Happy Valentines Day! Let's Celebrate With KC Kambar!

You overwhelmed me with your responses. VS, Kamla you are not without company. I also belong to the pre-valentine era.

The place where I schooled and the times were so orthodox, that if a boy is seen asking a girl to borrow her class notes, well, the next day, the schools rest room will be full with grafitti linking the boy and the girl for all ages to come.

In that context my marriage had to be an arranged one. But I being I, made the best of whatever was offered to me. When people ask me whether my marriage is a love marriage or an arranged one, I say, "both" because we loved and our parents arranged.

Having said that it would be shock to you all if I say that I met Indhu when I was 18 and she was 16.

She had joined the Pre-University Course at the local Music College near our house, called Sri Sadguru Sangeetha Vidyalayam.

An allied institution of this college was Sri Sadguru Sangeetha Samajam, the Music Academy of Madurai.

My parents were members in the Samajam. I used to go to the concerts. It was there I saw the skinny, tall, fair girl who used to come to the concerts as part of her curiculum.

It was an instance of annalum nokkinaan (though I come no way near the
definition of annal) avalum nokkinaal.

For a while I have been trying my hand at Veena. I learnt to play the instrument for some 5 years.

During Thiagaraja Arathanai in January every year, kathukuttis like us will be given a chance to perform on stage. When I was in the green room I saw this tall, lean girl again at close quarters. But given the circumstances (every one out there was known to my parents) we did not even dare to smile at each other. The most we did was to let our eyes rest on each other a second longer than it was necessary. That is the maximum advancement in love we could boast of.

This kind of meeting each other from too respectable a distance continued for a few years. Then I joined CA. I got close to one of my fellow-apprentices and confided my love for that tall girl to him. Then only he said that the girl was his second cousin and that her name was Indhu.

He and a couple of my other friends worked round the clock to make things happen.

I got an all-India rank in CA inter. My photo was published in our professional magazine. A friend carried it all the way to Indhu's house to show it to her father. He true to his nature was not impressed.

Then I finished CA and got a job in TVS. Then my friend, Indhu's cousin, arranged a girl seeing function. Fortunately for us everything else fit. Same religion, same caste, but of course different subsect (thenkalai-vadakalai) which did not matter.
My father insisted that he would go by the book. Meaning he would proceed only when the horoscopes match. Now I was in a fix. How to make the horoscopes match? I got some time from my father. And after two days told him,
"I accept your condition. But you should take the horoscopes only to the astrologer I recommend. And my friend will come along with you."

My love was so strong that it turned me into a schemer. (which helped me a lot later in my profession).
Meanwhile I had scouted for astrologers who would be rather easy on the matching aspect. I did not go to the extent of tipping the astrologer to make him say that this was an excellent match. But I assessed his general outlook. He was a very old man who had seen many a summer. During a casual talk he mentioned that "manaanukule prathamam prathastham" Agreement between the minds is all that matters.
I wrote down his name and address and gave it to my father who went along with my friend. The astrologer said the horoscopes matched.
But suddenly there was a set back. Indhu's parents were not ready for the marriage, even though my parents said plainly, there were absolutely no demands.
We did not hear from them for a long time. Meanwhile my parents started to see other girls. The parents of a girl from Chennai were very keen. The horoscopes had matched. They had come and talked to my parents. My parents were ready to travel to Chennai for the girl seeing function.

I went to Meenakshi Amman temple and told Mukkurini Vinayagar, "Lord, I thought I was smart. But before you I am a fool and an idiot. If you think I deserve Indhu, let us get married. Otherwise I submit to your will. Thy will and not mine be done."

Atheists may laugh at me. But the prayer did have an effect. Early next morning Indhu's aunt came to our house asking how to proceed further. Then Indhu's parents, aunts and uncles came. They fixed the date of betrothal on June 13 1983. But the marriage was deferred till 3rd Feb 84.

All our courtship was in this interregnum. We exchanged many, many letters. In those days there were no mobiles, sms or emails. (We did not even have a land line) So we had to take recourse to the snail mail.

Indhus parents were strict. So they did not allow my writing to her. So I used to write to her neighbour. Indhu will read the letter and then tear it off.

My parents encouraged me. In fact my father gave his newly printed letter heads to me to write to Indhu. I exhausted two pads of 100 leaves each.
I still retain the letters written by Indhu. When we have a bad fight, I used to retrieve those letters, just pick one at random, read it and then run to Indhu to ask for forgiveness, even if the mistake was hers.

Love then and love now is different. In those days our love had more of speed, now it has more of depth. But even now I am afraid that I have not fully reciprocated Indhu's love for me. I have not given to her the same happiness she has been giving me for all these years.

Sorry for boring you with my own suyapuranam!

regards,
sridhar

Wow Varalotti !
Perfect lover boy or what ! Roping in Vinayaka as co-schemer and all !

