You and I, plus 2 years of marriage!

When people say first year of marriage is hard, I tell them to live the second year in isolation with your spouse in a lockdown! First year of marriage was a breeze because of the pampering we received from both sets of parents. Later when career made us move to the capital of the country, we were literally on our own. Right from purchasing household items to getting them transported across cities, it was not easy. Finally, when we moved in to the house, which we made our home, the journey of challenges had only just begun. Although I was no stranger to cooking, I had never managed a house all on my own. For a woman, it can be quite daunting, terrifying indeed! Because it was no longer about my own hunger, there was another homo sapien who was equally hungry if not less. I remember the initial days when it was hard for me to manage office work and household chores. All my frustration unfortunately landed on my husband, who was already trying his best to cope with new set of responsibilities. Finally, one day, after shouting at each other and hugging amidst tears, we figured out our way. Ever since, we have not looked back. Did we ultimately crack the golden code of efficiently running a house? No! We learned to laugh through our struggles and figure out solutions/coping mechanisms for each curveball that life threw at us.

Life was good until we were forced into lockdown again for straight four months owing to the devastating second wave of COVID-19. Although we did briefly consider travelling to back to our home city, we decided against it lest we should carry the virus to our family. When you are just two people in a house, day in and day out, it is not very amusing. Yet, I think those tough times gave us enough patience to understand how to live the rest of our life together. We missed travelling during the lockdown, but we have travelled enough into each other’s heart and soul, which was a beautiful journey in itself.

Of all the wonderful trips we made last year to Kothagiri, Darjeeling and Goa, my most favorite moment was when we climbed a hilltop at the Chapora Fort in Goa to watch the sunset in the valley. We had walked away from the tourists and climbed the hill despite the effort it took after the day’s sightseeing. It was hard but we made it just to spend those quiet moments in seclusion, watching the lovely sunset. Tranquility embraced us and so did love. Every day, I look forward to spending time with you after all our work is completed. When I sit next to you with my head resting on your shoulder, whatever this universe is made of, it feels complete. It is amazing how the topics of our conversations are ranging from paying the electricity bill, to ridiculing a TV show, to deciding on a movie, to discussing office work, to next day’s lunch, to simply teasing each other. Our never ending talks! I guess that is what is most important in a marriage, the freedom to discuss anything with the spouse.

Two years of being married to you, showed me what it means to have a true companion. Your charming smile, your sense of humor, your anger, your adorable Hindi and Kannada, your caring hugs, your financial advice, your OCD of not missing a single dialogue in a movie, you never-ending love for Gajar halwa and lots more – I love every bit of you! Love has been between us from the beginning, but marriage taught us acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, sharing, understanding and always putting us before me.

Happy Wedding Anniversary, my partner!