Comments on this story is blogged earlier by K.N.K

(Manni’s) LOVE STORY

Who is this attractive man? I have been watching him since a few days. He seems to be a South Indian Brahmin. But why does he come in only after all the crowd is gone! Who cares? Well, there he is even today. He smiles at me. I have to return the smile I suppose. I don't even know him. Who knows what type of a man he maybe. But he keeps smiling and inviting me to do the same. Tomorrow I will find out. The next day he is there. Let me try. Now there is no one for coupons. I boldly approach him.

 “Why do you come here when everybody has had their coffee break?” He asked, “Shouldn't I? It is still coffee time! I come when there is nobody around as I want to be with you!”

What impertinence! The fellow wants to be with me! Ha! I slowly slipped away.

The fellow is there once again, the next day.

“Why do you want to be with me?”

“No, I am just curious. You are very jovial and good company.”

“So? – what?”

“Nothing, I like to sit and talk to you.” I just left. I noticed that the fellow also boarded the train at Dadar station, in the same train as mine! I have to watch out. Better to be careful.

He kept coming in the same train and started walking with me. Why not find out what he is up to?

“Where do you live?” I asked him.

“I live in Chembur  with my family. I am a widower with two girls.”

Oh, something is coming up! Better watch out.

For the next two days I caught the earlier train to avoid him. He too didn't come to the canteen these days. Thank God!

The next day he followed me from the station till the workplace. This became a routine slowly. O. K. I have company. Nothing wrong. He seems to be a good man and behaves decently. What's wrong in that?

Ours was not 'love at first sight'. I was staying at King's Circle and he was living with his family in Chembur. These two places were different locations in Bombay.

Daily we started meeting at Dadar Station (Western Railway Station.) and talked till we reached Churchgate station. These two stations were two suburban railway stations of Bombay. The majority of the office going, especially the white collar workers have to commute this way. He was working for the Stanvac Oil Company. I worked for a private canteen there on the 7th floor. I was the canteen cashier there for the Ajanta Hotel, which was in Ballard Pier. This is in an old part of the city. . It was the Dock area where dock explosion of 1940’s happened. When a big shipload of bombs exploded full gold bars were strewn all over the roads. People on the roads just collected some and became rich overnight! The burning fires could be seen for days together, for miles long. It was a great tragedy for Bombay. But now all new buildings have come in their place. Just a small description of the explosion.

I worked on the cash register machine. I had to punch coupons for the staff to buy their drinks or food, collect the money and hand it over to the manager of the hotel daily. I had to be at the canteen at 8:30 am sharp before the staff started arriving. One Mr. Greener, an American Executive who was also in charge of the maintenance of the Office Building and myself used to be the only first two persons to arrive at the office daily. He was a very nice gentleman and we used to greet each other. I had to be in the office up to 5. 30 until the canteen closed. I used to get a break after the lunch time business for an hour. I used to go and rest in the Ladies’ staff resting room. I made a lot of friends there. They were all nice and sweet to me. They used to like my singing of Hindi Movie songs. One Ms. Bridgette Carie who was a Personal secretary to one of the top executives, used to like me so much that she always used to hug me. I enjoyed working there, even though it was just a small job with a small pay. The commuting was also strenuous.

The canteen was on the topmost floor of the building. The view from this height was really wonderful to look at. Whenever the rush hour was over at the canteen, I used to go to the wide and tall glass windows and watch the sea. The Stanvac building was almost near the Arabian Sea shore. When it was newly built the BEST bus transport company had a special route running from Kings’ Circle to Stanvac building. The number of the Bus route was No.5 with a board written boldly “Stanvac”.

Visitors to the city, those days used to come to see this beautiful building. ON special occasions it used to be fully lighted with colored lights and it used to be a lovely sight. Even now it looks just like a huge Wimco match box.

During the rainy season the scenery would be fine. The rains falling at a steady pour. As if we are standing under the shower bath. As children, we would just run out of the houses (while our mothers will shout at us not to get wet in the rain)! Getting wet in the first shower of rains is an awesome experience; the raindrops will strike at your face, all over the mouth, the ears and the cheeks. The feeling will have to be felt, to enjoy it. The first rain water will not be all that cold. It is said that the people from the Arabian and Middle Eastern countries used to visit Bombay and stay in Five Star hotels just to enjoy the monsoon season. That is the rainy season. Spending a lot of money and that too with their whole families and umpteen wives too!

He was working in the A/C's Dept on the 3rd fl. We came closer and closer. More friendly. Learning a lot about each other. He had lost his wife a few years ago. He loved his wife dearly. Because of the two children that too both girls, he had decided not to get married.

He said one day. “I don't know, I seem to like you and like to spend time with you.”

“Fine, we could be real friends.” I said.

