Monday, June 23, 2014

When I Got Married...!


Part II

This is the continuation of the post I had written earlier, here


When there was around 2 weeks' time for me to join the new office, one morning when I went to the office, the shutter was open.  I had one key and our Manager had the other.  I was the one who was coming early mostly, to open the office.  The maid would be waiting to clean the place...then the routine started.  On that day, I entered the office thinking that the Manager must have come early.  But I had a SHOCK! He was sitting there...you know what I did...I just came out and went to my neighbour's shop.  It was a boutique and the lady who was working there was my friend (though she was a mother of 3 children...she was a very good friend of mine and protective about me always!).  I just told her that I would wait there till the Manager came.  Then the Manager came and asked me why I was sitting there instead of the office, I went back quietly...huh, I can still feel how terrorized I was at that time! The usual office work started and in the evening I told our Manager that I wanted to go home early and left! I escaped one day!

The next day, I was caught! After the Manager and the other person left the office (there were only 3-4 people in the office, since it was just a branch office), he came to my table and said, 'you have not replied to my question.  Did you think over it?'....the question was posed nearly 7-8 months back! I never expected it to continue...as usual, I was scared.  I didn't know what reply to give...I just wrote in my note book, 'my family won't agree' and showed it to him! Without a word he tore down the page and left with the paper! It took sometime for me to move and go home!

I reported everything to my sister.  She was my adviser in those days.  I was a timid person...The next day, in the evening, our Manager asked him to go home. Then asked me to stay for a while! Came to my table and drew a chair and sat down and asked, 'Sandhya, what do you think of him?'  Then, showed me the paper I had written 'my family won't agree'! 'Appaate pesava? (shall I talk to your dad?)' I said 'I don't know'! Actually, I didn't know what to do! We had never discussed about anything ... we had never spoke personally about anything until then! 'I know their family and so can discuss with your appa'.  He knew me very well and didn't ask anything later.  (I came to know later that the Manager took assurance from him that he would keep me happy always!)

The office was normal for a few more days.  I was doing my best not to stay alone in the office! Then one night my father was talking to my mother...'T (our manager) spoke today.  He says that he knows a boy and his sister is looking for a girl  for him/her brother. He would speak to them if we are interested in marrying Sandhya now.  He is a Tamilian'.  My sister and I were listening carefully! As all my friends here know, I am from Udupi, Mangalore and speak Kannada/Tulu at home. We are settled here, in Chennai for the past many many years.  Language was not a problem at all. The discussion went on for a few days.  And then my mother came to know that the Manager was talking about a 'boy' who was working in our office.  She was furious.  She stopped talking to me for a few days.

Here, in the office, he said that his sister wanted to meet me.  Then she called me in the office and asked me to come home.  She said that everything was going to be alright.  She was just curious to see me/meet me immediately so that she can take further steps.  Her brother had refused to see any girl she had recommended until then! I looked up to our Manager again.  He asked me to go and meet her.  We went to his house in a taxi...he was sitting in the front seat with the driver and I was sitting at the back! My sister knew about this, though! His sister, her husband, her mother in law and her 3 year old son were there, at home, waiting for us.  All of them were very friendly, esp. the child who came and sat with me and started chatting and playing with me.  I had bajji, Kesari (sooji halwa) and coffee there.  Her mother in law liked me a lot and was fascinated by my long thick hair, it seems...he told me later that my hair was his first attraction too...huh!  Normally, boys come to girl's house and have bajji and halwa.  Here, ulta (opposite).  I, the girl,  went to the boy's house first! I was dropped home later...in our street corner!

Our Manager was slowly pushing my father.  He came home and spoke to my mother about the 'boy'! 'Since both your families are from the same community, just language alone will not pose a problem.  Rituals are nearly the same' he told mother. Slowly, she started thinking about it.  She wrote to her brother about the 'boy'.  He took a nice photograph of himself (I still have got a copy of it!) from GK Vels, which was the famous photo shop in those days and it was sent everywhere, to my relatives!  Here, the Manager and the sister's husband met my Chikkappa (my father's younger brother) and spoke to him.  My mama spoke to our Swamiji (Pejawar swamiji) in Udupi.  This swamiji is a very forward thinking person and he said that we should encourage this type of marriage...language barrier should not be considered as a barrier, since the rituals are mostly the same, etc.   He had sent some akshata also, blessing us for our wedding.   

My mother agreed to welcome his sister's family for a formal 'girl seeing' ceremony (here, my  parents were seeing the boy for the first time!).  They came home...he was with a very 'serious' face! He was not looking at me at all...I don't remember whether I was looking at him, but my sister was watching everything! His sister was a very nice person and a good chatter and so the meeting went on smoothly.  The Manager and his wife also had come.  My mother had prepared vanghee bath and carrot halwa which was loved by everyone.  I remember writing down the recipe of the vanghee bath and handing it over to him, the next day as per his sister's wish! 

