Hi friends,
The first year of a newly married is just a paradise. It would be over in the blink of an eye. Every bachelor imagines it. I wish to share with you the experience of the first year after my marriage. I was married on 3rd Feb 1974 when I was 29. Two days after our wedding, we returned to Chennai where I was employed.
We returned by the Tuticorin Express with 13 baggage. In those days, people wore only sarees. Churidhar was entering the market. There were no jeans, leggings, etc. My mother also came with us. It was normal practice for the mother to ensure that the couple started their life on a happy note without any quarrel or misunderstanding.
I had rented a small portion in Triplicane with a kitchen [6x6] and a bedroom [8x6]. My mother slept in the kitchen sparing the bedroom for us. There was no door in between. We faced the east and she faced the west. I could not blabber anything to my wife. We expressed only thro' signals. My mother understood the situation and decided to return after a few days.
In the adjacent mess, there was an opening on the wall. The smell of garlic came through the opening. I tried to close it but to no avail. My wife was sensitive to garlic and started vomiting. I wanted to celebrate thinking that she had conceived. She chided me and we decided to shift to a different place.
We had all the time in the world. There was no sunrise or sunset for us. I found the office hours too long and frustrating. Sometimes, I took leave in the afternoon. I think newly married people should be free to leave the office at any time, I even wanted to resign from the job. Once a workaholic, I became redundant.
I had a black Raleigh bicycle. It had a sports handlebar, Brooks seat, Miller dynamo, etc. I covered all parts with red Rexine. I maintained it in top condition. I provided a cushion in the rear seat, for my wife to sit comfortably. A small cushion seat was also fixed near the handlebar for our future kid. We traveled across Madras from Triplicane to Parrys to T.nagar to Besant Nagar singing "Ae Maine Kasam Li" [in Tere Mere Sapne] merrily.
We went to night cinemas in the cycle. Traffic was light. You could hardly see two buses and two cars on Mount road. Two-wheelers were rare due to the long waiting period. People mainly traveled by bicycle. On my return from the office, I bought the vegetables, and my wife cooked fresh both in the morning and in the evening.
By 7 PM, after preparing dinner, we had our bath and went for a walk. The best place for newly married was Marina beach. That was the purpose of staying in Triplicane. It was the most beautiful beach in the world. The waves were pleasant and soft on the feet. The sea breeze was refreshing. It was a paradise for the poor.
The cut-mango sprayed with chilly powder was a delicacy. We went there daily, sat near the water for an hour, and then walked around Vivekanandha's house. On our way, we visited her uncle in Icehouse, who was a jovial person. We chatted with him for an hour and returned home by 9 PM. We had our dinner and went to bed.
Saturday and Sunday were special days. We always went to a movie on Friday and Saturday nights. We also had our dinner outside. We would leave by 8 PM, went to Mount Road by cycle, had our dinner in Durbar restaurant or Geetha cafe, opposite Anna Statue, and went to the cinema. The dishes in the hotel were of good quality and reasonably priced.
My wife's preference was Gulaab Jamun. There were many theaters on Mount road and the rates were not high. It was safe to go for the night show. The Govt. provided buses after the show. Triplicane was nearby Mount road which was an advantage. At 1 AM, on weekends, the area around Anna statue in Mount road would be similar to that of Times Square in New York.
.
My salary was Rs.500 per month. I sent 100 to my parents, 100 for the rent, 250 for the family, and the balance 50 for emergencies. Due to the paucity of funds, we could not eat as we liked. We ordered one plate each of Gulaab Jamun, Idly, Vada, Rava/masala dosa, chappati, and coffee. We shared to save on money. For the movie also, we went for the middle class and not the high class.