And what was your song ? Definitely not " Ayyanggaaru veettu azhagey ! " though Vandhana karpuram-anaicchu promises you are only 20 ! If I filmed your above screen play, I'd put this song in your mouth":
"Poo maalaiyil or' malligai, ingu naan thaan theyn enrathu !"
Do you like that song ? I love it.
( you have described Indhu as skinny and tall whereas that poomalai song, unfortunately, is associated with a fatso , KR Vijaya ! )

Well, a lovely love- story to read on Valentines Day , Dear Varalotti. Thank you.
Regards to you and Indhu
Manjula

Manjula and Other ILites,

I should add a note here; otherwise my wife reading the post might get offended. Indhu remained skinny only for a period of 6 months after marriage. Thereafter she became slim. I am looking for a word to describe her now. Yet to find that word.

At the time I set my eyes on Indhu, I was skinnier than her. Indhu used to joke to her friends that I was the number one man. Not because I was a numero uno, but because I was like the number 1, standing 6' 1' ramrod straight and as lean as lean can be.

My present appearance is a different story and it wont fit into this thread.

sridhar

Kamla,VS,Varalotti,Dharma,Jothi, Vidya(vmur),Sudha,Vandhana and all love birds,

Loving all your stories. Giving you guys a mental five star rating (since I cldn't find a PG recommended rating).

Happy Velentine's Day!

love
Vidya

It is so interesting to read your Love experiences. I think I have more right to write here about love. We loved for 5 years without any body's knowledge and next 2 years with every body's consent. How is it?
We both exchanged only poems for long..I am sure it would be very interesting to read if I share my experiences here. Sorry, I plan to pm our Malathy... If you agree to write a story I will pm you But no villains and no disapproval of family in this story..
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU
Love,

I am snowed in! Iced in..rather. Early morning here and am in front of my monitor with a steaming cup of tea on this Valentine's Day. Plans for lunching seems to be a no no. But who is complaining...I am enjoying this thread reading the real romantic moments of Varalotti, Safa and other's kannum kannum nokking experiences:) Love peotry and loving articles by our famous IL'ites compensate with their warmth for the icy cold outside my doors.
I will drink (albeit hot tea) to that!

L, Kamla

Dear Sridhar,

Oh Loved your write up about the way youschemed to get married to Indhu. Having read all your write up, I can understand your " go get" attitute and get things done by hook or crook.

Manju, the song that comes to my mind after reading Sridhar's bio is " kannale pesiya yen arivu selvam thangam" Correct me if I am wrong with the words here.

Yes indeed, with all the flu bugs etc going around, looks like I will be having VD at home too.

Vandhana

Hi Dharma,

What an eloquent VD post! Read yours repeatedly, you have chosen the verses so well. Verses-thanks to Kannadasan. For the choice-thanks to you. Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

love & regards
Vidya

Dear Sridhar,

Very Romantic...suryapuranam. I would not call it boring, rather more entertaining and enjoyable.
It was a pleasure reading such beautiful romance, on this valentine's morning. Thanks for giving us all that pleasure Varalotti.
BTW, I am sure Indhu does not feel the same way as you do when it comes to the reciprocation of her love, and the happiness that she has given you.

Regards,
Jothi.

Dear Vandhana, Jothi and V-24 in another room ( i dont really like the word Thread, so, room),

You have all reprimanded me for using the word Arai Kizham, which I realise is a taboo word for Valentine's Day. And Vandhana bringing in "Kannale Pesiya en arivu selvam" in that unique , old-worldly ,gravelly voice ( was it Tiruchy Loganathan ?), sure put me in mood to participate more actively than merely stand-by and look.
After all, havn't we all only very recently got ourselves educated in the art of keeping young in mind, thanks to our dear bellringer ?
I readily agree Love has no age. But Romance ? I tend to think it comes with a VRS option. Especially when one sees giggly young things in teeny weeny nothings dancing around with Red- Heart Balloons, singing " Crazy Kiya Re".....
.
Love and Romance seem different things like Idli and Uthappam. Same batter, but.........
If you guys want to know how the soap-opera unfolds in our house, here goes:

Annal and Aval are sitting in the balcony overlooking a gulmohar tree. Spreading twilight bathes their faces in a soft golden glow. ( Its the day's third power shutdown,UPS is in power saving mode; for use in Kitchen and bathroom only)
The gentle breeze swishing around the tree shakes down a cascade of orange yellow blossoms all around them.
Annalum nokkinar. Avalum nokkinal. ( just to be sure those wretched tree- ants have not rained on them along with the dried blossoms.)
Eyes shining like jewels ( contacts) Annal whispers : " Where did you keep my Orthocure tabs?"
Her lute-like voice choking with pollen allergy, she coos, adjusting her spectacles:" In your medicine bag along with your BP tablets"
Then there is some "Kaal Kanden kaaley kanden" because prolonged sitting has caused all four ankles to swell.
As the sun dips behind the russet roof of the neighbouring call centre, he rises like Indra's thunderbolt ( thats the foot stool clattering) and declares: " Go in now. I dont want your esnophilia acting up when my brother's family is coming to visit"
Hand in hand ( so that they dont stumble in the dark), they walk away from the sunset.

Thats it.
We have ambled together, like in a three legged race , for 30 years that we have now become each other's habit.
That is not romance. It could be love. He calls it a comfort blanket .

VS