Every morning when he started for office she would wave bye to him with a prayer for safety, and whenever he reached office he informed with a message. Throughout the office time before lunch, after lunch, before starting from office, before going to university or going out to market/ mother's house/ friend, she would also tell him. Always, before starting and after reaching. This was a ritual they followed and if any one of them skipped the other would rebuke the other on missing or forgetting to do so. Even when they were not physically together, through text and phone calls always remained with each other. Phones were just an extension of their hearts/ souls reaching out to each other.
Both had decorated their home nicely by now. It was a comfortable home with not so many appliances but a lively, open, happy place. With her butter fingers she often broke stuff and she always blamed it on "buri nazar"(evil eye) as when people visited their home, glass utensils broke (although, sometimes people did not visit them, and even then things broke, like glass, cups, clock. lamp shade, bulb)!
Weekends were mostly reserved for loitering. They used to take bike rides in the evening, visited friends, or called over friends or visited nearby markets. They did not like going to the malls that much!
The first Ramzan he was very angry when he saw her "torturing" herself, but supported her with not eating food till late afternoon, even tried to fast like her twice. He supported by making iftar for her, pakoras, fruit chaat, juices, chocolates, made sure the time that she ate, she ate well. For Eid, she bought gifts, clothes, mithai for her family, they gave them return gifts and Eidi. Dussehra or Durga Pooja often were spent visiting CR Park Pandals late at night. On their first Diwali the entire house, terrace, balcony was lit up with the diyas. He loved bursting crackers. They often joked that they were spending double money than normal people on festivals!
They had to visit his hometown now to meet his family, had saved enough by now to take the flight, had bought gifts and planned to organize a marriage feast for all his side of the relatives. He had assured her, but her family was scared. Her mother gave some mithai and gifts for her in-laws. They did their own shopping for all the uncles, aunts, grandfather, sisters, bro-in laws, niece, nephew, parents from different markets.
It was a completely different culture (region/religion/language/rituals) for her. So many people she had never seen before in her life were judging her for her looks (just as he was judged by her family at the time of their marriage, but there were less people)! Everybody was nice to her, made her feel comfortable, explained her the nuances of their culture, food, etc. Her father in law who had threatened to leave the house was shy and most loving, along with the eldest sister. Ma, and younger sister were very sweet and friendly too. It was difficult to adjust at first due to differences, but the love and encouragement from everyone made it possible to feel like 'one big happy family'. The entire family visited Puri, had fun at the beach, visited temple. Both of them did a bike trip from Puri via Konark back to Bhubaneswar and fell sick after coming back! He called his local friends for a feast before they left his hometown. They came back with his parents so as a family they could adjust to each other. Ma had been sick and needed consultation from Delhi's doctors. She had the experience of hospitals, as she had taken care of her father through his nine years of Alzheimer's. For Ma Papa's age, their house was not very comfortable (third floor/high stairs), no maid, no TV for timepass, and not even a mandir! Papa disliked Delhi because of the language barrier, and the big city feel. His Delhi uncle helped out with the hospitals' appointments, etc. Ma, Papa stayed for fifteen days, her family also came to visit them. The meeting that usually happens between families before wedding, happened after the wedding for them. Both the families had faced social wrath from relatives' for marrying outside their respective religion. But, they reconciled as they saw them happy.
Post marriage on her first birthday, he bought her a pair of beautiful emerald green ear rings, and she gave him a wrist watch. They could only afford a honeymoon trip after almost a year of marriage.
His mother's health was becoming a concern, and with the number of holidays he had taken in the entire first year post marriage, he could not go himself. So, he decided to send her for ten days. She agreed to visit in-laws, but was apprehensive without him how would the family treat her now. Their cuisine was different from North Indian, and she did not know much of Eastern food. His family was pure vegetarian, she preferred vegetarian but always had had meat cooked with vegetables in her home. For the first time they had to stay away post-marriage for such a long time! The sisters took her out, Papa made sure all her favorite things were there in the kitchen. Ma helped in the cooking, gave instructions, she just wanted someone to be around. There were initial hiccups, some ego issues but largely she and the family had adjusted to each other's differences by now. He was always on the phone all the time, informing her of all the days' details of what he did/ he cooked/he ate, etc etc.
Their love and understanding was something that friends' gave examples of. Slowly, they added things to their bare house. Internet released them from buying dvds and he downloaded movies now. They ate out at least twice every month at middle range restaurants, and every weekend street food was a surety, if they were not going out or no friends were coming to visit them. On weekdays, he would come back by 8-9pm, eat snacks and then they had dinner late by 11.30 to 12 am and sometimes even later than that. It was like an everyday fun party. Despite their differences, they were in love and happy, and nothing else mattered!
To be continued.....
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