EPISODE 1
It feels strange and sweet to narrate the story of my marriage after 33 years of it. I must credit our friend Arun who is so good at writing and has mastered the art of telling stories and I have only taken some inspiration from him. Unlike Arun, my parents did not show the urgency to get me married immediately after commissioning. Few proposals came by but I could hardly go on leave with a number of courses - two YOs, Basic Mountaineering, QM, JSC, Instructor Gunnery, JC and others lined up.
The match makers were however waiting to ambush as and when I landed up in Agra. The first one was a friend of my brother looking for a suitable match for his niece. The dinner was at their home and this would be my first experience to see a prospective partner. Soon after the initial conversations, we were asked to move to another room for a private chit-chat. The conversation did not go beyond personal introductions and what each of us were doing. I found her nice – she was well educated and was teaching in school. It was not mandatory to reveal one’s opinion and declare results before parting.
Without much thought I declared that I was ready to marry the girl and our decision was conveyed. We were confident that no sooner do we say yes there will be consent from their side too, but that never came. Nor came the reply. A few months later my brother’s friend shared with him that they got apprehensive for my job security. I recalled in our short chit-chat it was about PRC and I had told her that being a short service officer I could be on the road in case I do not get PRC. Coming from an absolutely non military family background, she probably conveyed the same literally to her brother and I lost the first proposal.
As they say marriages are made in heavens, I suppose the story ahead holds by the phrase. A new tenant moved in our neighbour’s house in Agra. I hardly knew them as I wasn’t there when they moved in. This gentleman tenant somehow got acquainted with my now co-brother living in Agra as a god-sent who matched the two families who were so far not related or acquainted to each other.
After the initial investigation my now co-brother conveyed the suitability of the proposal to my would be FIL. Eventually a formal invitation followed and we drove to Panipat to see the girl. I was cautioned by my brother to not repeat the same mistake as I did the last time. Even as I informed them that there is no scope of the same mistake (I had already gotten the PRC) but I couldn’t guarantee for other similar ones.
...to be continued...
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