128. What if they had perceived me as ominous?

Thousand Full Moon: Meera Sham Dasharath

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

My wedding date was a month away and every one including the elderly ladies in the house started advising me on the do’s and the don’ts for a married woman. They started giving me reasons behind rituals, explaining good and bad omens and the general code of conduct. Finally the day arrived.

As I was entering the marriage hall I remembered to put my right foot forward as that was what I was asked to do. The next day my sister-in-law brought a three strand Bindi (a head ornament) for me to wear. As I was fastening it the string broke and all the beads scattered all over the place… After the marriage ceremony as is customary my husband and I carried a big serving plate of Jalebis to serve in the pangat (rows of people enjoying the feast). Due to the pressure of the big dish a few of my green glass bangles broke… At the reception a boy came running and announced that there was a fire in one of the corners of the pendol and every one rushed there… After the wedding ceremony it was customary for the groom’s family to take the new bride and the groom to the groom’s house. But since my in-laws had some inconveniences my husband and I stayed back and joined them after two days…

Four so called bad omens had occurred in a row. But my entire married life went on smoothly. My children are also happily married and well settled in their respective families.

I wonder some times what would have happened had my in-laws perceived me as ominous? 

127. I humbly salute the changing times!

Thousand Moon: Smt. Sudha Limaye

Contributed by: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

My husband and I had a registered wedding sixty one years ago. A wedding in a non-conventional format was a shock in itself for the middle class community that we came from. Everybody was curious and excited to know how such weddings were performed. We had given the required one month notice and all the forms were filled and ready. The Registrar was to come to my house for the formalities.

He arrived on time and after the initial pleasantries examined the papers and to our disbelief announced that we could not proceed with the wedding. We were all in a state of shock. Upon asking him the reason he said, “The bride is only seventeen and legally a minor”. When my uncle asked him if there was a solution to the problem or whether we had to wait a year, he said that if we could procure a letter from my parents giving their consent then we could go ahead. Hence my mother wrote a letter and we proceeded with the wedding. Everyone was relieved, particularly my husband!

We had arranged an ice cream party in the evening at the Sahitya Parishad hall. The only vehicles we could take to go there were the Bus or the Tonga (horse cart). My husband and I decided to walk there. The hall had chairs but there were none on the dais. It being a Sunday the hall office was closed. The hall caretaker did not allow us to move any of the chairs on the floor to the dais. Finally I remembered that we knew a family that lived close by. So I walked to their house and upon explaining the whole situation to them was able to borrow two chairs. I carried one one chair myself. The chairs were then kept on the dais and the reception party progressed.

These days when I attend marriages with decorated pendols and throne like seats for the bride and the groom I invariable remember my own wedding and I humbly salute the changing times!

126. Extraordinary Moments In An Ordinary Life

Thousand Full Moon: Smt. Maya Vaad 81+

Contributed by: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

 

Smt. Vaad (81+) had the good fortune of visiting and later helping out at the Nutan Bal Shikshan Sangh (NBSS) Montessori School at Kosbad, near Dahanu, Maharashtra, India. The school was pioneered by educationists Tarabai Modak and Anutai Vagh.  On one of the republic days when Smt. Vaad was visiting the school with her family, Anutai Vagh designated her as the chief guest of the republic day function and gave her the responsibility of hoisting the flag and addressing the students. She was nervous at first but once the flag was unfurled all her fears were blown to the wind and she happily delivered her brief speech in front of the students.

She is thankful for these extraordinary moments in her ordinary life!