As I enter their apartment, I’m met with a surprise from Om Uncle and Kailash Aunty. What could it be that I wanted to know from them?
I say laughingly, “I am here to know your love story.”
Om Uncle and Kailash Aunty have been residents of Palms for quite some time now, while their daughters and son reside in Delhi and the US, respectively.
‘What love story? It’s more of a life story’ remarks Om Uncle with a chuckle.
‘Bohot acchi zindagi beeti hai’ adds Kailash Aunty
“We never laid eyes on each other before tying the knot. Back then, that was just how things were,” reminisces Om uncle. “I was once engaged before, but I got to know that the girl was not so good looking. I decided to continue studying. She grew weary of waiting and married someone else. It was a good strategy.”
“After some time, Kailash and I got engaged through an arranged setup. But I couldn’t bear the thought of marrying someone without catching a glimpse first. So, I embarked on a mission to spot her. I learnt she’d be travelling by bus from Jalandhar to Chandigarh. I decided to get on that bus midway. And there she was, seated with her sister and I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of her. She was so beautiful.”
“Did you see him too, Aunty?” I inquire
“Na, I didn’t see him at that time. But let me tell you, he had such pickha looking face when I saw him after we got married.” Aunty replied, sucking her cheeks inside to demonstrate.
They got married to each other after being engaged for over 2 years. Om uncle was 26 and Aunty was around 21 years old at that time. Money and means were very limited, so there was no question of spending on anything more than necessities.
“I came from a well-to-do family, but there were too many restrictions there. I felt very liberated after coming to his family. It was all mauj,masti” Aunty recalls fondly.
After living together with his parents for a while, they relocated to a modest home in Amritsar where Uncle was working.
“We used to go for a 1/2 km walk every day in Amritsar aur Chawanni ke Angoor kharid ke khaate the. That was our feast and moments of pure bliss” reminisces Om Uncle
As life progressed, Uncle went on to build a life for himself while also supporting his family through various jobs and eventually setting up his own business. Aunty’s focus was on household, savings and raising children. Together they have been a great team, with almost no fights that they could recall.
“Ladai toh ab hone lagi hai khaane ko leke” quips Aunty
They are now 92 years and 88 years old respectively and if you live in The Palms, you will often spot them walking while holding hands on their morning and evening walks. While they attribute it to majboori rather than romance, as Aunty finds walking a bit challenging lately, in my eyes, witnessing them walk together daily is the epitome of romance. They exemplify companionship, partnership, and a shared sense of humour.
There’s something magical about growing old together, watching companionship mature like fine wine.
