Friday, June 20, 2014

When I Got Married...!

                                                           Part I

"Will you marry me?", he asked me on 5th August, many many years back on a Saturday afternoon! Since it was a Saturday, I didn't have much work at the office and I was preparing to leave.  He had come to Madras office on an official visit from our Main Rajpura (Patiala) office for a month or so.  Our Manager had already left the office.  He said "One minute, Miss Sandhya, take this notes!" I didn't like it! Grumbling inside, I went and sat in front of his desk with my shorthand notebook and was ready to write down.  "I want to marry you" he said.  I had started writing the shorthand strokes...I think I must have written the whole sentence! Then it struck me! He had proposed! Huh, my legs started shaking and I wanted to get up and run away! Somehow, I did and was home and poured everything to my sister.

He looked stern and angry all the time in the office.  He was very tall with huge side burns (it was the fashion in those days!). I was sort of nervous in front of him, while talking to him or taking notes from him. Until then, I was pampered by our manager and others in the office.  Since I was the Manager's friend's daughter and very young and small/tiny, nobody raised their voice on me! That was my first job too. It was like another home for me! It was a small office.  This was a temporary job.  I was planning to shift to a new job when I get one, as per our Manager's advice! When the office work was over, I was asked by the Manager to go home...even at 3 pm and sometimes he was asking me not to come to office on Saturdays...(Onnum velai illema...leave yeduththukko... means, 'Not much work is there tomorrow, you can take leave!').  You can imagine how I would have felt when he came and always wanted the office to be 'office' with proper working hours!  He had come to our office for some work just for a short period.  After 'that' Saturday, I DIDN'T GO TO OFFICE on Monday and Tuesday because I was nervous and scared.  Called our Manager and said that I was not well.

Funny thing is, he never showed/expressed any affection or anything until then when we were working in the office.  Did I tell you, he had huge eyes! I was never talking to him.  When my work was over, I was reading James Hadley Chase, which was my craze in those days! And magazines too.  I was a free bird always! Whenever people were bored in the office, were asking for some magazine from me, even the Manager!

I returned on Wednesday and came to know that he had left for Rajpura on Saturday itself! Oooof...I was relieved!

After a month or so, our Manager got a mail from him.  Our Manager was his childhood family friend, though they didn't have contact for many years until then...since his handwriting was undecipherable, our Manager asked me to read it out for him. I did! The last line in that letter was 'How is Miss Sandhya?'  I was stunned! The Manager asked me 'Ivan yedukku unnai vijaarikkaraan?' (why is he enquiring about you?).  I just gave a blank look!

Another letter came after a few days.  After the office matter, the line was there 'How is Miss Sandhya?'. In the mails which came later asked the Manager to create a vacancy in the Madras office and get him transferred there! I started losing sleep!
 
This went on for more than 7-8 months.  Our Manager got me a job in a Quazi govt. company.  I gave one month's notice in this office and was training the next girl who was to take my place in the office. 

Then...

                                                                                      ....next part shortly!

P.S.: The II part is here

37 comments :

Rama Ananth said...

Nice beginning Sandhya!
Keep it coming!

SG said...

Wonderful beginning. Waiting. For the next post. I am glad he had the gutz to ask you directly, instead of asking you through a friend.

Sandhya said...

RAMA ANANTH: Thank you, Rama!


SG: Yes! He is always straight forward! Poosi mezhugarade kidaiyaathu...even now! Thank you for the encouragement!

Rama Ananth said...

Sandhya, you really surprise me with your use of the typical tamil language/ expression like, "Poosi mezhugarade kidaiyaathu". To think you are from Mangalore.
Too good.

Sandhya said...

RAMA ANANTH: Our family shifted from Udupi to Madras in 1952...we had been here since then and now I am married to a Tamilian for the past 40 years...we speak Tamil at home! It is not a big deal for me to be a Tamilian now!

KParthasarathi said...

Rama,Sandhya's Tamil is far better than many Tamils who can only talk and not read or write.
This post is like a tender love story.Looking forward to read how it progressed.

Sandhya said...

K.PARTHASARATHY: I was looking forward to your comment, Partha Sir! I have got your influence now in writing stories, I think. Hope my narration is at least near yours!

Hope I continue to invoke your interest and others' too, in the next parts! I don't have much imagination. I write facts!!!

Bikram said...

and then whattttttttttttttt ... did the letter come to the new office :)

so how did MISS SANDHYA doing :) he he he he

and Good man.. he came directly to you ..

Bikram

Sandhya said...

BIKRAM: NO! Will write about it in the next part!

Yes, he did, with a bang! If he targets something, he sees to it that he gets it. This nature of his, has helped in his business later!

Thanks, Bikram!

Renu said...

are wah..this is like a movie..

