The most beautiful love story :)

Life & love share a symbiotic relationship. The topic of love is very close to my heart right from childhood. I had a fairytale childhood, loved by everyone & cared & comforted by my dear grandparents who taught me the meaning of love.

Thani & dadu are the epitome of unconditional love for me. I consider myself very lucky to have been close to them & feeling the love they have for each other.Just like the good old romantic classics , thani & dadu had an arranged marriage which later transformed into the love lasting a lifetime.

You may have read in books that "for everyone you might be someone in the world but for someone you are the world". Thani & dadu found a world in each other. Their love was so pure & unconditional that it was reflected in them at every moment. Dadu has been in love with thani unconditionally..right from his playful indulgence in whatever thani did, to complementing her on her looks, to flirting with her , to wanting to be there with her every moment. Thani's love for dadu is also beyond words. The fond memories of me sleeping in between both of them & chatting till late hours & three of us giggling are still fresh in my mind. 

Whenever my parents would go out, three of us would have a gala time. We would order dosa from a local shop, switch on some slow bengali songs & play ludo.Dadu would come to his true self then, teasing Thani with playful words & it felt like heaven for me. Thani used to giggle shyly & i used to make them hold hands just in case they had minor disagreements on things. I know the song dadu had sung for thani during a moonlit night at puri beach describing her smile. These intimate details which they have shared with me are priceless treasures now.

Once i asked Dadu, which was the best achievement of his life. He replied with a smile saying " Your thani is the most beautiful woman for me & i am lucky that she married me".They exchanged letters during 1955-1958 when dadu had stay at cuttack & Thani at the village. Thani used to say how her father in law, my great grandfather used to get annoyed at the frequent letters suggesting that the cost of letters would be equal to the monthly grocery. Both of them would ignore it & continue as their love was vivacious just as it was in their 50th year of togetherness in 2005.

Their love has grown each moment since they have been together. The respect & faith they had in their relationship was nurtured with their unconditional affection for each other.I always wanted to get those letters from Thani, but she would tell me "Me & Dadu would gift it to you when time comes ".

Thani's sad demise in 2008 came as a rude shock to me.Till now i am unable to accept it & i dont think i can ever accept it. Dadu is suffering from Parkison syndrome & his memory does not contain the fact of Thani's absence. Earlier he used to enquire everyone about Thani's whereabouts but slowly it has decreased. He asks me sometimes "How is Thani? She should be here taking care of me..Where is she now?" To which smile and put his hand on his heart and say "Thani is right here now and forever".

PS: On my recent visit to my village after my graduation i found an old box containing 137 letter from 1955 to 1958. My graduation gift from my dear grandparents :)