In those days Saturdays were half working days. He suggested, we get down at Matunga Railway Station and have some coffee. “Why not! That is interesting.” I said and we got down, when we reached Matunga, we had some coffee and he wanted to buy some vegetables for home and we left. That way, we started coming closer and closer. On really heavy rainy days we used to get down at Dadar station and drink hot cups of Masala milk. It is very tasty and sweet hot milk with some good flavored essences. It used to be expensive and we used to buy one cup and share.

We were attracted to each other. People from the office started noticing us. Well something is cooking!! They started teasing us both and having fun. That was nice. We became bolder and bolder. He suggested one day. “There is a good picture running at the Strand Cinema. Shall we go?” Once he would pay and once I would pay for the tickets for the movies. I loved and was mad after watching movies. But this theatre was at the other end of the city. So what. Farther the better! Nobody will recognize us! We went and saw the movie. It was “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”. The handsome star William Holden had acted in it. He was my favorite star. We then went to an Irani restaurant and had some tea and biscuits. Irani restaurants were taboo to Brahmins, as they were run by Muslims. So what? We had become bold and careless! One day I casually realised that I had started loving this man and enjoyed his company. We were just happy, in each others' company. We never knew how time just flew away!

The Irani restaurants in those days used to be in every nook and corner of the city. It used to open at 6 o’clock in the morning and close only at 11 pm. They were mostly frequented by the youngsters like college students and others, out to have some fun. Some of the students who used to study late into the nights also visited, to have a cup of tea and bun –butter. They used to discuss and compare notes. Some lazy day dreamers too came here. The restaurants had some Family Rooms with closed doors for privacy, for families. We could even get some non vegetarian snacks too. Perhaps that is why it was a taboo for Brahmins who were strict vegetarians who never ate even onions. Quite idiotic according to me! But all those Irani restaurants just vanished and you could hardly see a few nowadays. Those restaurants are all replaced by Udipi hotels now which cater to mostly vegetarian customers. Eating places in India are really very interesting. A huge variety of snacks and food is available, all hot and tasty. I liked the Irani restaurants since my childhood because those were the only places where we used to get Nestles’ Milk chocolate, very tasty and used to be quite big in size. Those good old days!

Our next movie was “Never Say Good Bye” at the Eros Theatre. That was the first day, he held my hands and Said, "We will never say goodbye" and then kissed me in the family room in the Irani restaurant. It was really wonderful! Life was interesting after all! We started living in our own dream world. Only the two of us! We forgot our families and the surroundings.

On my birthday the 9th of April we visited the Mahalakshmi temple at Haji Ali. The belief was that whoever came to Bombay this Goddess took care of them and gave them their livelihoods. Religious minded people whoever came to the city visited this famous temple. There we went down to the sea shore where there were some big rocks. We were sitting on the rocks and watching the waves roll bye. Not many people were there. He suddenly said, out of the blue!

“I want to marry you”. Even though I knew, it was coming. I suddenly became quite shy!

“This is a promise” he said. I didn't know what to say. I was very happy. But, with two step daughters to manage! That might be a problem. Perhaps now on, it may be my problem too. So what? He is there to share the burden. It may work out. Let me give it a try, I thought. I too am a motherless girl. His mother was also getting old. She wanted him to take off the children's responsibilities from her.

My father had studied astrology deeply. The eastern type and the western Raphael's type. He cast my horoscope and said that I was destined to be married to a widower only. So he used to search for a suitable man, only as a widower. He rejected good offers of bachelors and sought only widowers. How horrible!

I was furious. I was the darling girl of my mother's whole family. They all loved me a lot. As my mother had lost two daughters before me, perhaps they must have felt that I was God's gift. My mother came from a rich Zamindar (land owner) family and had high hopes of marrying me to a handsome and well to do man. Here was a father of mine, saying that I will be married only to a widower! No. No. No. I revolted and was determined not to marry at all and make my own life. Prove to my father that astrology was all just a myth. It is really good as a pastime studying it. But it rarely helps in making major decisions. His first marriage was decided upon the predictions of his family astrologer. But it failed miserably. He lost her very soon. He was only 37 when he married me. In many cases people do become obsessed with the idiotic things they predict. Perhaps the reason I accepted him was an underlying current in my mind that my father's prediction was true and I had to accept it! I missed my mother very much. If she were alive, will she allow this man to decide my fate? My mother was a strong minded lady. Loving and caring for anyone who came in her contact. I cried for my mother. But then I thought, this is the type of situation when a girl needs her mother the most. At least, let me try to be a mother to the two girls. I consoled myself and got ready to act. My bad luck was, I lost my dear and loving mother when I was just fourteen years old. Most unlucky. I took up this small job as a canteen cashier with a strong resolution, not to marry at all.

And here was this man proposing to me! The problem was, I loved him and wanted to marry him! I was surprised. How did this happen? He was a widower and knew sex. But I was single. With forsaken dreams of a good marriage. Though both of us were living with our families, we were left alone for ourselves. Might be this loneliness tempted us in coming closer for company’s sake.