My father wanted to have at least 6 months' time to arrange for the wedding (he was planning to sell a land in our native place for the expenses).  But the Manager said that the wedding should be simple...no spending on jewellery or anything else.  His sister wanted the wedding to take place at Tirupati.  Since his father's annual ceremony was there, after 2 months, the wedding date was fixed for a convenient date after that. The wedding date was fixed for 10th May, '74.

In the meantime, I had joined the new office.  I was meeting him on Saturdays with my sister or brother as escorts.  My brother and sister were competing with each other to come with me since they were getting huge chunks of ice cream at a good hotel.  He was coming with his friend.  He was nervous until we got married later.  He used to call me in my office and I was always nervous to talk to him.  I used to disconnect after speaking a word or two! I knew my colleagues were discussing about me already!

This is the end of Sandhya and Kumar's story...may be the beginning!

I can write more about how I took time to adjust with Tamilian cooking using gigely oil (we use coconut oil, mostly!), esp. eating dosai milagai podi with lot of gingely oil.  I used to bend my face down, block a nostril and swallow the dosa in my sister in law's house for a few days, until I got used to it!

Somebody was curious to know if we uttered 'I love you' before marriage...I laugh about it even now! It was never said, I think.  We were not talking to each other much.  Always nervous, both of us.  After the 'girl seeing' ceremony my sister in law asked my mother to send me with him to buy a ring for me! Both of us went out alone  for the first time.  One Jain jewellery shop was there near Panagal Park, in T.Nagar.  He got me a coral ring.  Then we went to the Marina beach.  Sat there for half an hour or so, nervously.  I think he talked about he being an angry man and assured to change himself! Hahaha....did he change?! The things that brought us closer together was Hindi and Tamil film music and English and Tamil books! Both of us used to sing together and fight for new books, if I remember correctly! Well...it is 40 years complete now!

Thanks for reading our story and I know many of you enjoyed the first part.  I have written facts or whatever I remember of the incidents.

All of you say, 'All the Best for our future!'


Edited to add, the next day: I forgot to mention this! I think Amitabh and Jaya got married just a few months back then and they were in the news.  Both of us were compared to them...heightwise! Jaya also had a very long thick hair!


35 comments :

Destination Infinity said...

Yours is a very different love story when compared to the "kalyanam than kattikittu oodi polama; oodi poi kalyanam than kattikkalama" generation!! :P

Destination Infinity

Sandhya said...

DESTINATION INFINITY: Hahaha....right!

Shail said...

It was nice reading this, Sandhya. :) Now I will go read the first part :)

Sandhya said...

SHAIL MOHAN: Hahaha....you should have read the first part first! II part is like a documentary, first one is better, I feel. What do you say?

Usha basker said...

Very nice mami.. Had a feeling of seeing a love story of Gemini Ganesan and sarojadevi. Nice to read ur blog on 40 the wedding anniversary year. May god bless u both and ur family with lot of cheers and happiness all thru ur life.

Unknown said...

nice love story blessing for the people who stand behind both of you. Hope to happen again in your house (u know what i mean) SATHYAMURTHI

L KRUPAA said...

All is well that ends well. 40 Years of married bliss, here is wishing you more happiness and cheer in the years to come.

Krishna/കൃഷ്ണ said...

Nice story....

thanks for sharing...

Sandhya said...

SG: Your story is contemporary...you can do a post on this, SG!

Thanks for the wishes!


MURTHY SATHYA: Apart from the Manager, many people were involved later. So everything went on well! It is common now. Even most parents want their children to marry the person they like/love. Even I feel like that not because of our marriage. It would be easy for the children to adjust with each other in their lives.

Hahaha...we too want it to happen soon!


L.KRUPAA: Thank you, Krupaa!


KRISHNA: Thank you, Krishna!


Renu said...

Nice reading it..atleast now I can say.it happens in life too:)..I mean real love story..

Bhagyashree said...

Cute cute story Sandhyakka. And real love story's are the ones which I love to read. :)
Your husband may have been nervous, may be having a temper. But he knew what was right and how things were to be done :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely story, and very nicely written, Sandhya! :)

All best wishes to both of you for the future too!

Bikram said...

40 yearssssssssss mam .. wowow

so hey did you say the magic three words NOW.. I know you said not then but how about now .. so now when you read this comment go upto "THE BOY" and say the magic words

and the response well that can be another POST :) See I am giving you ideas tooo now

a beautiful lovely simple love story I would say AWESOME .. and thank you for sharing it with us sandhya bhen .. yayyyyyyyyyyyyy


so when is the partyyyyyyyyyy

Bikram

Sandhya said...

