Imagine the late 90’s… Young me in my first job. First, brush with the Internet. Luckily nature of our organization was such that we had unlimited access to the Internet. Life was fun with loads of work spiced with chat rooms and chat friends. Visual Basic was open in one window and the chat room open in another window (I know what you are thinking we did some good amount of work also). Actually, that was our window to the outside world. Met lots of girls and boys and chatted away on every topic under the sun. But as it happens some are bound to linger on longer and become good friends.
One of them was a guy in armed forces. And I was besotted with men in uniform. If you have grown up in the vicinity of IMA or NDA you will understand why I said that. We found that these Gentlemen Cades (GCs) were always more of a gentleman as compared to the boys we used to see in college or our neighbourhood.
Coming back to the story. I chatted with him daily. Even though he belonged to the same city as me currently he was posted at some far-off location. We became very good friends. We exchanged multiple messages or emails in a day. Even though I loved chatting with him there was no romantic nature to our talks.
As days progressed, he told his younger sister about me. She was very excited to meet me. She wanted to speak to me. So, I gave my number (remember these are the days of landlines only and one of the extensions of these landlines are always in parents room). Eventually, she called. I spoke to her at length. She was a pleasant chirpy girl. What I didn’t know that my Dad had heard the conversation and couldn’t figure out who this girl was as she was not one of my friends.
Anyways I was asked about her and I blurted out the whole story. Now comes the twist. I was not admonished or anything. Since he was from the same caste or religion as us and was obviously eligible. My parents thought he could be a good match for me. My parents met his mother (his father was no more). I met his sister. Saw his photo for the first time (imagine! How naïve!). And everyone seemed to like each other. Now that the families had put the idea into our minds. Our talks obviously turned romantic. He was coming home for the holidays. The wait began.
I suddenly started liking “Kaho na pyaar hai…” songs. All mushy mushy.
When he actually came home. He called to meet me in a restaurant. That is where he dropped the bombshell that his family was the carrier of a rare genetic disease and he was a carrier of the gene. But if I didn’t have that gene then our progeny won’t get affected. Me the forever optimistic was okay with it… He said he was worried about his sister though as she was a female carrier and so chances of it being passed on to her progeny are very high. That will make her marriage very tough. I still thought it was no big deal and we will brave out whatever life has in store for us.
So all seemed set in our relationship. When one fine evening he called and said that his whole extended family was admonishing him that how can he think of his own marriage when his sister’s future was bleak… he had responsibilities towards his family… he was being selfish… he was thinking only about himself… the list of accusations was long…
And he called it off.
My father was livid. He just exploded on him. No amount of talking or cajoling from my side changed his stance. And he just dropped out of my life. I was really heartbroken at that time. I didn’t understand what hit me. I was wholeheartedly ready to support him then why was I being punished.
But as they say, some things are not meant to be.
It is a sweet little episode in my memory now. Maybe we both were very young at that point of time to make such huge decisions in our lives.
I got to know from a common acquaintance that he and his sister both are happily married now. And me, I too am blissfully living with my hubby and kids.
Candles Online 