L KRUPAA said...

Interesting! Curious to know more!

BK Chowla, said...

I think I know where is taking us.But,I would wait for the excitement in the next one

Anonymous said...

Oh, please do write the next part quickly! :)

Sandhya said...

RENU: Thank you, Renu!


L.KRUPAA: A couple of days later?!


BK CHOWLA: Hahaha...hope I keep up the interest in the next post too! Thank you!


MANJU JOGLEKAR: Sure, Manju! Thank you!

Avada Kedavra said...

I am waiting for the next part. Even I agree, I like his guts about approaching you directly. Not many people have the courage to do that I guess, that too in those days when love marriage was almost like a taboo.

Sai Charan said...

Very well written Sandhyaji!! :) Curious about what happened next, can't wait to read the next part! :)

I had a nice loud laugh reading this line --> "Whenever people were bored in the office, were asking for some magazine from me, even the Manager!".

And when I read the words, "I was pampered by our manager and others in the office". And "very young and small/tiny" - I wonder if going to office felt like going to a play school for you? Ha ha...just kidding ;)

Take care,
Cheers!! :)

sm said...

wonderful drama story unfolding waiting for the next part

Destination Infinity said...

I thought yours was an arranged marriage? I remember you writing somewhere that your father told you that your would-be husband is a Tamilian and you'll have to marry him. I am not sure if I remember it right!

Destination Infinity

Sandhya said...

AVADA KEDAVRA: Yes, Ash! I will tell you later why he did that!


SAI CHARAN: Hahaha...When I think back, I think the office was like a play school for me until HE came!

Thank you, Sai!


sm: Thank you, sm! I have given suspense...will I keep it up?!

Sandhya said...

DESTINATION INFINITY: Ours was 'sort of' arranged marriage but initiated by him, not my father, though!

Bhagyashree said...

Aww, so cute. So finally we get to read your life story.
Waiting eagerly for the next part

Unknown said...

waiting for the next episode egarly

sugantha @ co

Onkar said...

very interesting

Toby in India said...

Hello Sandhya, what a romantic post and an exciting beginning. We know how it went, you did marry him. Hmmm good story, keep going. And ocongrats with your long and happy marriage.

Zephyr said...

Looking forward to the rest of the love story unfolding :)

Sandhya said...

BHAGYASHREE: Thank you, Bhagya! The II part is posted now!


MURTHY SATHYA: You can read it now!


ONKAR: Thank you, Onkar!


TOBY IN INDIA: Thank you, Toby! Every marriage has got its ups and downs...we have crossed them and still crossing....!


ZEPHYR: It is posted, Zephyr! Thank you!

Shail said...

I couldn't help but laugh out loud thinking how you took down his proposal in short-hand! Having met you all, this is really interesting! :)

Sandhya said...

SHAIL MOHAN: When you meet my husband next time, you might view him in a new angle!

Wini said...

I have heard this story from you a few times Maami, but this detailed narration is just so warm and heartfelt! :)

I can imagine Maama as a typical "angry young man" with a romantic side to him.

Superb writing.

Usha basker said...

Part 1 is quite interesting. Its really funny to read abt the way u took notes of mama's proposal in shorthand. U seem to be very innocent. Anbulla man vizhiye! Aasaiyil or kadidham nu padalaya? There r so many apt kannadasan songs for ur love story. Since he admired ur long thick hair the apt song is kothodu kuzhal Ada Ada aada.... Kan rendum meenaaga aada... Aada... One more.. Sandhippoma? Sandhippoma? Thanimaiyil nammai Pattri sindhippoma? Paattu poruma mami?

Sandhya said...

WINI: Thank you, Ashwini! You know maama very well now!


USHA BASKER: Ippanna paadiyirupparo yennamo...!

I read your comment as soon as I woke up this morning and still humming, 'koththodu kuzhal aada aada'!

Thank you, Usha!

Usha basker said...

After reading ur love story I started humming the love duets of kannadasan and MSV combo. One such song is netru varai new yaro naan yaaro? Indru mudhal nee vero naan veto? So many song mami. We all loved ur love story blog.nicely written. The way in which u have written step by step is such that we can visualise it. U r such a nice person and mama is lucky to have u in his life.

Sandhya said...

USHA BASKER: Thank you, Usha!

PB Srinivas is one of my favourite singer. Nobody is able to imitate him in the reality shows, nowadays. He has got a unique voice!

Jeevan said...

Interesting... will comment reading the part 2 as well :)

Jeevan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Prema viswanathan said...

Oh, so interesting, you should complete it today itself, bcz it is auspicious

Sandhya said...

PREMA VISWANATHAN: Thank you, Prema, for the comment! See P.S. in the end. Click 'here'. You can read the next part!

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