RENU: Thank you, Renu!


BHAGYASHREE: You are very right, Bhagya, thank you!


MANJU JOGLEKAR: Thank you for the wishes, Manju!


BIKRAM: Ghar aajaao, party ke liye!Thank you, Bikram!

When will you post your story?! It is high time we read yours! All the best, Bikram!

sharada.econtent said...

Hi, maami,
It was like reading a mills & boon book. very nicely written.Liked every bit of it.

Unknown said...

Sandhya Maami!! There was not a single point in the story where I lost interest!! Beautiful story!! :) I absolutely loved it :) next time u come to Blore u must definitely come to our house, have dosa with us and show us how u did it :D :p :)

Anonymous said...

This real life story (Part 1 & 2) reminded me of Rajnigandha, Choti Si Baat, etc.. :-)

Smitha said...

That was so sweet! What a lovely story, Sandhya :) Congratulations on your 40th anniversary, and wishing you many, many more happy years together :)

Santhi Kumar said...

Mami, read a real life love story for the first time. Enjoyed it thoroughly. I think maradhi manni title is not apt for you anymore. You have real good memory only. All the best.

Usha basker said...

Nice memory u have mami. Change ur blog name from Maradhi Manni to Memory Manni.

Sandhya said...

SHARU: Thank you, Sharada!


SUKANYA C.B.: Welcome to my space, Sukanya! Happy to see your comment here.

For showing that I have to sit down. Sister in law didn't have a dining table, which was not common in those days. Nobody had it! If we sit down and eat, it is not difficult to bend your head down and place your finger on the left nostril and eat with the right hand! Can you picturize?!

I use a lot of gingely oil now...so it might not be genuine!


PROACTIVE INDIAN: Those were/are my favourite movies, P.I. Thank you!


SMITHA: This is a pleasant surprise! Thanks for the wishes!


SANTHI KUMAR: Hahaha...I remember old things in detail but not recent ones!

Thank you, Santhi!


USHA BASKER: Old memories Manni might be apt! You can read many many old memories' posts in my blog!




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BK Chowla, said...

After having read the first part,I knew this was coming.
Imagine,even forty years back,therewere Love marriages.

Jeevan said...

That’s a very long gap between the first and second proposal... sounds like a successful love story set amid peace journey :) Beautifully narrated! The first part was very sweet until the matter goes to your parents.

Sandhya said...

BK CHOWLA: Do you think this as a 'love marriage' like the current ones?! If the language was not different between us, it was like an arranged marriage, though initiated by a few people.

Since everybody knows that we are married for a long time, suspense was not there at all!!!


JEEVAN: This story is not fiction, so the II part was like a documentary!

Thank you Jeevan!

Rama Ananth said...

Lovely story, and an apt ending.Wishing you all the best!
You should have posted a picture of your wedding(1974), I am sure all your blogger friends would love to see you and your husband decked up as bride and groom.

Sandhya said...

RAMA ANANTH: You know me very well, Rama. I don't like to post our pictures!

Thank you!

Saritha said...

Happy ending. Love marriages in those days were rare no.

Did your parents know that you went to his sister house ?

Sisters are best friends to keep your secrets.....

Rahul Bhatia said...

Very interesting, read all in one go, having missed it earlier!

Avada Kedavra said...

I was searching for a reply and then realized that I forgot to comment on this article.
Your love story is pretty different from others that I have heard Sandhya. Wishing you many more years of joy and togetherness.

Sandhya said...

VARUNAVI: Our Manager knew everything...he was like a mentor for our family, then!

Yes, sisters become very close at these times!


RAHUL BHATIA: Thank you, Rahulji!


AVADA KEDAVRA: Thank you, Ash!

Zephyr said...

Men in those days had to depend upon friends and relatives to propose to the girl It is good that your to-be husband came to you directly. How about sharing the Amitabh-Jaya look-alike pic with us all?

Sandhya said...

ZEPHYR: Yes and we had a common friend to pursue further!

We have got photographs of both of us sitting and performing the rituals. No formal photos. Nobody bothered about taking photos later!

Sai Charan said...

Very happy to read this second part, enjoyed how the love story was a success :) Very nicely described :)

My parents have a similar love story, they got married in 1979 :)

May God bless you with lots of happiness and all the best to both of you!! :)

Cheers!! :)

Sandhya said...

SAI CHARAN: Your parents' story should be very interesting too! Try to write it one day!

Thank you, Sai!

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