We never took a cab or an auto or bus. We went only by cycle. Our life was simple and enjoyable. It was a happy and contented life though we did not have sufficient money. We loved each other and that was important. We were happy with what we had. We never aspired for anything beyond our capacity. We lived in paradise. Those days will never come back. MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
The first year of a newly married is just a paradise. It would be over in the blink of an eye. Every bachelor imagines it. I wish to share with you the experience of the first year after my marriage. I was married on 3rd Feb 1974 when I was 29. Two days after our wedding, we returned to Chennai where I was employed.
We returned by the Tuticorin Express with 13 baggage. In those days, people wore only sarees. Churidhar was entering the market. There were no jeans, leggings, etc. My mother also came with us. It was normal practice for the mother to ensure that the couple started their life on a happy note without any quarrel or misunderstanding.
I had rented a small portion in Triplicane with a kitchen [6x6] and a bedroom [8x6]. My mother slept in the kitchen sparing the bedroom for us. There was no door in between. We faced the east and she faced the west. I could not blabber anything to my wife. We expressed only thro' signals. My mother understood the situation and decided to return after a few days.
In the adjacent mess, there was an opening on the wall. The smell of garlic came through the opening. I tried to close it but to no avail. My wife was sensitive to garlic and started vomiting. I wanted to celebrate thinking that she had conceived. She chided me and we decided to shift to a different place.
We had all the time in the world. There was no sunrise or sunset for us. I found the office hours too long and frustrating. Sometimes, I took leave in the afternoon. I think newly married people should be free to leave the office at any time, I even wanted to resign from the job. Once a workaholic, I became redundant.
I had a black Raleigh bicycle. It had a sports handlebar, Brooks seat, Miller dynamo, etc. I covered all parts with red Rexine. I maintained it in top condition. I provided a cushion in the rear seat, for my wife to sit comfortably. A small cushion seat was also fixed near the handlebar for our future kid. We traveled across Madras from Triplicane to Parrys to T.nagar to Besant Nagar singing "Ae Maine Kasam Li" [in Tere Mere Sapne] merrily.
We went to night cinemas in the cycle. Traffic was light. You could hardly see two buses and two cars on Mount road. Two-wheelers were rare due to the long waiting period. People mainly traveled by bicycle. On my return from the office, I bought the vegetables, and my wife cooked fresh both in the morning and in the evening.
By 7 PM, after preparing dinner, we had our bath and went for a walk. The best place for newly married was Marina beach. That was the purpose of staying in Triplicane. It was the most beautiful beach in the world. The waves were pleasant and soft on the feet. The sea breeze was refreshing. It was a paradise for the poor.
The cut-mango sprayed with chilly powder was a delicacy. We went there daily, sat near the water for an hour, and then walked around Vivekanandha's house. On our way, we visited her uncle in Icehouse, who was a jovial person. We chatted with him for an hour and returned home by 9 PM. We had our dinner and went to bed.
Saturday and Sunday were special days. We always went to a movie on Friday and Saturday nights. We also had our dinner outside. We would leave by 8 PM, went to Mount Road by cycle, had our dinner in Durbar restaurant or Geetha cafe, opposite Anna Statue, and went to the cinema. The dishes in the hotel were of good quality and reasonably priced.
My wife's preference was Gulaab Jamun. There were many theaters on Mount road and the rates were not high. It was safe to go for the night show. The Govt. provided buses after the show. Triplicane was nearby Mount road which was an advantage. At 1 AM, on weekends, the area around Anna statue in Mount road would be similar to that of Times Square in New York.
.
My salary was Rs.500 per month. I sent 100 to my parents, 100 for the rent, 250 for the family, and the balance 50 for emergencies. Due to the paucity of funds, we could not eat as we liked. We ordered one plate each of Gulaab Jamun, Idly, Vada, Rava/masala dosa, chappati, and coffee. We shared to save on money. For the movie also, we went for the middle class and not the high class.
We never took a cab or an auto or bus. We went only by cycle. Our life was simple and enjoyable. It was a happy and contented life though we did not have sufficient money. We loved each other and that was important. We were happy with what we had. We never aspired for anything beyond our capacity. We lived in paradise. Those days will never come back. MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
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