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| Bismillah Khan |
#If you have come here without reading Chapters 1 to 3 of the Episode - suggest you click here#
It was the 12th of October of the year 1970 – exactly forty years ago – Varsha and I got married in Delhi.
It was the 12th of October of the year 1970 – exactly forty years ago – Varsha and I got married in Delhi.
Varsha was staying at South Extension, New Delhi – and that is where the baraat had gone. It was a wedding without any religious ceremonies. Ours was a marriage under the Special Marriage Act 1954. The Marriage Officer was called to the residence and the oath, witnesses etc., was all done at home – it was possible to call the Marriage Officer to the wedding venue in the good old days. We had a couple of eminent personalities as our official witnesses, Mr RC Hoon – Chairman, CWPC and Mr Kartar Singh IAS – Secretary to the Government of India. There was no religious priest – though we had a shehnai vaadan by the famous Bismillah Khan at the entrance of the pandaal. The baraat was with the usual 'band' and the pandaal with usual lighting. Yours truly did not ride a mare - as was the common convention - but came in a Fiat car bedecked with marigold flowers. Sehra was also there, as my parents were still quite conventional and orthodox. After reciting the mandatory oaths and signing of the forms; garlands were exchanged; sindoor was put in the maang; mangal sutra was tied. Dowry was considered an obscene word. The ceremony was over. This was followed by a sumptuous dinner – non-vegetarian – which was also considered unusual for marriage ceremonies in Delhi, in the good old days.
I will be sharing the photos of the occasion – after I return back to India in a week's time.
Looking back – time has flown – the moving finger writes and moves on....
We are now grand parents – 3 grand children, two from my daughter (we are with her at the moment) and one grand daughter from my son. He and his family are in New Hampshire in the U. S.
We have had our ups and downs and battled them together. Have no regrets – life has treated us well and we have treated life well.
Suggest you also read Varsha's post for this occasion at http://varshanagpal.blogspot.com/2010/10/forty-years-of-time.html - that will complete the picture.
Incidentally – on my 60th birthday, ie., 29th of December, 2005; we got married once again at Gretna Green, UK. - which is historically well known for runaway marriages. We just happened to be passing through – with our children, their spouses and grand children (had only two at the time) and decided to do it on the spur of the moment; it is really an interesting and a historical venue – you must read more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretna_Green .
Remember that forty years ago – such weddings were rare and eye-openers for the society, yet we did it our way.
(A sequel to these 4 Chapters of "Episode" - suggest, click here to go to My Sixtieth Birthday - Gretna Green - Memories # 1)
