Her mother had asked a friend of mine to help find a match for her. The year was 1950. My friend invited me over and I ended up playing three games of dice with her. I lost all three. At the end of the evening, my friend asked if I would marry her. I said why not, and got my mother’s approval. I met her five months later on September 18th 1950, at our wedding. We made a commitment to spend the rest of our lives together. I was 31. She was 18.
I was a freedom fighter and a journalist. I used to travel a lot and would be gone for days but my wife never questioned or stopped me. Though she had studied only till lower secondary, she was worldly wise. All the credit for bringing up our two kids goes to her. In 1959, I used to get a salary of Rs. 100 and gave it entirely to her. We led a very happy life. Back then, I would advise others to get married and not lose the opportunity of such love too.
We had our tough times. In 1959, when I was a part of the Pada Yatra, we almost lost our son to diphtheria. In 1975, during the emergency, I was imprisoned in Central Jail,Bangalore, my son nearly lost an year because I could not pay his hostel fees. But we braced through the times together.
We have fought a lot, but nothing lasts longer than a day. She keeps saying she should have married the railway officer who shares my name but I was better looking. We both still laugh at it. Till date, I have gifted her only one gold necklace and she keeps comparing me to the neighbours husband in jest. She loves movies and I am not a fan. Even today, the TV is hers between 7 and 8 PM, no matter what is going on in the world.
Today, we have been married for 67 years. I turn 100 next year. My wife and I have been content with our lives. We gave our children an education, learnt to be happy with what we have. If there is such a thing as rebirth, I would want to spend every life I have with her.
When I see the way relationships have changed today, it saddens me. One minute, people are in love, the next is hate. We belong to the old school where relationships weren’t easily replaceable. My advice to people is “It’s easy to fall in love and get married but staying together is a lot of work. Be a little old fashioned and don’t give up on the person you love. Love each other fiercely and forgive the mistakes easily” H.S. Doreswamy and Lalithamma
PC: Senthil Kumar
Being You © 2017
