everyday-appeal-and-can-be-worn-anywhere/)

[Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/)

> [I'm a hustla using mind with muscle, putting together plots and schemes like the pieces of a puzzle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wall/i-m-a-hustla-using-mind-with-muscle-putting-together-plots-and/)

[Paul Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wall/)

> [Science and art sometimes can touch one another, like two pieces of the jigsaw puzzle which is our human life, and that contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/science-and-art-sometimes-can-touch-one-another-like-two-pieces-of/)

[M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/)

> [Non-violence is a piece of theatre. You need an audience. What can you do when you have no audience?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/non-violence-is-a-piece-of-theatre-you-need-an-audience-what-can-you/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid/it-s-amazing-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them/)

[Sajid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid/)

> [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/)

[Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

## More by Arundhati Roy

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Poverty is a crime and the poor are terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/poverty-is-a-crime-and-the-poor-are-terrorists/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neoliberal-politics-they-are/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [It is such a supreme folly to believe that nuclear weapons are deadly only if they're used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/it-is-such-a-supreme-folly-to-believe-that-nuclear-weapons-are-deadly/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I think one of the saddest things that's happening to literature is that it's getting over-simplified by this diet of simple political ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-think-one-of-the-saddest-things-that-s-happening-to-literature-is/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [The only dream worth having, I told her, is to dream that you will live while you're alive and die only when you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-only-dream-worth-having-i-told-her-is-to-dream-that-you-will-live/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [But what was there to say? Only that there were tears. Only that Quietness and Emptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. Only that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/but-what-was-there-to-say-only-that-there-were-tears-only-that/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Truly, there's no alternative to stupidity. Cretinism is the mother of fascism. I have no defence against it, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/truly-there-s-no-alternative-to-stupidity-cretinism-is-the-mother-of/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“stilts, the ground floors given over to parking. It’s a good idea in this car-maddened city,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/stilts-the-ground-floors-given-over-to-parking-it-s-a-good-idea-in/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“Perhaps it’s true that things can change in a day. That a few dozen hours can affect the outcome of whole lifetimes. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/perhaps-it-s-true-that-things-can-change-in-a-day-that-a-few-dozen/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

[Explore all 628 Arundhati Roy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## More Pieces quotes

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/)

[Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/)

> [It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid/it-s-amazing-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them/)

[Sajid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid/)

> [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/)

[Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/)

> [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/)

[Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/)

[Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/)

> [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/)

[Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/)

Browse all 6,227 Pieces quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her into the solidness of him, the solitariness of her into the gathering of him, the strangeness of her into the straightforwardness of him, the insouciance of her into the restraint of him. The quietness of her into the quietness of him.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arundhati Roy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pieces-of-an-unsolved-and-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Pieces"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pieces-of-an-unsolved-and-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/arundhati-roy-346_pieces_they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pie_550137.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“They had always fitted together like pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her…” — Arundhati Roy",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Arundhati Roy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“They had always fitted together like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pieces-of-an-unsolved-and-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/they-had-always-fitted-together-like-pieces-of-an-unsolved-and-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