I chose to marry him even though I knew full well that he had two daughters. When I emerged from my bedroom after the first night, well I had a readymade family to tend! All of them waiting for me to cook their breakfast! To this day I am unable to understand how I just took it in my stride to fend and bring up these two children who were not my own. Perhaps that is how it was. “Love is blind”. To this day I don't repent having taken up their responsibility. Now both of them are married and well settled in life with their own families and still loving us. I had two of my own children all growing up together. All the four are close to each other. I am really satisfied and thankful to God for giving me strength to face life and do my duties towards these two children. Perhaps that’s life after all is said and done.

His whole family was up in arms against him for deciding to marry me. His mother was worried, if he married me, who is not of their own sub caste, his only loving sister who was a spinster may not get good offers for marriage. As she was just one year younger to me. He too is still wondering how and what made him decide to marry me. He comes from a village in Kerala while I was born and brought up in a city, Madras in Tamil Nadu which was a different place. The only person in his whole family who approved of our marriage was his immediate brother Krishnan. A man who was a bit communist minded and did not give much importance to caste, religion, dogma beliefs, and weird fear or sin and so on. All his other family members were a bit unhappy over this attitude of Krishnan and avoided any arguments on this subject. He alone attended our wedding. My elder brother celebrated it in a good way. All my relatives attended it. They were happy for me. His grandmother, who was 92 years of age, loved him a lot. She liked me and loved me a lot too. She came and stayed with us until her death. A lot of household work. But life was interesting with all its small tiffs and turns. Love does give us the strength to face life. For one thing he didn't want me to go for a job! That in itself was a boon for me. In India, commuting to and fro for your job, especially in the overcrowded ladies compartment in the suburban trains, was hell. Poor things! I really pity them. Both my step daughters were working and used to undergo this hell. The first one has retired from Government service successfully.

Now, let me describe my husband of today. I call him IT. The third person pronoun in the English language. I have to feed IT. Scold IT. Argue and fight with IT. My IT is tall, quite fair, and healthy. Robust arms, a lot of lovely, curly hair, which both my daughter and son have inherited from him. But his teeth were really bad! He wore Round rimless glasses and always wearing white shirt and white pants only. He was looking like a country bred. Well! I will have to work on him, change his style of dress, and get him to wear colored clothes. Which I succeeded in doing. One thing I loved about him was that he was a complete teetotaler! No bad habits! Well, money will be well managed and no wanting for anything in running the family. But a very disciplined man and expecting perfect obedience from the family. The children were virtually scared of him. But in a way it was good. They all came up in life.

In the Hindu religion there is a form of worship to God which is called ‘Nindha Sthuthi’ where in you address God in the third person. Of course out of love. So I too feel like calling him IT that way. Though I don't like to see him as God. I would rather like to be the real 'better half.

But he does not have that same thinking. According to him a wife cannot be an equal to the husband. Women are stupid!! That is what he thought! So there have been many tiffs and small misunderstandings in day to day life, all through. That was life after all. He had a confirmed feeling that women cannot handle money and will spend it in all sorts of unwanted things. As if we are so irresponsible! How very idiotic of him! Now he realises that, but for my frugality and simple living he would not have faced life so smoothly! We have our own house, fully paid and all the four children well settled in life.

Romance seems very far away in the past. But sometimes as I sip my tea in the afternoon, I relive the past How I we roamed about over many places in Mumbai with IT even before we were married. Holding hands and going to Irani restaurants and kissing!! Once we were sitting in the Parsi garden and suddenly it started raining very heavily. We had only one umbrella between us. We did not part and go home. We were just sitting there sticking to each other. It was real fun and silly, too. It was nearly dusk and slightly getting dark. Nobody around. Just the two of us. It was really wonderful!! Thank

God, there was nobody around, known to us. His people tried their utmost, putting off our marriage. Who cared!! Life was real fun for the both of us. When you can have fun stealthy, it is thrilling! Perhaps that was really the best part of our lives.

Full of love and interest in each other. I wonder where that new found love vanishes as the years pass! Perhaps the strife and struggle in life makes us lose it. We have to keep the memories fresh, recollecting it together over and over again. But how was this possible for a strict disciplinarian!! So those days were just like a dream when I go over it now!

One interesting incident I well remember and laugh over it is this. All the four children were sitting and chatting in our balcony one day. My two step children were saying, "Oh! How much we enjoyed their wedding! The amount of ice cream we ate! How wonderful it was. "My son was about three years old and for a long time he didn't know that they were his step sisters and that they attended our wedding.

To this day my son will ask, "How can they be motherless as long as you are alive?" Well, coming to the point. He started crying. “Why I never got any ice cream for their wedding?!”

Not all romance maybe as thrilling as mine. With all the taboos and restrictions on Brahmin grown up girls. By the by I am 77 years and my IT is only 86 years young!

We got married on the 2nd of Feb 1957. Nearly 50 years. Oh! My God! What a long time? Where have all the years vanished?

And how ?????